In its 2024 summer tyre test, the German motoring association ADAC decided to shake things up a bit. Instead of its usual two sizes, they focused on just one – the popular 205/55 R16. Why? To free up capacity for the growing demand in the all-season tyre segment. ADAC tested 16 all-season tyres in this size, and for the first time ever, one tyre earned a ‘good’ rating. They rated six tyres as ‘satisfactory’, seven as ‘adequate’, and two as ‘insufficient’.
To see just how good all-season tyres have become, ADAC applied the same strict criteria used for summer and winter tyres. These tyres had to perform like summer tyres on hot asphalt and like winter tyres on snowy roads. Plus, they needed to excel in mileage, fuel consumption, and wear – a tricky balance for all-season tyres compared to specialised ones.
Goodyear comes out on top
The Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 stood out, impressing the ADAC test team with its performance on wet and wintry roads, and only showing minor weaknesses on dry asphalt. Thanks to its above-average environmental performance, it scored 2.4 overall, making it the first all-season tyre to earn a ‘good’ rating in an ADAC test.
“The fact that an all-season tyre has achieved a good overall result in the ADAC test for the first time, because it is not only safe but also scores highly in terms of environmental properties, shows the potential of modern tyre technology. All-season tyres can therefore be seen as a real alternative to summer and winter tyres in certain applications and help to reduce mobility costs,” says ADAC technical president Karsten Schulze.
Ben Glesener, regional technology director at Goodyear EMEA, celebrated the victory: “Goodyear’s continued recognition in prestigious tests highlights our continuous development of trailblazing technology. We are particularly proud that Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 has become the first all-season tyre to achieve ADAC’s overall ‘good’ ranking, underlining its capabilities across dry, wet and snowy conditions combined with outstanding mileage.”
Other top contenders
For drivers who don’t clock up high mileage, ADAC also recommends the runner-up Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF2. Despite slightly lower mileage potential, this tyre earned high marks for driving safety and narrowly missed a ‘good’ rating with a score of 2.6. ADAC also suggests considering the tyres ranked third to seventh, based on specific needs like high mileage, safety, or low environmental impact. These include the Hankook Kinergy 4S², Michelin CrossClimate 2, Kumho Solus 4S HA32+, Vredestein Quatrac, and Falken EuroAll Season AS210.
Adequate performers
Seven tyres earned an ‘adequate’ rating: Firestone Multiseason 2, Sava All Weather, Nankang Cross Seasons AW-6, Toyo Celsius AS2, Semperit AllSeason Grip, Uniroyal AllSeasonExpert 2, and Yokohama BluEarth-4S. The differences in ranking, such as braking distances, are significant. For instance, the Michelin CrossClimate 2 stops in about 39 metres on dry roads from 100 km/h, whereas the Uniroyal AllSeasonExpert 2 needs almost 47 metres – a crucial eight-metre difference in a potential accident.
The insufficient duo
Unfortunately, the Kenda Kenetica 4S and Infinity Ecofour didn’t make the cut. Despite scoring well in environmental tests, both tyres had significant safety deficiencies, earning them an overall ‘insufficient’ rating.
How the tyres performed:
Rated good
Test winner: Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3
+ safe on wet & wintry roads, high mileage potential, low weight & low fuel consumption
– Slight weaknesses on dry roads
Rated satisfactory
Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF2
+ precise and safe at the limit on dry roads, safe on wet roads & even safer on winter roads, low fuel consumption
– Lowest mileage potential in the test, comparatively heavy
Hankook Kinergy 4S²
+ precise and safe on dry roads, high mileage potential, low abrasion, lightweight, low fuel consumption
– Slight weaknesses on wet & winter roads, slightly higher comparative ride noise
Michelin CrossClimate 2
+ safe and precise at the limit on dry& winter roads, high mileage potential, lowest abrasion in the test, lightweight, low fuel consumption
– Slight weaknesses on wet roads
Kumho Solus 4S HA32+
+ high mileage potential, low wear, fairly good efficiency
– Weaknesses on dry roads, slight weaknesses on wet roads
Vredestein Quatrac
+ high mileage potential, low abrasion, good efficiency
– Weaknesses on dry roads, slight weaknesses on wet & winter roads
Falken EuroAll Season AS210
+ safe properties on wet roads, low abrasion, low fuel consumption
– slight weaknesses on dry roads, weaknesses on winter roads, room for mileage potential improvement
Rated adequate
Firestone Multiseason2
+ low weight, low fuel consumption
– weak on dry & winter roads, slight weaknesses on wet roads, satisfactory predicted mileage, satisfactory abrasion
Sava All Weather
+ safe properties on winter roads, fairly good mileage potential, low abrasion, lightweight, very low fuel consumption
– weakness on wet & dry roads
Nankang Cross Seasons AW-6
+ fairly low wear, low fuel consumption
– weak on winter, wet & dry roads, heavy
Toyo Celsius AS2
+ good mileage potential, low wear, lightweight, low fuel consumption
– weak on winter, wet & dry roads
Semperit AllSeason-Grip
+ safe properties on wet & winter roads, lightweight, low fuel consumption
– weak on dry roads, satisfactory mileage potential, satisfactory abrasion
Uniroyal AllSeasonExpert 2
+ fairly safe properties on wet & winter roads, high mileage potential, low wear, lightweight, low fuel consumption
– weak on dry roads
Yokohama BluEarth-4S
+ good braking performance on snow
– weak on dry roads, weaknesses on wet & winter roads, low mileage potential, weaknesses in abrasion, very heavy
Rated insufficient
Kenda Kenetica 4S
+ good mileage potential, low wear
– longer braking distance on dry roads, weaknesses on wet roads, very weak on winter roads, heavy
Infinity Ecofour
+ high mileage potential, low abrasion, very low fuel consumption
– weak on dry & winter roads, very weak on wet roads
