Autobild All-season tire test 225/40 R18 2025

AUTO BILD has completed an extensive test of all-season tires for 2025 in the popular 225/40 R18 size, evaluating 30 models. The top 15 advanced to the final testing phase. The surprise winner was the Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF 3, while the long-awaited new generation of Michelin CrossClimate 3 tires achieved mixed results.

Michelin is traditionally expected to dominate all-season tire tests, which is why the results of the Michelin CrossClimate 3 models in the AUTO BILD 2025 test were a big surprise. Michelin has chosen an innovative strategy this year and launched two versions of the all-season tire – the CrossClimate 3 and the CrossClimate 3 Sport .

Michelin CrossClimate 3: top performance in winter

The standard Michelin CrossClimate 3 tire excelled especially in winter conditions and outperformed all competing all-season tires in snow tests. It achieved the best ratings in:

• snow handling (average speed 54.0 km/h),
• braking on snow (22.3 m from a speed of 50 km/h),
• traction on snow (2992 N).

However, the strong focus on winter performance resulted in weaker results on wet roads, especially in handling and on the wet circuit. In the overall test rating, the Michelin CrossClimate 3 took 7th place .

Michelin CrossClimate 3 Sport: better performance on wet and dry roads

The Michelin CrossClimate 3 Sport version offered a more balanced performance on wet and dry roads, coming in 3rd overall. The tire provides a sportier performance and better stability during dynamic driving, but also recorded the highest cost per kilometer of all the tires tested, making it the more expensive choice among premium all-season tires.

In the 2025 225/40 R18 all-season tire test , the Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF 3 achieved victory primarily due to its balanced performance in all conditions, without any significant weaknesses. The only drawback was a slightly higher degree of wear.

Second place went to the Continental AllSeasonContact 2, which showed balanced and stable performance, while the Vredestein Quatrac emerged as the wet champion, achieving the best combined results on the wet track.

Affordable tires – mixed results

Some of the cheaper tires surprised us. The Ceat 4 SeasonDrive X5 proved to be a surprise, with short braking distances in all conditions. Conversely, the cheapest tire tested, the Roadhog RGAS02, showed that the extremely cheap models compromise safety too much, especially on wet roads and in snow.

Tire wear

The tire life varied significantly. The Dunlop All Season 2 was rated at 68,600 km, while the Roadhog was rated at just 43,050 km. In practice, this means that to achieve the same mileage, you would need to buy almost two sets of cheap tires for the price of one set of premium tires, thus eliminating the original savings from the purchase.

The test showed that premium all-season tires have come significantly closer in performance to specialized summer and winter tires. The best models now provide:

• 85–95% of winter tire performance on snow ,
• almost the same level of wet performance as summer tires .

The Michelin CrossClimate 3 strategy with two variants represents an interesting approach to the market. The standard model is ideal for areas with harsh winters, while the Sport version is suitable for drivers who prefer a dynamic ride and a sportier performance .

For most drivers, the conclusion is clear: premium all-season tires from Pirelli, Continental, Michelin and Vredestein now offer truly reliable year-round performance, while comfort doesn't require significant compromises in safety – as long as you avoid the cheapest budget models .