AutoBild All-season tire test 225/50 R17 2024

AutoBild has once again shown why it is one of the most respected authorities in tire testing. After selecting the 15 best all-season tires based on braking performance on dry and wet roads, a detailed finale followed with a number of other disciplines – including a wear test.

This is a comprehensive look at the top of the all-season tire segment in the 225/50 R17 size. Bridgestone dominated the preliminary round, winning both dry and wet braking. The question remains, however, whether it can maintain its lead after evaluating the other 15 rated categories.

The dry braking test showed a significant difference of 6.3 meters between the best and worst all-season tire. The Bridgestone Turanza All Season 6 proved its quality and stopped after 36.8 meters, which is only 1.9 meters more than the reference summer tire. At the opposite end , the Viking Fourtech Plus finished with a braking distance of 43.1 meters, even falling behind the reference winter tire.

In the dry handling test, the differences narrowed. The best Bridgestone reached an average speed of 96 km/h, matching the summer reference. The Linglong Grip Master 4S closed the field with a value of 93.7 km/h, but still surpassed the winter reference. Interestingly, the Viking, which lagged behind in braking, improved in handling and occupied the middle of the table.

The results confirm that high-quality all-season tires in the AutoBild test can compete very well with summer models on dry roads - but the differences between individual brands remain significant.

The wet braking test revealed significant differences between the models – up to 9.3 meters between the best and worst all-season tire. The Bridgestone Turanza All Season 6 maintained its strong form, stopping in 50.5 meters, which is only 2.9 meters more than the reference summer tire. In contrast, the Linglong Grip Master 4S needed 59.8 meters, which also fell short of the winter reference.

In the wet handling test, the difference was even more significant – 6.7 km/h between first and last place. The Continental AllSeasonContact 2 performed best with an average speed of 75.3 km/h, only 3 km/h behind the summer reference. The Toyo Celsius AS2 closed the ranking with a value of 68.6 km/h, even below the level of a winter tire. Although the Linglong slightly improved its performance in handling compared to braking, it still belonged to the weaker models.

In terms of aquaplaning resistance, the Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF3 surprised, reaching an aquaplaning speed of 79.4 km/h, beating the summer reference. The weakest was the Kumho Solus 4S HA32 Plus with a value of 69.4 km/h, which means a significantly higher risk of losing contact with the road at higher speeds.

The test results confirm that wet conditions are the biggest test of the quality of all-season tires, and the differences between premium and weaker models can be fundamental from a safety perspective.

The snow braking test showed a difference of up to 3 meters between the best and worst all-season tires. The GT Radial ClimateActive performed best, stopping in 23.3 meters, equaling the reference winter tire. In contrast, the Bridgestone Turanza All Season 6, strong in both dry and wet conditions, needed 26.3 meters. However, all all-season tires significantly outperformed the summer reference, which stopped after 60.3 meters .

The BFGoodrich Advantage All Season dominated the traction test with a pulling force of 2,745 N, just below the winter reference (2,866 N). The weakest was the Toyo Celsius AS2 with a value of 2,355 N. However, here too, all the all-season models significantly outperformed the summer tire, which only achieved 1,040 N.

In snow handling, the difference between first and last place was 5.4 km/h. The highest average speed was achieved by the Continental AllSeasonContact 2 (55.4 km/h), even slightly exceeding the winter reference. The Toyo Celsius AS2 closed the field with a value of 50 km/h. Bridgestone, which lagged behind in braking, improved its handling slightly, but was still one of the weaker models.

The test confirmed that high-quality all-season tires can compete very well with winter models in the snow, while representing a fundamental safety difference compared to summer tires.

In an extensive comparative test of 15 all-season tires in size 225/50 R17, AutoBild confirmed that quality between models can vary significantly across dry, wet and winter conditions.

• On dry roads, the Bridgestone Turanza All Season 6 dominated with a short braking distance of 36.8 m and just as quick handling as the summer reference model, while cheaper models like the Viking Fourtech Plus fell significantly further behind.
• On wet roads, the differences widened even further – from the best models with a braking distance of around 50 m to tires requiring almost 60 m to stop. The Continental AllSeasonContact 2 excelled here with balanced handling and speed close to the reference summer tire.
• In winter tests, all-season tires have proven to be a safe choice in snow, often just behind the winter reference and significantly better than summer models.

AutoBild uses a system of penalties for weaknesses in individual disciplines in the final evaluation, so some tires with good basic performance (e.g. Bridgestone or Pirelli) fell in the overall rating.

Summary : The test clearly shows that today's best all-season tires can compete with summer models in both dry and wet conditions and offer solid performance in winter - but choosing the right model is key, as the differences between individual tires are large.