Summer Tyre vs All Season Tyre

[securespark]

Just toying on which to pick.

Top-rated summer tyre according to Auto Express is Michelin Pilot Sport 4.

Top-rated all season tyre according to Auto Express is Goodyear Vector 4 season Gen 2.

Wet braking, wet handling and dry handling performances are comparable. The only seriously reduced performance is dry braking which is rated 100% for the summer tyre and 86% for the all season tyre.

Which would you pick?

 

[JohnD]

I've used Michelin Pilots for some years on several cars. Currently on Supersports.

I find them quieter than other brands, excellent performance, and they last much more miles. Better than the Dunlop, Pirelli or Goodyear.

I don't use that car much in ice or snow, but I have a different set of wheels for it just in case I ever feel the need for winter driving. My small car uses the Which recommended budget all-rounder.

They are somewhat expensive. My local independent can't match the Black Circles price and has advised me to order from BC for fitting by the indie. Apparently they earn a bit more that way. I did ask how they felt about it because I wanted to support the local business.

 

[securespark]

Thanks.

What are you winter tyres?

And which tyres are the budget all-rounder?

 

[JohnD]

the small car currently has Barum Brillantis (sp?), which came out as a good budget tyre. The indie stocks another cheap brand that came out well, I may remember it later*.

I can feel they are not as good, but they were a quarter the price.

I have not bought winter tyres, the other set of wheels just have whatever they came with (haven't used them). I suspect I would get the Michelin version because I have been so pleased with the brand.

In the Which reports, the same brand may score better or worse in different sizes/profiles

they have to quote noise index in the ads now.

*edit
Hankook

 

[Burnerman]

The Michelins would be my choice......but you wouldn't notice the difference between these and the Goodyears anyhow unless you were really hooning along with 200+ BHP.
Avoid Maxxis unless you don't mind the noise!
Winter tyres will make all the difference between getting there and not getting there, in the snow......any make will do.
John

 

[securespark]

Thanks fellas, that's a great help.

Just a couple of other things...

JD: can you remember which Hankook tyre? I used to fit loads to my 80's/ 90's BL cars but the ranges have probably changed now and I can't remember what they were...

BM/ JD: would you fit All-Season tyres as an alternative to swapping or do you think there is too much of a compromise with the dry performance?

 

[Burnerman]

Personally I would consider Michelin All Season tyres if I was living in a place where the extremes of weather weren't too great. However, living at 900' in Northumberland means that I can get snow in the village but on descending 200' or so I'm back to wet roads - therefore its Michelin Pilots for normal use and a set of winter tyres from November to early April.
The All Seasons are excellent tyres though, but I haven't seen them discounted yet!
We all have our favourites of course....I used to consider Continental good rubber but not very short lived....however we have a set that's reached 30+K on a Nissan Note so that has scuppered that one!
If you are running an elderly vehicle with huge wheels - X5 for example - top range rubber will be a horrendous price and Hankook fits the bill here.
John

 

[Brigadier]

I've always found Michelin to have poor wet grip, and have gone to continental at first chance I get.
But I suppose we all have personal preference....
As a footnote, my brother used to be a tyre designer / engineer for one of the big makes, and said that the only make that inexplicably failed on their testing rigs were Goodyear....

 

[securespark]

See here for the Summer tyres test:
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accessories-tyres/91856/tyre-reviews-best-car-tyres-20162017

Winter test:
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/access...r-tyres-test-20162017-best-tyre-brands-and-uk

All-Season test:
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/access...es-test-20162017-top-all-weather-tyres-tested

 

[Ian H]

I'd use the all season ones. If the weather was bad enough to need a dedicated winter tyre I would walk to the pub.

I had a set of Bridgestones Turanzas on my car and they seemed decent, I'm not sure how they compare to the ones your looking at in terms of price/performance

 

[securespark]

Is the Turanza all-season?

 

[Ian H]

I don't know. They were on it when I got it, I like to have 4 matching tyres so replaced the fronts like for like.

I did a couple of track days with then on and they were good. Having said that I have never drive anywhere near the limit of any tyre in the wet, but they seemed grippy enough in the rain.

 

[Mottie]

Unless you live up in the cold North of the country or have long, unmade roads to traverse or go over mountain passes, for the UK with our variety of weather, I'd always go for all-season tyres.

If you took it to the nth degree, you'd be going from studded tyres in winter through specific wet weather tyres for spring to sticky racing tyres on dry, warm days. Unless you continually drive on the edge of your vehicles capability, get one tyre that is reasonably good for all conditions and drive to the capability of the tyre.

 

[^woody^]

This concept belongs back in the days of cross plys and radials

 

[Tigercubrider]

Apparently -fitting winter tyres can be interpreted as "modifications" by some insurers, which is daft