Michelin, Conti top US consumer all season, winter tyre tests

In American advice magazine, Consumer Reports’ latest tests of all-season and winter replacement tyres, Michelin and Continental lead the way, Tire Review reports. However, the results show that many tyres offer good overall performance. In total, CR tested 78 models of all-season and winter tyres: 20 T speed rated all-season tyres; 20 H speed rated and 22 V speed rated performance all-season tyres; and 16 winter tyre models.

The Michelin Defender earned top marks for T speed rated all-season tyres; CR said it has excellent tread life and scored highly in three-season driving tests (dry braking, wet braking, handling and hydroplaning). The Defender was followed closely by the Continental ProContact EcoPlus.

In the performance all-season H speed rated category, the Michelin Primacy MXV4 took the top spot, with the Continental PureContact close behind. The Primacy MXV4 performed well in most weather tests, according to CR, which added the tyre “offers a comfortable, quiet ride; and has low rolling resistance. The Continental was impressive in CR’s wet-braking test and has a good balance of all weather performance and tread life.”

Another Continental PureContact model led the performance all-season V speed rated group, followed closely by the Pirelli P7 Cinturato All Season.

Many of the 62 all-season tyres scored well in the three-season driving categories, and several models performed well in snow traction and ice braking.

Almost all of the winter tyres tested ranked “excellent” at snow traction, and most were “good to excellent” at ice braking, CR said. Michelin’s X-Ice Xi3 and Xi2 tied for the lead in the magazine’s test of 16 winter tyre models. “The Xi3’s excellent rolling resistance set it apart, but the similar Xi2 performed better in handling,” according to CR.

CR tests each tyre for wet, dry and ice braking, handling, hydroplaning, snow traction, ride comfort, noise, rolling resistance and tread life to determine an overall score. All tyres tested were size 215/60R16 fitted to a Chevrolet Cruze test car.