Other tyre choices
All-season tyres are not the only choice, of course, which is why we compared them against the UK's favourite summer rubber and much less frequently used winter tyres
Winter: Continental WinterContact TS 870
- Score: 97.5%
- Price: £154
Winter tyres are designed specifically for the coldest months of the year, for temperatures below 7°C and for roads covered in snow, slush or ice. They are usually replaced by summer tyres for the warmest months, so their capabilities are tailored to cold conditions. It was no surprise that in our snow test the winter tyre performed better than our all-season tyres. That said, the best all-season tyres get close.
In cold, wet conditions, the winter tyre was competitive in most disciplines and especially the aquaplaning tests; their wide grooves are designed to capture snow and are also good at clearing water from the contact patch. However, the winter tyre fell short of the best all-season tyre in the crucial wet braking test, and the margin was even greater in dry braking. In warmer temperatures, these gaps would be much bigger because the winter tyre’s compound would be far outside its operating range, while an all-season tyre is designed for a much broader range of temperatures.
Blackcircles.com says:
“Rated 4.7/5 for ‘would buy again’. Buyers say the tyres give predictability in cold, wet or snow.”
| Continental WinterContact TS870 | Score |
| Snow braking | 103.5% |
| Snow traction | 101.3% |
| Snow handling | 101% |
| Straight aquaplaning | 100.3% |
| Curved aquaplaning | 104.8% |
| Wet braking | 95.7% |
| Wet handling | 101.2% |
| Wet circle | 96.2% |
| Dry braking | 87.6% |
| Dry handling | 97.8% |
| Cabin noise | 99.1% |
| Rolling resistance | 91.9% |
Buy the Continental Winter Contact TS 870 from Blackcircles.com
Summer: Vredestein Ultrac+
- Score: 98.0%
- Price: £100
Used - available now
2013 BMW
1 Series Convertible
33,877 milesManualDiesel2.0L
Cash £7,000
2013 Nissan
Micra
109,214 milesManualPetrol1.2L
Cash £2,750
2015 Kia
Sportage
72,000 milesManualDiesel1.7L
Cash £5,995
2020 Volkswagen
Golf
104,734 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L
Cash £10,495We included a summer tyre to show the folly of using them on snow. We do this for every winter and all-season tyre test, yet when the moment comes to set a lap time on the summer tyre, it’s always a shock just how bad it is. It was hard to move off from a standstill, difficult to turn and worst of all was the fear that we wouldn’t be able to stop the car.
The main reason a summer tyre is unsuitable for winter driving is because its compound is designed to work above 7°C – below this it becomes less flexible, but it also has the wrong tread design for cold conditions. The grooves in winter and all-season tyres are designed to hold snow because this then grips the snow on the ground, whereas the tread of a summer tyre is designed to clear standing water and generate lateral grip on warm asphalt.
However, in the cold wet and dry tests, the summer tyre performed well. It’s when temperatures get close to freezing point, and beyond that it struggles and winter and all-season tyres come into their own.
Blackcircles.com says:
“Buyers rate this tyre 4.8/5 for ‘would buy again’ and highlight its good value for money.”
| Vredestein Ultrac+ | Score |
| Snow braking | 54.8% |
| Snow traction | 45.8% |
| Snow handling | 63.9% |
| Straight aquaplaning | 96.4% |
| Curved aquaplaning | 109% |
| Wet braking | 100.7% |
| Wet handling | 103.3% |
| Wet circle | 101.1% |
| Dry braking | 102.5% |
| Dry handling | 101% |
| Cabin noise | 106.5% |
| Rolling resistance | 95.3% |
