Best All-Season Tires: Our Top Picks for 2023
No matter the weather, your car’s only as good as its contact patches.
We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›
A thousand times, you’ve heard it. To be honest, I’m a bit tired of writing it. But, sing along because you know the words: Your car’s tires are its most important component. The boostiest of turbos, the anti-lockiest of brakes, and the hyperactivest of suspension are all irrelevant without grip. Some of you — and you know who you are — still don’t listen. You happily buy some cheap SkidMarxMaster-9000 that the guy at the tire shop gets a satin jacket for foisting a dozen sets on the uneducated public.
Lucky for you, we’re tire aficionados here at The Drive. I especially get a weird pleasure from writing about the best all-season tires, as I have for almost 20 years of writing tire buyer’s guides. Tires make or break your car’s performance, so take them seriously.
A thousand times, you’ve heard it. To be honest, I’m a bit tired of writing it. But, sing along because you know the words: Your car’s tires are its most important component. The boostiest of turbos, the anti-lockiest of brakes, and the hyperactivest of suspension are all irrelevant without grip. Some of you — and you know who you are — still don’t listen. You happily buy some cheap SkidMarxMaster-9000 that the guy at the tire shop gets a satin jacket for foisting a dozen sets on the uneducated public.
Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 Plus
- Summer tire levels of grip on dry roads
- Acceptable price with great wear
- Feels like a great compromise without a noticeable sacrifice
- Could use just a little more precision
- Hard driving in summer months will hurt snow performance
Sumitomo HTR A/S P03
- Anywhere from 20 to 40 percent lower price than top names
- Performs well above price in the snow
- Good ride quality and enjoyable to drive
- Road noise can be high on bad surfaces
- Doesn’t offer high-end steering feel
Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4
- More grip than some summer tires
- High-performance cars won’t feel compromised
- Widely available, so replacements will be easy to get
- Ride harshness and noise might be too much for luxury car drivers
- Great grip but not as communicative at the limit as others
Summary List
- Best Overall: Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 Plus
- Best Budget: Sumitomo HTR A/S P03
- Honorable Mention: Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4
- Best Heavy Snow Use: Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4
- Best For SUV/CUV: Pirelli Scorpion Zero All Season Plus
Our Methodology
It's not easy selecting a “best” in any tire category. The category of all-season tires is probably the toughest group in which to narrow down top picks, as this is one of the broadest use-cases out there. I live in the desert; I rarely see rain and more rarely, snow. In summer, temperatures can surpass 115 degrees Fahrenheit, but in the winter, freezing temperatures mean I can’t run summer tires year-round. Some all-season tires are slanted towards winter performance; others, warm dry roads. Some emphasize grip over wear or noise. When selecting tires, I lean towards more grip in the greatest variety of conditions. Price is a factor, but value is more important to me.
I have been testing tires professionally for nearly 20 years. From trucks to passenger cars to supercars, I’ve driven all categories. I’ve visited research facilities and factories all over the world. Driven at secret proving grounds and more racetracks than I can count. I’ve piloted freakin’ blimps, man. I’ve seen stuff – lots of tire stuff.
Besides my knowledge and experience, Tire Rack’s vast resources were consulted as well. It contains hours of reading for those of you interested in brushing up on your tire knowledge as well as testing data on a huge variety of different products.
Best All-Season Tires: Reviews & Recommendations
Specs
- UTQG: 560 AA A
- Country Manufactured: Brazil, Czech Republic, Germany, Portugal, Romania, USA
- Speed Rating: W, Y
Pros
Good grip in dry, wet, and snowy conditions
Excellent ride quality
Long-wearing tire
Molded in wear indicators for different conditions
Cons
Grip of a summer tire without precision
Loses usefulness in the snow without much wear
Specs
- UTQG: 540, 640 A A
- Country Manufactured: Japan, Thailand
- Speed Rating: H, V, W
Pros
Depending on size, 20 to 40 percent less expensive than top of class
Great light-snow performance
Provides good ride quality and decent subjective handling
Cons
Road noise may be excessive on anything but perfect surfaces
Could provide more steering feel
Specs
- UTQG: 540 AA A
- Country Manufactured: France, Hungary, Mexico, USA
- Speed Rating: V, W, Y
Pros
More grip than some summer performance tires
One of the stiffest all-season tires makes it one of the most responsive
All-season tire aimed at aggressive drivers
Cons
Ride quality could be better
Road noise might be unacceptable in particularly quiet luxury cars
Specs
- UTQG: NA
- Country Manufactured: France, Hungary
- Speed Rating: V, W
Pros
Superpowers in snow that still delivers in the dry
Decent dry road ride quality
Real snow performance that still delivers V or W speed rating
Cons
Prolonged or aggressive use on dry roads will wear them out quickly
All those little sipes want to sing on pavement
Specs
- UTQG: 500 A A
- Country Manufactured: Mexico
- Speed Rating: Y
Pros
A true high-performance all-season tire specifically for SUVs
Surprisingly quiet even in massive sizes
Designed to make your SUV feel as much like a sports sedan as possible
Cons
High-performance comes with a high price
20-inch are the small sizes
Our Verdict
My personal car is currently sitting on Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 Plus tires that I purchased for full price. As an automotive journalist with connections, that’s a big deal. The combination of grip that rivals several summer tires, having just about the best responsiveness and feedback of any all-season, along with nearly twice the lifespan of a summer tire made it an easy choice for me personally and for this guide.
If I would have been just a little more price sensitive when I made my purchase, or if I were recommending tires for a friend not as concerned with performance, the Sumitomo HTR A/S P03 is a great choice.
FAQs
Q: Can all-season tires be used year-round?
A: It depends on how much snow you’re going to encounter. All-season tires are meant for light snow. Heavy snow requires a winter or snow tire.
Q: What should I expect to pay for all-season tires?
Asking “how much is a set of all-season tires” is like asking “how long is a piece of string?” The only answer is “it depends.” Our top choice, the DWS06 Plus, starts at right around $130. But, that’s for a 195/50-16, which is a pretty uncommon size. At the other end of the scale, you have a 295/25-22 which will set you back almost $400. Our value pick, the Sumitomo HTR A/S P03 starts under $100 and tops out around $250. Several websites will not only help you find your car’s tire size if you don’t know but will also allow you to compare different tires in the size you need, side-by-side.
Q: What do I need to consider before buying all-season tires?
A: What You Need to Know About Your Car to Buy Tires: First, you should know the year, make, model, and trim level. Next, check your current tire size by looking at the sidewall of your tire. You will see a series of numbers like 225/40R18. The first number is the width, followed by the aspect ratio, then the wheel diameter. Also, check the speed and load rating, it will look like 95W. Don’t buy a tire with a load or speed rating lower than recommended by the manufacturer of your car. If you are unsure of what any of the above means, consult a professional when choosing tires.
Deciphering UTQG Standards: UTQG refers to Uniform Tire Quality Grade standards. The first number is treadwear, which is how long the tire is expected to last compared to an industry standard. A 500 treadwear tire is expected to last five times longer, a 600 is expected to last six times longer, and so on. The first letter is traction and is based on the coefficient of friction of the tire locked on a wet surface, the highest Grade is AA, then A, then B, with C being the lowest. The last letter is temperature. The tire is tested on a machine to measure at what speed the tire hits a specified temperature. The highest grade is A, then B, etc.
All-Season vs. All-Weather vs. Winter Tires: An all-season tire is sometimes referred to as a three-season tire. These tires work well on dry roads, wet roads, and even light snow. An all-weather tire has a 3PMSF rating for use in medium levels of packed snow, but can be used in all conditions. Winter tires, as the name suggests, are for severe snow duty and while they provide excellent traction on snow and ice, aren’t recommended for use on dry roads or in hot weather.
Determining the Best Type of Tire for Your Car: There is no perfect tire for all situations. In areas that get a few small snow storms per year, an all-season tire might be ideal. If you live in an area where traveling in moderate snow is a necessity, then an all-weather tire is going to be the better choice. If you get up in the morning and contemplate commuting on your snowmobile instead of your car, you probably want dedicated winter or snow tires that you use only a few months a year and use all-seasons for the rest of the year.
Q: What are key features of all-season tires?
A: Size: Tire size is always written at least once on the tire sidewall. If you’ve bought a used car and aren’t sure if the tires it came with are the correct size, you can check the owner’s manual or an online tire size tool. Read the markings as follows: First is a letter representing the type of car (P for passenger, etc.). Next is the width in millimeters. Behind the forward slash is the height, calculated as a percent of the width, followed by a letter noting the construction (R for radial layer lines, etc.). The final number is the wheel's diameter in inches: a sample tire marking is P215/60R15.
Tread Pattern: All-season tires can come with three types of tread: symmetrical, unidirectional, and asymmetrical. The symmetrical tread will be longer-lasting as they can be rotated front to back and side to side without dismounting from the wheel. Unidirectional tread all-season tires are designed to move in a single direction and are standard on most vehicles. They will need to be rotated more frequently to avoid being worn down more quickly. Asymmetrical patterns are more common on sports cars or muscle cars as they use varying tread blocks for different purposes.
Load Index: The tire load index measures how many pounds it can carry efficiently. This is a rating determined by the tire manufacturer for each make, model, and size of tire. Your vehicle’s manufacturer will specify what Load Index is appropriate for your car. Never purchase tires with a lower load index than what the manufacturer recommends.
Shock Absorption: Riding around on tires with little to no compliance not only ruins your ride quality, but accelerates your need for alignments. Tires that are able to absorb some of the ground’s harshest bumps will last longer and will be a better option for any condition other than racing.
Warranty: A lot of tire manufacturers offer warranties against defects and issues with tread. Some even guarantee the tires’ durability based on mileage. Though it won’t stop your tire from wearing down, it can buffer the cost of getting new tires. Be sure to keep records of your maintenance to get the value of the agreement.
Durability: One good way to think about durability is to consult the warranty and see the maintenance demands. All tires need to be rotated, but if the tread is even and the rubber itself is of a high enough quality, you will get the tire for much longer.
Sound: Tires make noise, always. It’s physics — accept it. That noise comes from the rubber interacting with the road surface and from air being pushed through the tread. Some manufacturers spend more time minimizing noise than others. A few manufacturers have even started using sound insulation inside the tire to absorb noise. You can read reviews, but ultimately, what is excessive to one person might be completely acceptable to another.
Safety: Buying cheap tires or driving on worn out tires is the easiest way to ruin the performance and safety of your car. Shorter stopping distances, better handling response, and quicker acceleration are all benefits of high-quality, properly maintained tires.
Q: What does M&S or M/S mean on the side of an all-season tire?
A: The letters M and S on a tire sidewall mean the tire has been rated for use in mud and snow based on a calculation of tread geometry. However, no actual testing has been done to verify the effectiveness of the tires.
Q: How do I buy tires online and get them installed?
A: Several online tire retailers work with shops in your area for installation. You can have the tires shipped directly to the shop after purchasing them online. In other situations, most tire shops will install new tires you’ve bought online, but the cost will be higher.
Q: What is silica and why do all tire companies talk about it?
A: Silica is a material added to rubber compounds that affects energy absorption. Grip and rolling resistance are both dependent on the tire’s energy absorption, also called hysteresis, and silica has allowed compound formulations to be low hysteresis during normal rolling for less rolling resistance, but also to have high hysteresis during higher grip demand for more grip.
Q: What’s the correct air pressure for my car’s tires?
A: Look for a sticker in your car’s door jamb, glove box, or under the hood. If you can’t find a sticker, check your car’s owner’s manual.
Q: What does the 3PMSF snowflake on a sidewall mean?
A: Tires with a snowflake on a mountain symbol are all-weather tires and have been tested to meet or exceed an ASTM established standard for grip on medium-packed snow.
Why Trust Us
Our reviews are driven by a combination of hands-on testing, expert input, “wisdom of the crowd” assessments from actual buyers, and our own expertise. We always aim to offer genuine, accurate guides to help you find the best picks.
Learn more