All-Season Tires

Balancing performance with price

In tests, the Goodyear Assurance TripleTred (*Est. $140) is the standout among standard all-season tires. More reviewers recommend it than any other tire in the category. The TripleTred takes first place in tests at The Tire Rack, where testers find it provides "peace of mind in any driving condition." That includes winter conditions - to an extent. The TripleTred grips very well in snow in one test, and consumers who post reviews at The Tire Rack rate it best for winter traction among all-season tires.

But to get a good grip on ice with the Goodyear Assurance TripleTred, you'll need to go with its high-performance H-rated version - not the T-rated version, reviewers and consumers say. In fact, some owners at Epinions.com complain about the TripleTred's winter grip. Experts agree that dedicated snow tires are better for winter driving, but among all-season tires, the TripleTred gets better reviews than most for four-season use.

For less money, the Yokohama Avid TRZ (*Est. $85) performs almost as well as the top-ranked Goodyear Assurance TripleTred. The two run neck-and-neck in one top test, with the same weakness: Neither gets a terrific grip while braking on ice, although that's nothing unusual for an all-season tire. Like the Goodyear, the Yokohama performs exceptionally well in all wet and dry conditions, and testers say it is a comfortable and fairly quiet tire. The Yokohama Avid TRZ is a favorite among consumers who post at The Tire Rack, although several say it has worn out faster than they expected. The Goodyear Assurance TripleTred impresses consumers much more with its treadwear, and the Goodyear gets a better government treadwear rating than the Yokohama does.

If you live in a wet climate, you might be interested in an all-season tire marketed specifically for wet-weather braking and cornering, along with resistance to hydroplaning, such as the T-rated Michelin HydroEdge (*Est. $110). Consumers who post at The Tire Rack give the HydroEdge the highest wet-road ratings of any all-season tire. Interestingly, in expert tests, the HydroEdge doesn't perform quite as well on wet roads as the top-ranked Goodyear Assurance TripleTred.

In winter driving tests, though, the Michelin HydroEdge fares better than either the Goodyear Assurance TripleTred or the budget Yokohama Avid TRZ. Its all-around performance also bests two other competitors, the Goodyear Assurance ComforTred (*Est. $115) and Michelin Harmony (*est. $115), in tests at The Tire Rack. The Michelin HydroEdge is noisy, though -- a comment that pops up in more than one review. It's also expensive for a standard all-season tire.