To be clear: If you live in the snow belt and face harsh winter driving conditions, winter/snow tires are your best bet. But if you have the ability to wait until roads are cleared before traveling, there are some great choices in each all-season tire category for winter grip.
Among the 52,235 sets of tires purchased by members from 2021 to 2024, as reported in CR surveys, 85 percent were all-season tires.
Among those, 13 percent were all-weather tires—enhanced all-season tires, with greater cold-weather capability. These split the difference between all-seasons and winter/snow tires, with the benefit of not needing to be removed come spring.
In choosing their replacement tires, CR members prioritized wet grip (74 percent), handling (73 percent), treadwear (66 percent), and ride comfort (57 percent). Even facing significant costs, these shoppers clearly focused on performance factors over price. These priorities align with how our testers look at tire value as being the nexus of price, performance, and longevity.
For the curated list below, we cast the spotlight on tires that excel for snow traction and ice braking, while also factoring dry braking, wet braking, and hydroplaning resistance. From that, our experts selected standout tires in four categories: all-season, SUV all-season, truck all-season, and ultra-high-performance all-season. (If winter/snow tires seem right for you, see our picks for the best winter/snow tires.)
Due to pandemic-related restrictions, we didn’t conduct an ice test for some SUV and truck all-season tires in our ratings. All other selections factor ice braking in their selection.
