Doesn't that just demonstrate that an all-season isn't as good as a summer tyre in summer or a winter tyre in winter but is probably better than a winter tyre in summer or a summer tyre in winter? Isn't that the point?

If you look at the actual numbers in that tyre review, it shows that there is only a relatively marginal difference between best and worst. The scale and origin of the graphs has been chosen to spread the results across the whole range.

For example on wet braking, there is only a difference of a couple of metres between the budget tyres and most of the premium brands. This would equate to a difference equivalent to applying the brakes around one tenth of a second later.

I think what this shows is that budget tyres aren't as r****** as they once were. I remember being in a mate's car with worryingly shiny looking budget tyres on about 20 years ago and in the wet the car slid around like it was on ice!!

The real safety answer is to drive cautiously well within your ability and that of the tyres. The weaknesses of lower performing tyres will then be largely academic

Yes, but no - you can't really cruise on a motorway at 40mph. A few years ago I had to do a 65mph to 0mph emergency stop on the A1 and I was driving my Superb on really good condition Continental TS850's winter tyres on a warmer than expected day (late teens deg C) but my goodness that thing stopped! With Inferior or mixed tyres the good outcome might not have been so great.

Up to a point I'd agree one can drive within the ability of the tyres (or just with sufficient care and anticipation to minimise risk).

But please watch the all-season tyre test linked above to see just how much worse the 'Fronway' tyre was than Michelin/Pirelli/Conti/Goodyear. Wet handling and wet braking in particular, which are probably the most important measures for an all-season tyre.

Exactly - to me the whole point of All-Season tyres in the UK is to cope with the cold, wet conditions which prevail here.

My choice is Vredestein Quatrac Pro+ which are optimised for the wet - they don't do as well in snow as some directional tyres but the sipes go all the way down into the tread and keep working in the wet when part-worn, unlike some All-Seasons where the sipes aren't full depth and reduce their wet grip as they get older.