Winter Tires vs All-season Tires
“Should I get winter tires or all-seasons for driving in winter conditions?”
The TLDR is… Winter Tires in icy or subzero conditions.
Summer tires, all seasons, winter tires, and off-road tires are all purpose-built. From the tread design to the sidewall, all tires are designed differently to be the best at their application. Learn More
One of the most important differences between tires is their compound, winter tires are made with a soft compound allowing them to grip even in subzero temperatures. The combination of cold temperatures, ice, and snow can be best met by winter tires, which are specially designed to perform in winter conditions.
The Benefits of Winter Tires
What makes winter tires so great? Winter tires use a rubber compound designed to remain flexible in cold conditions down to -40º C, take advantage of deep treads with unique jagged tread patterns designed to expel snow, slush, and water, and have an increased number of biting edges and sipes to provide traction on ice. Winter tires that include studs can add even more traction when driving on icy roads.
Why Buy All-Season Tires?
All-season tires are only recommended if you’re living in an area that doesn’t get below 7º C. All seasons are built for a smooth and quiet ride in most conditions. All-season tires do a great job in the rain and dry pavement year-round but offer little traction in snow, ice, and extremely cold weather.
Stopping with Vehicle Control
From heavy snowfall to black ice, winter roads are extremely unpredictable. These conditions challenge tires to provide traction like no other season of the year. Winter tires are designed with biting edges to give you grip on snow and ice allowing you to come to a safe stop in time.
In a Consumer Report test, winter tires were able to stop six feet (1.8 meters) shorter than a set of all-season tires in the same icy conditions. For acceleration, the difference was even greater. Winter tires were able to accelerate to 32 km/h (20 miles/h) in 22 feet (6.7 meters) less than all-season tires on packed snow.
Get Your Winter Tires at T3 Performance
As we’ve become accustomed to, supply chain and manufacturing delays continue to disrupt parts ordering, including tires. As winter quickly approaches our experts will help pick (and fit) the right tires for you!
Not only are tires delayed, but the cost of tires has also gone up significantly. To ensure you’re safe this winter, we highly recommend ordering tires as soon as possible. Due to constant supply and price changes, we cannot guarantee stock or prices as the snow draws closer.
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