Winter tyres are typically thicker, with deeper and noisier treads. The idea is that you put them on when the first hints of cold weather appear. They are often less fuel efficient, but they do allow you to move through snow and ice at a safe and controlled moment rate. Picking the right tyres for your vehicle is tricky, so here are a few thoughts to help you make your decision.
Built From The Correct Materials
You want a strong tyre that uses good rubber and materials. If you are using winter tyres, they work best at temperatures below 7 degrees Celsius. They outperform conventional ‘summer’ tyres for traction, cornering and braking. All-weather tyres last a fair amount of time because they have more grip and more tread. They also last longer than regular tyres because they are thicker and have more tread. Sadly, keeping them on all year round means your handling will not be as good, your fuel efficiency will not be as good, and your tyres may become far noisier than if you have summer tyres or some varieties of all-weather tyre.
The Cost Of Your Tyres
Price has to factor into your decision. You can have the very best tyres that last a long time, have great winter grip and have added extras like clever ways of removing grit and dirt. Yet, the better the tyres, the more they cost. Take a look at the link here: https://www.tyres.net/all-tyres/car/winter-tyres
Note how there are a wide variety of tyres, and each has a price based on the manufacturer’s costs (based on quality and availability) and based on the popularity of the tyres (more popular means more abundant, which often markets them cheaper). Many times, you are better off going a little cheaper because the difference in quality and performance isn’t often that massive.
In fact, it is only the very cheapest tyres where you will notice a big difference. The biggest difference is in how long the tyres last. Cheaper tyres are notorious for wearing out quickly and losing their effectiveness quickly. The biggest difference you notice with the high end tyres is that they handle pretty well.
The Off-Road Appeal
Can you go off-road in your winter tyres? Since they have more grip and are more durable, they are better off road. Should you use your winter tyres off road? The obvious answer is that you should use off-road tyres if you intend to go off road. If your off-road moments are incidental or are pretty low key (like pulling into an unfinished drive way), then going on them with your all-weather or your winter tyres is okay.
The problem with going off-road is that your winter tyres is that they wear out far quicker than if you were using them on regular roads. That even includes if you are running through rough, icy or snowy roads, they will still wear out less rapidly than if you took them off-road.
Noisy Winter Tyres
It is commonly known and understood that winter tyres are a little noisier than summer tyres. This is because the grip is a little thicker and heavier, so the tyres make more noise as they move. The most noticeable times are when you drive through an empty warehouse, or even when you roll down your driveway when your engine isn’t turned on. Some vehicle designs mean that when your vehicle is driving on a motorway, you can hear the sound of the tyres inside the cab area of the vehicle. This is even more noticeable with electric cars because the noise of the engine isn’t enough to drown out the noise.
Less Fuel-Efficient Tyres
A winter tyre is far less fuel efficient than a summer tyre. Off-road tyres are the most inefficient. From the hefty tread on the 4×4 off-road vehicle to the heftier tread of a tractor, the off-road tyre will waste the most energy as it rolls. Winter tyres are inefficient when compared to summer tyres, and this is probably one of the best reasons why you should swap your tyres between the cold and hot seasons. It seems silly to drive around with winter tyres all year and end up paying extra for your fuel because you left your winter tyres on.
The Need For Snow Chains
Even though your winter tyres will happily get through snow and ice, especially if you have a 4×4 vehicle, the fact is that you may still need snow chains on your vehicle. Luckily, most countries clear the snow off their roads, and the weight of traffic helps keep the snow off. Still, if you live in an area where snow isn’t cleared, then you may have to add snow chains to your tyres. Luckily, winter tyres are more effective with snow chains than summer tyres are.
Built For Rain
Many people think of winter tyres and immediately think of snow and ice. However, the biggest thing that winter tyres have to contend with is the rain, and that is why many manufacturers come up with brilliant ways to avoid things like water logging in their tyres. There are tyres that work well in ice and snow but will also break promptly after running through water. You have to consider your circumstances when you buy your tyres. Do you live in an area where it snows every year or an area where it gets pretty wet in winter?
The Difference Between All-Season Tyres and Winter Tyres
On the surface, all-weather tyres want the same things as winter tyres. They want to offer control and handling even when driving through wet, icy and snowy roads. They want plenty of grip at the expense of noise and fuel efficiency, and they want to be durable. The biggest difference is that all-weather tyres want to maintain some of their handling and performance. They want a smoother ride on the motorway, they want a responsive drive and a more comfortable drive. That is why all-season tyres have slightly less tread and are often built to be a little softer, smoother, and with a lighter tread.
Tyre Performance Comparisons
Winter tyres and off-road tyres have the worst performance of any tyre. If you were to take your car onto the race track and use winter tyres and then summer tyres, you could tell the difference by the way the steering responds and by the smoothness of the ride. Yet, if you were to drive your summer tyres down an exceptionally wet street, the car would be difficult to control. This is even more true when driving through snow and ice. It is not about winter tyres being high performance, because they are not, but they are very capable on the sorts of surfaces that would trouble your summer tyres.
Caring For Winter Tyres
Firstly, there are no laws regarding winter and summer tyres, you can use them as you see fit. With that in mind, it isn’t a good idea to mix your tyres. For example, summer tyres on the right side and winter on the left, or back and front, and so forth. Though, some people like the idea of having winter tyres on the back and summer tyres on the front when they have a rear-axle-powered car. This is because rear-wheel drives are more compromised in low-grip conditions than other cars. Caring for winter tyres is not that different to caring for any other type of tyres. You are supposed to put them on when the weather turns cold and take them off when it starts to warm up and dry out. When you put them on, it is best to rotate them from how you had them last year so that they wear out more evenly.
Picking Between Brands
Again, it is not really about the brand or the quality, but about what you want and for what price. The difference in quality between the middle-price range and the very high price range is not that massive. Yet, the gulf in quality between the low-cost tyres and the middle-range tyres is massive. Unless you are on a tight budget, then you shouldn’t opt for the cheapest vehicle tyres, especially winter tyres, because they are not as responsive and they wear out more quickly (because they are less durable). Your best bet is to go for some mid-range mid-priced winter tyres if you want the best value for your money.
