Are Winter Tyres Better Than All-Season Tyres?

Choosing winter or all-season tyres will depend on different factors, such as where you live, weather conditions, and how low the seasonal temperature drops. A common question garage owners often get asked is, Which Tyres Coventry do we need, winter or all-season tyres? 

Unfortunately, there is no answer to it because there are many factors that you need to consider, such as your local climate, local legal laws, your budget and how often you drive your vehicle.

Winter Tyres Vs All-Season Tyres for Weather Conditions

In Europe, most countries have their own legal laws for winter tyres, also known as snow tyres. In some countries, winter tyres are mandatory to have in your vehicle during the winter season. The first step to consider for finding the right tyre is to check your local weather conditions. 

You also need to check if it’s a legal requirement to install winter tyres during winter. In some countries, it is mandatory to have winter tyres installed in your vehicle during the winter season; otherwise, you could face severe penalties if you don’t have them. In that case, opting for winter tyres is a better decision. 

Winter Tyres vs All-Season Tyres for Mileage

If you are a person who drives your car occasionally, such as for short trips, commuting to work or visiting friends and family in the local area,. Swiping tyres twice a year may not be a good move for your pocket, time or effort. All-season tyres can be a better choice for you.

However, if you are a person who uses your car often, especially for trips to remote locations or colder regions, swapping to winter or snow tyres is usually a safer and better option for you. 

What are the Benefits of Winter Tyres?

Winter tyres are made to drive on snowy and icy roads. They perform better in temperatures below 7°C. In certain conditions, winter tyres are more efficient than all-season tyres, offering you much better grip, shorter braking distance and more durability.

However, you need to alternate winter tyres with summer tyres as temperatures rise above 7°C. This can increase the cost of buying tyres because you need two types of tyres to drive all day in a year. Winter tyres perform better in winter, but they are more expensive and more inconvenient to drivers.

What are the Benefits of All-Season Tyres?

The all-season tyres are made for use all year round, and you can drive even in winter with these tyres. The symbol of the M+S (mud + snow) label indicates that a tyre has been designed for winter use, and they also have a 3PMSF that shows the ‘3 peak mountain snowflake’ symbol offers better winter performance.   

All-season tyres perform better in winter compared to summer tyres. They offer a much superior grip on ice and snow surfaces in low temperatures. 

You also don’t need to pay extra to periodically replace your tyres. You need to remember that all-season tyres are a balanced option and do not perform better than summer tyres in summer and winter tyres in winter. 

Factors for Choosing Winter Tyres or All-Season Tyres

• Durability: All-season tyres are made up of harder compounds, so they tend to last longer compared to winter tyres. However, since they are driven year-round, they need to be replaced more often.

• Grip: Winter tyres offer superior grip and traction on snow and ice surfaces compared to all-season tyres.

• Rolling noise: Due to the harder compound on all-season tyres, they create less noise compared to winter tyres.

• Temperatures: At low temperatures, all-season tyre’s compound hardens faster than winter tyres, whereas winter tyres start to soften at 7°C and above.

• Weather conditions: Winter tyres are best for deep snow, and icy and wet conditions, while all-season tyres can handle light snow and wet conditions along with dry conditions.

• Braking performance: On snow and ice surfaces, winter tyres offer shorter braking distances than all-season tyres. However, in summer conditions, all-season tyres clearly offer better performance than winter tyres, which should not be used all year round.

• Laws: In some European countries, they have defined laws for winter tyres. It is mandatory to install winter tyres on your vehicle during winter; otherwise, you could face penalties. 

• Time: Having all-season tyres installed in your vehicle can save you time, and you don’t need to go for a tyre change twice a year. 

• Costs: By owning one set of tyres, you can save costs for buying two sets of tyres, saving extra space and saving on tyre change. However, due to the use of all-season tyres year-round, you will need to replace them more often.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are two key considerations to keep in mind when choosing the right tyres, All-season tyres Coventry can be used year round and will perform better in moderate winter conditions, but it can’t give you the same winter features as winter tyres. But winter tyres should not be used in summer because they are not designed for warm conditions and are better at dealing with the specific challenges of winter driving.