Summer Tires Versus All-Season Tires

The tires you choose will impact the way your vehicle handles and how safe it is to drive. Though getting all-season tires may seem like a good idea, are they better than summer tires? Here’s what you should know about summer and all-season tires.

Summer tires

These tires are designed to provide superior traction in warm weather, and they’re made from rubber compounds with sticky additives to give them extra grip on wet roads. The material is designed to be flexible for increased grip, yet retains rigidity on hot pavement.

Summer tires have shallow, straight tread. They’re engineered so that the maximum amount of rubber hits the road to evacuate water and avoid hydroplaning.

• Pros : Summer tires outperform all types of other tires on wet and dry roads in warm weather. Under these conditions, they’re more responsive than all-season tires and provide more control on cornering. They’ll also improve your vehicle’s braking capabilities. Summer tires are therefore especially recommended for drivers who value high performance from their vehicles, such as sports car owners.
• Cons : Summer tires lose traction in cold weather and snowy conditions. At temperatures below 7 C, they get too rigid and lose their grip. It’s therefore important to swap out summer tires during winter, which means you’ll need to purchase two sets of tires.

All-Season Tires

All-season tires are designed to provide traction in cool temperatures and light snow. They’re made from rubber compounds that remain flexible at temperatures around or slightly above freezing.

The tread on all-season tires is deep and contains more and larger spaces than those on summer tires, which results in better handling on snowy roads.

• Pros :All-season tires offer acceptable performance and handling in a wide variety of weather conditions. If you live in a moderate climate with cool winters and some snow then you can use all-season tires all year long.
• Cons : All-season tires don’t perform as well as summer tires in warmer temperatures. Plus, they lose their grip in freezing temperatures. If you live in an area with brutally cold winters, then you should use winter tires when the snow flies, summer tires after it melts.

Tire service in British Columbia and Alberta

At Minit-Tune & Brake Auto Centres, we inspect your tires at every oil change and make sure they’re in good condition. We also repair flat tires and provide wheel alignment service. Contact us today to schedule an appointment at one of our convenient locations throughout southern British Columbia and Calgary.