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A tire for every season?

A discussion of all-season, summer and winter tires

by robert Moyer

Selecting the right tires for your vehicle can be confusing. Do you need tires that offer the best available traction, longer life, or off-road or winter-driving capabilities? Or maybe you just don’t know what kind of tires you need. Even if you know what type of tires you are interested in, it is a good idea to speak to a tire professional. They can help you choose the right tires for your needs based on what type of driver you are, where you will be driving and what you want out of your next set of tires.

The type of tires you choose is important because they are the only thing between your car and the road. Having the right tires for the type of driving you do, and maintaining them by following the vehicle and tire manufacturers’ recommendations, helps ensure the safe operation of your vehicle.

Where all-season tires shine

Perhaps you are considering all-season tires. To some, the name implies that they’re good for whatever conditions you might face. This is not quite true; no tire is ideal for every situation. However, all-season tires are a great choice for most drivers in normal driving conditions. They keep many motorists rolling year-round.

Introduced in 1977 by the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, all-season tires offer good performance in mild weather conditions—temperatures above 45 F and below 100 F. They represent a middle ground between summer tires, which offer maximum dry-weather performance and handling in warmer weather, and winter tires, which provide the best possible traction and handling in ice and snow. Many new vehicles are fitted with factory-installed all-season tires because they perform well between these extremes, which represent the majority of annual driving conditions for many motorists.

Longevity is also a major benefit of all-season tires. They can have limited treadwear warranties up to 80,000 miles; compare this to summer tires, with limited tread-wear warranties that often start around 20,000 miles, and winter tires, with warranties that often start at 40,000 miles.

But wait, there’s more

All-season tires typically have a mud and snow (M+S) symbol on the sidewall that indicates the tire meets industry standards for traction capabilities in mud and snow in mild to moderate conditions for short periods. All-season tires may also have a Three Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMS) symbol, a six-pointed snowflake inside a mountain, molded into the sidewall. Tires with the 3PMS symbol perform somewhere between all-season tires with the M+S rating and actual winter tires. 3PMS all-season tires should perform better than a standard all-season tire but not as well as a winter tire in extreme winter conditions. You can use 3PMS tires year-round, but winter tires should be removed when temperatures are routinely above 45 F.

Choosing the right tires for your specific needs is one of the most important things you can do to stay safe on the road. The experts at Costco Tire Centers will help you choose tires that best fit your driving needs.

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