All weather tires are designed to have good traction on all road conditions, from wet to icy to dry. While they are not designed specifically for snowy conditions, they can be used year round in most driving conditions. The design of the tread allows water to flow off of the tire with minimal hydroplaning during rainy weather. The best all weather tires will also provide good speed, control, and traction in all weather conditions.
All Weather Versus Traditional Tires
The main difference between all weather tires and standard tires is the way the tread is designed. All weather tires have grooves in the tread that run at a V towards the center of the tire. This helps direct water away from the tire while avoiding hydroplaning. Traditional tires have slightly less of a V shape to the tread. Also, the best all weather tires will be made of compounds that are not sensitive to climate changes.
Who Should Use All Weather Tires?
The people who will get the best benefit out of all weather tires are those who live in climates where the weather changes frequently. In areas where it rarely rains, there is little benefit to using all weather tires. Also, even the best all weather tires will not be sufficient in bad snowstorms without chains. However, people who live in moderate climates can benefit from all weather tires throughout most of the year. These tires perform well on slightly snowy roads. Also, these tires respond well to temperature changes, which is important in moderate climates that have all four seasons.
Understanding Tire Rating Lingo
Tires have ratings, and understanding these ratings will help you choose the right tire for your driving conditions. For instance, tires will be given a traction rating, which is indicated by a letter from AA to C. The highest rated tires are the AA tires, and the C tires are the lowest rated tires. The higher the traction grade, the faster the car will stop on wet roads. Also, with all terrain tires severe weather rating indicates that the tire will perform well in extreme rain or snow. Since these are also all terrain tires, they make excellent all weather tires for people who drive in a variety of conditions.
Tires also have a tread wear grade. This indicates how quickly the tread will wear down. All weather tires need to have good tread to function properly. The higher the number, the slower the tread will wear down. This rating is a number between 100 and 700. Finally, the temperature grade is something you also must understand, particularly for all weather tires. This is another letter that indicates how resistant the tire is to heat. Hot weather can wear down a tire, so the best all weather tires will have a high temperature grade. This rating is indicated by another letter, A, B, or C, where A is the most resistant, and C is the least resistant.
Types of All Weather Tires
There are several different types of all weather tires on the market. Standard all weather tires are called passenger all weather tires. These have decent traction, but lack handling and steering response of some of the fancier versions. Touring all weather tires provide a smooth ride with decent traction and performance. Those who are concerned with performance will want performance or high performance all weather tires. Along with year-round traction, these tires have a nice appearance and provide superior handling and performance. Some would say that ultra high performance all weather tires are the best all weather tires on the market. These not only provide good traction through the tread design, but also through being made out of compounds that stay flexible in cold weather. This means that these provide the best traction in winter driving conditions. They also have the best high-speed capabilities.
Buying All Weather Tires Online
While this may seem surprising to you, you can actually buy all weather tires online. Most major tire companies sell tires online. Shopping sites like NexTag also sell tires. However, if you really want to save money on your all season tires, you need to look for a discount tire seller. There are several of these sites available, such as www.discounttire.com, www.americantiredepot.com, and www.tirerack.com. On these sites, you can shop for a variety of all weather tires from different manufacturers, compare the ratings of these tires, and even read consumer reviews of the tires in order to choose the one that best fits your needs.
When using an online source to purchase all weather tires, be sure to check for hidden fees, especially shipping. Sometimes the shipping on tires that you buy on the Internet can be high, and this cost will counteract the savings you found by buying your tires with the discount company. Also, make sure that you are getting new tires, not repaired tires. Check consumer reporting sites to ensure that you are dealing with a quality, legitimate site. If you do your homework, you can safely and affordably buy tires online.
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