All-Season Tires | Driving Performance in Dry, Wet & Winter Conditions (2024)

FAQs

All-Season Tires | Driving Performance in Dry, Wet & Winter Conditions? ›

Many all-season tires do great in the rain and bare pavement year-round. While a set of all-season tires can offer some traction in light snow and the occasional winter storm, they're not designed for deep snow, ice, and cold weather (when temperatures stay below ~45º F).

When the thermometer dips below 45°F (7°C), the rubber compound in all-season tires begins to stiffen, impacting their ability to grip the road. This limitation is especially noticeable on icy surfaces, where winter tires with softer rubber compounds offer superior performance.

1. All-season: The most popular tire on the road, built to handle “everyday” driving conditions. Its tread provides balanced dry and wet performance levels, as well as acceptable snow traction in regions with light winter weather.

Tire type: All-season and summer tires usually work best in rainy conditions. They have the necessary tread pattern and sticky rubber to provide traction and grip on slick or slippery surfaces.

Because the tread rubber on all-season tires isn't designed to withstand temperatures below freezing, it will cause the tire to harden and lose the proper traction needed to drive safely. Yes, all-seasons are capable of powering through light snow, but they aren't the ideal choice for lasting all winter long.

Those all-season tires might perform well year round, but they do lose some traction in colder temperatures and icy conditions.

On average, people drive between 12,000 to 15,000 miles a year, which means the average good quality all-season tire will last somewhere between three and five years, depending on maintenance, driving style and conditions, etc.

All-Weather tires perform well in both summer and winter seasons. But all-weather tires are better than all-season tires in the winter. All-weather tires carry the 3 peak mountain snowflake symbol and all-season tires typically do not. NOTE: All-weather tires still do not perform as well in winter as winter tires.

Also, you should by no means try mixing both these tires as that would only cause complications. Thanks to this article, you now know the differences between the All-Season tires and the All-weather tires.

What is the number one rated all-weather tire? ›

The best all-season performance tire in 2024 is the Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4. The Pilot Sport All Season 4 from Michelin is incredibly adept at providing traction in varying weather conditions without sacrificing performance. On average, an all-season performance tire will cost between $130 and $190 per tire.

All-season tires score highly on issues such as noise level and driving comfort. Plus, there's the the added convenience of not having to store different sets of tires or change them.

All-weather tires are all-in-one solutions—tires designed to be used twelve months a year. The problem is, their rubber is stiffer than in conventional winter tires and less effective on icy surfaces. In other words, when it gets really cold out, all-weather tires don't grip as well.

All-Season tires usually last longer than all-weather tires. The all-weather tread is made of different materials, and it has to be able to stand up to colder weather and harsher conditions. So, it's normal for its tread to wear down faster than all-season tread.

The Tread Rubber - In extreme cold temperatures, the tread rubber of an all season or summer tire stiffens and becomes less able to provide sufficient traction. To combat this, tread rubber compounds of winter tires are designed to remain flexible, allowing the tire to grip the road better.

All-season tires typically last longer than summer tires and reduce the need for frequent tire changes but they don't handle as well in extreme heat as summer tires do.