Which is a better option; a summer tire or an all-season tire? What is the difference between these two types of tires? In the following sections we will answer these questions so that you can select a particular type of tire that will be suitable for you.
Which is the right fit – Summer or All-season Tires?
Summer Tires
Summer tires come equipped with tread design that consists of a smaller number of sipes, stiff sidewalls, and larger tread blocks. All these features help to enhance stability and traction. These features are combined with a certain type of rubber compound which works well in above freezing point temperatures.
The outcome is a kind of tire that is capable of delivering matchless performance during summer months. In addition, compounds used in summer tires are capable of managing temperatures that are above freezing point and provide superior wet traction.
All-Season Tires
These tires function to fill the gap that exists between summer and winter tires. All-season tires have a tread pattern and compound that is capable of handling extremities of summer as well as winter months. Such features make all-season tires the preferred choice for people who want to have tires that will do well for the whole year.
However, before jumping to the conclusion that all-season tires are the best, we need to investigate what is called the tire theory.
The Tire Theory
According to the tire theory, designing of tires can be considered a form of balancing act. This means that if performance of tire increases in one aspect, then it goes down in other aspects. For instance, summer tires have stiffer sidewall, which helps to augment traction and stability of summer tires. On the other hand, these features result in reduction of comfort level.
Likewise, when we talk about all-season tires, these tires are capable of handling all weather conditions, but they do not excel in any one particular feature. Thus, all-season tires will offer consistent performance in summer and winter but will be easily outperformed by summer or winter tires in their respective seasonal conditions.
All-season tires are good for most people. However, if the weather conditions are extreme and you have a specific type of car, such as a racing car, then opting for specialized tires will be a much better option.
Conclusion
From above details it is clear that both summer and all-season tires have their own advantages and disadvantages. The type of tire that will be right for you will largely depend upon climate and weather conditions in your region. For instance, if snowfall continues in spring in a particular region, and region experiences heavy snowfall in fall, then summer tires will be useful for only few months and using all-season tires will be the right option.
On the other hand, if your region experiences hotter summer months, summer tires will be a better choice compared to winter or all-season tires since such region will hardly have snowfalls. Thus, selection of tires will greatly depend on the location you are living in and the weather conditions in that region.