Winter Tires vs. All-Season Tires

Winter is upon us once more and with that comes cold weather, snow and ice. It also means very difficult driving conditions. Many people think that if they have all-weather tires on their car they'll be fine, but they don't really understand the distinction between the two.

The truth is, while all-weather tires can provide solid traction, there's no substitute for true winter tires on your Subaru vehicle. Learn the difference between winter tires and all-season tires to determine which tires are best for drivers in Freehold, Manalapan, Marlboro or the surrounding communities.

Do You Need Winter Tires?   

Winter tires, also sometimes called snow tires, provide a number of benefits when driving in inclement weather conditions that come with the winter months. Whether or not you need them depends on the environment where you live.

If the temperature in winter averages under 45 degrees, it's likely that snow tires are a good investment for you. These areas are the most likely to see the kind of conditions that result in slippery roads and the need for increased traction.

Winter Tires vs. All-Season Tires

All-season tires are what comes on most new cars from the factory. These tires offer a balance of performance between touring tires which are ideal for highway driving in the summer, and snow tires designed to handle snow and ice in the dead of winter.

The major problem with all-season tires when the weather gets bad is that in colder temperatures, they can get hard and offer less traction but more potential for slippage. Winter tires are designed to stay soft, which improves grip and braking in extreme road conditions.

Four-Wheel vs. Two-Wheel

Some people think that if they have a four-wheel drive, they don't need snow tires, or that with a front-wheel drive they can get away with installing only two tires. Both of these are incorrect. Four-wheel drive vehicles can be subject to the same slipping and sliding as any other car without the proper traction offered by snow tires.

So far as how many to install, snow tires only provide traction where they are installed. This means if you put snow tires on the front of your car, the back can still slide around, causing fishtailing and loss of control. Always install snow tires in fours, never in twos.

All-Year Winter Tires?

Some people think that if winter tires provide such good traction, why not use them all year round? There are several reasons why you should only use winter tires in winter. First, they are soft enough that they wear significantly faster than other kinds of tires, meaning it would get expensive to keep them on. Secondly, they provide such solid grip that they will interfere with your acceleration and handling.

If you are interested in putting new snow tires on your Subaru in Freehold, Manalapan, Marlboro and Englishtown, your local Freehold Subaru dealer can help. Stop in or give us a call for more information or to schedule an appointment today.