tires

Winter Tires vs. All Season Tires

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Some people will swear by All Season tires, while others won’t touch them and stick to strictly Winter Tires. Others don’t care either way, as long as their car can get through the snow. Whether your one side of the fence or the other, or somewhere in between, here are some facts about your options for tires this season.

All Season tires are great for some of our warmer provinces, however don’t particularly make the cut for Ontario’s winter climate. Because they are made to withstand both warm and cold weather, the integrity in extreme weather conditions is less effective. Many drivers will keep their all seasons on year round. So for Spring and Fall, they are in their ideal environment and work like a charm. However, because of the rubber make up in all seasons, they can get too hot and too cold. When good ol’ Jack Frost greets us with his presence and we see the temperature drop below -10 degrees we find the rubber will harden (freeze) into the consistency similar to a hockey puck. And we all know how great a puck glides on ice. Not too settling is it? Just like how summer tires will harden, when it gets cold enough, all seasons will too. This causes massive risk for collisions, car repairs and additional wear and tear on your vehicle.

Winter Tires are built with a much softer rubber meant to sustain the cold. They will keep their traction control much more effectively because the rubber does not harden as easily. Winter tires can still perform in weather as cold as -25 degrees. Having the appropriate tires on your vehicle will help you avoid very costly repairs. It is also important to remember to have your tire rotated half way through the season. This will also reduce the wear and tear on your tires and provide you with a whole additional year of use, in most circumstances.

As always, at Drive True Automotive, we remind you to Drive Safe, Drive True