Choosing the best winter tires to suit your needs
For your safety during the cold-weather season, it’s imperative to equip your vehicle with high-quality winter tires. Good winter tires will ensure stable, effective braking. They’ll also provide better traction when going around curves.
Here’s some expert advice to help you find tires that will correspond to your needs, as well as your budget.
Things to consider when choosing winter tires
Purchase your tires on-site
Many of us have grown accustomed to shopping for things online, and tires are no exception. However, when it comes to purchasing the best winter tires, you’ll save time and money by shopping in person.
By insisting on taking advantage of online deals, you could find yourself stuck with poor-quality tires that wear down quickly and offer suboptimal handling. As for all-season tires, they have the tendency to lose a significant amount of traction and elasticity over time.
At a store, you’ll have the opportunity to make a visual comparison of the quality of the tires, whether with regard to their elasticity, lateral rigidity or tread dimensions. In fact, larger grooves will ensure that the tires adhere better to bumpy surfaces during the winter. They’re also better at expelling snow and slush.
What type of tires should you opt for?
Every model of vehicle requires its own specific type of tires. Tires for passenger cars will generally be suitable for subcompact cars, compact cars, midsize cars, small vans, compact SUVs and standard vans.
As for SUV tires, they’ll be appropriate for compact SUVs, midsize SUVs, luxury SUVs with four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, pickups and certain vans.
When it comes to tires for high-performance vehicles, they’re perfect for luxury cars, sport coupes, certain compact sports cars, certain premium midsize cars and some luxury SUVs of European origin.
If you require particularly proficient tires, inform yourself regarding their traction and braking quality.
Define your driving profile
The type of roads you take
What’s your usual commute? Do you only drive in the city or on side streets? Do you spend a lot of time on the highway? These questions are important when the time comes to choose the right tires for your vehicle.
If you spend a lot of time on the road, you’re better off investing in premium-quality tires. This is especially true if you have a small car, as they’re more prone to skidding when weather conditions are harsh.
On the other hand, if you mainly drive in the city, a set of tires that offer you a good value for your money will do a great job.
Snow tires or ice tires?
As a rule, ice tires are considered to be of superior quality, as they offer excellent traction on snow and icy pavement. They’re recommended if you frequently drive on the highway.
With snow tires, the traction isn’t quite as good; therefore, they aren’t advisable for use on icy pavement. You should opt for them if you don’t put much mileage on your vehicle or if you’re in the habit of taking country roads.
Choosing the best winter tires in keeping with your budget
Contact Trans-Mico Automotive for winter and all-season tire alignment and storage or for any other automotive repair and maintenance services you may need. Your satisfaction is our top priority!