How to choose the right type of winter tire
The days of limited winter tire choices for our vehicles are long gone. Now, instead of one simple, heavy-lugged and wide-channelled tire made of soft rubber compounds, we're greeted at our favourite tire store with rows upon rows of snow and ice boots of all different types.
All-weather tires are the newest arrivals. As their name suggests, they're meant to be used 12 months of the year, but even tire makers admit they're a compromise. They don't deliver the same amount of grip as purposebuilt winter tires, and they don't last as long on summer roads as true summer tires, but they're still an improvement over traditional all-season tires.
And there's the ice tire, which certainly isn't a novelty, having been around for a decade or so and available from a growing number of manufacturers.
But what's the right tire for you and your vehicle?
If your tire consultant isn't asking you the right questions, you may not be getting the best product for your vehicle, no matter how good the price may be.
Ice radials are easily recognized by their almost summer tire-like tread design. They run almost as quiet on the highway as the smoothest summer tire, and can provide superior traction on slick ice or snowpack covered roads.
They also have a negligible effect on fuel economy, thanks to fairly low rolling-resistance values. All this makes them extremely popular with urban dwellers, especially those driving minivans, sport utes and crossovers, hatchbacks and sedans.
One of the only drawbacks of ice radials is deep snow traction, but if you drive primarily on urban streets or suburban roads and don't want to be pestered with tire noise, ice radials may be a better choice for you.
But if you drive in rural areas and have to deal with deep snow on a regular basis, you may want to consider a traditional snow-tread tire. Their oversized lugs, plus deep and wide channels, let them discharge snow as quickly as it packs into the treads, providing much more straight-up traction than an ice radial.
The slightly higher level of road noise of snow tires (compared to summer or ice tires) seldom bothers truck owners because of the characteristically louder nature of truck drivelines.
That being said, some truck owners might want to consider LT-designated snows as, on average, they'll deliver more distance, thanks to stiffer rubber compounds and reinforced side walls.
But there can be a drawback, because the harder the rubber is, the less traction it will deliver on slippery and cold surfaces.
Driving.ca