Why Change to Winter Tires

(ORIGINAL post date: Oct. 19, 2018)

If you recently moved to a region with harsh winter conditions you may be wondering "do winter tires make a difference?" Winter tires are suited for people who drive in icy and/or severe snowy conditions. The ideal temperature for winter tires is anything below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. In this article, we'll discuss snow tire prices, when to install snow tires, all-wheel drive (AWD) vs winter tires, and the benefits of snow tires.

What Are Snow Tires?

What makes a snow tire a snow tire? Snow tires might have these traits:

• Larger gaps that regular tires (for increased traction in snow and ice)
• Deeper tread or additional siping to improve traction
• Shoulder blocks to increase friction
• Rubber compounds to increase friction

What Winter Tires Offer That Other Tires Don’t

To answer the question of what winter tires offer, we have to explain how snow tires work. 

Winter tires achieve maximum winter weather handling in slippery and slushy conditions thanks to their unique tread designs. This can be seen in tires like the Sumitomo Ice Edge, which has serrated tread channels that increase grip and evacuate slush and ice faster than a non winter tire. This particular tire features triangular tread blocks for optimal handling, allowing the tire maximum contact with the road, enforcing stability in winter conditions.

The tread of winter tires are distinctively designed, and many winter tires encompass special features like the Bridgestone Blizzak WS80. This tire’s 3D siping provides traction on snowy roads. The tread compound is specially made to grip the road and ensure fast and steady braking in winter conditions.

Do You Really Need Snow Tires?

Determining the need for winter tires depends on the climate you are exploring and how often you plan on taking those adventures. If you are looking to drive in increased and heavy snow conditions, it’s a no brainer that changing to a winter tire is right for you. If you live in a four-season climate that does not get heavy snow or hazardous icy conditions, a winter tire may be overkill, and an all season or all weather tire may provide enough durability for you.

Snow Tires Cost: Are They Worth It?

For regions with rough winter conditions, we say snow tires are worth the cost. Snow tire prices are on average the same cost for a good brand of tires. Of course, there are brands that carry winter tires at a lower cost but their performance and ratings might not be worth the risk.

Several brands of snow tires include limited manufacturer warranties as high as 50,000 miles, which means that they could last you several winter seasons in addition to extending the life of the tires you use during warmer seasons. 

To find out how much snow tires cost, shop winter tires from Tire Agent. Select your make, year, model and trim. Then, from the filter on the left of the screen, narrow the recommendations to "winter" tires. 

Tire Agent offers several finance options winter tire changeover. 

Tire Changeover: When To Put On Snow Tires?

When changing to winter tires, the general rule is to do so when temperatures consistently dip around 45 degrees Fahrenheit. For many people in the United States, this is around late October or early November. 

When do you change back from winter tires to regular all-season or summer tires? Again, it's all about where you live and your average temperatures in the spring. For many of us in the US, that's mid to late April. 

How much does winter tire change-over cost? That depends on who does it and where you live. Some of our customers do their own tire changes, while others go to their local automobile repair or tire shop. The average cost of tire installation ranges from about $15 to $25 per tire, but it could be more based on where you live and the type of vehicle you drive. 

FWD/AWD vs Snow Tires

If you drive a vehicle equipped with FWD (front wheel drive) or AWD (all-wheel drive), you may think that's all you need to get your through the winter. However, as Consumer Reports explained, AWD helps vehicles take off from a stop to a start; it doesn't help during braking, cornering, or steering in slippery conditions. After testing AWD vehicles at their Connecticut testing center, the nonprofit consumer organization recommended that all-wheel drive plus winter/snow tires are the safest way to go.  

SHOP WINTER TIRES NOW