Choosing the right size tires for all year round use

When choosing the right size tires for all year round use you need to not only follow the manufacturer’s recommended size tire for your car but also to consider the weather conditions you will be encountering in the area where you live. This is because there are two types of tires for year-round use; all-season tires and all-weather tires. Which one to choose depends on the climate in the area where you live. The all-weather tires are a good choice for people looking to keep one set of tires throughout the year but yet live in an area where the winters requires adequate tires to deal with snow and ice. The all-weather tires hold the “Three Peak Mountain Snowflake” emblem indicating that these tires have met the required performance criteria in snow testing and are considered severe snow service rated. With winters being quite severe in many areas of the United States, having proper snow tires is important as they are apt to handle both snow and ice.

The reason dedicated all-weather tires are the best choice in areas with severe winters is because these tires hold the same severe service rating as winter tires with the advantage of being able to be used all year round. In addition, the need to time the moment of changing of tires is eliminated. This is quite important as the timing of changeover can be quite tricky. Many areas don’t have a clear cut off between fall and winter. With surprise snowfall possible in the early fall, followed with warmer weather. If installing winter tires this becomes tricky as winter tires exist both as non-studded and as studded tires, with the laws for studded tires being quite strict on the date you are able to put them on, while in some states they are not allowed at all.

If the area where you live has mild all year-round weather, then the all-season tires are an option and probably the better choice as they have lower rolling resistance and thereby better fuel economy. All-season tires do not need to have as aggressive tread as all-weather tires as they do not need to meet the criteria for performance testing on snow. All season tires like the Nokian eNTYRE all-season tires offer excellent wet grip and stability while allowing for both comfort and performance in an environmentally friendly tire. It also offers hydroplaning protection and even has a hydroplaning indicator.

Whether the choice is to invest in all-weather tires or all-season tires the dimensions need to be those recommended by the car manufacturer. This means if the recommended dimensions are 265/70R17 then you would need to equip your car with either.

265/70R17 all-season tires or 265/70R all-weather tires. In general, as long as you install the correct dimension tires for your vehicle’s make and model then you are well equipped to handle any road conditions no matter what the forecast.