Buying tires brings with it dilemmas of price, technical specifications and manufacturer, but also a difficult choice: all-season or seasonal? Both options have their supporters, each side using logical arguments. Which one to listen to?
Why should we give up on summer and winter tires?
Is it true that products designed for “everything” in practice are not suitable for anything? In the case of all-season tires, opinions are divided and the subject is controversial. Regardless of the position taken in this dispute, we must admit that the replacement of tires twice a year is simply a burden. We are forced to go each time to a vulcanization or, if we are predisposed and able, to do the replacement ourselves. Seemingly, the costs increase for at least two reasons: we buy two sets of tires, but we also have to spend more money or valuable time to be able to use them safely. In reality, it’s more difficult to judge – the initial price of the tires and their wear must be taken into account. So will all-season models be a good alternative?
How are all-season tires constructed?
Tires designed for all-season use are characterized by a structure that combines the characteristics of both summer and winter tires. It is equipped with additional notches, as winter tires, but they are not as deep and therefore have less grip on snow than those designed for winter.
What are the biggest advantages of all-season tires?
Of course, there are numerous advantages to using all-season tires. These include:
saving time and energy – we do not have to worry about replacement, thanks to which we devote our strength to other matters,
saving on expenses for changing tyres – it can be estimated that each year we may have an additional 200 zloty in our pocket.
Moreover:
we are always prepared for the conditions on the road – even when they change intensively, such as in the pre-spring period. As a rule, however, they are not as extreme as they were years ago, when severe winters were much more frequent and roads were rarely cleared of snow; nowadays there are winter periods with little or no snowfall,
driving in the city, where the road surface is usually better maintained, does not necessarily require us to use seasonal tires.
The main disadvantages of using all-season tires
Looking at the idea of buying all-season tires, however, we can not ignore its weaknesses, which are as follows:
certainly, choosing winter and summer tires instead of all-season tires will nevertheless be optimal in terms of adapting to the changing road conditions with the seasons,
winter tires will always have better grip on snow or ice than their all-season counterparts,
summer tires, on the other hand, will wear more slowly on sunny asphalt; they will also evacuate water much faster in a downpour,
in summer, the comfort of driving on all-season tires will also be lower than that of the “season tires”, which are, after all, specially designed for this time of year,
driving in the summer on all-season tires, we use more fuel.
A trial of balance. For whom are all-season tires?
The choice between all-season and seasonal tires is not easy, even though the main advantages and disadvantages of all-season tires have been presented. However, it can be assumed that:
all-season tires are a proposal for people who do not drive much; if the annual mileage of the car does not exceed 10 thousand kilometers, it is rather unnecessary to choose summer and winter tires,
use of all-season tires with lower grip can be used by drivers of smaller cars that are not subjected to very high longitudinal and lateral loads,
all-season tyres work well for people who drive mainly in urban conditions.
Who else would all-season tires be a good option for? It depends on your budget, your personal preferences and how you drive. So it’s worth weighing up your options before making a purchase.
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