When the season changes and the temperature outside starts to drop, buyers begin to ask how important it is to invest in winter tires. It’s a question nearly as old as the automobile: Do winter tires actually make a difference? The answer is yes. However, many factors go into choosing the right tires for your vehicle driven in winter conditions.
Temperature Differences
Suppose you live in an area where the weather is generally below 40 degrees Fahrenheit with average or above-average snowfall in the wintertime. In that case, that’s when you know it’s time to buy some winter tires, whereas an all-season tire rated for snow will be better suited for climates where it dips into the freezing territory but hovers above 40 degrees. They can operate well in 20-30 degrees, but winter tires will allow for safer maneuverability and better braking performance even when it’s 0 degrees outside.
What About AWD Without Winter Tires?
If you drive a Ford with all-wheel drive, some people will tell you, “Oh, you have all-wheel drive, you’ll be fine.” No, this is a major mistake. Even though you have a vehicle with four wheels actively receiving power at the same time, it does not mean the traction of that vehicle will be any better if you have the wrong tires on your car. If anything, it can make things more difficult. When it loses traction, the car will try to put power to the correct wheel(s). However, all of the wheels are attempting to get traction simultaneously, which has the potential for disaster. A dedicated winter tire can help your car stop up to 30 feet shorter on a snowy road at 30 mph compared to an all-season tire, according to testing from Tire Rack. That distance is probably tripled or quadrupled when compared to a summer tire that isn’t rated for snow.
Cold Roads, Worse Performance
When the road surface is colder, that’s when summer and all-season tires will perform worse during panic stops and sudden lane changes. All-season tires will be better than summer tires, but if you live in a state where 20 degrees is average, everything but a winter tire will feel like you are driving on hard glass.
Which Winter Tire For My Car?
Like summer tires, there are different types of winter tires. If you have an SUV, truck, or sedan, you will be looking at a regular studless winter tire. If you live in mountainous areas where roads can stay packed with snow and ice for days or weeks at a time, you may want to look at buying studded tires, as they are going to provide much-needed grip with their small metal spikes/studs that can dig into the surface for improved traction. If you have a Mustang, for instance, you’ll want to check out some high-performance winter tires that will suit the driving characteristics of your performance vehicle.
At Benna Ford, we offer our customers some of the best prices and services. With more than 100 new and used vehicles to choose from, our outstanding sales team and finance department will work hard to make sure you drive away happy. And our fantastic service department will take care of your new-to-you vehicle as if it were their own.
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