Winter Tires vs All-Season Tires Debate

When it comes to all-season tires vs winter tires - what is important? We are often asked: "Do I drive better with winter or all-season tires?" Our answer is always: it depends. Here we explain to you exactly why.

Local regulations

Local authorities have different regulations for winter vs all-season tires. In some states and countries, winter tires are mandatory, in others, they are only recommended.

If the weather conditions in your latitudes are extreme and winter tires are mandatory, all-season tires are not an alternative for you. Then you have to switch from winter to summer tires every six months.

Winter vs all-season tires: These factors play a role:

• The legal regulations
• Weather and snowfall in your region
• Your driving habits and your driving area
• Your personal choice

Another factor: your local weather

Are winter tires recommended but not required by law? Then it is up to you to decide whether all-season tires or winter tires are more appropriate under the conditions in which you normally drive.

For example, if you live in a remote area and cannot rule out the possibility of being snowed in more often, winter tires will ensure your mobility. But even in mountain regions that are regularly affected by snowfall, winter tires are taken for granted.

Because they have a special tread profile and a higher proportion of natural rubber, winter tires remain flexible and easy to grip even in cold temperatures. Although they are not ideal for year-round use, they offer you the greatest possible safety and grip on snow and ice.

Your driving habits and winter vs all-season tire debate

Whether all-weather tires are sufficient or winter tires are necessary also depends on your driving habits. If it does not get so extremely cold in your part of the world in winter and you drive the car less often during this time, double tires with winter and summer tires may not be worthwhile for you.

If you opt for all-season tires instead, you will save yourself the hassle as well as the workshop and storage costs that a constant tire change can entail. As a driver in the city who does not constantly cover long stretches of motorway or country road and mainly moves on the cleared lanes of his place of residence, year-round tires can therefore be the right choice for you.

Before the next change of your tires, you have a long rest, because your tires also have a maximum shelf life of 10 years.

All-season tires vs winter tires? The advantages and disadvantages in comparison

• In contrast to all-season tires, you can only use winter tires for a limited time.
• Winter tires are specially developed for use in snow, ice, and cold. All-season tires perform better than summer tires under winter conditions, but they do not offer the same performance as winter tires.
• The constant change between summer and winter tires can cause costs that are not incurred with all-season tires.

Just as all-season tires do not match the performance of winter tires in the cold, their performance in warmer temperatures lags behind that of summer tires. However, all-season tires are a suitable compromise.