With all-season tyres defy all weather conditions

Why all-season tyres?

All-season tyres combine the properties of winter and summer tyres to provide year-round usability. Highly developed tyre superstructures with high-quality tyre profiles ensure a good balance between the performance and durability of summer tyres in warm weather and the cold-weather prowess of winter tyres.

In summer these tyres have a slightly higher wear than summer tyres. However, the tyre manufacturers have significantly increased their research work in this segment, so that all-season tyres can now equally convince in snow and on dry roads. For those who do not drive much and drive mainly in city traffic, all-season tyres are a good alternative to traditional summer and winter tyres.

As UK weather is notoriously capricious, especially during relatively mild, rainy winters, many experts are looking to all-season tyres as a viable response – especially given the British motorist’s traditional reluctance to alternate between summer and winter car tyres.

Are all-season tyres the best choice for year-round use?

Yes, absolutely. For too many years, motorists have assumed that their summer tyres will perform well enough in winter, as long as they slow down a bit, or leave the car at home when it snows. But manufacturers, road safety organisations, and the motoring press have in recent years conducted numerous tests and information campaigns to get the message across – summer tyres are not suitable for year-round use.

Keeping winter tyres on over summer is in principle less unsafe, but there is literally a price to pay. Their softer rubber compounds wear quickly in warm weather, and fuel economy suffers as well. Still, many drivers are not comfortable with changing their tyres, again and again, every spring and autumn. If you are one of them, why not use a product that was actually designed for the job? Try an all-season tyre.

Are all-season tyres safe and reliable?

The all-season tyres are becoming more and more popular. Hence, all leading tyre manufacturers have recognized the trend and offer these year-rounders in their ranges along with winter and summer assortment. Especially through the developments in the recent years, the all-season tyres have become increasingly competitive. Therefore, it is of no surprise that in large tyre tests these cope much better on snow covered and icy roads than some winter tyres, thus making the so far considered compromise tyres become a real alternative.

To concur this, the Auto-Bild magazine recently certified three 205/55 R 16 all-season tyres as having ''exemplary'' characteristics and for the first time spoke of a"safe and affordable alternative for vehicles up to the middle class".

Are all all-season tyres the same?

If anything, these remarkable products are even more diverse than their specialised brethren. While all-season tyres have been popular for a long time in some markets, not all of them are suitable as year-round tyres. However, most current all-season tyres have full cold weather credentials – attested by the presence of the M+S (mud & snow) marking, and often the ‘Snowflake’ symbol as well.

Many all-seasons are chiefly focused on cold weather performance. In fact, numerous current models are essentially winter designs engineered to better tolerate warm weather conditions. However, some latest generation all-season tyres, like the Michelin CrossClimate or the Yokohama all-season tyres in 195 65 R15 size, manage to achieve summer tyre-like warm weather performance, while retaining adequate cold weather qualities.

All-season tyres’ reviews, where other motorists rate the products criteria such as wet grip or braking can help you in deciding which tyres to choose. Discover here the cost-effective alternative to summer and winter tyres - the all-season tyres. Tirendo.co.uk carries a large assortment of brand tyres of world-renowned manufacturers, from budget to premium ones, at top prices!