Driving is often a major component of many people’s lives, so it makes sense to take care of the vehicle that gets you from A to B. One aspect of that is choosing the right tires. But how do you find the best tires for your car?
Below we break down how to understand each of the 3 main tire types and what each is actually good for.
How to Choose the Best Winter Tires for Your Car
Also known as “snow tires,” winter tires are designed to provide maximum traction in snow and in slippery winter conditions. Unlike other tires, these are a league above the rest when it comes to this traction as the rubber is specially designed to handle winter driving.
Even a vehicle equipped with all-wheel-drive on all-season tires can’t match the stopping or turning capability of a similar two-wheel-drive vehicle fitted with four winter tires.
We recommend choosing winter tires that aren’t studded when you’re driving in Kelowna. Studded tires work best when roads are icy, otherwise, they reduce the traction since the studs can’t grip the snow as well as rubber.
Because Kelowna generally gets wetter, slushier, snowy conditions, non-studded winter tires can handle the roads better. As we’re coming up on the winter season it’s best to get a set of winter tires if you haven’t already. Alternatively, used winter tires offer a more affordable solution for people who are more budget-conscious.
How to Choose the Best All-Weather Tires for Your Car
Although it’s in the name, all-weather means something different in Canada since as of Oct. 1 winter tires are required for driving on the highway.
All-weather tires are essentially the jack-of-all-trades kind of tire. They provide adequate traction in most conditions, but never excellent traction in any one of them.
However, they offer a good choice to have on for summer driving for most people. For those who want a little more flair or traction for the summer months, all-weather tires also come in high-performance and grand touring varieties.
We recommend looking for more mid-tier tires if you need something affordable, but we recommend avoiding any that are overly inexpensive. These tires need to be able to handle a variety of conditions compared to winter tires, so investing in better quality ones ensures you have better traction in most conditions.
How to Choose the Best All-Season Tires for Your Car
“All-Season” is a bit misleading as a term which is why it’s better to describe these tires as “3-season.” Generally designed to handle dry and wet-weather traction in moderate or warm weather, these tires are ideal for consistent warm or hot summer conditions.
However, unlike the other tires on this list, all-season tires are really only suited for high-performance vehicles like sports cars and should only be driven at the time the weather is sufficient. Why? They quickly drop in traction in temperatures below around 4℃ making them more dangerous to drive on.
Look for tires that suit your driving need. Lower-end all-season tires are better for hot summer drives at the peak of summer, while high-end ones are more suitable for taking to the racetrack.
Overall, it’s best for most drivers to have a set of all-weather tires for pre- and post-winter, and a set of winter tires for the winter months in Canada.