Best All-Season Tires: Our Top Picks

A: It depends on how much snow you’re going to encounter. All-season tires are meant for light snow. Heavy snow requires a winter or snow tire.

Asking “how much is a set of all-season tires” is like asking “how long is a piece of string?” The only answer is “it depends.” Our top choice, the DWS06 Plus, starts at right around $130. But, that’s for a 195/50-16, which is a pretty uncommon size. At the other end of the scale, you have a 295/25-22 which will set you back almost $400. Our value pick, the Sumitomo HTR A/S P03 starts under $100 and tops out around $250. Several websites will not only help you find your car’s tire size if you don’t know but will also allow you to compare different tires in the size you need, side-by-side.

A: What You Need to Know About Your Car to Buy Tires: First, you should know the year, make, model, and trim level. Next, check your current tire size by looking at the sidewall of your tire. You will see a series of numbers like 225/40R18. The first number is the width, followed by the aspect ratio, then the wheel diameter. Also, check the speed and load rating, it will look like 95W. Don’t buy a tire with a load or speed rating lower than recommended by the manufacturer of your car. If you are unsure of what any of the above means, consult a professional when choosing tires.

Deciphering UTQG Standards: UTQG refers to Uniform Tire Quality Grade standards. The first number is treadwear, which is how long the tire is expected to last compared to an industry standard. A 500 treadwear tire is expected to last five times longer, a 600 is expected to last six times longer, and so on. The first letter is traction and is based on the coefficient of friction of the tire locked on a wet surface, the highest Grade is AA, then A, then B, with C being the lowest. The last letter is temperature. The tire is tested on a machine to measure at what speed the tire hits a specified temperature. The highest grade is A, then B, etc.

All-Season vs. All-Weather vs. Winter Tires: An all-season tire is sometimes referred to as a three-season tire. These tires work well on dry roads, wet roads, and even light snow. An all-weather tire has a 3PMSF rating for use in medium levels of packed snow, but can be used in all conditions. Winter tires, as the name suggests, are for severe snow duty and while they provide excellent traction on snow and ice, aren’t recommended for use on dry roads or in hot weather.

Determining the Best Type of Tire for Your Car: There is no perfect tire for all situations. In areas that get a few small snow storms per year, an all-season tire might be ideal. If you live in an area where traveling in moderate snow is a necessity, then an all-weather tire is going to be the better choice. If you get up in the morning and contemplate commuting on your snowmobile instead of your car, you probably want dedicated winter or snow tires that you use only a few months a year and use all-seasons for the rest of the year.

A: Size: Tire size is always written at least once on the tire sidewall. If you’ve bought a used car and aren’t sure if the tires it came with are the correct size, you can check the owner’s manual or an online tire size tool. Read the markings as follows: First is a letter representing the type of car (P for passenger, etc.). Next is the width in millimeters. Behind the forward slash is the height, calculated as a percent of the width, followed by a letter noting the construction (R for radial layer lines, etc.). The final number is the wheel’s diameter in inches: a sample tire marking is P215/60R15. 

Tread Pattern: All-season tires can come with three types of tread: symmetrical, unidirectional, and asymmetrical. The symmetrical tread will be longer-lasting as they can be rotated front to back and side to side without dismounting from the wheel. Unidirectional tread all-season tires are designed to move in a single direction and are standard on most vehicles. They will need to be rotated more frequently to avoid being worn down more quickly. Asymmetrical patterns are more common on sports cars or muscle cars as they use varying tread blocks for different purposes.

Load Index: The tire load index measures how many pounds it can carry efficiently. This is a rating determined by the tire manufacturer for each make, model, and size of tire. Your vehicle’s manufacturer will specify what Load Index is appropriate for your car. Never purchase tires with a lower load index than what the manufacturer recommends.

Shock Absorption: Riding around on tires with little to no compliance not only ruins your ride quality, but accelerates your need for alignments. Tires that are able to absorb some of the ground’s harshest bumps will last longer and will be a better option for any condition other than racing.

Warranty: A lot of tire manufacturers offer warranties against defects and issues with tread. Some even guarantee the tires’ durability based on mileage. Though it won’t stop your tire from wearing down, it can buffer the cost of getting new tires. Be sure to keep records of your maintenance to get the value of the agreement. 

Durability: One good way to think about durability is to consult the warranty and see the maintenance demands. All tires need to be rotated, but if the tread is even and the rubber itself is of a high enough quality, you will get the tire for much longer. 

Sound: Tires make noise, always. It’s physics — accept it. That noise comes from the rubber interacting with the road surface and from air being pushed through the tread. Some manufacturers spend more time minimizing noise than others. A few manufacturers have even started using sound insulation inside the tire to absorb noise. You can read reviews, but ultimately, what is excessive to one person might be completely acceptable to another.

Safety: Buying cheap tires or driving on worn out tires is the easiest way to ruin the performance and safety of your car. Shorter stopping distances, better handling response, and quicker acceleration are all benefits of high-quality, properly maintained tires.

A: The letters M and S on a tire sidewall mean the tire has been rated for use in mud and snow based on a calculation of tread geometry. However, no actual testing has been done to verify the effectiveness of the tires.

A: Several online tire retailers work with shops in your area for installation. You can have the tires shipped directly to the shop after purchasing them online. In other situations, most tire shops will install new tires you’ve bought online, but the cost will be higher.

A: Silica is a material added to rubber compounds that affects energy absorption. Grip and rolling resistance are both dependent on the tire’s energy absorption, also called hysteresis, and silica has allowed compound formulations to be low hysteresis during normal rolling for less rolling resistance, but also to have high hysteresis during higher grip demand for more grip. 

A: Look for a sticker in your car’s door jamb, glove box, or under the hood. If you can’t find a sticker, check your car’s owner’s manual.

A: Tires with a snowflake on a mountain symbol are all-weather tires and have been tested to meet or exceed an ASTM established standard for grip on medium-packed snow.