On a daily basis a great myth is perpetuated at car dealerships and tire shops around the country…
That is, the idea that “all season” (tire) means “winter capable.”
We take issue with the promulgation of this concept for two main reasons:
1. It works to deny and conceal the massive wintertime performance & safety advantage of winter tires over all season tires. As a result, winter roads are less safe for all U.S. drivers than they could be if snow tire use was more widespread. (See Snow Tire Information & Perspective, Snow Tires Can Save Lives.)
2. The false message also denies the equally massive wintertime performance differential between certain all season tires. Indeed, when the snow flies, not every all season tire is equal. Not by a long shot. There are those all season tires that can be counted on to advance through reasonable winter conditions given adequate driver caution, and those that probably shouldn’t leave the garage.
It’s a truth that you may have experienced in your winter driving history, although you may or may not have known the root cause at the time. Problem is, most people connect winter driving performance (or lack thereof) to the vehicle, not the tire, i.e. “that ‘car’ was horrible in winter.”
In most cases, it’s the tire not the car that’s actually to blame. Most cars are equipped with some form of all season tire, but which all season tire means a world of difference in wintry conditions.
To demonstrate this point, we’ll dive into some objective snow braking test results courtesy of TireRack.com. As a reference point, consider that the average car is about 14.75′ in length.
Test “A” involved a set of four current grand touring all season tires, all of which are equally represented and classified as “all season.” The differential between the best 25 mph to zero snow stopping distance and the worst was 31.45′. That’s over two car lengths, from 25 mph. (Project that brake performance differential onto real world, higher speed stops.)
Test “B” involved four current standard touring all season tires, all of which are equally represented and classified as “all season.” The differential between the best 25 mph to zero snow stopping distance and the worst was 10.9′.
Test “C” involved another set of four current standard touring all season tires, all of which are equally represented and classified as “all season.” The differential between the best 25 mph to zero snow stopping distance and the worst was a staggering 34.71′! Once again, a brake distance differential of well over two car lengths from just a city neighborhood driving speed. (For reference, a 64 passenger school bus is 35’ long.)
Good vs bad all season tire snow braking distance.
From the front bumper of the M3 to the last cone on the right is 35′.
Test “D” involved four current ultra-high performance all season tires, all of which are equally represented and classified as “all season.” The differential between the best 20 mph to zero snow stopping distance (logged by the excellent Continental ExtremeContact DWS) and the worst was 23.61′, or about 1.6 car lengths.
This wintertime traction disparity between certain all season tires also applies to cornering, braking, and every other facet of winter driving. The conclusion is therefore that within the all season tire category there are those tires that are reasonably winter capable given adequate driver caution, and those that should frankly be shelved given any chance of wintry precipitation.
We just can’t emphasize it enough: The surest path to wintertime driving performance and safety is with winter tires. Even the most surefooted of all season tires fall well short of winter tire performance in challenging winter conditions.
We know, however, that multiple sets of tires, and running snow tires through just the winter months isn’t possible for all drivers. The next best option is a winter capable all season tire.
If it is necessary to run one set of all season tires year-round, and true winter is an annual reality, be sure to get an all season tire that is up to the task. Our tire reviews can help, and we’ve compiled this list of tires to assist with your search as well: All Season Tires for Snow.
For winter tire vs all season tire test data, see this.
