Are you faced with buying a new set of tires for your vehicle? Everybody is at some point yet few really put much thought into what kind of tires to buy. So that you will be better educated when tire purchase time rolls around next time, with assistance from Patrick Hyundai of Schaumburg, an IL-based Hyundai dealer we’ve put together a listing of many of the kinds of tires that you can choose from.
High Performance Tires
High performance tires are made to provide better traction in any weather condition compared to standard passenger all-season tires. They’re almost always more expensive than standard all-season tires. High performance tires use compounds that allow them to stay flexible in colder weather. When the temperature drops this allows them to grip the road better.
All Season Passenger Tires
Your basic all-season tires. They are made to last fairly long and ride comfortably on the road. Tire manufacturers occasionally offer Touring and Grand Touring all-season tires that are better in the handling department. If you live in the north, seek out all-season tires that have the M+S symbol on them, which means they are rated to get through “Mud and Snow” conditions. Many people choose a set of “All Season” tires that are on sale somewhere just to get their tires.
Run Flats
Run Flats are designed to keep going for about fifty miles after a puncture. Typically, they are more expensive than regular tires and are stiffer as well. Because of that, they are a bit unpopular among consumers. They also usually wear out sooner than regular tires.
All Weather Tires
These tires are considered to be true four-season tires, rather than the usual “compromised” all-season. These tires have the “snowflake and mountain emblems” that indicate their qualifications to work in serious snow. The only better tires in the snow are “snow” tires. By comparison, all-weather tires have tread patterns that are in fact appropriate for warm conditions, but they’re not perfect. All weather tires are generally noisy and don’t last as long as all-season tires.
Summer Ultra High Performance
These are the best performance tires. They will provide fantastic grip and steering response in warm weather, but are typically loud and stiff. Summer Ultra High Performance tires have a low profile and are usually used on sports cars.
Studless and Studded Winter Tires
These are your traditional winter tires that grip the road when the mercury drops. They have a much deeper tread pattern that will help the tire shed slush and snow along with siping (thin slits) designed to give the tire more biting surface. Studded Winter Tires feature the same rubber compound as the studless kind, but have metal studs. These will work well in ice, sleet, freezing rain and extreme winter conditions as hard-core winter tires.
High Performance Winter Tires
These are studless tires that provide dry and wet handling better than that of regular winter tires. They are designed for driving on snow-covered highways where high-speed stability is essential!
