All-Weather Tires vs. All-Seasons: Which Saves More On Service Costs?

Looking for one tire to rule the road? All-seasons work in some areas, but if you live in Ontario’s snowbelt, or anywhere else with severe winter conditions, you’ll need all-weather tires to stay safe and save on annual service costs.

Read on to learn how “variable condition” tires offer consistent savings, or contact your local TIRECRAFT to schedule a free, all-weather tire consultation.

Don’t Be Surprised By The Hidden Costs Of Three Season Tires

Convenience and cost control—these are two of the main appeals of all-season tires, allowing drivers to save on service costs, storage, and total tire expenses by using the same set of tires year-round.

But despite their name, all-season tires aren’t always enough to keep you safe through Canadian winters. This can be confusing for drivers, not only because of the all-season misnomer, but also because many all-season tires carry a special Mud + Snow (M+S) designation. And that makes them snow tires, right? Wrong!

The M+S designation is only an indication of tread design, not tread compound. Any tires bearing this mark will feature bigger tread blocks and tread voids compared to specialty summer tires, which help expel mud and snow. However, M+S tires do not use the same cold-weather rubber compounds that appear in winter and all-weather tires, which means that they will stiffen up once temperatures dip below +7C, compromising traction, braking, and cornering control.

Accordingly, M+S tires are not snow tires; they’re all-seasons. And depending on where you live, they may be more accurately described as three-season tires, as they will likely need to be swapped out for heavy-duty winter tires or all-weather alternatives once snow piles up and temperatures drop.

Unfortunately, the misnomer and confusing M+S designation leaves many Canadian drivers surprised by the three-season limitations of “all-season tires,” as well as the hidden costs that come with them, which include:

• Needing to buy a second set of tires for winter driving
• Extra tire changeover services
• Ineligibility for winter tire insurance discounts
• Off-season tire storage fees

Save Through All Four Seasons With All-Weather Tires

If you want to maximize tire savings by using a single set year-round, all-weather tires are the way to go. Bearing both the M+S and three-peak mountain snowflake symbol (3PMSF), all-weather tires have met stringent performance standards in snow and ice track tests, and they are designed with both specialty treads and tread compounds that maintain performance in severe cold.

All-weather tires also come equipped with:

• Greater sipe density on the inside treads for improved winter traction
• Snow claws to grip in deep snow and bite into ice
• Slush grooves
• Increased block rigidity, and more

At the same time, all-weather tires work well in summer, thanks to their variable tread patterns, with lower sipe density on the outside treads to increase traction on wet and dry roads. In this way, they provide true four-season performance, allowing drivers to access the tire savings they had expected from their all-season tires.

Explore Your All-Weather Tire Options: Contact Your Local TIRECRAFT

If you’re looking for all-weather tires, look no further. You’ll find all of the top all-weather tire options at your local TIRECRAFT, including:

• Toyo Celcius and Celcius SUV
• Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady
• Michelin CrossClimate+, and more!

What’s more, our qualified technicians can help you determine whether or not all-season tires are sufficient for your winter driving needs, and recommend tires for your unique vehicle and weather conditions.

To schedule a free all-weather tire consultation, get in touch with your local TIRECRAFT

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