Cost Comparison: All Weather Tires Vs. Seasonal Sets

What’s more cost-effective: all-weather tires or specialty seasonal sets? Today’s post is all about how to look beyond the price tag for a big-picture cost comparison.

Read on or contact your local TIRECRAFT to start a personalized all-weather tire consultation straight away.

How To Compare The Costs Of All-Weather Tires And Seasonal Sets

Cost comparisons sound pretty straightforward, but smart shoppers need to look beyond the price tag when trying to decide between all-weather tires and seasonal sets. For best results, personalize your cost comparison by considering the following factors:

• Tire storage—Are you willing to pay for seasonal tire storage? If not, are you willing to sacrifice your time, effort, and space to stow them safely? All-weather tires eliminate this ancillary expense.
• Fuel economy—Does it already feel like you spend too much at the pump? In the summertime, all-weather tires tend to be less fuel-efficient than specialty seasonal sets, so be sure to factor fuel costs into your calculations.
• Tire repair/maintenance—Using all-weather tires eliminates the ancillary costs of seasonal tire changeover and treatments, but “jack-of-all-trades” tires tend to be more wear and injury-prone in extreme hot and cold conditions.
• Tire replacement—Because they try to do it all, all-weather tires don’t excel in any season. As part of this tradeoff, most all-weather tires tend to wear down faster than seasonal sets, because the rubber compounds aren’t specialized for hot or cold durability. Of course, all-weather tires are also used year-round, so they naturally accumulate more wear and tear. As a result, depending on the brands you’re comparing, you will likely need to replace your all-weather tires sooner than you would need to buy new summer and winter sets. Factor this into your cost comparison!
• Tire treadwear warranty—Not all treadwear warranties are created equal. While some all-weather tire brands, like the Toyo Celsius, come with a 100,000km warranty, other manufacturers will offer much less, knowing that all-weather tires tend to wear faster since they’re used year-round. Before you pick one tire over another, take the time to check out the Limited Manufacturer’s Warranty, or ask your TIRECRAFT expert for help.
• Consider your local road conditions and tire law—For most of our readers, all-weather tires will be sufficient for their daily driving needs. All-weather tires bear the Severe Service Designation, which means they stay soft and grip well in all but the worst of winter road conditions, while still providing a safe and comfortable ride through the summer.

  However, if you live somewhere with particularly rough winters, perhaps somewhere along the Atlantic coast, you might want to join the 72% of Canadian motorists who now use snow tires.

  Although buying snow tires effectively doubles your annual tire expenses upfront, investing in better winter handling can also save you money over the long term. For example, according to TRAC’s Consumer Surveys, 80% of drivers believe winter tires saved them from potentially harmful and costly collisions last year. To get this same level of protection with all-weather tires, you’d need to pay extra for studs, and these aren’t even allowed in some areas. Investing in snow tires can also help you avoid having to pay penalties in provinces where they’re required by law, like Quebec, where drivers are liable for fines up to $300 if they try to sneak by on all-weather sets.

Get The Best Price On All Weather Tires — Find A Local TIRECRAFT

Use the Find a TIRECRAFT Tool to book a free consultation with a local specialist and get a free quote on any set of all-weather or seasonal tires.

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