Drive Safe This Winter: Are Pirelli All-Season Tires Up To The Task?

Pirelli all-season tires rank among the best four-season solutions for drivers, but are they tough enough to get you through Canadian winters? Read on to find out, or contact your local TIRECRAFT to start a personalized tire consultation near you.

Are Pirelli All-Season Tires Tough Enough For Canadian Winters?

In a 2019 presentation on winter driving, titled The 5 Golden Rules for Driving on Snow, Pirelli manufacturers stressed the importance of:

• Winter-worthy tread patterns designed to grip in snow
• High sipe density to optimize rubber grip and increase snow capture
• Cold-resistant rubber compounds that stay flexible to shorten braking distances
• Special grooves and recesses, designed to drain off water and reduce risk of hydroplaning
• The Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) symbol, which indicates that the tire has met the minimum performance requirements in the ASTM F1805 winter tire test

But do Pirelli all-season tires meet these winter safety standards? That depends on your experience of winter driving, who you ask, and which Pirelli all-season tire you pick.

“All-seasons are universal tires, in the sense that they can be used regardless of whether it is summer or winter,” states the Pirelli website. And there are plenty of Pirelli all-season tires designed to perform in the snow, such as:

• The Pirelli Cinturato P7 All-Season, made with rubber blocks molded with both longitudinal and lateral sipes for effective winter traction, and four full-circumferential grooves to act as evacuation chutes for water.
• The Pirelli P6 Four Seasons Plus All-Season tire, made with large circumferential grooves, optimized tread design with 3D sipes, and a durable tread compound to help you squeeze out an extra season of driving.
• The Pirelli P Zero Nero M+S All Season tire, rated for M+S performance, with circumferential grooves and sweeping ridges to push water out of the road surface and deep treads for strong grip on snow and slippery roads.

However, even when they have the Mud + Snow (M+S), high-volume siping, or 3PMSF markings, the reality is these all-season tires are not on par with winter sets—there’s simply no way to specialize in snow performance without sacrificing some degree of warm and dry-weather handling.

In the words of Greg Cressman, Technical Services Director for Yokohama Tire Canada, “there’s no free lunch when it comes to tires—[they] have so many jobs and responsibilities that there’s always a balancing act and a need for compromise.”

That said, many drivers who live outside of the snow belt region of Ontario will be just fine using Pirelli all-season tires. What’s more, they’ll be able to enjoy all of the advantages that come with driving on a single set, like skipping seasonal changeover fees and storage headaches.

Ultimately, the only way to know for sure whether Pirelli all-season tires are up to the task is to get in touch with a tire specialist near you, one who’s familiar with the same weather conditions as you, and who can make recommendations for your unique vehicle type.

Book A Free Pirelli All-Season Tire Consultation: Contact TIRECRAFT

With more than 300+ TIRECRAFT locations around the country, getting personalized tire advice has never been easier. Simply use the Find a TIRECRAFT tool on our website to get in touch with a member of our team and find out whether Pirelli all-season tires are right for you. If so, you can browse the complete 2021-2022 line-up under one roof, and get access to seasonal savings and rebate programs through our Promotions page.

References

Pirelli. (2019, January 16). The 5 Golden Rules for Driving on Snow.

Pirelli. (2020). Winter Safety: Are All Season Tyres Suitable for Snow?

Back