Winter Tires vs. All-Season Tires

Your tires are essential for making your drives around Minnetonka, safe and comfortable. Having the right tires for your driving habits is ideal for ensuring you won’t lose control on Minneapolis roads. When shopping for new tires, you’ve probably heard about winter tires vs. all-season tires, but which is better for your needs? 

As you compare winter and all-season tires, you want to view all-season tires as the ‘jack-of-all-trades’ for year-round driving, while winter tires are ideal for that bitter time of the year. Below, Morrie's Golden Valley Cadillac compares winter tires vs. all-season tires and will help you discover the following:

• The benefits and drawbacks of winter tires
• Winter tire storage information
• What’s the right tire pressure in winter

Learn more and call us at (866) 493-2819 or reach out online for more information.

The Benefits & Drawbacks of Winter Tires

While winter tires are ideal for driving around Edina when it’s cold, there are some drawbacks you need to consider. Let’s look at the pros and cons of using winter tires: 

Advantages

• Unique Rubber Compound: All-season tires are made of a rubber compound that freezes and gets brittle when temperatures drop. Winter tires use a special rubber compound that stays flexible during the cold to ensure you have maximum grip.
• Specially-Designed Tread: You may notice the grooves in a winter tire are different from all-season tires. They are specifically designed for winter driving, with the grooves reducing the amount of snow and ice build-up, so you’ll have better traction in inclement weather. 
• Biting Edge Design: Beyond the ability to reduce snow and ice build-up, winter tires have a biting edge design that digs into deep snow and ice to allow your vehicle to drive easily in winter conditions.

Disadvantages

• Wear: If temperatures climb back up and the roads are dry, having winter tires can cause significant wear on your tires, meaning a decreased lifespan.
• Swapping Out: Driving on a winter tire during the summer is not recommended. So, you need to have a second set of summer tires to swap to when the weather gets warmer.

Winter Tire Storage Information & Tips

As we discussed, you don’t want to have your winter tires on year-round as they are not made for other seasons. To that end, there are some winter tire storage tips we want to provide you so you can keep your winter tires in excellent condition. At the same time, driving in the winter comes with some nuances you must be aware of for maximum safety. Here are some winter tire tips and driving information to remember: 

• Store Clean Tires: It can seem obvious, but you need to clean your tires before they’re put in storage. Storing tires without cleaning them can lead to corrosion and decrease the lifespan of your tires. Make sure to cover them once they’re clean.
• Clean and Temperature-Controlled Storage: You’ll want to keep your tires in a temperature-controlled and clean space; so that they don’t experience increased wear. Additionally, you will want to stack your tires and rotate them occasionally to avoid any spots or unusual tire deformities.
• Tire Pressure: Your tire pressure in winter will always drop as cold temperatures cause air to become less dense in your tires. We recommend adding the right tire pressure to your tires when they’re cold as you don’t want to have low tire pressure when you’re driving.
• Tread Wear: Just because you have winter tires doesn’t mean you won’t experience tread wear. Remember to inspect your tire tread wear to ensure you’ve got the proper tire tread for when the roads become hazardous.

Check Your Tire Pressure In Winter With Morrie's Golden Valley Cadillac!

Whether it’s comparing winter tires vs. all-season tires or checking your coolant levels, Morrie's Golden Valley Cadillac is the place to go around Minneapolis for automotive care! Our service technicians have been handling Cadillac models for years and know what makes them work at peak performance. Don’t forget to check out our service offers to see what you can save on your next visit. Keep your vehicle running well with Morrie's Golden Valley Cadillac!