More than half of all Canadians use winter tires for more traction on snow and ice, but others opt for all-season tires because they don’t like the hassle of having to change the tires twice a year.
But a third kind of tire called “all-weather tires” promises the benefits of all-season tires combined with good traction in the winter.
“These tires combine traits of all-season and winter tires into one which makes them a good choice,” said Gene Petersen of Consumer Reports, a company that tested the tires.
Half of the tire looks like an all-season tire and the other half looks like a winter tire, providing a middle ground that drivers can use year-round.
While all-weather tires are not as common as winter tires or all-seasons, there are a few models to choose from including the Nokian WRG3 and the Toyo Celcius tires.
“These tires did pretty well on our tests with good stopping distances on dry pavement, on ice and they also had very good snow traction,” Petersen said.
Overall, these two tires even outperformed several kinds of dedicated winter tires.
One of the drawbacks of all-weather tires is that many Ontario auto insurance companies may not offer the winter tire discount, despite the product’s winter safety rating.
With a Consumer Alert from Pat Foran
