We all know how dangerous driving in Calgary winters can be. Winterizing your vehicle in preparation is a Calgary ritual. A key part of that process is making sure your tires can carry you safely through the winter. To help guide you on your decision as to which tires are the best solution for you, we’ve outlined the basics of the three main types of tires.
The name ‘All-Season’ can be misleading. Once the temperature drops below 7°C, All-Season tires start to lose grip and therefore don’t handle as well. They’re also not designed for traction on snow and ice. Although not suitable for winter driving, All-Season tires are most likely what you’ll use in the spring, summer and early fall so let’s take a closer look at each type. All-Season tires come in three general categories: Touring, Performance and Ultra-High Performance.
You’ll find that most vehicles use some sort of Touring model as they are best suited for everyday driving. All-Season Touring tires are the least expensive and are not meant for high-performance driving or Calgary winters. But they are well-equipped to deal with most of the road conditions we experience between May and October in Calgary.
Performance tires are meant for enthusiasts with vehicles built for higher speeds and performance. They offer better handling and braking at higher speeds than Touring tires but are also not meant for winter weather conditions.
Top-of-the-line sedans and sports cars will typically need Ultra-High Performance tires for their superior handling and responsiveness. As the name implies, Ultra-High Performance tires are speciality tires made for those high-end vehicles. The downside? Besides being the most expensive All-Season tires, they generally last the least amount of time and are also not safe for winter driving in Calgary.
Last but certainly not least are Winter / Snow tires. They are also available in regular and performance versions.
As you probably guessed, Performance Winter tires are tires for high-end vehicles that use Ultra-High Performance tires in the spring and summer. Performance Winter tires allow those vehicles to operate safely in extreme weather conditions while still catering to the performance aspect of higher-end vehicles.
All-Weather tires are truer to their name than All-Seasons are. They can be driven year-round with the exception of extreme winter conditions.
All-Weather tires are made of a rubber compound that allows them to remain flexible below 7°C. This means better traction in colder temperatures. The tread on an All-Weather tire is designed to push out slush and snow but not necessarily to deal with deep snow and ice. It’s for this reason that they are not recommended for extreme winter conditions like the ones we get in a Calgary snowstorm. They also don’t generally last as long because they’re used all year long.
If you don’t have to drive when there’s a lot of snow on the ground and would rather not have to store an extra set of tires or get them changed twice a year, All-Weather tires can be a suitable option for winter driving in Calgary.
You can check the Radar Dimax 4 Season and the Argonite 4 Season RV-4S
There’s a reason why having a dedicated set of Winter tires is recommended for Canadian winters, especially in Calgary. They are designed specifically for driving in harsh winter conditions, like blizzards and black ice, because they can save you from spinning out and getting stuck in the snow. The rubber in a Winter tire is formulated to remain flexible below 7°C, allowing for safe steering, turning and braking in a Calgary winter. Winter tire treads are designed to cut through slush, ice water and snow by pushing them out efficiently and are made for maintaining traction on icy and snow-covered roads.
The complaint against Winter tires is the chore of having to get your tires changed twice a year and finding a place to store the set of tires that aren’t being used. That said, if neither of those issues is a concern for you, the added safety and confidence you get driving with Winter tires during Calgary winters makes the decision a no-brainer.
Here are some tips for Winter tires:
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