The difference between all-weather and all-season tires

The names seem to mean the same thing, but these two types of tires deliver significantly different results – and only one of them is good for year-round use

By Emily Chung

March 9, 2016

Lately, there’s barely any snow on the roads and temperatures are above freezing; this year’s winter season has been a bit of an anomaly – people were even golfing in the Greater Toronto Area during December. But one thing’s for sure, we’re still the Great White North, and it gets cold and snowy here. Even so, many Canadians still don’t equip their vehicles with winter tires because “it’s too expensive.”

This logic is interesting, because when you switch between two sets of tires, you prolong the life of each; you extend the life of your all-season tires when you store them in the winter. And if you ride on all-season tires year-round, as many drivers do, you’ll be replacing those tires more frequently than if you had two sets – so any “savings” is considerably reduced.A lot of drivers who stick with all-season tires throughout the year also say that they don’t want to be bothered with yearly tire changeovers or storing tires in their garage or condo lockers. While it may be a hassle to have two sets of tires for your car, remember that winter tires are part of the cost of driving in our climate. Plus, in a recent Kal Tire study, a vehicle with winter tires stopped almost 15 metres sooner than its all-season tire counterpart.

Canadians are generally well versed in the differences between all-season and winter tires. For those of you who want vehicle safety but don’t want to switch between two sets of tires, take heart – all-weather tires are a good option. If you’re thinking they should come up with better names to differentiate the types of tire (all-season versus all-weather), trust me – you’re not the only one who’s confused. From my experience, few Canadians are aware that all-weather tires exist, or understand how they differ from all-season tires. Here are a few examples to show the variations:

IMG Nokian All Season eNTYRE

Look at the Nokian eNTYRE’s all-season tire tread; see how the treads are relatively smooth and straight? These help with gripping the road in moderate to hot temperatures, and repel water when you’re driving in the rain.

IMG Bridgestone Winter Blizzak

Bridgestone Winter Blizzak