Most motorists know almost all the characteristics of winter and summer tires. But not everyone knows which all-season tires for cars and SUVs are the best to buy.
There is a common opinion among drivers that all-season tires for passenger cars are marked M+S.
But in fact the M+S label on a tire is not enough to count as an all-season tire.
Legitimate questions arise. How can one identify a genuine all-season tire among the huge range of tires offered by manufacturers and retailers? What markings must a true all-season tire have? Today we are going to answer these questions.
At the beginning let’s define what all-season tires are. Automobile all-season tires are tires designed for use at all times of the year. Unfortunately, in our vast country there is a big difference in temperature between winter and summer. That is why it is impossible to produce all-season tires that will “work” equally well on hot asphalt and icy roads.
Good winter and summer tires not only have a different tread, but also a completely different composition of rubber. Rubber is designed for a certain temperature. Not to mention the fact that the winter studded tires, differ he nonstudded, the presence in the tread of hard spikes. Therefore, before you buy all-season tires for the car in the Russian climate, you need to understand that it is a very compromise decision.
The M+S label has been used by tire manufacturers around the world for over 50 years. It is put on the tires of a special construction. Rubber layers in those tires are laid in opposite directions, diagonally from side to side. This design makes the tire more resistant to external influences. For this reason, tires marked M+S are mainly designed for off-road use. They can be ridden on dirt and light snow.
Now let’s analyze what the word combination All Seasons means in the tire’s name. Labeling tires with the word combination All Seasons is an attempt of automobile tire manufacturers to draw special attention to their products.
I would like to point out that, as with the M+S label, there is no regulatory framework for the All Seasons label (Any Seasons, All Weather, 4 Seasons and the like). In addition, they are not tested in winter conditions.
The main external indication that all-season tires are suitable for winter use is the 3PMSF (three-peak mountain snowflake) marking on the tire sidewall.
Only this icon may confirm that the performance of an all-season tire meets the regulations for winter testing.
Any tire by any manufacturer showing three mountain peaks and a snowflake has sufficient traction for driving in snow and can be used at low temperatures during the winter season.
Recently, true all-season tires for SUVs and passenger cars have been on sale. They carry a set of M+S, All Seasons and three mountain peaks with a snowflake on them. These are the best all-season tires.
The pros and cons of all-season tires are obvious. Such an all-season tire is slightly inferior to the summer tire – summer and winter tire – winter.
At the same time it is considerably superior in winter conditions to pseudo all-season tires, which are produced without 3PMSF marking, i.e. without the image of three mountain peaks and the snowflake inscribed in them.
Therefore, the best all-season tires for passenger cars and SUVs are those on which all markings are present.
And the real all-season tires: M+S, All Seasons and with those very three mountain peaks with the snowflake inscribed in them – will be much safer in year-round use than summer or winter tires. Now I think it’s clear to everyone what a true all-season tire should be labeled.
The differences between all-season tires and winter and summer tires are very serious. Winter tires are easy to distinguish. On the sidewall they have an image of three mountain peaks and a snowflake inscribed in them. Winter tires have a large number of blocks with deep tread. They are needed to cling to the loose snow. The snow stays inside the tread, providing more grip on the wheels.
In addition, the blocks of winter tires have tightly sliced sipes. When in contact with the road surface, the sipes open up. This increases the contact patch of the winter tire with the road. This property helps winter tires cling to icy road surfaces.