Winter Tires? Or All-Season Tires?

SEATTLE - The next time your car needs new tires, there's a good chance you'll buy all season treads; most people do. But is that the right choice? Or should you get winter tires? And besides price, what's the difference anyway?

All season tires are the kind that comes standard on most cars and light trucks. Consumer Reports says they're best for year-round traction in dry, wet and mild winter conditions.

Winter tires are designed to provide maximum traction on snowy or icy roads. Because of that, when the road is dry or wet, they don't provide quite as much traction as all season tires.

"If you live in a snowy area, winter tires may be your best bet," says Consumer Reports auto expert Eugene Petersen. "If you live in an area where snow conditions are very mild or infrequent, you may be able to get by with a good all season tire."

When deciding which way to go, there's one more factor to consider -- tread life. "Because they have a more pliable compound that stays pliable in colder weather, winter tires are going to wear faster than an all season tire," Petersen explains.

By the way, after analyzing all the data, Consumer Reports concluded that the new all season tires on the market today give better grip than those the magazine tested just four years ago.

For its November issue, Consumer Reports tested 30 different brands of tires, including: Goodyear, Kelly, Pirelli, Uniroyal, and Bridgestone.

After analyzing all the data, the editors found that the all-season tires on the market today are better than they were just four years ago, when the latest round of testing was done.

Here are a few Quick Picks:

1. The Goodyear Assurance Triple Tred ($80) was the top-rated all-season. The editors say it does "everything well except braking on ice."

2. The Michelin X radial ($111) was a close second. It's a "very good all-around performer," but it's only available from shopping clubs.

3.The Hankook Mileage Plus II ($50)

4. The Yokohama Avid TRZ ($70). Consumer Reports says the Yokohama is a good choice if tread life is important.

5. The Michelin HydroEdge ($100). The magazine calls it a "capable" performer. It's "noisier" than the Michelin X, but delivers excellent tread life.

In the Winter Tire Category, the top rated tire is the Michelin X-ice ($84).

Consumer Reports calls it the "top choice for harsh winters." The magazine says the Viking SnowTech ($43) is worth considering "where winters are moderate or roads are cleared promptly.

You'll find the complete list of ratings in the November issue of Consumer Reports.

What about studded tires? Consumer Reports wanted to see if they really perform better on ice and snow. The magazine's tests found they "hardly made a difference in traction on moderately packed snow, but they stopped better on ice." Consumer Reports says studded tires "have their place in some icy regions, but winter tires are best for most." Remember: studs are noisy and they damage roads.

For More Information:

All Season Tires: How to Choose -- www.consumerreports.org
Winter Tires: How to Choose -- www.consumerreports.org
NHTSA Announces Tire Safety Ratings -- www.nhtsa.dot.gov
Tire Labeling - Passenger Vehicles -- www.safercar.gov
Early Waning Signs of Tire Failure -- autos.yahoo.com