It’s obvious that when temperatures drop and winter weather arrives you’ll need to put away your shorts and T-shirt and go for pants and a thick coat. But the decision to swap out your vehicle’s all-season tires for winter tires isn’t so clear-cut. Some drivers put too much faith in a single tire type to handle every temperature and surface condition, while others want to avoid the time and added expense of switching to a dedicated winter tire.
What is for certain is that a good winter tire will always outperform an all-season tire in snowy, icy conditions and be the safer alternative. Edmunds’ experts explain the importance of winter tires and offer advice on when to use them and how much you should pay.
