what will happen if I have snowtires on my car all year?

Question

I have snowtires on my car now and need new regular tires in the spring. Someone is selling some snowtires for cheap, so what will happen if I just leave the snows on and replace them with the new snow tires when the old ones wear out? Will performance or milage be compromised?

Answer 1

Winter tires use a tread compound optimized for cold-weather traction. The flip side of that is when it is warm, these winter compounds not only provide less traction (significantly less in some) but wear dramatically faster than would a summer or all-season tire. Stopping distances will be increased, the vehicles handling abilities reduced, and as the tread wears so much faster and the rubber is not optimized for it, wet handling will deminish as well with winter tires in the summer. Therefore, in my opinion, honed by working in the tire industry for the last 5 years and as someone who has used winter tires religiously for the last 20 eyars, I would suggest this is a poor bargain in the long run.

Tires are the #1 safety item on your vehicle. This is a poor place to start going cheap. The fact that you are already using winter tires now indicates you understand how much safer they are than all-season tires in severe climates. It works in the reverse as well. Don't comprimise your safety. Use tires that were designed for the conditions in which you drive.

Just my humble opinion, valued at precisely $0.02.

Answer 2

Snow tires will compromise ride quality, some gas mileage, and generally wear out faster.

Answer 3

They'll make a little noise until the nubs wear off.

Answer 4

They will wear out in summer

Answer 5

Mileage could be reduced a little....you'd have to track it...