Are Snow Tires Worth It?

What are snow tires, and should you have them on your vehicle when the flakes fall? Snow tires are tires specifically designed to handle winter conditions, in addition to decent traction ability in the dry. Most Beavercreek and Springfield vehicles use all-season tires, which, roughly speaking, are made to be jack-of-all-trades tires that are safe enough during both summer and winter. As one would expect, snow tires are better at handling cold temperatures, snow, and ice than all-seasons, and are somewhat more expensive as a trade-off. Are snow tires worth it? Read on to see if they are for you, and get in touch with our service department if you have any questions.

When to Put On Snow Tires

Wondering when to put on snow tires? Here are the factors to consider:

• Location: Our neck of the woods doesn’t experience the worst snowfall the country has to offer, but it certainly gets bad enough. Higher latitudes can make more use of dedicated snow tires, but everywhere it snows can make use of enhanced traction when it does. Snow tires become much more important the more often you intend to drive on non-plowed roads, and can be a necessity for those driving in the winter in areas that are not plowed at all.
• Cost: How much are snow tires? Depending on the size, brand, and model of the tires you select, a sizeable amount. The highest end brands tend to run roughly double the cost of a similar size budget all-season tire. Other brands can be found for somewhat cheaper, but they will be more expensive than the cheap all-season tires most vehicles use.
• Use Case: Whether or not you should switch to snow tires in winter, or simply use those winter tires year round instead of the standard all-seasons, largely depends on how your vehicle is used. Winter tires are best for drivers willing to pay a premium for added safety in wet, snowy, and icy conditions. It should be noted that snow tires can be used year round, but due to their construction they wear faster than all-season tires, and will likely need to be replaced every two or three years, instead of every four or five.

Learn More About Snow Tires with Key Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram FIAT!

Get in touch with us today to learn more about winter tires, and winterization topics in general for drivers near Wilmington!