Studded vs. Winter vs. All-season:
Studded tires are best only on ice and when temperatures are near freezing. The pros are that they stop faster than any other tire on ice in freezing temperatures, and they "chew up" the ice on the roads, which benefits both you and other drivers driving on the same icy roads. The negative side of that is while they chew up ice, they're not very good on the roads when there isn't any ice present. Studded tires aren't as effective as regular winter tires on snowy or slushy roads, they're illegal in a few starts and they're pretty noisy.
As for
winter tires they perform well in all winter conditions, not just ice. Since they have that deeper tread, slush and snow are able to fall out of the tire as it rotates, thus causing less build up. The noise level is about the same for winter tires as it is for all-season tires, but a drawback can be that their regulation is misleading; it's best to buy your winter tires from a trusted source so that you're clear on the quality of your tires.
So which one is best for you? Since studded tires are better designed to handle icy roads, which are more prominent on the coast, you're probably better off using regular winter tires unless you live in a place that generally has sleek icy roads as opposed to snowy and slushy. If you appreciate less noise, you should definitely go with winter tires, and since we live in a place with very unpredictable autumn and spring weather, winter tires are usually the way to go.
All-season tires are an entirely different kind of tire. All-season tires are designed to perform in, well, all seasons, meaning that they're
mostly effective in
most driving conditions. They are a type of "tire compromise". All-season tires do particularly well in rain and on dry roads, but they're not prepared for the winter because the rubber that's on them isn't designed for less than 45 degree weather. When you drive in the cold, the rubber on all-seasons gets hard, making it easier for you to slide on the road in cold temperatures, as opposed to winter tires, which have rubber that keeps soft in the coldest temperatures.
For more information, take advantage of our online
Tire Selector,
Winter Tire Guide or
Tire Frequently Asked Questions pages!
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