While you could theoretically use your usual tires on the snow, you’d experience far worse traction, and in some cases, could end up in a position where you couldn’t get your car up or down a hill without losing grip.
Investing in a good pair of all-season tires can save you time in the long-run, as they can be left on your vehicle all year round.
To help you choose the best all-season tires for your vehicle, we’ve collated 5 of the most popular all-season tires on the market right now, gathering tires from each end of the budget range.
We’ll look at the pros and cons of each one, making a recommendation of the best options available.
What Is an All-Season Tire?
For the layperson, it’s almost impossible to predict what the weather will be like for the day. Obviously, this can be a problem when you have to drive somewhere, regardless if it’s just around the corner or miles away.
Accidents are more likely to happen when the road is wet or covered with snow. The reason? Regular tires are not designed for these conditions.
To address this problem, there are now groundbreaking tires made to handle these situations. All-season tires, as the name suggests, lets you drive your car under harsh weather conditions. This is thanks to their rubber compounds and unique tread patterns.
You don’t need to attach various tools to your car’s tires anymore because an all-season tire can withstand extremely hot or cold temperatures. Even better, this is all possible without compromising the traction they have on the road.
How Much Do All-Season Tires Cost?
Whether you wish to replace a single tire, the pair at the front or rear, or all four of them, your first question should be how much it’s going to cost you. With an all-season tire’s capability to handle all kinds of weather, you don’t really have to break the bank just to enjoy their benefits.
Depending on the brand and the additional features it may have, an all-season tire costs an average of $80 to $150. This means an entire set would be anywhere between $320 and $600.
As you may have noticed, getting all-season tires is actually cheaper than the average cost of $637 for a whole set of gear4wheels1-20nt tires. However, larger and heavier vehicles require more durable and stronger tires. This is why a single all-season tire for SUVs or pickup trucks often ranges from $100 to $250.
Benefits of All-Season Tires
Why switch to all-season tires? Aside from being generally cheaper, all-season tires can actually provide you with lots of notable benefits, and below are some of them.
Improved Handling
The first thing you’ll notice when you switch to all-season tires is how much they improve your car’s handling. As the name suggests, they have no problems maneuvering in dry, wet, or slick conditions. In turn, this provides you with good brakes, lets you take sharp turns, and improves the car’s traction on the road.
Longer Tread Life
If you noticed that your tire often shows signs of wear and tear after driving it for quite some time, there are a few factors that may be affecting this. Such factors include bearing too much weight on the car, driving at high speeds, poor road conditions, or extreme heat.
Despite all of these, you can expect a good all-season tire to have an average lifespan of 50,000 to 70,000 miles. Roughly speaking, this is equivalent to four or five years.
Quiet Ride
Some tires would often make noise, like a whistle or a hum, whenever you’re on the go. That’s because of the tread patterns on the rubber.
While this may not be too much of an issue, constantly hearing this somewhat annoying noise may make you feel uneasy. What’s worse is that it is even louder when you’re using winter tires.
Thankfully, all-season tires are engineered not only to provide better traction but also to reduce this noise. Because of the grooves and slots on the tires, they are the quietest set you could ever have in your car.
Inexpensive
Despite being more efficient in keeping your car on the ground, all-season tires are not as expensive as one might assume. Their price range is either at the same level as a regular set of tires or even lower.
Yes, in some cases, all-season tires can even be cheaper than the ones you have in your car at the moment. Furthermore, because they offer better traction on the road, they will provide you with more mileage per liter of gas, making them more efficient in gas consumption.
Convenience
When the winter comes, you will probably see other drivers replacing their tires with those equipped to handle the harsh conditions of a snowy road. You don’t want to have to go through this inconvenience, do you?
One surefire way to avoid this is to install all-season tires instead. With these, you won’t have to change your tires according to the season anymore. An all-season tire will have no problems driving during summer or winter.
Comparison Chart
Our All Season Tires For Snow Reviews
Comparison Chart
MICHELIN Defender LTX M/S All Season Radial Car Tire for Light Trucks, SUVs and Crossovers, 255/50R20/XL 109H
1. Michelin Defender LTX M/S All-Season Radial Tire
The Michelin Defender LTX M/S was designed to address the requirements of modern trucks and crossover vehicles, in terms of power and size. They combine long-lasting durability and tread longevity for a tire that performs well on all kind of surfaces, but without sacrificing stopping power or performance.
Features:
- Example size: 255/50R20 109H all-season radial
- Durability: Excellent tread longevity
- Warranty: Not specified
- Grip in rain: Excellent
- Grip in snow: Excellent
What’s to like about it
The Michelin Defender LTX M/S is the latest iteration of SUV-grade tires from Michelin, with improved performance designs. It incorporates the tried and tested tread from the predecessor, the LTX M/S2, including the Evertread compound that ensures long-lasting tread life, regardless of wet or dry surface. The manufacturer promises a 10% longer lasting tread life in severe conditions, when compared to the previous generation tire.
This Michelin tire has the highest mileage warranty available of any of the best SUV-grade tires on the market at present. Furthermore, this is supplemented by an incredibly detailed tread that shouldn’t wear out quickly. The tire also has an impressive wet stopping distance compared to low or mid-range alternatives.
What’s not to like about it:
The main drawback of this Michelin-branded tire is its cost; this is typical for tires from brand leaders in the industry, even if a wealth of features justifies it. Additionally, the Tire Pressure Monitoring System requires specialized valves, which are far more expensive than regular ones.
PROS
- Impressive wet stopping distance
- Highest mileage warranty available to an SUV-grade tire
CONS
- Several times the cost of budget options
- TPMS feature means that more expensive valves are required
2. Continental Extreme Contact DWS06
The Continental Extreme Contact DWS06 is an all-season tire from a premium brand and is priced as such. Overall, it is a strong product, with good traction on a range of surfaces, though on heavily snowy roads it performs worse than some alternatives.
Features:
- Example size: 245/45ZR18 10Y all-season radial
- Durability: Exceptional tread
- Warranty: 50,000-mile limited warranty
- Grip in rain: Excellent
- Grip in snow: Average
What’s to like about it
Continental’s Extreme Contact DWS 06 tires are developed specifically for larger vehicles, designed to adhere to driving safety requirements all year round. They feature SportPlus technology, which brings together improved handling, traction on wet surfaces and wear.
A silica-enhanced tread compound incorporates Silane additives to improve grip on slippery surfaces and prolong the life of the tire’s tread.
The Silane compound is specially contoured into Chamfered Edges, which deliver maximum traction and adherence in dry conditions, while Traction Grooves improve grip on snowy and icy roads. The design of the grooves is also specifically tailored to prevent hydroplaning and promote all-direction grip on all surfaces.
These tires typically enjoy a very long tread life, maintaining their ridging and grooves over long mileage. They’re also supported by a limited warranty of 50,000 miles. Speaking of the tread, it’s also well-detailed, sufficiently so to prevent hydroplaning and improve traction.
What’s not to like about it
Though not the noisiest tires on the list of products we’ve reviewed, these will often require regular rebalancing and realignment.
They also lose marks for their performance on snow; though popular as an all-season tire, they’re capable on light snowy surfaces, but perform not so well on heavy snow.
PROS
- Long tread life, under warranty
- Incredibly detailed tread helps to prevent hydroplaning and improve grip
CONS
- Regular balance and alignment needed
- Not the best snow performance, despite being advertised as such
3. Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza All-Season Tire
Bridgestone is one of the better-known brands in the automotive industry when it comes to tires, though the Dueler H/L Alenza performs worse in some cases than the Falken Ziex that we’ll review below.
Available since early 2011, the tires have received mixed feedback from automotive consumers.
Features:
- Example size: 275/55R20 111S all-season tires
- Durability: Long-lasting, durable dual-layer tread
- Warranty: Up to 3 years free gear4wheels1-20nt
- Grip in rain: Very good
- Grip in snow: Average
What’s to like about it
The Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza, complete with UNI-T and UNI-T AQII technology is a light truck, all-weather tire that’s optimized for larger vehicles, including trucks, SUVs, and other crossovers. Whether you’re driving in dry conditions, rain, or light snow, the tires will retain strong traction.
The UNI-T AQII incorporates a dual-layer tread to prevent the regular rubber hardening that can occur from heat friction after thousands of miles of wear.
Despite some issues with vibration, the tires handle very well all-round on a range of different wet and dry surfaces, in both 2 and 4-wheel drive. The excellent tread pattern outlined above also enjoys a very long lifespan, in some cases still going strong at mileage running into the 6-figures.
What’s not to like about it
Some consumers report finding it difficult to balance these tires well, which leads into the second issue of them having a high degree of fluttering. At high speeds, the tires can vibrate and be relatively noisy; achieving the right balance is tricky.
PROS
- Excellent tread lifespan
- Handles well in both 2WD and 4WD
CONS
- Difficult to balance
- High degree of tire fluttering
4. Falken Ziex ZE950 All-Season Radial Tire
Falken has grown to be a reputable tire manufacturer but hasn’t allowed that fact to inflate their prices too wildly. With a Falken tire, you’re getting a premium product, without paying a premium. The Falken Ziex ZE950 is a tire designed for all-season, all-weather use.
Features:
- Example size: 235/50R18
- Durability:Above average
- Warranty: Not specified
- Grip in rain: Excellent
- Grip in snow: Excellent
What’s to like about it
The Falken ZIEX ZE950 All Season Tire brings together the most modern advances in design and technology from the brand to build an all-weather tire that is suitable for SUVs, cars, small trucks, and sports cars.
The tire incorporates Falken’s Dynamic Range Technology (DRT), which keeps the rubber flexible at extreme temperatures, increasing traction on all types of adverse surfaces.
The tread is specially designed to grip and funnel away snow, ice, and water. The brand’s exclusive ‘Canyon Sipe’ technology provides increased edges for braking well on slippery ice, and the tread incorporates wide circumferential grooves and a wide angled tread slot.
A sculptured groove wall offers even better grip in the snow and reduces the probability of aquaplaning.
Falken have a good track record of producing high-quality tires at a discounted price, when compared to other brand leaders in the industry.
This specific model of tire has excellent grip on both rain and snow, but also on dry surfaces; as a result, they are clearly a strong choice for all-weather use. Finally, these tires also have good launch acceleration.
What’s not to like about it
Many users have found that this tire produces a great deal of noise at faster speeds, or on more uneven surfaces. They also tend to age more quickly on surfaces affected by adverse weather, such as snow, rain, and ice.
That said, performance-wise, they are still very good performers on these type of surfaces.
PROS
- Good launch acceleration
- Extremely strong grip on dry surfaces
CONS
- Can be noisy
- Adverse weather ages them faster
5. Hankook Optimo H727 All-Season Tire
When it comes to tire brands, you have the big players such as Michelin and Continental, the lesser-known but reputable brands like Falken, and then the smaller brands like Hankook.
Though this is one of those latter, smaller brands, the Hankook Optimo All-Season Tire still provides a comfortable ride and strong traction on wet and icy surfaces, but for a much lower price tag.
Features:
- Example size: 215/60R16 94T
- Durability: Below average
- Warranty: 1-year limited (with tread restrictions)
- Grip in rain: Good
- Grip in snow: Good
What’s to like about it
The tread on these tires has been calculated by a computer for optimal grip in adverse weather conditions. Using CCT (Caron Compounding Technology) and FSO (Footprint Shape Optimization) processing, the tires have been given a well-designed tread that won’t slip and slide easily.
Converging lateral slots throughout the tires aim to reduce noise and improve ride comfort, while high-density siping results in hundreds of biting points for increased grip on ice and snow.
Performance in wet weather is optimized through four circumferential grooves, which rapidly funnel water away from the tire’s footprint.
For an all-season tire that won’t have to be flipped when winter rolls into spring, these tires are still relatively inexpensive. Additionally, the combination of two distinct types of patented design results in hundreds of different groove and bite points, combined into a single tread that provides strong traction when driving on snow, ice, or in rain.
What’s not to like about it
Despite having a 1-year warranty and guarantee for up to 100,000 miles, consensus is generally that these tires begin to degrade rather quickly.
Some drivers have found that after around 10,000 miles, the tire begins to grow louder on the road.
This can be a sign of wear, which is not ideal for tires that are intended for use in treacherous conditions.
PROS
- Inexpensive for their design
- Features patented technology
CONS
- Achieve relatively low mileage
- Tend to become louder after wear
Top Brands
Your driving experience is greatly affected by the tires you have. Hence, it’s important to always equip your car with the best set on the market. Allow us to make this search easier for you by listing down the best brands of all-season tires you can check out.
Michelin
Whenever there is a discussion about tires, the name Michelin would always be part of the conversation. And a talk about all-season tires is no exception.
There may be lots of competitors out there who could make quality tires once in a while, but Michelin guarantees that your tires are top-tier. Not to mention the variety of options you would always have on each type of tire.
Additionally, Michelin’s all-season tires often come with a warranty, usually ranging from 45,000 to 70,000 miles. Some of its all-season tires are even engineered not just for casual road trips but for racing as well.
Hankook
If you are looking for a set of tires that significantly reduces that annoying noise it produces, you should check out Hankook. What’s even better is that these tires will make you feel comfortable while driving.
Hankook offers its all-season tires at a considerably low price. They would come with a warranty somewhere around 90,000 miles. This makes Hankook one of the best bang-for-the-buck when it comes to maximizing the money that you paid for.
You don’t need to shell out a huge sum of cash just to have a four-piece set. Even better, the brand also offers one of the longest warranties in all-season tires.
Goodyear
If you’re looking for a brand that offers variety, but you’re not really into Michelin tires, check out Goodyear. It’s proud to offer cheaper all-season tires without compromising the quality.
Some of the brand’s all-season tires boast an A rating by the UTQGS or Uniform Tire Quality Grading System. This guarantees that they provide outstanding traction despite harsh weather conditions.
Another thing worth noting about Goodyear all-season tires is that they are often manufactured to accommodate all sorts of passenger vehicles. This means you could probably find one that best suits your car’s model.
On the other hand, Goodyear has tires made for racing but also feature all-season capabilities. However, since they aren’t standard tires, the warranty would often come at the 45,000-mile range.
Cooper
Cooper may not be at par compared to other top-tier brands, but it does have something valuable to offer. Cooper all-season tires are still of good quality, but what’s worth noting is that they are the cheapest brand in the market.
Basically, Cooper’s all-season tires are the most affordable ones you can have in your car while still guaranteeing that you’re safe on the road. Also, its tires often come with an 80,000-tread life warranty.
Key Features to Look For
The list above will surely help you decide which brand to go for, but it’s still important to ensure you’re getting the right set. For that reason, you will want to pay attention to some key features, like:
Size
If you’ve been around long enough, you probably already know that cars have different tire sizes. This means that a pair of tires that fits a sedan will most probably not fit in an SUV. More often than not, smaller cars also have smaller tires.
Try to look for the measurements indicated on the tires you currently have to know which size you need. On the other hand, if you want to upgrade to a larger size, be sure to consult a professional mechanic before completing the transaction.
Doing this would guarantee that the gear4wheels1-20nt tires you buy are still safe for your car and do not cause any sort of damage. Buying bigger tires only to find they don’t fit would only translate to wasted money.
Safety
At the end of the day, installing all-season tires onto your vehicle is a matter of improving your safety as you drive. Therefore, you should always make it a point to do a double-check on the tires you’re planning to buy and ensure that they’re safe on the road.
Thankfully, the United States Department of Transportation has dedicated a website to this pursuit. The NHTSA.gov, formerly safercar.gov, offers a deep arsenal of tire brands that have passed or failed local tire safety ratings.
If there’s a brand or set of tires you plan to purchase, be sure to check them on this website first to guarantee that your safety is not compromised.
Price
Earlier, we’ve mentioned a rough estimate of how much you need to spend on a set of all-season tires. You can play around this range, or if you have the budget, you can take it higher.
More often than not, tires that are costlier offer better performance, higher speed, and increased durability. This means that the higher your budget is, the better your tires would probably be.
Other Factors
Aside from the key features we’ve mentioned above, there are also other factors you need to take note of when purchasing all-season tires. One of these is traction rating, which refers to the tire’s efficiency of gripping onto the road.
The lowest you will find is C, which means you need to avoid these tires. The highest rating, and the one you should purchase, should either be rated A or AA.
The tread patterns will also play an important role in the efficiency of an all-season tire. Those with narrow and open treads have a better ability to send water away from the tires, therefore providing you with better traction.
Lastly, you need to look for the tire’s mileage. This is often regarded as the tire’s lifespan. Higher mileage means they will last longer despite constant use. In contrast, a lower measurement would show signs of wear and tear after only a couple of years.
Final Verdict
Our pick of the most popular all-season tires for snow-based driving is the Michelin Defender LTX M/S All-Season Radial Tire.
Though it’s the most expensive of the tires that we’ve looked at, it’s also the most capable on snowy, icy ground, with an impressive stopping distance, and the longest SUV-grade tire warranty going.