# All Weather Tires



## DesignerDee (Apr 10, 2013)

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with 'all weather' tires, rather than snow tires. I currently have the standard all season tires, and normally put on snow tires every winter, but am planning on heading to Florida (Naples area) for 5-6 weeks end of January to beginning of March. I understand that the warm climates are murder on winter tires. Hence the inquiry on all weathers!


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## Sprucegum (Dec 12, 2012)

I try to time it so I need new tires in the fall and put on "all-season" tires. Rationale being the new tires have enough tread to handle the snow and the all-season rubber can handle the bare pavement if we are lucky enough to have no snow.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

All season tires compromise your safety (stopping distance...) in all conditions. Tread depth is important for snow, rain, slush.. but the rubber compound also significantly impacts stopping distance at different temperatures. I would buy new summers in the US where they cost much less and just leave the winters at the shop until you return..


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## Homerhomer (Oct 18, 2010)

there is a difference between all season tires and all weather tires.

If I were you I would keep the winters on, it's only few weeks and the wear won't be that great on the winter tires during that period of time, and you will be safer. All weather tires are not as safe as winter tires, I actually have all weather tires and put winter tires on regardless, but I have a rear wheel drive which is a nightmare in the winter.


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## rikk (May 28, 2012)

Thanks for the post ... I wasn't aware of "all weather" tires, but I am now ... here's a quick overview ... http://www.wheels.ca/guides/all-weat...and-heres-why/ ... they seem to be the solution for us drivers where there may only be what ... 3 or 4 days that the streets/highways are particularly snowy, not plowed. I use snows in the winter, have been waiting for the all seasons that came with the vehicle to wear out/become too old to be safe ... frugal me says run them into the ground ... so I can get touring tires for summer, why, mainly because I prefer quiet running on the highways. If my winters weren't still in as new condition, I'd be looking seriously at these "all weathers".


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

I personally would not drive around in Florida for 6 weeks with winter tires on.
Also, keep in mind that OP is mostly likely going to be driving over 3,000 miles round trip from Ontario to Florida.
Most of the journey will be on non winter roads (once you get past NC, depending on which route is being taken).

My suggestion would be to swap out the winter tires for regular all-season prior to the trip, and then swap back upon return.
Swapping tires if you have them with wheels is very fast and low cost.


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## nobleea (Oct 11, 2013)

I have all weathers on my car. they stay on the car year round, but the car doesn't stray far from edmonton.
On my wife's car we have all seasons and winters. We drive it around a bit more in the summer.

The all weathers are quite good year round. I've had mine for 3 years and they still have enough tread left to be considered winter tires. They come with 100-140K warranties and there's nothing in the warranties that says you have to drive only in canada.


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## Addy (Mar 12, 2010)

Both vehicles have all seasons we drive while there's no snow on the ground, and winters (all sixteen tires are on rims so the tires last longer) when there's snow or reasonable "danger" of snow being on the ground in the immediate future.


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## DesignerDee (Apr 10, 2013)

Thanks everyone for your help, looks like I will have to do a little more soul searching on the all weather issue. The car and tires have only 7,000 km on them. I probably should have negotiated snows when I made my purchase. Something I swore I would do, but on a hot day in June these things just slip your mind!


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## uptoolate (Oct 9, 2011)

Some of the worst winter driving I have ever done has been in Western Pennsylvania, WV, and Virgina on the way to Florida. I'm always happy to have my snows on anytime that I've driven down between December to the end of March. It's true that 25 degree temps aren't great for the snows but to me it's worth it.


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## cainvest (May 1, 2013)

I used to make that southern drive (to texas though) every year on summer tires, twice through blizzard conditions and almost always hit areas wih lots of ice, without a problem. Just drive appropriately for the weather conditions and you should be totally fine on all season tires, then put the winter tires on when you get back.


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## rford (Aug 16, 2014)

my grandpa drove from toronto to florida until he was 85 on all seasons. i think you can do it too.


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## Cal (Jun 17, 2009)

I am probably getting some all weather tires later this month, Kal tire carries a good set. They provide a decent warranty in that if they are issued for up to 100,000km of driving, if Kal tire recommends replacing at 80,000km for whatever reason, they give you a 20% discount. Or a % discount based on the remaining tread wear.

I don't have storage for winter tires, have a small Chevy sonic, which was issued with crappy all season tires. I will not drive another winter on the, despite them only being at 45% tread wear. Having one set would give me more convenience, and more safety compared to the current set GM gave on the car.


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## Cal (Jun 17, 2009)

http://www.msn.com/en-ca/autos/ownership/whats-the-story-on-all-weather-tires/ar-BBg4l6h


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

rford said:


> my grandpa drove from toronto to florida until he was 85 on all seasons. i think you can do it too.


"My house never burned down for 85 years, so you don't need a smoke detector or extinguisher"

Good thing a kid never stepped out in front of him on a cold morning


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## 6811 (Jan 1, 2013)

cainvest said:


> I used to make that southern drive (to texas though) every year on summer tires, twice through blizzard conditions and almost always hit areas wih lots of ice, without a problem. Just drive appropriately for the weather conditions and you should be totally fine on all season tires, then put the winter tires on when you get back.


"Just drive appropriately" means different things to different vehicles. Winter tires make winter driving a whole lot easier (not to mention safer) and you can always tell who's running on summer/all season tires in a snowstorm. They're the ones who can't get up that hill, can't get going when the light turns green, take up two lanes on the parkways and highways driving half the limit, and just generally holding up traffic when they aren't in more serious trouble. 

In Quebec, where I live, it's illegal to drive without winter tires after December 15th. Although I was reluctant that first year the law came into effect I have come to realise that it's a good law. For the driving I do on the Ottawa side of the river I'll be glad when it becomes the law there too. As for other parts of the country where I've spent time (I.E. Victoria) maybe it's just easier to park the car for those few days of snowy/icy weather.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Not getting up hills quickly is one thing, stopping going down hill is another! Even worse is bare cold pavement without snow, because they drive fast not realizing they can't stop...


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## DesignerDee (Apr 10, 2013)

Thanks Cal - an interesting read, this is probably what will help tilt the scales one way or the other!


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## OurBigFatWallet (Jan 20, 2014)

iIhave all seasons and winters. The all seasons are useless in the winter for the most part. If I was headed south I wouldn't use my winters though as I have also heard the warmer weather tends to wear them out very quickly


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## Cal (Jun 17, 2009)

For a little feedback, I found the service at Kal Tire to be great, and I can actually feel a difference with the all-weather tires. They are softer than the all-seasons that I had on my car, not that, that says much as the all seasons I had on were pretty crappy as some of the other online forums.


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## fraser (May 15, 2010)

We have Michelin Primacy all season tires. We have been in Calgary for 14 years...always used all seasons. The Calgary Police Dept. runs on all seasons-they do not change over. 

Have made many road trips to Vancouver, including one this week, during the winter months. We do not go if the roads are in poor condition. Never a problem.


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## rford (Aug 16, 2014)

m3s said:


> "My house never burned down for 85 years, so you don't need a smoke detector or extinguisher"
> 
> Good thing a kid never stepped out in front of him on a cold morning


I don't know, were you with my grandpa everytime he was driving so you could make that judgement?


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## martin15 (Feb 18, 2014)

OurBigFatWallet said:


> If I was headed south I wouldn't use my winters though as I have also heard the warmer weather tends to wear them out very quickly


Yes, the rubber compound in winter tires is different from summer tires and all season tires.

Any driving outside the city, I would only use winter tires.


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## Pluto (Sep 12, 2013)

I'm in a snowy area and I've used these all year around: Nokian WRG2 tires and they are fine. Apparently some police departments use them all year as well.


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