Buying summer tires - which tires to choose in 2021

Winter and all-season tires in extreme conditions

Let's take a closer look at how tires labeled “All weather” and just winter tires will behave in snowy and icy road conditions.

Let's make a comparison using the example of a Toyota RAV4, with Goodyear Ultra Grip SUV (winter) and Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons G2 (all-season) tires/

As can be seen from the comparison, all-season tires are inferior to winter tires in all respects. They do not provide comfortable and safe movement on slippery surfaces and can lead to the car getting stuck in the snow or getting into an accident.

All-season on snow

Driving on winter tires in summer - all the disadvantages

Here are 7 shortcomings that appear to one degree or another when driving in the summer on winter tires. Of course, some of these disadvantages are often slightly exaggerated. However, in fact, there are disadvantages. This means you need to know about them in detail. Especially for those for whom driving in summer on winter tires is a necessary measure.

So, driving on winter tires in the summer is fraught with the following problems:

1. Accelerated wear of winter tires.
2. Insufficient controllability.
3. Extended braking distance.
4. Tire explosion hazard.
5. High noise level.
6. Hydroplaning.
7. Increased fuel consumption.

To complete the picture, we will dwell on each point separately.

Wearing winter tires in summer

Accelerated wear of winter tires in the hot season is an indisputable fact. Tires are made from soft types of rubber so that in cold weather the wheels do not become oak and do not lose grip on icy road surfaces. In summer the air temperature is high. The asphalt is hot. The average speed is also much higher than in winter. All this leads to the fact that the tires overheat, which, in fact, destroys them faster than in winter.

On the other hand, if we consider the problem without fanaticism, then wear under certain circumstances does not increase as critically as they say. For example, if tires are initially of high quality, from a well-known manufacturer, and expensive, then they will wear out extremely slowly even in conditions not intended for them. When tires are cheap, then, frankly speaking, they don’t last much in winter.

But that's not all. The rate at which tires wear out depends largely on other factors. For example, many people know that any tires wear out at a speed of 80 km/h twice as fast as at 60 km/h. The condition of the road surface also greatly influences this. Tires wear out much faster on a bad road. And one good hole can send a tire into a flowerbed in just a split second.

The result is the following. If your car drives a little, slowly, and mainly on good roads, then you may not notice the wear of winter wheels in the summer. Moreover, the other disadvantages discussed below are not so scary for you. If, out of habit or for other reasons, you drive aggressively, fast, a lot, far, definitely change your shoes. Operating your car this way is deadly dangerous for you. For other road users, in fact, too.

Handling on winter wheels in summer

A car with winter tires handles worse in summer because the tires are soft. With increasing ambient temperature, as well as due to friction against hot asphalt, the situation is getting worse. The car becomes more rolly and wobbly. In corners, it behaves less stable and precise. Uncontrolled drifts, dangerous drifts and other problems are possible. These are the facts. Undeniable. Tested in practice.

But. All of the above factors only matter when driving at high speeds. When driving aggressively, of course, the hardness of the rubber plays a very important role. If you usually drive slowly, take turns at an adequate speed, and don’t accelerate sharply, you may not notice much of a difference between winter and summer tires in the summer. Again, a lot depends on the quality of the tires.

The bottom line is this: the handling of a car in summer on winter wheels is really not at the highest level. However, this is only noticeable at certain speeds. If your driving style is not aggressive, then you will not notice any disadvantage of this. On the other hand, you must take into account that you are not alone on a public road. There are other road users, and no one is immune from the fact that, due to someone else’s fault, you will have to maneuver sharply to avoid an accident. Will winter tires let you down in summer in such a situation? That's a good question.

Braking distance of winter tires in summer

Despite the fact that this flaw is considered one of the last, in terms of seriousness it should be in first place. The braking distance for a car and its driver is, without exaggeration, vitally important. Sometimes even a few unfortunate centimeters can draw the line between life and death as a result of an accident. In general, this stopping distance is a terribly important thing.

But is it really longer with winter tires? When answering this question, you can rely on the following three arguments:

1. Experiments . Since the topic is always relevant, such meetings, of course, were held more than once. Both journalists and bloggers, and simple car enthusiasts, checked the braking distance for sport. Oddly enough, everyone's results are different. Some people's cars in the summer on winter tires braked even better than on summer tires. For others it's the opposite. Most likely, this is due to the fact that the conditions were different - the condition of the road surface, the brand, quality and degree of wear of the tires, driver skills, the presence of auxiliary systems, etc.
2. Personal experience . You can check for yourself how much longer the braking distance on winter tires is in summer than on summer tires. Unless, of course, you have two sets of tires. Believe me, not everyone who wants to do this will have clear results.
3. Physics . Take two pieces of rubber - hard and soft. Apply them one by one to the asphalt with the same force, and pull them through. Which rubber resisted the most? Even without experiment, many people understand that softer rubber will resist more. This is school level physics. So why then should the braking distance on soft winter tires be longer than on hard summer tires? Here's another good question.

Despite all of the above, most experiments still show disappointing results with winter wheels in summer. It brakes generally worse. Not much. Not always. But worse. Who knows why everything is so ambiguous. Maybe it's the quality of the tires. Perhaps the same conditions were not maintained during the experiments. But, nevertheless, there are still grounds for concern. Therefore, if for one reason or another you drive on winter tires in the summer, think that the braking distance will actually be longer. There is only one way to compensate for this - by reducing the speed of movement.

Tire explosion hazard

This drawback is considered one of the undeniable ones. But, again, only under certain conditions. For winter tires to burst in the summer, you need one of the following:

• high speed;
• hot asphalt;
• puncture;
• heavy wear;
• serious damage to the tire.

If you drive at an adequate speed on winter tires with normal tread remaining, the likelihood of a wheel explosion will be the same as in the case of summer tires. Wheels on the roads, as a rule, explode not because they are worn out of season. More often the cause is an accidental puncture, excessive wear, damage, high pressure and other factors.

Noise level

Winter wheels actually make more noise than summer wheels. This is due to the fact that they have a more complex and detailed tread pattern. The softness of the material also makes its own adjustments. On the other hand, unless the tires are studded, then with good sound insulation, you may not notice the difference in the cabin. But there is a minus. And it is unambiguous.

Driving through puddles on winter tires

It is believed that summer tires are more suitable for driving in puddles and are better protected from aquaplaning. The opinion is, to put it mildly, controversial. In winter, there is also water on the roads. Accordingly, winter tires must also be designed to effectively remove it. Moreover, this is how it is. With the exception, of course, of highly specialized rubber intended for certain conditions. In such tread patterns, the tread pattern is more designed to solve other problems, and aquaplaning is possible on them. Ordinary serial tires for civilian vehicles do an excellent job of draining water from under the wheels. The only question is - to what speed.

Fuel consumption

The higher the fuel consumption, the stronger the rolling resistance. Winter tires become very soft in summer. They also have a more detailed tread pattern. All this leads to the fact that the car rolls down the road worse. This means that more fuel is needed to propel it. But how much more?

You can often see opinions on the Internet that driving in summer on winter tires leads to an increase in fuel consumption by as much as 10%. In fact, this is the purest lie. The maximum that fuel consumption can actually increase specifically due to winter tires is 2-4%. That is, if your car has a normal consumption of 7 liters per 100 km, then 4% will give an increase of only 280 milliliters. Consumption will eventually be somewhere around 7.3 liters per 100 km. A lot of? Not enough to worry about it.

The misconception most likely arises from the fact that in winter the consumption rate of any car increases noticeably. However, you should not compare driving modes on snowy and slippery roads with driving modes on dry asphalt. Such a large difference between winter and summer consumption has very little to do with tires. This difference is much more influenced by the condition of the roads, air temperature, engine warm-up and speed limits.

Can all-season tires be used in winter?

In 2021, in Russia and Ukraine, the use of all-season tires in winter does not contradict the rules of the road. In this case, the tires must have markings indicating the possibility of their use in winter conditions.

Wheels marked as follows are allowed for use:

• M+S
• M&S
• MS
• Snowflake inside a pictogram in the form of a mountain peak.

Marking M+S
Marking M+S (Mud+Snow) indicates that the tread design allows you to move through mud and snow. The snowflake indicates the possibility of use at subzero temperatures.

The law regulates the minimum tread depth - 4 mm. This applies to cars, SUVs and commercial vehicles.

In winter on summer tires: what are the requirements and the penalty?

Oct 29 2021 | Reading time: Winter in summer Open contents Looking ahead, let's immediately make a reservation: driving in winter on summer tires, as well as in summer on winter tires for 2021, is prohibited.

But this ban is valid not from November 1, 2021, but from December to February inclusive. But let's talk about everything in order! So, in winter on summer tires: what is the fine for this today, what are the conditions, requirements and car laws for summer tires in winter? No, this is prohibited. Such a ban is regulated by the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union in its paragraph 5.5 in its “requirements for vehicles in operation” (Appendix 8 of the regulations).

At the same time, this regulatory act clearly regulates the winter and summer months. The former are December, January and February, the latter are June, July and August.

At the same time, these months may differ if any region of Russia sets its own rules, which is quite logical; and only in the direction of increasing that.

Fines for out-of-season tires in 2021 - for studs or winter tires in summer, bald or summer tires in winter

» In recent years, there have been regular conversations and rumors that Russia will soon introduce a fine for using winter tires in the summer and summer tires in the winter. They even named exact dates, and sometimes they even named the exact amount of a 2,000 ruble fine for summer tires on a winter road.

First of all, we want to reassure all drivers at once - these fines for out-of-season tires have not been introduced in 2021, but the bill

“On amendments to the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses (to ensure safety during the operation of vehicles)”

, which stipulated penalties for using summer tires in winter, was not adopted in the first reading. But what kind of tires can a car owner be fined for if his vehicle runs on summer tires in winter and winter tires in summer? Nevertheless,

Advantages and disadvantages of traveling on an all-season vehicle in winter

It is advisable to use all-season tires in winter only at average temperatures (not lower than -7°C) and in the absence of high snow cover and icing.

Pros and cons of all-season

Features of all-season tires

Most drivers purchase all-season tires in order to save money. Indeed, you can ride it all year round. It also allows you to not worry about making replacements on time.

These tires are available from many leading manufacturers. Therefore, choosing the appropriate size will not be difficult, including 205/55 r16 tires.

The peculiarity of all-season tires is that they are a synthesis of the characteristics of winter and summer tires. Therefore, their functional and quality indicators remain at an average level. This means that they do not always perform well on the road. In particularly difficult weather conditions there is a high risk of loss of control. Therefore, it is necessary to drive the car as carefully as possible.

The characteristics of all-season tires include:

• lower profile than winter tires;
• large grooves on the tread;
• a large number of lamellas;
• higher tread rigidity.

It is necessary to check the wear of all-season tires after three years of operation. They tend to wear out faster than seasonal tires. The degree of wear can be judged by the indicator on the tread.

How much does the braking distance increase?

The health and life of road users depends on the length of the braking distance. Let's look at how much this indicator differs between all-season tires and winter tires using an example.

* the initial speed of the car is 50 km/h.

Braking distance largely depends on the car model and the condition of the braking system. But in any case, all-season tires have longer braking times.

Let's sum it up

We can talk for a long time about the fact that driving in winter on summer or all-season tires is not worth it. But for the driver, this argument becomes relevant only if he himself has experienced the disadvantages of bad tires. It is better to use quality solutions and save potential costs of car repairs or fines. Many people need to get into trouble on a winter road to fully understand this argument, but it’s better to realize this before certain difficulties arise. Moreover, the legislation will raise fines that will make driving your car completely unprofitable if you use tires out of season.

Regarding the choice of tires, quite a lot of advice was given. Use video tests, reviews and expert opinions to determine the best vehicle options for you. You can easily determine which solutions are right for your car by first limiting your budget to certain limits. Next, from the selected price category, you will only have to select the offers that are most suitable in terms of characteristics and technical solutions. What winter tires do you install on your car?

What does the Russian traffic rules say?

Since 2015, the technical regulations of the Customs Union “On Security” have been in force on the territory of the Russian Federation (as well as Belarus and Kazakhstan). This document regulates the use of tires in accordance with the time of year. It says the following:

Clause 5.5.

It is prohibited to operate vehicles that are not equipped with winter tires that meet the requirements of paragraph 5.6.3 of this appendix during the winter period (from December to February inclusive). Winter tires are installed on all wheels of the car.

The requirements of paragraph 5.63 are as follows:

5.6.3. The remaining tread height of winter tires intended for use on icy or snowy road surfaces, marked with a snowflake inside a mountain peak with three peaks, as well as the signs “M+S”, “M&S”, “MS” during operation on the specified surface, is no more than 4.0 mm.

It follows from this that all-season tires are allowed in winter in Russia only if the indicated signs are present on them and the tread depth corresponds to the required one.

Tread difference

Penalty for using all-season tires in winter

According to Russian legislation, it is prohibited to operate cars on summer tires in winter and on winter tires in summer. There is no ban on the use of all-season tires.

But there are some nuances here. All-season tires may have different designations:

1. AS, or All Season, for any season. Tires with this marking are produced only in Russia and the former republics of the USSR.
2. AW - for any weather.
3. M+S, or M&S, for snow and mud. This marking may indicate year-round tires. If along with the marking there is an icon in the form of a mountain and a snowflake, this is winter tires. In Europe, regardless of the additional symbol, such tires are considered winter.
4. R+W – for road and bad weather. Rare marking used for universal tires for year-round use.

Only wheels marked with the letters M+S or AS are approved for use between December and February inclusive. Universal models with other markings are allowed only from March to November.

There is no penalty for using tires out of season. The inspector can only verbally explain all the dangers that come with operating a car on summer tires in winter. It is necessary to ensure that the tread depth is at least 4 mm for winter tires or 1.6 mm for summer tires.

Outside the Russian Federation, in most countries, driving only on seasonal tires is allowed. EU legislation only distinguishes between summer and winter tires.

Driver reviews about using all-season tires in winter

*Reviews taken from the sites: www.drive2.ru, motorstory.ru, auto.ria.com, https://davto.com.ua/.

Why shouldn't you put different tires on your car?

It makes sense to follow the vehicle approval rules regarding the ban on the use of different tires on an axle (as well as a combination of studded and non-studded tires) - not counting the presence of penalties, due to the fact that:

1. identical tires on the axle provide better traction;
2. identical tires provide smoother and more confident braking;
3. The same tires in many cases provide higher vehicle cross-country ability in difficult road conditions.

Please note that the use of different types of tires on different axles may be determined by the design features of a particular vehicle. An elementary example is a tractor whose rear wheels are incomparably larger than the front ones due to the fact that its rear drive bears almost the entire load.

Thus, unless otherwise stipulated by the characteristics and purpose of the vehicle, you should focus on the same tires on all wheels. It is recommended to adhere to this rule at any time of the year: it does not matter whether the machine is operated in winter, summer or in the off-season. In winter, it is certainly desirable to have studs on all wheels. In summer - depending on the type of climate, all wheels must be ready for use in rain or, conversely, in dry conditions.

conclusions

• All-season tires are not prohibited by law either in Russia or in Ukraine. You can drive them in winter with a tread depth of at least 4 mm. When using this type of tire the driver does not face any fine.

• The quality of steering, braking and acceleration of a car on AllSeason tires is significantly worse than on winter tires. This has been proven experimentally.

• Driving on all-season tires in snowfall, ice and severe frost (more than -7 °C) is dangerous. Even an experienced driver will not be able to predict how a tread that is not adapted to severe weather conditions will behave and get into an accident. Therefore, driving in winter on all-season tires is an extremely risky decision.

Is it possible to drive on all-season tires in the summer?

If everything is clear with the winter period, then another question arises: “Is it possible to drive all-season tires in the summer?” Many car owners will claim that they have not changed their cars for two or three years in a row, and they feel quite normal on such tires.

But in this case, you need to understand that each driver has his own style of movement and operating conditions for the car. There are also many other nuances that can affect the safety of movement and the degree of tire wear. Sometimes one season is enough to completely say goodbye to brand new wheels, although the manufacturer provides a 4-5 year warranty.

In summer, all-season tires have the same properties as winter tires. They wear out very quickly on rough asphalt, and the rubber mixture itself becomes too soft. All this can cause additional sliding on the road surface, an unpleasant aroma of burning rubber and increased hydroplaning.