What are All-Season Tires? [+ Comparison Guide]

Sun, rain, mud, and snow — when you live in a four-season region like New England, you need to be prepared to drive in every type of weather condition. That makes all-season tires the most common and popular tire type for drivers like you.

If you’re purchasing a new vehicle or looking for a set of replacement tires, you’ll get the most usage out of all-seasons as they’re the most versatile and best suited to year-round conditions. However, they’re not necessarily the best tire in every circumstance, which is why it’s important to understand the benefits and how they’ll affect your vehicle’s performance.

Here’s everything you need to know about all-season tires.

What are all-season tires?

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company changed the tire industry with the release of the first all-season tire — the Tiempo — in 1977. Prior to the all-season, drivers had to switch out their summer tires for winter ones — and vice versa — as the seasons changed.

Thanks to the creation of harder rubber compounds and the development of new tread designs, all-season tires could provide safe, effective performance in a wider variety of weather conditions, allowing many drivers the capability to use the same set of tires year round. Unlike summer or winter tires, all-season tires are designed to provide a balance of comfort, long tread life, safety, and performance in rain, shine, or light snow.

All-season tires have moderate tread depths and harder rubber compounds compared to summer or winter tires, which are made of softer rubber compounds and have either shallower tread depths (summer tires) or deeper tread depths (winter tires). The tread patterns of all-season tires are also designed to reduce road noise and provide a smoother ride.

While all-season tires tend to handle best in dry conditions, their pattern design is designed to handle rain, muddy, and even light snow conditions. You can identify an all-season tire by the Mud+Snow (M+S) marking on the tire sidewall.

Best uses for all-season tires

If you live in a region with a mix of climates, such as New England, all-season tires are an excellent choice for spring, summer, and fall conditions. When properly maintained, all-season tires will last longer than other specialized tires due to their harder rubber compounds. All-season tires also tend to be less expensive than all-weather or other specialized tires, making them an excellent and affordable choice.

However, because they’re designed to work well in most conditions, they don’t provide the same level of performance or traction in extreme conditions as more specialized tires. For example, they don’t offer the same high level of grip as summer tires — also known as ultra-high performance (UHP) tires. This means less acceleration and stopping power in dry conditions.

All-season tires also aren’t as suited to winter weather conditions as all-weather or snow tires, as their tread channels more easily fill up with slush and snow and their harder rubber provides less grip in very cold conditions. If you live in an area that gets regular snowfall, it’s recommended that you change out your all-seasons for a set of winter tires once the temperature regularly drops below 40°F.

If you’re looking for the most value out of your tires, the lower price point, longer lifespan, and performance in a wider set of conditions makes all-season tires a great purchase.

Looking for the best all-season tires for your vehicle? See our all-season tires buyer’s guide.

All-season vs. other types of tires

All-weather

All-weather tires are technically in the same category as all-season tires, but are increasingly seen as their own distinct type due to greater versatility. All-weather tires are true “four season” tires thanks to their higher level of performance in cold weather and snowy conditions.

The rubber compounds of all-weather tires are softer than all-season tires, allowing them to stay flexible for greater grip in colder weather. All-weather tire tread design has more sipes, which are the small slits that push water and slush away from the tread, which helps to prevent the build-up of slush and snow.

All-weather tires will have both the M+S marking as well as the three peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) icon on the tire sidewall. The 3PMSF mark indicates that a tire is suitable for winter conditions and will allow you to drive safely in light or moderate levels of snow.

As a true four-season year-round tire, all-seasons are a great option if you don’t want to regularly switch out for a set of winter tires. However, there are some considerations with all-season tires. Due to their materials and design they’re generally the most expensive type of tire, and because of their softer rubber compounds, they’ll have a shorter tread life than all-season tires (especially if you’re driving on them 365 days of the year). So you’ll pay more on average for all-weather tires and have to buy them more often than all-season tires.

Summer

Summer or UHP tires are designed to provide the highest level of performance during the summer, no matter if it’s warm or hot, in both dry and wet conditions. Though you may assume all-season tires only perform at their best in dry conditions, most summer tires provide excellent traction in wet conditions and are very resistant to hydroplaning.

Tread patterns will typically include shallow, straighter grooves to allow for more rubber on the road as well as long deep circumferential grooves to more effectively channel water away from the tire. Summer tires also have softer rubber compounds, providing added road grip and more effective heat dissipation compared to other tires.

Of all types of tires, summer tires provide the best cornering, acceleration, and stopping power. They also come with higher speed ratings than most all-season or all-weather tires. It’s recommended not to use summer tires in winter months, as they perform poorly in colder temperatures and snowy weather. Additional tradeoffs with summer tires are that their larger contact patches can make them noisier than other tires and, as a softer tire, they’ll wear out faster than all-season tires.

Snow/Winter

Winter tires, sometimes referred to as snow tires, are the optimal tire for driving in most winter conditions. Thanks to softer rubber compounds and more aggressive tread design, winter tires are able to remain flexible in cold weather, allowing you better grip and stopping power, and can better push slush and packed snow through the sipes and away from the tire.

Like all-weather tires, winter tires will have both the M+S marking and the 3PMSF icon on the tire sidewall. Winter tires offer the best grip, stopping power, and control during cold temperatures and perform well in up to moderate snow conditions. However, winter tires aren’t well-suited for warm, dry conditions and should be changed out once the average temperature reaches above 40°F

Winter tires won’t offer the same level of grip on hard-packed snow or slick ice as studded winter tires, though newer winter tire compounds make it so you don’t need to rely on studs as often. Studded winter tires will always perform best on icy roads, but provide even less traction on dry roads than regular winter tires.

Read more about how studded snow tires compare to winter tires in our Studded Snow Tires — 2023 Buyer’s Guide blog post.

Read more about how studded snow tires compare to winter tires in our Studded Snow Tires — 2023 Buyer’s Guide blog post.

Performance Comparison: All-Season vs. All-Weather vs. Summer vs. Winter tires

Rating guide: X – Good XX – Better XXX – Best

*These are estimated starting prices. All tires will vary in price depending on the manufacturer, design, and quality of the product. For specific prices, reach out and request a quote for tires appropriate for the make and model of your vehicle.

To see additional points of comparison, including against studded winter tires, see our companion blog post, All Season vs. Snow vs. Studded Tires.

What vehicles are all-season tires available for?

All-season tires come in a wide variety of models, sizes, load capacities, and speed ratings suited for use on a wide variety of vehicles. All-season tires can be used for passenger cars, SUVs, crossover vehicles, trucks, and minivans.

Note that some high-performance vehicles may require specialized all-season performance tires.

What affects the price of all-season tires?

A few key factors will determine the price of an all-season tire.

• Specialized weather performance plays a big role in price, which is why all-season tires tend to be the least expensive tire option and all-weather tires tend to be the most expensive.
• Comfort and quality of ride plays can affect price as well, as some types of tires are designed to give you a smoother ride with minimum noise. Tires that are designed to provide a high-quality ride will cost more.
• One of the biggest factors affecting price is wheel size. Tires for compact cars with 12-inch to 15-inch wheels will have a median tire price of around $115. In comparison, larger vehicles such as SUVs and trucks with 16-inch to 20-inch wheels will see a median price closer to $250.
• Just like any other product, brand name can also affect the price, with certain brands having a reputation for higher quality and subsequently higher prices.

We recommend against purchasing cheap all-season tires, as very low cost tires are often made of low-quality rubber, which means you’ll need to replace them sooner.

All-season tire maintenance tips

Your all-season tires can be the longest-lasting tires you’ll ever own — provided you take good care of them. Here’s our top tire maintenance tips to ensure that your all-season tires go the distance:

• Always change out your tires at the start and end of winter. All-season tires harden in cold weather, providing less grip and stopping power. We recommend against driving your all-season tires during winter months, especially if you live in Northern New England. Changing out for winter tires once the temperature drops below 40°F will provide a better winter driving experience and allow your all-season tires to last longer.
• Give your tires a regular review and spot check. Regularly inspect your all-season tires for damage and excessive wear, especially before you reinstall them in the spring. That way you can safely repair the tire if needed or replace them if necessary.
• Always install a full set of tires. Your vehicle runs best when all four tires have the same amount of wear. If you can only afford to mount a set of two tires, then mount them on the rear even if your vehicle is front-wheel drive. This keeps the back end of your vehicle more in control and helps to prevent fishtailing. However, if you have an all-wheel drive vehicle then you must change all four tires at the same time, no exceptions.
• Rotate your tires to increase longevity. Your tires will experience different levels of wear depending on where they’re mounted. Regularly rotating your tires evens out the level of wear, helping to ensure they last as long as possible.
• Check your tire pressure regularly, especially during temperature changes. Overinflated and underinflated tires will wear out faster. Colder weather reduces air pressure and deflates your tires, with every 10-degree drop causing a loss of one pound of psi. Your all-season tires will regain pressure as the day warms, but be sure to reinflate your tires to the recommended psi levels if you’re expecting a streak of cold weather during the fall or spring seasons.

VIP Auto can help you choose the right set of tires

Ensure that your vehicle is always performing at its best with the right set of tires for your vehicle. Our certified automotive professionals can inspect your tires for free to ensure they’re properly inflated, balanced, and aligned. They can also help you find the perfect set of tires for any New England weather condition — sun, rain, or snow.

Find the right tires for any season — browse and shop for your tires at VIP