Summer Tires vs. All-Season Tires: Comparison Guide

If you’re looking for the ultimate in responsiveness, cornering, and grip capabilities for your vehicle, then nothing beats a set of good ultra-high performance (UHP) tires, also known as summer tires.

However, we live in New England, which means summer sometimes feels like the shortest season of them all. So, is it worth investing in a set of summer tires, or are you better off with all-season tires? After all, choosing the right set of tires is essential to maintaining your overall safety and keeping your vehicle in optimal running condition.

Let’s take a closer look at summer tires and how they compare to all-season tires to see if they’re the right choice of tire for you.

What are summer tires?

Summer tires are also known as ultra-high performance tires because they provide the highest level of performance you can get out of a tire. They’re commonly referred to as summer tires because they are made with durable rubber compounds that allow them to resist heat buildup and have tread designs that optimize stability, steering responsiveness, and cornering safety all while resisting hydroplaning.

Summer tires have different compounds and tread designs than other tires, allowing them to put more rubber on the road to provide greater traction. It’s this high level of traction that provides better grip and more support for torque and horsepower — allowing for the best possible acceleration, cornering, and stopping power. Summer tires also tend to have lower profiles to reduce the amount of sidewall flex when cornering, helping to keep the tires firmly — and safely — planted on the road.

Despite what you may assume, summer tires perform just as well on wet road conditions as they do on dry roads. The tread design of summer tires has shallow, straighter grooves to allow for more rubber on the road, and excellent traction in wet conditions while long circumferential grooves effectively channel water away from the tire to resist hydroplaning.

Summer tires are also engineered with softer rubber compounds, which allow greater flexibility for added road grip in wet and dry conditions. The softer rubber also allows for more effective heat dissipation compared to other tires, preventing them from overheating during high speeds or high temperatures.

Advantages and limitations of summer tires:

Summer tires are built built for speed and agility, which provides the kind of benefits you’d expect from ultra-high performance:

• High-precision performance on wet and dry roads
• Better control and cornering for a spirited driving experience
• Increased safety with shorter braking distances during sudden stops

Summer tires have higher speed ratings than most all-season or all-weather tires, allowing them to maintain their performance at high speeds. They are well suited as the tire of choice for sports cars, luxury sport sedans, and sporty crossover (CUV) and sports utility vehicles (SUVs).

The biggest limitation of summer tires is that they are not recommended for use in winter months, as they perform poorly in colder temperatures and snowy weather. Summer tire treads aren’t designed to push away mud, snow, or slush, which leads to build-up in the treads and loss of traction. Even if you have a dry winter with no snow, once temperatures drop below 40°F the rubber in summer tires stiffens, leading to decreased performance, reduced traction, and poor handling.

There are a few other considerations for summer tires, as well:

• Summer tires are not suited for temperatures below 40 degrees and will require a change to all-season or winter tires in certain climates
• Due to their softer rubber composition, they’ll wear out faster with use compared to all-season tires.

What are all-season tires?

All-season tires earned their name because they’re designed to be driven in a wide variety of weather conditions and seasons, including hot summer days, cold rain, and light snow. The all-season tread pattern is designed to handle most levels of precipitation, including muddy weather and light amounts of snow. You can identify an all-season tire by the Mud+Snow (M+S) marking on the tire sidewall.

All-season tires are made of harder rubber compounds and specialized tread designs to provide effective performance in most weather conditions. Though they don’t provide the same level of performance as a summer tire and aren’t considered a true winter tire, all-season tires are valued for their balance of comfort, long tread life, safety, and performance.

Advantages and limitations of all-season tires:

All-season tires are the most popular tire of choice due to their overall balance of performance, longevity, and value:

• Though not a true four season tire, all-seasons can be a year-round tire in locations with milder winters or little to no snowfall.
• Their larger tread blocks offer the right balance of grip and handling along with a quiet and smooth ride in most weather conditions.
• Because their rubber compounds aren’t as soft as all-weather or winter tires, they will last longer than other tires when properly maintained.
• All-season tires tend to be less expensive than all-weather or other specialized tires, depending on the model.

There are some considerations before deciding to purchase a set of all-season tires:

• While they perform well in most conditions, they don’t offer the same high level of grip as high-performance summer tires.
• They 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, impacting performance.

Which all-season tire is the right tire for you? See our most recent review of the best all-season tires.

Summer vs. all-season tires

Here’s how both all-season and summer tires stack up against each other.

Performance Comparison: All-Season vs. Summer 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.

Which tire is best will depend on your needs and circumstances. If you don’t have a high-performance or sporty vehicle you’re not likely to get the most out of your UHP tires. At the same time, if you are planning to purchase a set of winter tires, you will get better performance in the summer months from UHP tires compared to all-season tires. Summer tires also tend to be better at preventing hydroplaning at highway speeds than all-season tires.

Both types of tires are similar price-wise, depending on the models, though all-season tires will generally have a longer tread life.

See more comparison between different types of tires in our all-season vs. snow vs. studded tires blog post.

Best time to install summer tires

We cannot emphasize enough that you should not be driving on summer tires during the winter months, especially in New England. Install your summer tires when average daily temperatures are 40° F and higher, which is typically around early-to-mid-spring depending on your location in New England. Once temperatures regularly drop back down below 40° F — usually by late fall or early winter — then it’s time to switch them out.

Be mindful that low temperatures will greatly reduce summer tire pressure, which can cause damage to your tires if you drive on them without ensuring they’re properly inflated.

What vehicles are summer tires available for?

Summer tires will perform the best on high-performance vehicles, which can include sports cars, luxury sports sedans, sporty electric vehicles (EVs), and sporty SUVs or CUVs. Summer tires will have speed ratings of up to 186 mph, compared to all-season or all-weather tires, which are usually rated for lower sustained speeds of 149 mph or less.

Thanks to their high level of handling, summer tires are as suited to highway driving as they are to urban areas.

FAQs

What is an ultra-high performance tire?

Ultra-high performance (UHP) tires are also often referred to as summer tires. They’re designed to maximize the tire’s grip on the road, which provides superior traction, acceleration, and stopping power. They have a higher speed rating than other tires and have tread designs that make them resistant to hydroplaning. Some tire manufacturers now offer ultra-high performance all-season tires that allow for high performance in colder weather.

Can I use summer tires all year?

You can, but only if you live in a climate that is warm year-round, such as the southwestern U.S. You should not use summer tires all year if you live in a region that has winters with near-freezing temperatures or any amount of snowfall.

Do summer tires wear faster than all-season tires?

Because of their softer rubber composition, summer tires do have a shorter tread life than all-season tires. Providing regular care, such as performing spot checks, checking tire pressure, and rotating your tires will ensure they last longer.

Can I use all season tires in the summer?

All-season tires are perfectly fine to use in the summer. They just won’t provide the same level of performance as summer tires, especially at higher speeds.

Summer tire maintenance tips

A good set of summer tires can provide the best performance you’ll ever experience with your vehicle — provided you take proper care of them. Here’s our top tire maintenance tips to ensure that your summer tires go the distance:

• Never drive on them in winter. We can’t emphasize this enough — once the temperature drops below 40°F, change out your summer tires for a set of winter tires or all-weather tires. Driving your summer tires in winter risks damaging the tires and your safety.
• Give your tires a regular review and spot check. Regularly inspect your summer 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 and balance 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. 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. Summer tires are especially susceptible to lower temperatures due to their softer rubber, so keep an eye on them if you’re expecting a streak of cold weather during the fall or spring seasons.
• Ensure they’re aligned properly. Misaligned tires can lead to increased and uneven wear, reduced traction, lower fuel efficiency, and an uncomfortable driving experience. Get the best performance possible out of your high-performance tires with a proper alignment.

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 UHP tires so you can enjoy the best possible performance.

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