Top 5 Misconceptions About Tires

People know very little about tires. And a lot of what they think they know is flat wrong. Here are five commonly held misconceptions about tires.

1. All-season tires have better wet-road grip than summer tires.
In which season will an "all-season" tire offer better wet-road traction than a comparable "summer" tire? Answer: None.


To Southern Californians the seasons are Flood, Fire, Earthquake and Mud Slide: They think an "all-season" tire must be fire-resistant and good in mud. Meanwhile, to those in L.A. (Lower Alabama), the seasons are Summer, Deer, Duck and Turkey. They are appalled that "all-season" tires are not camouflaged.


Here's the truth: An all-season tire trades wet-road traction (among other things) for enhanced mobility in snow and in sub-freezing temperatures. Designing a tire is an exercise in compromises: Improving a certain tire performance, almost always means diminishing another—or several others. (Some more accurately use the term "three-season" when referring to summer tires.)


To make things even more complex, switch categories (or even brands) and the results may change: An ultra-high-performance all-season tire may offer better wet grip than a high-performance summer tire or, especially, a grand-touring summer tire.