When in the market for all around tires for your SUV you will need to know the difference between SUV all-season tires and SUV all-weather tires. The main difference has to do with the capacity to handle snow and ice. The all-weather tires hold the “Three Peak Mountain Snowflake” emblem which signifies they have met required performance criteria in snow testing. This is the same emblem held by SUV winter tires and recent testing showed that all-weather tires perform as well as winter tires on snow and ice.
With the main difference between all-season tires and all-weather tires being the handling of severe weather you would need to consider what the weather conditions are where you live. If living in an area with mild weather year-round then SUV all-season tires would suffice and probably be the better choice. This is because they have less aggressive tread than either winter or all-weather tires which minimizes rolling resistance and thereby allows for better fuel economy. This is also important if you will be doing a lot of freeway miles. Keep in mind that fuel efficiency is also affected by tire dimensions. It is therefore always best to follow the manufacturer’s recommended tire dimensions for your make and model SUV to assure proper braking and handling of the SUV. Dimensions of the tires also play a role in traction and hydroplaning protection. Narrower tires being better at redirecting water then wider tires whereas wider tires offer more traction. This however only holds true if your tires are of good quality and allow for a good grip on the road. If in the market for SUV all-season tires and the recommended tire dimensions are 275/65R18 then you would need 275/65R18 all-season tires as this assures the best handling of your SUV.
If the area where you live has severe winter weather or if you are planning on driving off road then tires with good traction are important. In this case the SUV all-weather tires would be the better choice. All-weather tires are great for all year round driving by offering excellent handling and excellent grip and traction. In fact, the all-weather tires are actually a hybrid between winter tires and all-season tires which allows them to handle winter as well as winter tires while being made of special rubber compounds that can tolerate a large temperature range and therefore handle as well in winter, spring, summer or fall.
Keep in mind that the fact that the SUV has 4-wheel drive only is an advantage in acceleration and not in braking so if you will be driving in severe winter weather it is still important to use tires that are severe snow service-rated.
Once the decision has been made what tires to get according to what kind of driving you will be doing and what kind of weather conditions you will be encountering then it is important to find good quality tires.
For more information on which SUV tires to choose, visit www.nokiantires.com