Alfa Romeo Winter Tires vs All-Season Tires

All-season tire technology offers drivers a tremendous year-round performance for your Alfa Romeo when the climate is moderate, and there is no extreme cold, ice, and snow like in the winter months here in New York. In order to provide your Alfa Romeo with excellent performance for various driving conditions, your all-season tires will have to compromise some max summer and winter performance. This means that all-season tires don't usually provide you with the exact extreme grip and sharp handling you will need during extreme heat and cold. It's best to think of your all-season tires like your sneakers. You can wear your sneakers all year, but they aren't ideal for all situations. It's better to have sandals for the summer and boots for the winter.

When it comes to driving in severe winter weather, like what you will see here in New York, having the right tire is essential. Winter roads can be unpredictable, whether it's heavy snow or black ice, and these conditions can challenge your tires to provide you with ample traction like no other season. However, the harsh combination of cold temperatures, ice, and snow can be met by winter tires designed to perform in winter conditions. In addition, there are specific features that winter tires have that make them unique, including tread rubber, tread depth and patterns, and biting edges, all of which will help you keep your grip on the road.

The first thing that makes winter tires, winter tires is tread rubber. Unfortunately, during frigid temperatures, the tread rubber of all-season tires or summer tires stiffens and will not be able to provide you with the appropriate amount of traction. To combat the situation, the tread rubber compounds of winter tires remain flexible and allow the tires to grip the road better. Next are the tread depth and the patterns, which are unique features of winter tires as deeper tread depths will help reduce snow buildup and provide better traction on the snow. Winter tire tread patterns also channel snow and slush and get rid of water. Finally, winter tires also feature an increased number of biting edges along with high sipe densities, or in lamens terms, thousands of tiny slits in the tread to provide more traction on the ice.

The answer to whether you should get winter tires or all-terrain tires will depend on the harshness of the conditions. If you only see snow flurries or small patches of ice or don't drive a lot in the winter, then all-season is the way to go. But if we are facing a particularly heavy winter, like we often do here in New York, getting winter tires isn't an over-the-top cause of concern; it's necessary for you to stay safe during the winter. When getting winter tires for the season, be sure to get a complete set, as only changing the front tires will increase the likelihood the rear tires will skid. Also, only putting rear tires on your vehicle will cause the front tires to lose traction and make it difficult to steer the vehicle. Also, be sure to re-mount the all-season tires for your Alfa Romeo when spring comes around, as while winter tires are great for winter weather, they will begin to wear down on the warm and dry pavement.

If you need winter tires to battle the elements, stop by Alfa Romeo of Larchmont, where you will find a wide variety of winter tires for your Giulia or Stelvio to keep you safe all winter long. Looking for a new Alfa Romeo? Be sure to head down to our dealership and schedule a test drive with our outstanding sales team members, who will be more than happy to accompany you on the test drive so you can get used to all the features. For those who enjoy the test drive, we have a complete finance center that will work with you toward a fantastic deal! You can also view our entire Alfa Romeo inventory here on our website!