Winter Tires vs. All-Season Tires vs. All-Weather Tires: Which is best for your car?

With Canadian winters lasting for what feels like almost half the year, it's a time when we can enjoy the holiday season and fun winter activities. But with lots of snow, the risk of black ice, below-freezing temperatures, and unpredictable road conditions, it's crucial to have the right tires for these winter months so that you can stay safe when you’re on the road.

So, what’s the difference between winter tires vs. all-season tires vs. all-weather tires? If you've wondered whether or not you can use the same tires all year round or if you need to invest in winter tires, we're here to help you differentiate between the different types of tires and provide you with potential discount details, so you can make an informed decision about the best tire option for your driving needs.

Depending on where you live, choosing the right tires for your car can make a big difference—especially when the weather changes. Whether you’re dealing with sun, rain, or snow, there’s a tire suited for the job.

Let’s break down the three main types of tires, so you can pick what’s best for your driving needs.

• All-season tires. The go-to tire for many drivers, all-season tires are designed to handle a variety of environmental conditions, including dry roads, wet roads, and light snow. They can be a good choice if you live in a part of Canada that sees milder winters.
• Winter tires. Winter tires are specifically designed to give you better grip and control in cold temperatures, and are built to handle snow, ice, and slush, so you get the traction and stability you need on slippery roads. 
• All-weather tires. All-weather tires (also called 4-season tires) can handle more severe weather conditions than all-season tires, including snow and icy roads, so they’re versatile enough to use year-round if you live in an area that sees harsher winters—but they won’t perform as well as winter tires in extreme winter conditions.

Finally, the benefits of all-weather tires provide a blend of the best features of both all-season and winter tires:

• All-weather tires carry the mountain-and-snowflake symbol, mean  ing they’re certified to meet the standards for winter driving.
• Warmer temperatures don’t cause them to wear out more quickly.
• They can be used year-round in areas that see weather conditions that range from warm to more severe — but not extreme — cold.¹⁰

While all these types of tires have their benefits, winter tires offer drivers a level of confidence when driving in all winter conditions – whether it's slush, ice, heavy snow, or freezing rain.

And, as an added bonus, many insurers offer province-dependent winter tire discounts. If you're a TD Insurance customer in Ontario or Newfoundland, for example, we offer many ways to save, including a winter tire discount when you fully equip your car with four winter tires from December 1st to March 30th. Just contact TD Insurance to see if you qualify for this winter tire discount.

Winter tires usually have the highest price tag because of the specialized construction that makes them optimal for tough winter weather conditions. But the added safety they provide comes with some additional costs. You'll also need to budget for the seasonal installation costs twice a year as well as storage space if you don't have space for them at home. 

All-season tires are the most economical option, but since they lack the grip and reliability of winter tires, they won't be your best choice if you live in an area with harsh winter conditions. All-weather tires offer a good middle-ground option, if you need a tire capable of handling heavier snow, as they're more expensive than all-seasons but not as costly as winter tires.

If you've already been driving throughout the year in all-season tires, it's still important to consider purchasing a set of winter tires, too. Even if you're taking all the extra precautions to drive safely in the winter, winter tires will be crucial depending on where you live.

For example, if your area experiences heavy snow, freezing rain, and temperatures drop significantly below zero all wint er long, you'll want to look into investing in winter tires. But if you live in an area that experiences minimal snow with temperatures that consistently sit around zero, all-season tires may still work for you.

If your province doesn't require you to change your tires by a certain date, then ideally you should change your tires when temperatures are consistently hovering around +7°C or lower.

Why that number? With all-season tires, grip starts to become compromised once temperatures start dropping and the roads become wet. In comparison, winter tires actually gain grip as temperatures decrease, allowing the rubber to stick better on the roads to prevent slipping. So, around the seven-degree mark is when winter tires start to grip better and outperform all-seasons.¹⁵

The same applies when you need to change your tires back to all-season tires. Once the temperatures start warming up to +7°C and higher, it's time to change from winter to all-season tires, to avoid wearing out your winter tires.

Whether or not your province requires you to install tires that are rated for winter driving during the winter season, it's important to understand the differences between winter tires, all-season tires, and all-weather tires. While winter tires and all-weather tires tend to be more expensive, they offer a return on your investment that includes better safety when driving in more extreme weather conditions. Depending on where you're located, this may make them the right tires for your needs.