Everything you need to know about car tires

When summer or winter tires?

Broadly speaking, there are three different types of car tires available: the summer, winter and all-season tire. The summer tire is used at average temperatures of 7 degrees Celsius or higher. Should the average temperature drop below 7 degrees Celsius, it’s time for the winter tire. With the all season tire, the name says it all, you will be fine in both seasons. This type of tire has the characteristics that the summer tire has during hot days and the winter tire has during cold days. Note that true summer or winter tires perform better in very hot or cold conditions than an all-season tire.

Tire sizes

A car’s tire size is listed on the sidewall of the tire itself. The first number indicates the width in millimeters, the second number the height, represented as a percentage of the width. The R stands for Radial. The number after the R represents the diameter of the rim in inches. The last number represents the load capacity in kilograms that the tire can carry at most. It is important that you choose the right tire size to match the car.

Cheap is expensive?

As with many products, car tires come in different types of quality. A-brands in the tire world are Michelin, Pirelli, and Continental. These brands offer you a better and safer driving experience than tires from unknown brands. You will also experience more comfort while driving your car. Often they also have less rolling resistance, saving you gasoline. All these benefits do come at a price. Still, our advice is: never skimp on tires. They can save your life.

Light metal rims

More and more cars today have alloy wheels. Sometimes ex-factory, sometimes owners install them themselves. Alloy wheels are sometimes a little wider than the original factory rim. The original tires then often do not fit on them. Something to keep in mind, if you are purchasing new wheels yourself. A wider tire can then change the car’s handling characteristics. You should also keep that in mind. What is certain anyway is that wider tires offer more rolling resistance. So your car will consume more fuel. In addition, rolling noise also increases with wider tires. On the other hand, it can greatly improve the appearance of your car. Also not insignificant, of course.

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