Tyres have become so specialised that buying car tyres without adequate knowledge can be a daunting experience. Today, tyres have been scattered into several categories and each fills a specific purpose.
For instance, high-performance winter tyres and summer tyres are different in every way. The rubber compound, tread depth and tread pattern are different in each tyre.
When you are buying the tyre, grip on different surfaces is not the only thing you should consider. Riding comfort, driving noise, tyre life and the price of tyre are a few other factors to take in consideration.
The popular jack-of-all-trades, all-season tyre is still the most sold tyres in the market. But if you want maximum performance for a specific type of driving, you choose a specialised tyre.
Ultra-High Performance Summer Tires
These tyres are engineered to mount on sports cars and sedans. Offering the perfect grip on dry roads, these tyres have a low profile.
The steering and handling in these tyres is made responsive as the tread compound used in manufacturing is sticky. Another feature of UHP summer tyres is that the tread pattern is minimal.
Cons: These tyres are fragile in extreme rainy conditions as the risk of hydroplaning is high due to even and smooth tread design, while on ice, these are completely hopeless. While these offer firm and comfortable ride, the fuel-efficiency of UHP summer tyres is quite low. Another drawback is the less durability factor. UHP summer tyres are pricey and offer less mileage.
There are different types of tyres even within this category. For instance, if a tyre offers more speed it will last for a shorter period. The more the speed the lesser the life.
High-Performance Summer Tyres
Another popular category within the summer tyres is the High-Performance Summer Tyres or HP summer tyres. If you consider the three: UHP, HP and All-season, these lie somewhere in between with qualities of both. Car enthusiasts who want to enjoy highspeed but also drive every day should consider this type.
HP summer tyres maintain good traction and provide better handling and braking abilities than all-season tyres. These are also more durable than UHP. While HP summer tyres perform fine in rain, you cannot use them in snow. So, if your city experience snowfall, you will have to switch to winter tyres as the cold weather arrives.
High-Performance All-Season Tyres
Now, this is an ideal choice for people who don’t want to mount the winter tyres when the temperature drops. Hp all-season tyres are different from standard all-season tyres as they are less durable. If you can comprise on tyre life for the trade of speed, then go for it. They are pricey than the standard version and eat more fuel.
Standard All-Season Tires
As discussed earlier, standard all-season tyres are the most popular type of tyres and typically all brand new vehicles come with these. Whey they are standard? Well, the price is moderate. They have longevity. They can withstand mild to moderate winter conditions. But with all the pros comes the con of less responsive handling and cornering. Another drawback is that they cannot withstand heavy snowfall or ice.
Winter Tyres
For people who live in a city that experience frequent heavy snowfalls, winter tyres are the right type of tyres. These tyres have an aggressive tread pattern that has the ability to channel snow and water away from its way. Many people misunderstand the winter tyres. They don’t only perform on snow or ice but they even work on dry surface when the temperature is low.
These tyres have an aggressive tread pattern with large voids in between. The tread pattern features small sipes on it which make them resistible to hydroplaning. While they are not durable like all-season tyres due to a different tread, a good car tyre company will offer you a comprehensive warranty.
Conclusion
Car tyres come in various sizes and types. These are the most popular types of tyres that are out there in the automobile industry.
- Ultra-high performance tyres
- high-performance tyres
- Performance tyres
- All-season tyres
- Winter tyres