Should you bother with All Season tyres?

The UK enjoys some early November snow

Despite being on a similar latitude to much of Scandinavia and the Baltic countries, thanks to something called the Gulf Stream, the UK's weather is somewhat mild and temperate for much of the year. The warm water that holiday makers are frolicking around in in the gulf of Mexico, makes its way all the way across the Atlantic ocean to the shores of Great Britain, keeping us - at least relatively - toasty warm in the winter. While Sweden or Estonia are enjoying their -20℃ winters, it rarely gets much below 0℃ here. 

For that reason - despite what Charles Dickens would have had you believe - the UK is conspicuously absent from snow and ice for much of its winter. Ask your average Brit - whom I will name Bob from now on - what they do with their tyres over winter, and they will look at you blankly. What do you mean what do I do with them? They stay attached to my car thankyouverymuch. 

Bob might be surprised to hear that in Sweden, Finland, the Baltics, and much of Eastern Europe the governments mandate that you must switch to suitable winter tyres in the winter period. Even in Germany you are obligated to equip suitable tyres during wintry weather.

Summer tyres, or what Bob might just call "tyres", are those that we should all be familiar with. Those black circles of rubber with narrow grooves cut into their circumference. They do an excellent job of keeping your car stuck to the road for most of the year. But, if you've ever experienced even a light dusting of snow, you'll know how woefully inadequate these tyres can be. 

Those narrow channels do a poor job of pushing the snow away from under them, causing it to stay underneath, at which point any hope of traction is lost. Exacerbating the problem, the compound from which the tyres are made, changes in low temperatures, becoming harder and less grippy. 

It's late November at the time of writing, and unusually we've already seen a great deal of snow. Having seen the forecast, and knowing that I wanted to get out in the car, I thought I'd bite the bullet and see what the all the fuss is about - and purchased a new set of Michelin Cross Climate all-season tyres. 

All Season Tyre (Left),  Summer Tyre (Right)

If you don't want the hassle of swapping your tyres or wheels over for the winter period, all season (or all weather) tyres are an alternative that should keep you mobile during the worst the UK climate has to offer. They are a balance between summer and winter tyres, and the best of them, it turns out, do an excellent job. 

Like any tyre, the manufacturer and price will make a huge difference. The big names, for example; Michelin, Goodyear and Pirelli, are known to produce the best performing summer tyres, and the same applies to all season tyres. If you've got the cash, I believe you should opt for the best you can. They may well end up saving your life, or someone else's. 

The tread pattern is blocky, with large gaps between each block, and in many cases, a V-shape down the centre. These gaps help push the snow out from under the car as it makes its way down the road. The second main feature of all-season tyres is the compound they are made from. Designed to continue to provide grip at lower temperatures, the tyre can still gain traction on snow and ice. They may seem like a relatively new invention, but Goodyear introduced their first all season tyre way back in 1977.

Setting out in the Honda Accord - a front wheel drive saloon car with no natural snow ability whatsoever - it didn't take long before I felt like snow-Jesus, the car happily zipping through the snow and slush like it wasn't there. I knew the tyres would help, but I was quite frankly blown away with their ability.

Several times I'd come up against a car or SUV approaching from the other direction. With just one lane clear of snow, invariably I'd be the one to move over into the snow. The other driver would be doing their best to look blank, avoiding eye contact and hoping that the problem would go away. When they had passed, I'd set off again with no issue. 

Starting to get a little cocky, I'd drive the car through the sections of snow that people had been avoiding - basically deeper piles of snow that have been pushed aside by other cars. I felt the whole car shimmy a little to the side as the snow momentarily overwhelmed the tread of the tyres, but microseconds later it was back on its feet. Instead of fear I just felt a minor rush of fun and excitement. 

On the faster roads out of town, it wasn't long before I was slowed by cars in front. Knowing that they were having a nerve-wracking time in front with their teeth clenched and their knuckles white, I'd keep a respectable distance and relax. I didn't have to wonder if at the next corner my car would make it round or find its way ungracefully into a ditch. This is something you can't account for - everyone else on the roads. Even with the best possible equipped car, you might still get stuck behind those in their racing slicks.

The other surprising thing, at least with the Cross Climates, is that they are quiet - the decibel rating at 69db is on the quiet end of the scale for road noise. I'd assumed the blocky tread and different compound would be the perfect recipe for an irritating drone at higher speeds. They are also well-suited to heavy rainfall and disperse water better than a summer tyre (at any time of year).

No doubt in -10℃ and with even more snow and ice, they'd start to show their weaknesses but for a climate like the UK, all-season tyres make a lot of sense. In the summer, the tyres still perform effectively - not quite at the level of a performance summer tyre - but they are certainly safe. 

If you drive a sports car - as opposed to a Honda Accord - then you will likely want to stick with your quality summer tyres over summer, and switch to a set of winter tyres in winter. But for all other cars, I don't think you can go too wrong with a quality set of all-season tyres.  

Check out my video on the experience here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUkYHFYvq4Y