What is the difference between summer tires and winter tires?

Winter tires have a softer rubber and a clearer profile than summer tires. This allows them to better drain water and snow from the tread. In this way, the car has more grip on the road surface. Then you will be able to notice the difference between summer tires and winter tires.

Below 7 degrees difference between summer tires and winter tires

The biggest difference in the performance of winter tires can be seen at temperatures below 7 degrees. Then the advantages of winter tires come into their own. The rubber of summer tires then becomes relatively harder, which reduces the grip on the road. That is why many people like to use winter tires in snow and ice.

More grip means shorter braking distance for winter tyre

An important difference between winter tires is that they have a (much) shorter braking distance on snow. That can be up to half the distance it takes to stand still. And that can make the difference between an accident or not. It is only for safety that it makes sense to fit winter tires when the weather gets cold. And in most popular winter sports countries, winter tires are mandatory. On dry and ‘ordinary’ wet road surfaces, the summer tire has an advantage, especially if the temperature is above 7 degrees.

More lateral grip

There are more advantages to see from the difference between summer tires and winter tires. Winter tires also have more lateral grip due to the softer rubber. This ensures that you can steer with a more confident feeling. Even during a slalom or a sudden evasive manoeuvre, a winter tire has a more secure feeling on the white surface. This is one of the criteria in the Autoweek tire tests.

Winter tires in summer

The differences between summer tires and winter tires also become apparent in the warm months. Then the summer tires have an advantage. They wear less quickly than winter tires due to the harder rubber type. If you also use winter tires in the summer, you will see that you have to fit a new set of tires more quickly. In the summer you see that winter tires have a longer braking distance.

And, as we said before, in the summer the winter tires have less grip on the road. This is due to the composition of the rubber and the coarser profile.

See the difference in the tire tests

If you want to know more about the differences between summer tires and winter tires in practice, you can read them in the AutoWeek tire tests. They provide good insight into the difference when driving with summer tires and winter tires.