All-Season or Snow Tires?

All-season tires can be fine for mild winters

Even if your car has traction control or an antilock braking system (ABS), those features won't improve traction on snow and ice. Experts at TireRack.com say that only snow tires will improve your vehicle's grip on snow and ice. Although all-wheel drive or front-wheel drive is advantageous, you'll still improve safety by swapping your summer or all-season tires for winter tires. This is because snow tires have special tread designs that help them bite into the snow and ice, and they use softer rubber compounds that let them stay flexible at lower temperatures.

Though you might be tempted to buy just two winter tires for your drive axle, every expert we found says this isn't a good idea because mixing winter and all-season tires can lead to poor handling balance. The Toronto Star's John Mahler explains that this strategy can be dangerous in skid situations as the front wheels get different traction than the rear wheels. All experts say four winter tires are your best bet, and even inexpensive winter tires will perform better in ice and snow than all-season tires.

Plus-sizing is a popular practice for summer tires. Plus-sizing means choosing a larger wheel size and corresponding tire than originally specified for your vehicle. For example, if your car specifies a wheel size of 16 inches, increasing wheel size by one inch would result in a 17-inch wheel, or a plus one for your vehicle. The tire you buy will then need to have a shorter sidewall and wider tread to accommodate the same load and tire diameter.

Although many drivers are doing this for cosmetic reasons -- a larger wheel and wider tire has a sportier look -- reviews say plus-sizing is a bad idea for winter tires. That's because wider tires must carve a wider path through snow, which means more resistance and drag. Instead, experts recommend using a narrow winter tire. Narrower tires can more easily cut a path through snow and slush. You can minus-size your original tire size by selecting a more narrow tread and smaller wheel size. This can also save you some money, since narrower tires and smaller wheels are usually cheaper than wider tires with larger wheels.

Winter tires come in various speed ratings. Ordinary winter tires for passenger cars are often Q-rated (up to 99 mph) or T-rated (up to 118 mph). Winter tires for light trucks and SUVs may have an R rating (up to 106 mph). Performance winter tires may carry an H rating (up to 130 mph) or V rating (up to 149 mph). When it comes to winter tires, however, the speed rating translates a bit differently. ConsumerReports.org says that more expensive tires with higher speed ratings generally get better performance at lower speeds in ice and snow. Q-rated winter tires are usually less expensive.