Know the Difference Between Various Types Of Tyres

Jul 08, 2021 Car Tyres Tips & Tricks PitStopArabia

There are various types of tires available in the market today. While choice is always welcome from the customer’s perspective, it is not always the case. At times, it can add to their frustration. Suppose that you go to the tire shop to buy new tires for Nissan Altima. When inside the tire shop, the salesperson mentions so many best tires for the Nissan Altima that you end up confused.

You are not sure which tire you should buy? For example, should you buy the PremiumContact™ 6 or the Force UHP? The answer is dependent on various factors, including driving style, drive terrain, and how much time you plan on driving around. As the factors vary from individual to individual, it is challenging for PitStopArabia to determine the right set of tires.

Instead, we can do something else which can make the decision-making process easier. In this blog post, we will guide you about the numerous tire types. By knowing each tire type's purpose, benefits, and drawbacks, you can decide for yourself which tire is the best.

Various Types of Tyres

All-Season

As the name indicates, these tires are made for use throughout the year. You might be thinking that if you can use it throughout the year, they are undoubtedly the best of tires. Well, not really. All-season tires do provide various benefits, but we need to consider their drawbacks too. The foremost benefit is that one can use it all year long. How?

Such tires are made using a combination of winter and summer tire technology. However, do not expect the performance to be on the same level as specialised & dedicated seasonal tires. If your only concern is to get from point A to B without worrying too much about performance, then all-season tires are the best.

Summer Tires

The UAE experiences scorching heat during the summers. The summer tires won't last long here. It is why tires made for use in UAE are manufactured to withstand such heat. They are specialised to offer exceptional performance during the summer. Summer tires come with a soft rubber compound whose purpose is to improve stability and traction. Lastly, their tread is designed in a way that resists aquaplaning. As the average UAE temperature is near 30 °C, which is considered warm. So, the summer tires for Nissan Altima are ideal for the summer use in the UAE. Even winters are not that cold, meaning that you can use summer tires without any worry.

Winter Tires

Suppose that you reside in Europe, where temperatures drop to below 0 °C in winters. In such areas, you cannot use summer or all-season tires as they cannot provide traction. It is why many European countries have made it mandatory to equip the vehicle with winter tires during the winter months.

These tires are made with large grooves and sipes. Their purpose is to enhance traction on snowy and icy surfaces. While summer tyres become rigid in temperatures below 10 °C, that is not the case with winter tyres.

Performance Tyres

These tyres are made for performance-oriented vehicles. They are optimised for quick steering response and instant acceleration. Other than this, they offer short braking distances and high-speed ratings. Within performance tires, they are various categories. One such category is ultra-high-performance or UHP. The Force tire that we mentioned above is a UHP. Usually, UHP tires are made by manufacturers that have considerable experience in motorsports. They use their knowledge and research to create the best possible performance tires.

Fuel-Efficient Tires

Over the years, tire manufacturers have built tires with a special emphasis on fuel saving and low carbon emissions. These tires do not provide the best traction, steering response, or braking distance. The reason is that their sole focus is on fuel saving and reduction in carbon emissions. Therefore, if you are someone who drives well below the speed limit, has no interest in instant acceleration or anything similar, these are the best possible tyres.

Run-Flat Tyres

It is more of a technology than a tire type. Nevertheless, they are marketed as a separate tire type throughout the world. Suppose that you are driving down the road and hear a pop sound. You realise that you just suffered from a tyre blowout. Unfortunately, you have no spare tire in the trunk. The only option left is to call a vehicle recovery service.

A sudden tire blowout is not only scary, but it is also dangerous. On top of that, waiting for a vehicle recovery service is not at all comforting. It is why many car owners in UAE opt for run-flat tires. With these tires, you can continue driving up to 80 km at speeds of up to 80 km/h. It gives you ample time to go to the nearest tire repair shop.

To prevent tire blowouts, please read this blog post.

4X4 Tyres

These tires are specifically made for off-road driving. In other words, you can only install these tires on vehicles with off-road capability. The downside to such tires is that they consume a lot of fuel and are not ideal for on-road driving. However, recent technological innovations have resulted in tyres that offer a balance between on-road and off-road driving. Nevertheless, for a pure off-road driving experience, you need specialised 4X4 tyres.

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Wrap Up

These are the different types of tires available in the market nowadays. We have mentioned their purposes, benefits, and drawbacks. PitStopArabia is confident that this information will help you make a better choice when buying new tires.

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