The tires are one of your vehicle’s most important components, since the entire car depends on them for safe navigation. That means you should check them periodically to make sure they’re still in good condition. Even then, unexpected incidents can occur that might force you to replace a set of tires to restore safe driving. An over-inflated tire might blow out, or you could pick up a sharp object on the road that causes the air to gradually escape from the tires. It’s a good idea to buy new tires for the winter season, if you happen to live in a snowy, colder area. Having good traction can eliminate a lot of driving issues like the danger of driving on snowy or slippery roads. In this article, we’ll discuss some other reasons why you should consider purchasing new tires before winter arrives, and we’ll even recommend a couple brands that are especially adept at winter driving.
Do you really need new tires?
Keep in mind that it’s much more important to have good traction in the winter time, since roads are sometimes covered with snow and much more dangerous to drive on. That’s when you really want to have good tread depth on your tires, so they can grip the road better and give you a safer ride. If the tread on your tires is getting thin, your best bet is to have them replaced with newer tires that have full tread depth. It goes without saying that your tires should be checked after potentially damaging incidents like scraping against a curbside, picking up a nail or piece of glass, or going through a particularly deep pothole.
Many people are not aware of this, but once a tire has been produced at the factory, it has a projected shelf life of about six years – even if the tire is never driven on a road surface. This is because the rubber itself begins to deteriorate and becomes unsafe to drive on. Over that span of time, the rubber becomes much weaker and even brittle, and that makes it unsuitable for use on the road. So if you’ve had your tires for six years or more, they should automatically be replaced, regardless of the condition you think they’re in.
Purchase new tires in October
Yes, October is still solidly in the Fall season, so why should you think about buying new tires at that time? Actually, there’s a very good reason for buying tires at this time of year – later on, when winter arrives for real, prices on all the same tires will have risen dramatically. You can always find the best deals on tires well before the winter season arrives. With the cost of practically everything on the rise, it will be to your advantage to save a few dollars on a new set of tires. Most people tend to delay their purchases until the nasty weather is here in earnest, but by then it might be difficult to secure an appointment with your dealer to have the tires changed. There is almost always less consumer traffic during autumn, so you shouldn’t have any difficulty getting your car in for the change.
Winter performance tires
Naturally, if you’re going to undergo the expense of purchasing new tires for the winter, you’ll want to choose a brand that is well-known for its ability to safely navigate winter roads and that kind of driving. Here are some of the best tires you could purchase for that purpose:
- Dynapro – specially designed for use on light trucks and SUVs, these tires are suitable for off-road driving as well as winter driving on roads
- Kinergy – this is an all-season touring tire that emphasizes balanced performance in operation
- Ventus – a premium tire that provides outstanding traction in all seasons, particularly at winter time
- Ion – manufactured exclusively for electric vehicles, the Ion tire is an all-season tire that has especially good grip during the winter season.
You can’t go wrong with any of these tires, so find the particular tire that’s best suited for your vehicle, and buy with confidence.
Where to buy winter tires
To purchase any of the premium tires listed above, as well as a variety of other tires that might be suitable for your vehicle, you can trust the friendly folks at Showcase Collision and Auto Care Center to help you. With three distinct locations at Troy, Mi, Warren, MI, and Sterling Heights, MI, you’ll be able to visit the outlet closest to you, and have the tires of your choice expertly installed and balanced. Now is an especially good time to make your purchase if you’d like to take advantage of a special deal on fine Hankook tires. When purchasing four new Hankooks, each customer will be entitled to receive up to a $100 rebate to lower the cost of the overall purchase. So, on top of saving money by buying early in the season, you can secure an even bigger savings by getting this generous rebate.