Most new cars sold in Canada leave the factory on all-season tires. They're designed to be quiet, wear slowly, roll easily for better fuel economy and handle rain well. Most carry an M+S mark on the sidewall.
The name oversells them a little. The compound is a middle ground, and as temperatures drop toward 7 °C it starts to stiffen. On snow and ice an all-season will move the car, but it takes longer to stop and has less grip in a turn than a winter tire.
For a Toronto driver, the usual setup is all-seasons from spring to late fall and winters from November to April. Run that way, a set of all-seasons lasts a long time.
What they do well
Long tread life
A firmer compound and a tread built to wear slowly and evenly, especially if the tires are rotated on schedule.
Quiet, comfortable ride
Tread blocks are sized and spaced to keep highway noise down. Most all-seasons ride softer than a performance tire.
Wet-road grip
Circumferential grooves carry water out from under the tire to resist hydroplaning in heavy rain.
Low rolling resistance
Many all-seasons are designed to roll with less effort, which helps fuel economy a little.
Best for
- The warm half of the year on a car that switches to winters
- Commuting and highway driving, where quiet and fuel economy matter
- High-kilometre drivers who want long tread life
- Rainy spring and fall roads
- Most sedans, minivans and crossovers on their factory sizes
Trade-offs
- Below about 7 °C the rubber firms up and grip drops, before there's any snow on the ground.
- M+S on the sidewall is based on tread design, not a snow traction test. It doesn't make an all-season a winter tire.
- Less grip and less precise steering in summer heat than a summer performance tire.
- If you only want one set of tires all year, an all-weather is a better fit for a Toronto winter.
Why all-seasons are a compromise here
Toronto winters are mostly slush, freeze-thaw and black ice, with a few real snowstorms mixed in, and the cold matters as much as the snow. An all-season gets you around on a clear, cold day. Where it falls behind is stopping on cold, icy pavement. Run all-seasons from spring to late fall and swap to winters when it turns cold. If you only want one set, look at all-weathers.
