The time of the year the tyres are designed for.
Tyres designed for the warm season are called
summer, for cold — respectively, winter (among the latter,
studded and
non-studded models are separated, see below for details). The need for separation by season is due to the fact that when the temperature drops, the rubber solidifies; therefore, cold weather requires softer tyres than warm weather. And the time when you need to change tyres is best determined by the average daily temperature: if it is above +5 °C, it is better to use summer tyres, if lower — winter ones. There are also more detailed recommendations regarding the time of changing tyres, they can be found in special sources.
Also note that there are tyres positioned as
all-weather. Such models should be treated with some caution: they can be produced in countries where winters are very mild, without snow and severe frosts, and be designed specifically for such “all-season”; for a full-mean winter, such tyres may not be suitable. So the specific attributes of all-season tyres should be specified separately (including reviews). If there are no detailed info, such tyres are best considered as summer tyres with slightly increased resistance to cold, and if used in winter, then in simple conditions (for example, driving along well-cleaned city streets).
An index that determines the overall performance of a tyre on wet pavement. Lettered from
A(highest) to
G(lowest); intermediate options, respectively —
B,
C,
D,
E and
F.
The higher this indicator, the stronger the tyre grips to the wet road, the more efficient and safer it will be in difficult weather conditions. At the same time, it is worth noting that a low grip index does not mean unsuitability for driving in rain or snow — you just need to be more careful using such tyres. Conversely, a high index does not relieve the driver of the need to be careful in difficult weather conditions.
