It’s useful for drivers to understand the many tire types applicable to certain driving conditions and terrains. Below, we’ll explore the many tires available for different types of terrain, from serious off-road driving to icy winter roads.

All-Terrain Tires: Off-Road and Highway

These provide the best of both worlds regarding rough terrain and smooth highway driving. All-terrain tires are the jack-of-all-trades, as they can easily switch between off-road surfaces and smooth pavement. While they’re not the top choice for off-road or highway driving, all-terrain tires are ideal if you want a tire you can use for both without needing to swap.

Mud-Terrain Tires: Mud and Extreme Off-Road Terrain

Mud-terrain tires are the more heavy-duty version of all-terrain tires and should only be on vehicles primarily driving on difficult off-road terrains. Their larger gaps and blocks allow them to navigate strenuous mud, sand, snowy terrain, and even rocky terrain. But they’re quite limited for smooth highway driving, so you should only equip them for off-road or emergency support vehicles.

Winter Tires: Snow and Ice Terrain

Winter tires are preferable for those driving in primarily cold and icy conditions. Also known as snow tires, winter tires are for freezing temperatures, and the deep grooves of their tread allow them to navigate snow better and provide traction even on ice. There are two types of winter tires: studded and studless. But studless tires are often enough for typical winter driving unless you’re routinely driving on roads with heavy snowfall. However, when winter is over, you should remove winter tires because they’re not for warmer seasons.

All-Season Tires: Mild Conditions and Terrain

Today’s most common type of tire is the all-season or general-purpose tire. These are versatile tires, offering solid performance and comfort on paved roads. They also have solid enough traction in hazardous terrain or wet conditions. Odds are, your car has all-season tires if you’ve never changed them. While they’re useful, they’ll struggle in more treacherous conditions and terrains.

All-Weather Tires: Cold and Wet Road Conditions

It may be confusing, but all-weather tires are different than all-season tires. All-season tires are more of a compromise between winter and all-season tires. All-weather tires perform well in freezing temperatures and provide greater traction in winter conditions, but you don’t need to remove them when the spring thaw commences. Consider all-weather tires if you don’t want to go all-out with winter tires but still want better traction in snow.

Find Every Type of Tire at RNR Tire Express

Now that you’ve explored the many available tires for different types of terrain, which will you choose for your car? Whichever tire you pick for your vehicle, rest assured that you’ll find it at the RNR Tire Express tire shop in Clovis! Browse our inventory or schedule an appointment with a tire expert at one of our many shops nationwide today.

Locations: Clovis, NM