#Tires-Wheels

Over the past few years, our northern editors have tested tires from all the major brands, but it’s been quite a while since we ran a set of Michelin X-Ice snow tires (“X-Ice Snow” is the tire name). Industry-wide shortages meant Michelin wasn’t able to get them into our hands until mid-November, which is later than we like to put them on; but because of  a very mild fall in the East we didn’t have any early winter weather to contend with.

If you own a high-performance car or are performing upgrades to your vehicle, you may want to look at getting some ultra high performance tires.

All new vehicles come equipped with pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), and many have run-flat tires, so you might not think having one of the best portable tire inflators is a necessity. But that’s not the case, because all tires lose air over time, even if you don’t have a puncture. And knowing a tire is low doesn’t mean you can ignore it. Owning your own tire inflator means you can conveniently and routinely check your tire pressure, making sure they’re in an optimal range, and easily refill them when the light gives you a warning. Underinflated or overinflated tires have many adverse effects on your driving experience, hurting your fuel economy, tire wear, and even safety. Purchasing a tire inflator is a small investment in helping make sure your tires last as long as possible, saving you money in the long run.

Living in Vermont, I’ve gone through snow tires like some people eat mints. Even a decade ago, there were only a few snow tires that I’d have been willing to call “serious” winter tires—Bridgestone Blizzaks, Nokian Hakkapeliittas, Michelin X-Ice, a few others. And I stuck with them, buying them (usually Blizzak tires) generation after generation, and for every car.

Just because it’s cold, wet, snowy or icy doesn’t mean you can’t drive a sporty or high-performance vehicle. The best high-performance winter tires and snow tires are designed for drivers that want enhanced dry road handling from their winter/snow tires, while sacrificing maximum snow and ice traction. But don’t get us wrong: winter tires in this category are still great for winter driving, and far better than all-season tires in low temperatures and winter conditions. While they’re among the best snow tires, we did not include any studded snow tires in this list. We’ve driven on studded tires and they’ll get you through anything, but they’re not legal everywhere and are definitely not your first choice for spirited driving.

When winter comes to an end, it’s time to remove all that specialty rubber and put on some warm-weather appropriate tires.

Nearly all modern vehicles come standard with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), but maybe you own an older vehicle that doesn’t have one. It’s important to know when your tires are overinflated or underinflated, as it can affect the performance of your vehicle including its fuel economy. Fortunately, the automotive aftermarket now offers convenient and affordable TPMS kits that are easy to install, allowing you to add a monitoring system to your older vehicle.

Designed to carry families in comfort, minivans provide an abundance of space for multiple passengers. That means if you’re shopping for new tires for your minivan, you’ll likely want to focus on comfort, road noise, and tread life, unless you really plan on doing some spirited driving. That doesn’t mean, however, you shouldn’t pick a set of tires that offers good performance based on your weather conditions.

If it rains a lot where you live, you may want to pick a set of tires that excel in the wet.

As their name suggests, all-season tires are designed to be used all-year round. These tires normally feature a quiet ride with good tread life and are often outfitted on vehicles straight from the factory. They basically combine the benefits of summer and winter tires, but there are some compromises, as you can imagine. All-season tires won’t provide the same sharping handling and aggressive grip that a summer tire offers, nor will it handle extreme weather conditions like heavy snow or ice that a dedicated winter tire will. What they will do, however, is provide versatile performance in a variety of weather conditions, including rain and light snow. Essentially, all-season tires are ideal for car owners who don’t experience extreme weather conditions such as heavy snow, ice, or cold in the winter months.

Prompted by a call for ever-improving fuel efficiency, today’s tires are made to be more fuel efficient than ever — and many major tire manufacturers are evolving their product lines to include special fuel-saving, eco-friendly tire options that are designed to last longer and perform better while saving fuel and reducing emissions in the process.

Shopping for new tires is no easy task. In today’s market, there are dozens of tire manufacturers and hundreds of tire models, which means choosing the right tire for your crossover or SUV could be overwhelming.

Updated March 2019

You might want to drive all year long on winter tires to save money, time or both, but that you shouldn’t do it.

Whether you need some wheels to put your snow tires on or you just want to improve the look of your car, there are inexpensive, quality wheels available that will fit your car. If you’re extra keen on stylish wheels, you might look toward getting gloss black or matte black wheels — a trend that seems to be going nowhere fast.

To most car enthusiasts and car owners, the most important part of their car’s aesthetics are the wheels. New wheels are often the very first thing new owners get for their otherwise stock cars.