The names don't help. "All-season" sounds like it handles every season, and in a Toronto winter it doesn't really. "All-weather" sounds like the same tire with a different label. It isn't. The differences come down to rubber compound, tread design and one small symbol on the sidewall.
All-season tires
All-season tires are what most cars leave the factory on. They're built for long tread life, a quiet ride and good grip in warm and wet weather. Most carry an M+S (mud and snow) marking, which sounds reassuring but isn't based on any winter traction test.
Their weak spot is cold. The rubber starts to stiffen below about 7 °C, which costs grip on cold pavement, slush and snow. They'll get you around in light snow. On ice or packed snow at an intersection, they need noticeably more distance to stop than a winter tire.
Winter tires
Winter tires are built for the other end of the thermometer. The compound stays soft well below freezing, the tread is deeper with wider channels to clear slush, and the tread blocks are cut with sipes that add biting edges on ice. They carry the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol, which means they passed a standard snow traction test.
The catch is that winter tires are half of a two-set system. You need somewhere to keep the other set, two changeovers a year, and ideally a second set of wheels. Run winter tires through a Toronto summer and they wear fast and feel vague in corners.
All-weather tires
All-weather tires sit in between. They carry the same mountain snowflake symbol as winter tires, so they've passed the same snow test, but they're designed to stay on the car all year. For a lot of city drivers, that's the appeal: one set, nothing to store, no changeover appointments.
The trade-offs are real. On ice and in deep snow, a good winter tire still does better. In summer heat, an all-weather wears faster than an all-season and doesn't feel as sharp. You give up a little at both ends to skip the swap.
Side by side
| All-season | All-weather | Winter | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sidewall marking | M+S at most | Mountain snowflake (usually M+S too) | Mountain snowflake (usually M+S too) |
| Below 7 °C | Rubber firms up, grip drops | Stays flexible | Stays flexible, softest of the three |
| Snow | Fair in light snow | Good | Best |
| Ice | Poor | Fair | Best |
| Summer heat | Good | Wears faster than an all-season | Wears quickly, handling feels soft |
| Changeovers | Twice a year if paired with winters | None | Twice a year |
| Ontario insurance discount | No | Depends on the insurer | Yes, if on for the insurer's dates |
Which one makes sense
There's no single right answer. This is roughly how we talk it through with people at the counter:
- Winter tires, with all-seasons on a second set of wheels for the rest of the year: the best setup if you commute on the 400-series highways, leave before the plows have been through, drive north on weekends or have a steep driveway. Also the right call if you can't stay home on bad days.
- All-weather tires: a reasonable choice if you mostly drive in the city, can skip the worst storm days and don't have room to store a second set. Much better than all-seasons in a Toronto winter.
- All-seasons year-round: plenty of people do it. Stopping distances on cold, slushy roads are noticeably longer, and that gap is where a lot of winter collisions come from.
Rules that apply to all three
- Four matching tires. Never put winter tires on one axle and all-seasons on the other. When the rear has less grip than the front, the back of the car can come around in a slide.
- Check tread depth every fall. Snow grip drops off as winter and all-weather tires wear, well before they reach the wear bars.
- Check pressures monthly once it gets cold. Tires lose pressure as the temperature falls.
- If the Ontario winter tire insurance discount matters to you, ask your insurer whether all-weather tires qualify before you buy. Policies differ.
If you're on the fence, bring the car by. We'll look at what's on it now, ask how and where you drive, and quote both options so you can compare.
