How to distinguish good winter tyres from mediocre ones? Aspects you should definitely consider

The time when winter tyres will be mandatory for your car is just around the corner, but you should not wait until the end of November to change them. Therefore, if you have not yet prepared a replacement set of tyres, now is the last chance to find the most suitable “shoes” for your car for the winter season. Find out how to recognise good winter tyres in this article!

Useful information is provided by the EU label

The law requires every new tyre to have a European Union label, which provides information about three factors:

1. Rolling resistance, or fuel consumption – the greater the rolling resistance, the more fuel the car will have to consume, thereby also producing more CO2 emissions. Rolling resistance is indicated in classes from A (lowest resistance) to G (highest resistance), and the difference in fuel consumption between class A and class G tyres can exceed 7%. When comparing two adjacent classes, the more economical one can save approximately 0.1 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres;

2. Grip on wet road surfaces – this is also indicated using the aforementioned classes. The higher the class, the shorter the braking distance on a wet road surface, and in Latvia’s climate this is a very important factor during the autumn and winter months. The test is carried out by braking from a speed of 80 km/h; class A tyres stop after 28 metres, whereas class F tyres stop only after 46.5 metres. Needless to say, in dangerous situations even a couple of metres can sometimes be decisive;

3. External noise level  – this is indicated in decibels (dB), and the higher the number, the noisier the tyre. If you are not familiar with decibels, you can consider the number of sound waves – the fewer there are, the quieter the tyre (the label shows one, two or three waves).

However, you should not rely solely on this information, especially if you are looking for good winter tyres. Why? Because, for example, the way tyres perform on icy and snow-covered roads is also very important, and you will find such information only in tyre tests – if a particular model performs well on wet road surfaces, this by no means means that the same applies in more wintry conditions.

One of the most objective indicators – tyre tests

Summer, all-season and winter tyres are available in such a wide range that finding a neighbour or friend who has tried a particular tyre model will certainly be difficult, if not impossible. At the same time, the information provided on the manufacturer’s website or in a shop may not be sufficient to understand how specific tyres will perform on the road. That is precisely why tyre tests are widespread throughout the world. In these tests, professionals assess tyres in different situations, describing both their behaviour on the road and the driving style and conditions for which the tyres are ultimately suitable. 

Tyre tests can be found in many places – in both local and foreign motoring magazines, as well as on a range of websites. For the most objective overview possible, it is advisable to consult several tests conducted by independent testers. If the same model is recognised as good in several magazines, programmes or websites, you can be sure that these are genuinely good winter tyres.

Tyres online – a good way to find the best offer

Once you have found the most suitable tyre model, the next task is to purchase it, and there are several options available – from an online shop to buying tyres at a supermarket (yes, sometimes they are even available there). An online shop has several advantages:

1. You can quickly and conveniently find the model you need and compare prices;

2. You can place your order at any time of day;

3. You can have the tyres delivered right to your door at a time convenient for you.

If you are also looking for tyres, take a look at the wide selection in the 1a.lv online shop – even the most demanding driver will find good winter tyres here!