Summer and all-season tyres



If you’re considering summer tyres or all season tyres, you need to know the difference between the two. Summer tyres handle and grip well on both dry and wet roads, working best above 7°c as a rule of thumb. All season tyres perform well all year round and are best if your winters are fairly mild with limited freezing and snowy weather. Alternatively, if you do suffer from particularly cold winter weather, you should consider using winter tyres.

Should you Choose All Season Tyres or Summer Tyres?

It’s not a case of summer tyres being better than all season tyres or vice-versa. You should choose your tyres based on your own circumstances and driving preferences. If you are looking for the best performance at the peak of summer, you’ll need summer tyres. But if you’re looking for great performance all year round without needing to switch between summer and winter tyres, you should choose all season tyres.

Here’s a closer look at the benefits of summer and all season tyres to help you decide which tyres are right for you:

Mercedes fitted with Dunlop summer tyres

Benefits of Summer Tyres:

  • Summer conditions: specifically designed for an optimal performance in summer conditions
  • Responsiveness: they’ll make steering quick and accurate through summer – especially during hard cornering
  • Handling: with their softer rubber compounds they help you tackle twists, turns and other obstacles
  • If you own winter tyres: if you already have a set of winter tyres, consider summer tyres for the warmer months
  • Wet Handling: summer tyres outperform other tyres for wet braking and handling in the summer/warmer months
  • Reduced Braking Distances: even when it rains, tyre tread ensures shorter braking distances in summer 


Dunlop SportMaxx RT Winner of What Tyre UHP Tyre of The Year 2021

Summer Tyre: SportMaxx RT2



Motorsports grip and braking for a dynamic driving exprience

  • Exceptional grip on wet and dry
  • Enhancing corners control
  • Shorter braking at motorway speeds
  • Fuel efficient design

Benefits of All Season Tyres:

  • All-round protection for changing weather conditions or temperate climates - great for Britain's changing seasonal weather
  • All Season tyres with the M+S or Snowflake (3PMSF) symbol on the tyre sidewall indicate great winter performance in snowy conditions
  • Blends the best of summer tyre and winter tyres into one single tyre to ensure great performance in hot summer sunshine and cold wintry weather
  • More convenient to use one set of all season tyres all year round than changing from summer to winter as the seasons change
  • Space saving: you won’t need to store your spare summer or winter tyres depending on the season
  • Unique tread pattern to reduce the likelihood of aquaplaning in both summer and winter 

Cost of All Season Tyres vs Summer Tyres

There is no significant difference in cost between the two sets of tyres. If you opt for summer tyres, remember that you should also have a set of winter tyres to change to when temperatures drop below 7°C as a general rule of thumb. And while you might think buying two sets of tyres will be the most expensive choice, remember that by switching from summer to winter tyres, you’ll also be extending the tread life of the tyres compared with just using a single set of all season tyres all year round.

Your main consideration should be on which set of tyres suits your own circumstances and driving preferences. Compare the benefits of using all season tyres vs summer tyres in this article and weigh up which set of tyres will be best for you. For further guidance, read our guide to choosing car tyres.  

All Season and Summer Tyres Lifespan

Regardless of whether you choose all season or summer, good tyre maintenance is always the key to extending your tyre’s lifespan.

Good tyre maintenance for all season and summer tyres includes:

There is plenty more to it, and if you choose summer tyres, cold weather can cause faster tread wear and damage to the tyres, so always switch to seasonally appropriate tyres. 

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