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Set of (2) New 245/45ZR20 Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 103Y
Shop Used All Season Tires: Best Deals for Everyday Ride!
The name speaks for itself: all-season tires are designed for use all-year-round. They provide versatile performance on the road and are perfect for the average driver. This type of tire has a long lifespan and performs best in mild weather on dry or wet road surfaces. Getting used all-season tires — a smart way to save cash on seasonal changeovers and secure yourself a comfortable everyday ride.
All-season tires: new and used
Most new vehicles, from passenger cars or light trucks to SUVs and CUVs, come factory-equipped with a set of all-season tires. They provide a smooth, comfortable ride, solid terrain traction, and help save money on annual tire changes. All-season tires are universal tires with a longer tread life, but their performance depends on weather conditions. States where summers are mild, winters are kind, and temperatures don't drop below -45 ºF — the best environment for this kind of tires. This is the general recommendation of the manufacturers, and in the states with more harsh weather conditions it might be mandatory to use winter or M+S tires (we’ll talk about them a bit later). So, choosing used all season tires, pay attention to the main characteristics and their accordance to the climate of your destination.
Do I need used all-season tires?
If you live in the area with moderate annual temperatures and are considering getting new rubber, buying used all-season tires makes total sense. Today you can shop for the best all-season tires online. Each of Utires.com used all season tires has undergone thorough manual quality control — and is on sale. Also, we have a significant stock of used tires that have been only driven once!
And the top 6 popular brands of used all season tires among our customers are:
Weather conditions and used all-season tires
Used all-season tires are good for everyday driving in all four seasons, whether the roads are dry, wet, or covered with light snow. However, they are not suitable for anything too extreme like frosts, deep snow, slush, blizzards, or melting heat. Usually, the sidewall of an all-season tire has no pictograms, but if they are certified for driving in muddy or snowy conditions, you will find the abbreviation M+S (M&S or MS, depending on the manufacturer) on the sidewall.
5 main characteristics of used all-season tires
1. Tread design
New or used all-season tires first of all have to provide a safe, comfortable ride in mild climates. And the tread design would determine, in which conditions they perform the best. Usually all-season tires are produced with symmetrical, directional or asymmetrical tread patterns.
- Symmetrical is characterised by rows of independent symmetrical grooves and blocks on both sides of the tire: good for everyday riding in mild weather conditions.
- Directional tread pattern determines the tire’s rotation in one direction and is characterized by groves and channels, joining from both sides in a Y-shaped manner. This tire is good for driving in snow and mud, so lots of used all-season M/S tires will have this design.
- Asymmetrical design provides higher performance thanks to the combination of different patterns allowing both — to channel water and have a good grip with the road.
2. Rubber compound
All-season tires have harder rubber compound that allows vehicle handling and good grip in dry to wet or lightly snowy conditions. The versatile “average” performance also determines the tire's longer lifespan.
3. Size
You can find the size and width either on the sidewall of the tire or inside the driver's side door. Width is the measurement from one sidewall of the tire to the other. For example, the code that you find on Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus would look like this: 215/55R17 94H. 215 on the size code 215/50ZR17 means that the space between each sidewall is 215 millimeters. The number after the slash (55) shows the aspect ratio of the cross section of the tire to its width. The letter R stands for the radial construction of the tire. The last number (17) is the wheel diameter. Never buy tires different in size from the original equipment of your vehicle.
4. Load capacity
Average passenger vehicle load capacity stands between 75 and 100. The number 94 after the size code P215/50ZR1 of Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus means that each of its tires’s capacity is 1521 pounds. Thus, multiplied by four, we determine that with these used all-season tires our vehicle would be safely carrying 6084 pounds.
5. Speed rating
In the sequence of symbols 215/55R17 94H the letter H, standing after the load capacity index of our used all-season tires, refers to its maximum speed capacity of 130 mph. This category of tires is usually designed for average speeds: H (130 mph), V (149 mph) and T (118 mph).
Used all-season mud and snow tires
All-season mud and snow tires are tires that have been approved for driving in muddy and snowy conditions by the Rubber Manufacturers Association. The test that this tire has passed measures traction on packed snow and mud. This means that the tire is suitable for mild (but not extreme) snowy, muddy and slushy roads. A perfect example is Michelin Defender LTX M/S: you can shop for this used all-season mud and snow tire in our catalogue. Prices starting from $39,99 per tire.
If you live somewhere above 60 North latitude (lucky you!), most likely your state will have a law on snow tires that means they are mandatory from October to April. Thus, driving on tires of any other category, including all-season M+S, would be illegal. On the other hand, it would be totally fine in states below 60 North latitude.
Used all-season vs winter vs summer tires
- All-season tires have a harder rubber compound which allows versatile performance and a longer lifespan. They perform well on dry paved roads, in mild winter weather (light snow) or wet conditions. Smooth and straight treads repel the water and grip the road surface well in warm to hot weather. Deeper treads help ensure a quiet, comfortable ride in the rain. However, the finer tread design means less grip on icy or slushy roads when the temperature is below 45 ºF.
- Winter tires are made from a softer rubber compound that contains more natural rubber. They provide perfect vehicle handling and high performance on icy or slushy roads. Tread design is specific: it has deep cuts called "sipes" across the tread. Deep treads help winter tires to efficiently channel water while cruising through deep snow, slush or mud. However, in hot weather, this tire could start to melt and lose strong grip with the road's surface.
- Summer tires are made of a harder rubber compound that doesn’t melt in high heat and provides confident handling and maximum traction in both warm weather and on wet roads. The tread pattern has less grooving and is less deep — so more rubber is in contact with the road surface. In winter conditions this type of tire would harden and almost completely lose terrain traction so would not provide a safe, quiet comfortable ride.
Are all-weather tires the same as all-season tires?
No, all-weather and all-season tires are different. Despite the name, all-season tires actually perform best during spring, summer and autumn. For this reason, some dealers sell them as “3 season tires”. All-weather tires can be safely used in humid, rainy winters with light snowfalls. On the sidewall of an all-weather tire you will find the same pictogram as on winter tires — the famous three peak mountain snowflake, aka 3PMSF. That's why usually all-weather tires have a shorter tread life warranty than all-season tires. So, all-weather tires are sort of a mix of the performance and appearance of all-season and winter tires. All-weather tires combine straight treads with blocky treads to allow safe passage through snow and slush, while their softer rubber compound helps the tire to stay flexible in temperatures below or above 45 ºF.
Are used all-season tires good in snow?
Both new and used all-season tires provide a smooth ride and strong grip on dry, wet or lightly snow-covered paved roads. The comfortable temperature for this kind of tire is a little above freezing. An average driver (not judging the personality here — only the driving style) would feel comfortable and safe in occasional snow. Tread design has a symmetrical pattern with deeper grooves and voids for more rotation options to even out tread wear. But all-season tires are not a substitute for winter tires, which are designed specially for harsh winter weather conditions.
How to shop for used all-season tires?
1. Check-out the seasonal driving regulations of your destination
Everyday driving on all-season tires only suits states with mild weather. The decision to save money on tire changeover can cost you in terms of both fines and safety. Check your state's Department of Transportation official site and see what you can and what you cannot drive on in certain weather conditions. For example, Colorado Department of Transportation makes it clear that in winter conditions, drivers cannot use all-season tires that aren't reinforced with M+S.
2. Decide on the price range
Are you ready to buy new tires or are you open to looking for used tires? Are you going to use them as a spare or a main set? Evaluate your priorities, decide on a figure that you are ready to spend, and then do the initial research online. Utires.com catalogue usually has a pretty good selection of used all-season tires on sale. Lower prices, for example $34,99, will get you a Japanese 205/50R17 Sumitomo HTR A/S P02 93W tire for driving in summer, late spring or autumn and a higher price range would buy a quality tire with better performance characteristics in mild winter conditions.
3. Choose for suitable performance
If you are buying tires for all-year round use, you want a high mileage (80,000 miles) and good traction rating — A or AA. In case of purchasing spares or short-term use tires, choose tires that offer maximum traction and serve you well on both dry and wet roads: their tread design is open with narrower treads.
4. Choose from online or offline selections
All depends on your preferred style of shopping: if you want to learn more about quality tires yourself, it makes sense to shop for new or used rubber online. If you prefer to have a thorough professional consultation — drive to a well-known dealer in the neighborhood. Or just pop-in to Walmart or Costco on a regular shopping day.