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All-Terrain vs. Highway Tires: The Main Differences
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All-Terrain vs. Highway Tires: The Main Differences
Looking at the market, it’s clear that SUVs are beginning to dominate it, and as much as I’m not a fan of those, I can understand why people would buy them. Roomy interior, softer suspension, and off-road capabilities are a few reasons why an SUV would be an attractive choice for some. Considering that we’re talking about a different vehicle type, the tires won’t be the same as with a passenger car.To get more news about best on/off road tires, you can visit gofortunetire.com official website.
While there are some overlaps in terms of the sizes, for the most part, SUVs or even CUVs are in a different class. You may have noticed that manufacturers sometimes have the same model in a passenger variant and an SUV one. The reason is that there are some differences in the compound and construction and often in the application.
As you know, an SUV or a light truck can be taken off-roading, something a passenger cannot do. It means that you’re looking at a vehicle type that offers a flexible driving experience, but that also means that you’ll need different tires.The type of tires you’ll get will depend on your driving habits, and today we have another comparison – all-terrain vs. highway tires. In some instances, there are a few similarities, while in others, they are completely different tires.
All-Terrain vs. Highway Tires
All-terrain tires are the industry’s answer to offering one model that can be driven in multiple conditions. Essentially, these tires have off-road capability but are also good on the road. Combining both means you’ll sacrifice a bit of performance in the most extreme situations, something that some people will be fine with.
In many ways, highway tires are like touring tires for CUVs, SUVs, and light trucks. They are designed for road use, so you will be getting a well-refined tire that can perform well in the conditions it’s intended for. As a result, you won’t be getting any off-road performance, at least not usable one.
Even though I have explained before, I’ll explain again for the sake of this comparison. All-terrain tires, by definition, are models designed to be driven on multiple terrains, covering road and off-road usage. While you are getting excellent flexibility from a single set of tires, you should keep in mind that the performance won’t be on the same level as with dedicated ones.
All-terrain tires will be perfectly fine for most people, but I need to outline their weaknesses. Tires designed for multiple applications or conditions usually struggle with the more extreme situations, and these are no exception.
On the road, all-terrain tires will be fine for most drivers. The performance is good, braking distances are short, and the ride quality is good, which is the positive side. On the negative, when compared with road-going tires, you won’t be getting as much in almost all metrics. The aggressive tread pattern means the noise levels will be a bit higher. For driving and handling, I wouldn’t say it’s terrible, but don’t expect wonders or sporty-like driving.
In most cases, all-terrain tires are M+S rated, so mud and snow performance are available on the table. As all-season tires, you will get usable performance in lighter snow conditions, but again, don’t expect them to be as good as proper winter tires. Some models are 3PMSF rated, so you can get slightly better performance in winter.
The same average performance goes for off-road performance as well. All-terrain tires do a good job in off-road situations when compared with road-going tires. With that said, they fall short when compared with proper off-road tires. I have analyzed the differences between all-terrain and mud-terrain tires, so you can check that out if you want to learn more.
The name sort of gives it away, so you probably have a good idea what kind of tires these are. Highway tires are essentially touring tires for larger vehicles. As such, they are intended for road use primarily, delivering excellent performance and a well-refined experience. This means that you shouldn’t expect any kind of off-road performance, maybe a bit on a dirt road, but only if you must.