The right tires can make a big difference in performance, safety and fuel economy, especially on winter roads.
They’re the automotive equivalent of Rodney Dangerfield, but while tires typically “get no respect,’ they should, because arguably no single part of your car has a bigger influence over matters ranging from performance to mileage – and especially your safety.
Today’s car is a high-tech wonder, with some models featuring more than a dozen different computer systems onboard. Yet the tire is decidedly low-tech, or so you might think. In reality, rubber companies have invested billions into computer-aided design and manufacturing systems designed to improve the performance of those four black donuts at the corners of your car.
The latest designs last far longer than the tires of a generation ago. They also achieve the seemingly impossible: giving you both a better grip on the road while reducing what the industry calls “rolling resistance.” In layman’s terms, that translates into better mileage.
In the wake of the Firestone/Ford fiasco, in which 280 deaths were linked to tire failures on Explorer SUVs, federal regulators ordered the use of tire pressure monitoring systems designed to alert motorists when tires lose pressure.
That’s useful from a safety standpoint, but there’s another reason to make sure your tires are properly inflated, as President Barack Obama pointed out during his campaign for the White House. Under-inflated tires can reduce the fuel economy of your vehicle by 10%t or more.
Meanwhile, another step to ensure tire safety was taken with the creation of a new national registry, which makes it easier to alert customers in case of another major tire recall. The good news is that tire manufacturers and their dealers are required, under law, to ensure that customers are registered.
Meanwhile, a new tire rating system – similar to the one that alerts a buyer to a tire’s maximum speed – lets you compare different brands and models to see which delivers the best fuel economy.
In recent decades, most American motorists have switched to so-called “all-season” tires, which are suitable for driving most of the year. But there’s a slow but steady revival of the old-fashioned snow tire, primarily in northern and mountain states. Again, new technology is paying off with unique designs that can stop on snow and ice almost as effectively as dry pavement.
The Bridgestone Blizzak is perhaps the best known of these new winter tires. Its surface is covered with pinhead-sized openings that whisk away the microscopic layer of water that covers road ice. That allows the tire to make better contact and improve traction.
So give those tires a little respect. They do a lot for you and don’t ask much in return. But picking the right tire and taking the occasional moment to maintain it is a great way to ensure your car delivers maximum safety, mileage and performance.
Here are a few tire essentials that will improve your car’s safety, performance and fuel economy:
Tires are more than just black rubber donuts. They play a critical role in a car’s safety, performance and mileage, so make sure you’re using the right tires for your vehicle;
Consider switching to the latest snow-and-ice tires, rather than all-season tires, if you live or drive in a cold, snowy environment;
It’s best to run the same type of tire on all four wheels. Never mix tires on the same axle. And don’t ride on a mini-spare any longer than you have to before replacing it with a standard tire;
Replace worn tires, those with badly worn treads and those that show excess wear to the sidewalls;
Check tire inflation regularly. Under-inflation is a fast way to wear out tires fast, and you could lose 10% of more of your fuel economy.