Winter Tires 101 at Lexus of Royal Oak
There’s often many debates going around pitting winter tires vs. all season tires, and whether you really do need two sets and dedicated winter tires for the season. At Lexus of Royal Oak we agree that winter tires are a crucial need for optimal performance and safety when the Calgary weather gets snowy and icy. Sure, you might think it’s easier to leave your all-season tires on year-round, but you’re doing a disservice to your vehicle, your safety and of those around you when you don’t switch over to winter tires. There’s a reason why provinces like B.C. and Quebec have mandatory winter tire periods, and while Alberta doesn’t they’re still vitally important in our cold winter climate. To learn a little bit more about why our Tire Centre stresses winter tires so much, read on below.
Winter Tire Features
Acceleration
Turning
Braking
When Should You Put on Winter Tires?
Driving in Calgary, it’s so important to have a set of winter tires to go alongside your regular summer tires, as we often see snow and winter driving conditions for 6 months out of the year. Running all weather tires all year doesn’t give you the proper control and performance that winter tires do, and driving on often frigid Canadian roads means you and your Lexus need the best. The recommended measure for switching over to your snow tires is when the average daily temperatures dip below 7℃. You can follow this same metric, when the temperature rises above that mark, when switching back to your summer tires, and celebrate the warm driving conditions.
Winter Tire Care
If you’ve got winter tires, or are looking at getting them and wanting to make sure you’re keeping proper care of them, we have a few tips you should follow.
- We touched on it above, but it’s so important we’re mentioning it again, make sure to switch out to or from winter tires at the appropriate time. Doing so will help extend the life of both your winter and summer or all-season tires so you can enjoy many seasons on them without having to get new ones due to excessive and unnecessary wear.
- Make certain you’re regularly inspecting your tires, especially the tire pressure. Check your Lexus owner’s manual for the recommended level your tires should be at and keep them at that number. While a seemingly small thing, this can help lower your fuel costs and prevent you from needing more constant service or repair.
- Getting your annual wheel alignment is vital. We all know winter driving in Calgary can do a number on your vehicle with all the bumps, packed snow, ice and debris you travel over, all of which can throw your vehicle’s alignment off. Your tires need to be touching the road at a specific angle, if they don’t it can wear them down more and create rolling resistance. If you feel your vehicle pulling, or it’s just time, get a wheel alignment service done.
There’s a ton of winter tire types out there, and over 16 tire brands, like Goodyear, Pirelli and Bridgestone, that Lexus works with, so come to us at Lexus of Royal Oak so we can get the best tires that work for your Lexus! We can only combat the Calgary winter in so many ways, and at least one way is making sure your Lexus is equipped with the proper tires. Our dealership has winter tires for sale and the technicians with the knowledge and skills to install them for you!
