Going on a road trip? Heading to the snow? Chances are you’ll need some new tyres to get you there safely. There are loads of different types of tyres on the market. Here’s our guide to what’s what.

Performance tyres

If you’re after high performance, not longevity, you’ll want performance tyres. They are designed for grip and driving performance, and use softer rubber compounds than your usual tyre. You’ll notice that the tread pattern on the tyre will be an asymmetric pattern – the outside tread is designed to channel water away and the inside pattern offers better handling. Performance tyres are often wider than the normal tyre and are often used on larger rim size wheels.

All-round tyres

Found on most cars, all-round tyres are designed to handle most of the weather and road conditions that motorists encounter. All-round tyres usually sport a rib pattern or a block pattern. Rib pattern groves run from the centre to the outside of the tyre for fast water drainage, giving good traction on wet roads and are suitable for sustained high speeds. A block pattern is common on passenger cars. They have good steering control and stability, as well as good water dispersal, but the tyre wear tends to be heavy.

Wet-weather tyres

Wet weather tyres are especially designed for driving in wet conditions. The tread pattern is deep and designed to move water away from the tyre. The rubber compound is even softer than performance tyres and is designed to heat up quickly and provide more grip on the road.

Snow tyres

Snow tyres are designed for roads with regular snow and ice. The tread pattern is much larger than normal tyres and as a result is much noisier. Snow tyres should only be used in snow and ice conditions as the tyres wear quickly on dry roads.

All-terrain tyres

All-terrain tyres used on 4WD vehicles are designed for handling a wide range of on-road and off-road conditions. They have stiffer sidewalls and larger tread patterns than usual. There are two main groups of all-terrain tyres – soft off-road and off-road tyres. Soft off-road tyres are for driving on sealed roads, and have tread patterns resembling normal car tyres. While they are engineered to be quieter on sealed roads, they are able to handle some off-road conditions like gravel, dirt and sand. Off-road tyres are designed to handle unsealed roads and off-the-beaten track environments. Off-road tyres are noisy and wear quickly on dry, sealed roads.

Truck or van tyres

Tyres used in commercial vehicles have a classic zig zag tread pattern and are designed to offer low rolling resistance and low heat generation, making them ideal for the long distances that commercial vans and trucks travel. The downside of the zig zag pattern includes poor cornering and a lack of grip in wet conditions.

Retreads

Retreads – the removal of the worn tread and replacing it with a new tread pattern – is actually illegal on cars in Australia, but it can still be used on trucks. Today they are used exclusively in truck fleets on the running wheels of the trailers – but they have a tendency to fail without warning.

To get expert advice on which tyre style is best suited to your vehicle and your driving style, speak to your local tyre dealer or motor mechanic today.