Benefits of Buying New Tires
Driving is a necessity. It gets you to work, the kids off to school, and the family out on the weekends. However, all of those miles will eventually wear down the tread on your tires, resulting in less performance and reduced safety overall. Les Schwab can help you know when to get new tires. When you do, here are some surprising benefits to a new set of tires for your car, truck, crossover, or SUV.
The Advantages & Benefits of New Tires
Besides the look a new set of tires adds to any vehicle, there are other advantages as well. These include safety, performance, traction, and comfort.
Safety:
The quality of your tires and the overall tread help keep you in control. As tread wears down, your stopping distance increases, and your control of the vehicle can suffer. Learn more about tire tread and when it’s time to buy new tires.
Performance:
Today’s vehicles are incredible machines designed to keep you safely on the road. New tires help achieve optimal performance with added grip and flexibility.
Traction:
New tires increase your grip on the road. That includes cornering, accelerations, and braking on wet and dry pavement.
Noise and Comfort:
Depending on the type of tires and the overall tread pattern, a new set of tires can be both comfortable and quiet. That can be especially true for performance and summer tires designed for high-end SUVs and other vehicles, including electric models.
Do New Tires Help With Gas Mileage?
There are a lot of variables to consider when it comes to new tires and your overall MPG or battery range. Low-rolling-resistance tires may improve things, but there are trade offs. The shallower tread may increase your stopping distance and reduce steering performance — especially on wet roads. On the other hand, choosing tires with added traction and deeper tread for added control and safety will slightly affect fuel and range efficiency. That’s because that tread makes the tires heavier and creates more wind drag.
Top Tires for Fuel/Range Efficiency and Better Gas Mileage
Eco tire options are specifically built for today’s electric and hybrid vehicles. These technological wonders are quiet, have a long tread life, and feature a low rolling resistance for peak mileage and range. If you don’t have an EV or hybrid, performance tires for passenger vehicles, CUVs, and SUVs, are designed to help you hug corners, zip through straightaways, and add safety to every drive while also helping you get the most out of every gallon of gas. Ask the pros at Les Schwab about the best tires for your driving needs, including fuel efficiency and performance.
Looking for ways to improve your overall MPG? We have some top tips to boost your fuel efficiency, whether you drive a truck, hybrid, or fully electric vehicle.
How to Tell When You Need New Tires?
Worn-out tires affect your car’s performance and safety. The pros at Les Schwab can a href="https://www.lesschwab.com/article/tires/how-do-i-know-when-i-need-new-tires.html" title="How to Tell If You Need New Tires">help you decide if you need new tires with a free visual inspection. You can also check your own tires by seeing how close your tread is to the tread wear indicators or “tread wear bars” in the grooves of the tread (see the image above). Simply look for the lowest tread wear point across the tread face of the tire. If the tread on the tire is even with the tread wear bars, it could be time for new tires. Or, check them with some pocket change. We call it the penny tread test.
Take a penny and place it with Lincoln’s head upside down between two ribs on your tire.
If part of the head is covered, your tires are still in good shape.
If you can see his entire head, your tread is worn to 2⁄32 inch or less and it’s time for new tires.
Check various points on the tire — around the circumference and between different ribs — to look for uneven tire wear.
Need New Tires? Let Les Schwab Help
If the tires on your vehicle are more than a few years old, are the same ones that came with the car or truck, or you’re just not sure how much tread is left, stop by your local Les Schwab. We’ll check your tires for free, make recommendations, and get you back on the road safely.