It’s Spring and You’re Wondering: Did I Really Need Winter Tires This Year? Continental’s SecureContact AW Says Maybe Not
New tire compounds and designs might just eliminate the need for winter tires.
It’s the one rite of Spring no one looks forward to: Making an appointment at the tire shop to swap your winter tires for all-seasons. But of course, you don’t want to drive on your winter tires all summer; they’re uncomfortable, create a rougher ride and they’ll last fewer winters when you really need them.
Continental Tire gets you. Isn’t it amazing that even the tire experts don’t look forward to the Fall and Spring tire swap? But they understand so completely that they’ve created a tire that might just eliminate the need for winter tires. It’s called the SecureContact AW and it might change how you think about tires for good.
This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.
A True All-Weather Tire That Outlasts The Seasons
This is the holy grail of tire-buying for people who live in places with a solid change of seasons: Snow and ice in winter, rain and mud in Spring and miles of glorious driving in Summer and Fall.
And it could be the perfect solution for people who live in warmer climates but like to road trip to colder places in the winter, such as a Texas-to-Colorado ski house or a Florida-to-North Carolina winter retreat. A Los Angeles-to-Big Bear commute could literally ruin your winter tires, which you’ll need climbing those mountain roads.
But maybe the bigger incentive to create the perfect all weather tire is the fact that winter tire swap rates are incredibly low. In places like Canada where snow and ice are a certain winter condition, winter tires are required by law. But in the US, 70% of Americans live in places with regular snowfall, yet less than 10% actually commit to a winter tire swap. Some decide to just white-knuckle through the winter months, others forget, and yet others don’t have the budget for an extra set of tires that can cost $600 or more before installation.
So Continental set out to create a tire that can perform as well in snow and slush as it can in rain and on hot pavement. The result is the SecureContact AW tire.
Read: Solid Footing for What the Road Throws Your Way: Michelin CrossClimate2, the Truly All Weather Tire Review
‘All Weather’ Is Not The Same As ‘All Season’ or All Wheel Drive
A lot of drivers think they are covered for winter driving with all-season tires and all-wheel drive. And they may be, for the most part. Personally I think, based on experience, that every car on the road should have all wheel drive; your car is a lot more accurate and assured in any road condition that isn’t ideal: Rutted roads, slippery gravel, heavy rain and of course, snow and slush (I’m not including ice in any of these conditions; ice has its own set of conditions and generally should be avoided at all costs).
All season tires give you basic capability in snow and slush in that its wider, more pliable tread can act somewhat like a winter tire, packing snow into the tire’s tread for extra traction. However, capability begins to fall off at temperatures below 40 degrees and more than a dusting of snow. They are not capable in a true snowstorm or in freezing temperatures.
Read: What to Know About Tires Before You Buy
The Magic Of All Weather Tires: Tread Patterns and Pliable Compounds
Over the last few years tire makers have discovered that by changing up some of the typical components of a tire recipe—tread pattern and rubber compounds—they can create a tire that lasts longer in all seasons, acts like a winter tire in most snow conditions and performs like a good all-season tire the rest of the year. And, they eliminate the need to install winter tires for most drivers.
Continental Tire’s SecureContact AW tire, with its interlocking, inward pointing tread pattern, is so effective that it’s accepted in Canada as a winter tire, one of the first that can be driven in all seasons in most of the country.
Read: Should You Buy New Tires From Your Car Dealer? Maybe… Here’s How to Tell
All Weather Tires Have Even More Benefits
And then, there are unintended benefits to this new tire recipe: an end to the need to rotate tires to ensure even wear. The new tread pattern is designed to wear evenly all year—as long as the car’s suspension is aligned.
So buyers will know that everything is performing as designed, Continental embedded indicators in the tire tread that show how a tire is performing. These indicators can be found on the tire tread: a visible “S,” “D” and “W” icon show that the tire is capable in snow, wet and dry conditions. If they wear down and disappear, so does the tire’s capability in that condition.
Buyers will also find wear bars that indicate if a car’s suspension is out of alignment. Three bars on the outer edges of each tire will wear down if the car needs a re-alignment.
Another benefit? A nice long warranty. Continental gives the SecureContact AW tires a 60,000 mile warranty and provides roadside assistance, road hazard coverage and even trip interruption insurance if owners run into an issue with the tires.
Read: Are All-Season and All-Weather Tires the Same? Turns Out, No. How to Tell What You Need, By Car Type and Conditions
A Premium Tire, Yes, But You Can Buy Them At Costco
Continental works to make sure their tires are available from most major retailers, so you’ll find them at Tire Rack, local tire shops and even Costco. Sizes run from 15” to 20” and fit all cars, SUVs, light trucks and even EVs. Prices start at about $199 a tire, but you might find a good deal on them this Spring at Costco or other retailers with tire specials.
And then you can delete your fall tire swap reminder on your calendar and replace it with a leaf-peeping trip; you’ll have saved money on your winter tire swap and have tires that are capable in case of a freak fall snow squall (And I’ve been there! Recently even!).
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