How to Choose Winter Tires for Your Lexus
October 14 2020, Lexus Laval
October is well underway, and slowly but surely, winter is approaching. Now is the time to prepare your Lexus for the coming colder months, starting with fitting your winter tires.
It’s not too early!
During the fall months of October and November, cooler temperatures make all-season and summer tires less efficient; below 7◦C, the rubber hardens and loses its flexibility and grip. By making the change early in the season, drivers often benefit from better choice and price, plus being able to drive safely without fear of unexpected snow storms.
Like any major purchase, it is recommended that you shop around, compare, and get different reviews and prices on the product you are looking for. Whether it's the comments of other drivers, the opinions of industry columnists, or the advice of your Lexus specialist, there are many valid sources of information.
Swapping your tires early comes with another advantage; you will skip the tire rush, making the experience seamless.
The different types of tires
Despite the mind-boggling amount of models and variations available, winter tires come in different types, such as snow tires and ice tires. The line between the two categories is sometimes blurred, because the majority of the models offered have features that come from both categories.
Some will have more grooves to allow water to escape and small studs in close blocks. While others tires have rather large blocks of studs and their rubber is a little harder, offering a longer lifespan.
Studded tires offer exceptional acceleration grip and braking capabilities on ice, but require extra vigilance on pavement free of snow and ice, wet or at high speed. It goes without saying that the studs provide a very noisy ride on an open road and necessarily, this is a tire model that is more expensive, but which in general offers a little longer life.
It is noteworthy that studded tires are only authorized between October 15 and May 1, and that some parking lots simply refuse access to them at all times, due to the premature wear and damage it can do to the surface.
Each tire model is perfect for a specific type of vehicle and driver. In order to enjoy your Lexus with peace of mind this winter, talk to one of our service advisors to find the model that's right for your Lexus.
