What's the Difference Between Touring and Performance All Season tires?

Did you know there are different levels of performance for all-season tires? Yes, you can get a single set of tires and enjoy excellent grip all year long. But how do you know which tire to choose? What’s the difference between touring and performance all-season tires?

We’ve talked before about the differences between summer and winter tires. Different rubber compounds are optimized to be soft and grippy, but still durable, in different seasons. But you can also find different levels of performance within that season, and within the all-season category, which is a happy middle ground between summer and winter compounds.
All-season tires are perfect for an area like Carrollton, which doesn’t get cold enough to justify a second set of tires for the winter. But even within the all-season category, you have performance options. Let’s take a closer look at the difference between high performance all-season tires and touring all-season tires.

Touring All Season

Touring is an old term from the beginning of cars themselves. In the early days, it referred to a convertible, or any car without a fixed roof. But another aspect of a “tourer” was that it had at least four seats. A touring car was prized for its comfort and luxury compared to a runabout, which was much smaller, lighter, and cheaper.
The term has since expanded to include any performance car you can comfortably spend a long time driving. If you’ve seen the letters “GT” on the highest trim level of a sports car, now you know what the “T” stands for. Well, actually, “GT” is Italian, standing for “Gran Turismo,” but it’s translated “Grand Touring.”

So what does this have to do with tires? As different tire types were codified, touring tires became the term for tires that were quiet and comfortable, just like touring cars.
Touring tires are usually the best choice for daily driving. They’re designed to hold up well, perform in every weather condition, and provide a quiet, comfortable ride for your commute. They feature an all-season compound designed to remain both stable and grippy in hot and cold temperatures, as well as plenty of grip to handle wet weather with ease. They also tend to cost less in general than high performance all-season tires.

Performance All Season

The first thing tire manufacturers do to improve a tire’s performance is to soften the compound. Softer tire compounds provide sports cars with extra grip, which is crucial to getting the most out of a powerful car. After all, you could have all the power in the world, but you won’t get going very fast if you’re just spinning your tires.

But a softer compound isn’t an option with all-season tires. They would degrade too quickly in hot weather, and spin too much in cold weather. So instead, they’ll start to adjust the tread pattern. Performance tires tend to have wider tread blocks, with less space between them. In lieu of a softer compound, engineers design a greater contact patch between the tire and the pavement. That means fewer, narrower grooves. 
So what’s the downside? This larger contact patch makes more friction, which is good. But friction brings heat, which wears down tires faster. Wider tread blocks are also less grippy in water, tending to skip across the surface of the water, rather than punch down through it like the tread blocks on touring tires would.
Performance all-season tires are great for occasional, dry weather driving, but aren’t necessarily suited to daily driving duties. If you have a second car, a fun, fast “weekender,” performance tires might be the perfect fit. Of course, any car can be fun if you drive it aggressively. If you’re a more spirited driver on your daily commute, you’ll probably enjoy the extra grip of a performance tire. Just be aware that you may have to replace them more often. 

Your all-season tire choice will depend on your driving style, needs, and budget. Whatever tires you choose, be sure to choose Zohr to install them. Order online, and one of our mobile tire service vehicles will be dispatched to your location of choice.