Tires are the only point of contact between your vehicle and the roads you drive it on, so you want to make sure you pick the best tire for your car! There are countless types of tires to consider in this day and age, let alone individual models in those categories. When it comes down to touring tires, we’ll break down everything you need to know.
Touring tires are designed to support drivers no matter the season or the length of their journey. The wide, long-lasting tread design on touring tires ensures that you can drive it all season long, even on some snowy and muddy surfaces. Touring tires give you more control over the handling of your vehicle, all while delivering a comfortable and quiet ride.
It can be an overwhelming process when you’re deciding which type of tires you are going to get for your vehicle! With the sheer number of options available from the world’s top tire manufacturers, you want to make sure that you make the right decision for your needs. In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about touring tires before you invest in your next set of tires!
A Brief Guide to the World of Tires
If you’re in the market for a new set of tires, you understand how overwhelming it can seem! From dedicated seasonal tires to all-season tires and everything in between, there are many different types of tires to choose from. Once you’ve determined the type of tire you’re looking for, it’s time to choose a specific tire that’s best for your needs!
Today, many vehicles have all-season tires. These tires are designed to handle a variety of different weather conditions, especially for vehicle owners in regions with moderate climates. The first all-season tire was released in 1977 by The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and, since then, it has become a common choice for many vehicle owners.
For those who live in regions with temperature extremes – whether that’s the freezing cold or scorching heat – there are dedicated seasonal tires. Winter tires are designed for those who need to regularly drive on snowy and icy roads. Summer tires, on the other hand, can handle a variety of conditions on the roads.
Like all-season tires, summer tires are also commonly used by motorists in regions that do not experience a true winter. However, there’s another tire that fits this description: touring tires. Like the aforementioned tire types, touring tires are designed to provide you with trustworthy all-season traction while providing more responsive handling.
No matter which type of tire you’re looking for, you want to ensure you make the right decision when you’re looking for your next set of tires. This can feel overwhelming due to the sheer number of types – let alone individual models – that are available from the leading tire manufacturers.
When you are looking to replace the tires of your vehicle, you want to ensure you get the right type of tire for the conditions you will primarily be driving in. This will help ensure that your tires have a long lifespan. Buying the incorrect type of tires for your driving needs can lead to the early failure of your tires.
Tires are also an important consideration to make for your own safety on the road. Due to the fact that tires are the only point of contact between your car and the road, you want to be confident your tires are not making your vehicle unsafe! Damaged tires can be extremely dangerous to drive with and can even lead to an accident. In general, tires can last up to 50,000 miles, but you might need to replace them sooner depending on any damage they may have incurred over that time period.
By replacing your tires with suitable new tires, you help ensure your own safety in one regard for the foreseeable future. In this sense, the price of new tires can be a small price to pay for your own personal safety and peace of mind, as well as the safety of other drivers on the road.
Picture this: you’re driving in traffic when suddenly someone swerves into your lane in front of you. If you had been driving in a vehicle with damaged tires, there’s a high probability you would be in a motor vehicle accident in this hypothetical situation. However, if you had new touring tires, for example, when another driver swerved into your lane, you might be able to respond in time. With damaged tires, you might not have that option.
Not only will you have more peace of mind while driving, but you’ll be able to notice a difference in the performance of your vehicle. New tires, especially when you’ve chosen the right new tires for your vehicle, can drastically improve the performance of your vehicle. You’ll quite literally feel the difference when you drive! The quality of your tire directly corresponds with the quality of your drive.
What Are Touring Tires?
In general, touring tires are designed to deliver a smooth, comfortable ride that gives you more responsive handling when you’re driving. Touring tires are jacks of all trades, designed to support you no matter what!
Many drivers use touring tires when they need to travel long distances on the road. These tires are great for road trips, not only because they provide a smooth and quiet ride but because they’re designed to last. When you’re on a long road trip, you never know what the weather or road may throw at you, but with touring tires, you’ll always be prepared.
Touring tires are not the same as standard all-season tires, but they can still support you all-season long! This eliminates the need for dedicated seasonal tires, especially in regions with moderate climates. There are touring tire options available on the market that are both mud and snow-rated.
Touring tires are famous for their wide tread designs, especially when compared to other types of tires. The wider tread utilized by touring tires means that they make more contact with the road in terms of surface area. This allows it to be such a versatile tire option, ready to take on a variety of conditions on the road.
We haven’t even mentioned the vast number of unique technologies used by tire manufacturers in crafting the perfect touring tires for their customers. From improved tread designs that are designed to last to technology that ensures your ride is quiet, there are many touring options available on the market that are backed up with groundbreaking technology.
When you invest in new tires, you want to make sure they take you all the way, time and time again. When you invest in touring tires, you’ll have peace of mind in terms of your car’s capabilities. Tires are an important aspect of that peace of mind, especially when you consider the fact that they’re the only point of contact between your vehicle and the road.
Not only are touring tires designed to support you all season long, no matter the length of your journey, but they’re also designed to give you more control over your vehicle’s handling. When you’re driving, whether it’s just to work or on a road trip with your loved ones, you want to feel in control of their vehicle. By picking the right touring tire for your vehicle, you can boost your confidence on the road.
There are many fantastic touring tire options available from the world’s biggest tire manufacturers. That means that you’re sure to find the perfect touring tires for your vehicle. Touring tires are especially great considerations when for sedans, SUVs, minivans, as well as other passenger vehicles.
The Reasons You Need New Tires
Before you ask whether you need touring tires, first ask why you need new tires in the first place! The reason you need new tires isn’t because one type of tire is better than another; different tires serve different purposes. As discussed earlier, you want to ensure you get the best tire for the conditions you will be driving in.
The reason you need new tires comes down to the little ways our tires get damaged without us realizing it. As mentioned earlier, tires typically last around 50,000 miles. However, there are numerous ways the lifespan of your tires can be reduced without you realizing it. By understanding the factors that play a role in reducing the lifespan of tires, you can help prevent tire damage.
If you’re about to invest in a new set of touring tires, this list will help you get every mile out of those new tires!
5 Ways Your Tires Are Being Damaged
There are many reasons your tire – or tires – might need to be replaced due to damage. Being aware of these reasons can help protect your tires from unnecessary damage in the future. This will allow you to get a long lifespan out of your new tires.
#1 You’re Under- or Overinflating Your Tires
Most modern cars come with a weight load to tire pressure ratio that should be followed. This information can either be found on the inside of the driver’s door in your vehicle on a sticker. Alternatively, you’ll be able to find these details in the car’s manual.
When a car’s tires are overinflated, you can damage the shape and structure of your vehicle’s tire. This can cause the tire to wear in certain areas and can lead to the premature failure of a tire.
If you underinflate your vehicle’s tire, you cause more of the tire’s surface area to be exposed while you’re driving. This results in more friction, which in turn results in a buildup in heat. This, too, like overinflating, can lead to the failure of a tire that is in otherwise good shape.
For these two reasons, it is important to regularly check your tire pressure and to adhere to the recommended ratio of weight load to tire pressure.
#2 You’re Overloading Your Vehicle
The tires on your vehicle come with a specific load capacity. Your tire’s load capacity refers to the weight your tires can safely carry. You should familiarize yourself with the load capacity of your tire to ensure you don’t overload your car – this could damage your tires.
When a tire’s load capacity is exceeded, it can cause an excess buildup of heat. As discussed above, in terms of underinflating a tire, the buildup of heat can be detrimental to the lifespan of your tire.
#3 You’re Not Driving Properly
A car is only as good as its driver. Driving poorly can result in your tires paying the price (and you, when you need to replace them). When you are driving, your tires play a very crucial role. In fact, they’re the only point of contact between your vehicle and the road. Due to this, bad driving can damage that point of tires, i.e., your tires.
Braking in your vehicle too quickly can lead to the premature failure of tires. When your tires move over a dry surface while you are braking, especially when braking sharply, you inadvertently wear out the tread on your tire. Not only can this lead to the need to replace one or numerous tires, but it can also lead to an accident while driving.
#4 You’re Not Regularly Getting Your Tires Checked
Problems have a knack for getting worse when ignored. The same is true for tires! As mentioned earlier, most vehicle tires need to be checked once annually once the tires are older than five years. If you are not getting your vehicle’s tires checked regularly, they will be susceptible to damage.
Furthermore, you should not always wait for the five-year mark to get your tires checked. There are many factors that could impact the lifespan of your tire. If you get a puncture and ignore it, it will get worse in time. If you notice your tires feel different while driving or hear any strange noises, you should get your tire checked out for your own peace of mind!
#5 You’re Driving on Damaged Roads
Sometimes it’s not you; it’s the road! If you’re regularly driving on rather steep roads, on roads littered with potholes, or over many bumps and speed ramps, your tires are likely getting damaged without you necessarily being aware of it!
While you are unfortunately not in control of the state of the roads you need to drive on, you can practice more vigilance when driving. For example, you should try and avoid driving with your tire directly over a pothole wherever possible.
The Best Touring Tires Today
Now that you know what to avoid when driving in order to protect your new tires, we’re ready to help you pick your new tires! With countless tire options available from the world’s leading tire manufacturers, it can seem difficult to find the right one. If you’re looking for a set of touring tires for your vehicle, we’ve broken down the top tire options from the leading manufacturers.
Bridgestone
Here’s the best touring tire from Bridgestone, Japan’s largest tire manufacturer and the largest manufacturer of tires in the world!
Turanza QuietTrack Touring All Season Tires
This touring tire from Bridgestone
was designed with the most popular cars of today in mind. These tires are designed to provide you with a smooth, quiet drive – and a long one at that. Provided you look after your tires – by not doing what we discussed earlier in this article – these tires can last you 80,000 miles.
This all-season tire is not only designed to last; it’s designed to give you a 20% improvement in terms of wet traction and a 44% increase in traction on snowy surfaces over the previous Turanza generation. All of that with the technology to back it up: these tires feature Bridgestone’s QuietTrack, ComfortCruise, HydroTrack, and EdgePerformance technologies.
Michelin
Here are some of the best touring tire options from Michelin, the world’s second-largest tire manufacturer and the biggest in France!
Latitude Tour
This tire from Michelin is designed with the driver in mind! This low rolling resistant tire is designed to make your ride a fuel-efficient one. Michelin estimates that you’ll save up to 82 gallons of fuel over the lifetime of these tires. They’re also covered for 65,000 miles and have a six-year Standard Limited Warranty.
The Latitude Tour tire stops 5% shorter than its predecessor, thanks to a unique rubber compound and the wide groove tread design. This tire also features Michelin’s Comfort Control technology that will reduce noise and vibrations from the road to give you a smooth ride every time. This tire is a great touring option for your consideration!
Primacy Tour
This tire from Michelin is the chosen tire by many leading premium and luxury carmakers. A tire for a premium car deserves a premium warranty – and with a 90,000-mile warranty, Michelin has got your back. These tires will deliver a smooth ride due to the unique tread design, making them the quietest tread designed when compared to their competitors.
The latest generation of Michelin’s Primacy Tour tires also features 17% better traction in snowy conditions without sacrificing any performance. This tire is sure to provide you with peace of mind on the road, no matter the conditions. Statistics show that one in every four premium vehicles that are sold in North America is equipped with Michelin tires. You could be that one!
Goodyear
Here’s the best touring tire option from Goodyear, the largest United States tire manufacturer and third overall largest in the world!
Eagle Touring
This tire is designed to provide you with luxury performance. Goodyear has optimized the contact area of this tire to the road, which will give you more responsiveness from your steering. This means you’ll feel more confident handling your vehicle – all season long.
This tire is designed to provide you with a smooth, reliable drive, no matter the conditions on the road. Whether you’re driving in wet or snowy conditions or in dry conditions, these touring tires have got you covered. Your drives will be quiet, too, thanks to Goodyear’s optimized tread pattern.
Continental
Here’s the best touring tire option from Continental, Germany’s largest tire manufacturer!
TrueContact Tour
This touring tire from Continental is not only designed to support you during every season – it’s designed to last! This touring tire is a great option for both passenger cars and crossovers, an option sure to give you peace of mind on the road. Especially when you consider the technology!
Due to Continental’s Eco Plus technology, you’re guaranteed to save on fuel during the lifetime of these touring tires! That lifetime also happens to be all season long, with shorter stopping distances on wet roads.
The tread has also been optimized to last longer in these touring tires. Not only that but there are Quick View indicators embedded in the tread of these tires. Using these indicators, you’ll be able to monitor your tires’ performance with ease.
All of that, and you’ll also be backed up by Continental’s Total Confidence Plan warranty. That means that you’ll be eligible for the customer satisfaction trial, access to roadside assistance in the case of a flat tire, tread wear-out coverage, and more.
Sumitomo
Here’s the best touring tire option from Sumitomo, Japan’s second-largest tire manufacturer!
Touring LS
Sumitomo’s Touring LS tires are designed to upgrade your ride! This touring tire is suitable for all-season use, on the highway, and even in mud and snow. The Touring LS tire is truly a jack of all trades when it comes down to the features you want from your tires.
This mud and snow rated tire features Sumitomo’s unique tread technology, which improves the handling of your vehicle. The versatility of these tires is due to an innovative carbon tread compound that was used in their production. This compound improves the performance of the tires, the lifespan of the tire’s tread, and the tire’s traction on wet surfaces.
This tire option from Sumitomo is a great one to consider! This tire was not only designed to improve the overall performance of your tires in a variety of road conditions but it was also designed with the maximum long-term durability of the tire in mind.
When you invest in these tires, you’ll be covered for two years with 24-hour roadside assistance if something were to happen to your tires! Depending on the size and rating of the specific tire you get from this range, you’ll be covered for up to 65,000 miles with the Treadwear Warranty.
Conclusion
Touring tires are just one of the many types of tires available on the market today. These tires are designed to support you all-season long, no matter the length of the journey you’re going on. Whether you’re simply driving around the block to the shop or planning a road trip across the country, touring tires will give you a smooth, quiet, and confident ride every time.
There are many fantastic touring tire options available from the world’s leading tire manufacturers. These tires come equipped with a multitude of technologies that can do everything from helping you save on fuel over the lifespan of the tires to giving you an easy way to monitor the performance of your tires with built-in tread indicators.
Tires are a critical component when it comes down to the overall performance of your vehicle when you’re on the road. By investing in the right tires for your vehicle and your needs, you are investing in the performance of your vehicle. The right set of touring tires can allow you fully realize the potential of your ride when you’re on the road – no matter where that road takes you.