When the time has come for a new set of tires, drivers have specific needs based on their driving habits, the roads through which they travel more often, and their durability.

What would you be looking for?

The longest tread life? High performance and excellent handling in all weather conditions? A quiet and soft drive? Tires that improve gas mileage? Or, all of these!
Sorry, but the answer is No. You won’t be getting all of the above. There is a compromise and you have to accept it. Each type of tire was designed with drivers’ specific needs in mind.

Here are the things that tire engineers consider when they are designing the tires:

Tires for traction (for supercars like Lamborghini & hypercars like LaFerrari)

Special tire compounds are used to make high traction tires that really grab the asphalt – making it easy for sharp cornering and fast or even harsh braking. If you are a fast and furious driver, these traction tires are definitely for you! However, more road grabbing means faster tread wear of the tire.

Tires for handling (for sporty drives)

With a bit stiffer sidewalls, the handling becomes more precise. However, stiffer sidewalls mean less flexible tires, the ride is a little less smooth and road noise becomes louder.

Tires for high performance (for performance cars like the Mercedes-AMG GT R PRO)

The contact patch is the place where tires meet the road. The contact patch is more on High Rolling Resistance tires, there is more friction between the tires and the road. The bigger the patch, the better performance, but also the lesser you will obtain on gas mileage. The more road grabbing and resistance, the slower the car will travel, and the more you will need to accelerate to travel at your habitual speed.

Tires with long tread life

You are on a budget and you want tires that will last more than 80,000 miles. However, such tires have a kind of stiffer and less flexible tread, so they do not grip as well as those high traction tires mentioned above. Hankook OPTIMO H727 is one tire that offers great tread life and a 100,000-mile warranty!

Tires for fuel efficiency

Low rolling resistance tires help to save fuel. These are rounder and softer than regular tires. The contact patch is smaller, it grabs less road, rolls easier, which demands lesser acceleration to reach your habitual speed and therefore you get better gas mileage.

If you are looking for a tire shop that does it all from tire installation and rotation to wheel alignment in Scarborough, Gilman Sport is the place to go.

The bottom line

The most important element when shopping for new tires is not the price, but the features that will convene to you on a daily basis.