Guide to winter tyres
As the colder months approach, it might be a good idea to invest in some winter tyres?
The Cazoo editorial team
Published on 16 October 2025 | 1 min read
When it comes to vehicle maintenance, it’s vital that you make sure your car is up-to-scratch during the winter.
One of the most effective ways to make your car safer is by investing in a set of winter tyres, as they are designed to cope with harsher weather conditions, which makes them more durable and helps your car have much better traction when driving on snow and ice.
So, if you’re thinking about putting some fresh rubber on your vehicle this winter, are winter tyres the best investment? Here is our guide on winter tyres.
What are winter tyres?
The purpose of winter tyres is to provide added traction and grip to your car in colder conditions.
They’re designed to make driving in the winter a lot safer, as standard summer tyres won’t be as effective when road conditions become salty, icy and slippery.
Winter tyres are made up of softer rubber compounds, so it doesn’t harden when the temperature drops. This means that the tyre can stay flexible even when the climate reduces below seven degrees Celsius, which helps improve stopping distances and retains grip when driving around corners.
Winter tyres also feature something called ‘Sipes’, which are narrow cuts that enable water and snow to be dispersed away from the rubber, which helps retain traction when driving on slippery surfaces.
What are the benefits?
The advantages to winter tyres are that they make driving in winter a lot safer.
Your car will have much better grip and traction, whether you’re driving on snow, ice or in wet conditions. Plus, a winter tyre can reduce the chances of you aquaplaning, which is when your car loses traction on a wet road, because the water between the tyres and road surface cannot be removed quickly enough. This can cause the vehicle to lose control and potentially spin out, which could lead to a serious accident.
Also, having winter tyres installed on your car means you don’t need to fit snow chains to your tyres to improve traction. The softer rubber compounds already provide enough grip when driving on snow.
What are the negatives?
The drawbacks of winter tyres are that they do not perform as well as a summer tyre when conditions begin to warm up.
As their name suggests, summer tyres provide better grip and performance in the summer, whereas a winter tyre's construction means that the larger tread patterns and grooves affect the car’s handling, while they also cause more rolling resistance, which reduces fuel economy.
Another issue is that if you plan to remove your winter tyres during the summer, you need to find somewhere to store them, which takes up space.
How much do they cost?
A typical set of winter tyres will cost more than the average summer tyre as they are made up of more rubber compounds and tread patterns.
Also, depending on what car you drive, the tyre size will also affect the costs, and there is a choice of budget, mid-range and premium winter tyres available.
A standard set of budget winter tyres will set you back £50 a corner; however, mid-range tyres will come in at around £110 each and premium rubber will cost you £170 a piece.
In comparison, a budget set of summer tyres will cost you as little as £38 a tyre, while mid-range will cost £60 each, and premium will be around £80 a corner.
What about all-season tyres?
A great alternative are all-season tyres as these combine the best of both worlds with summer and winter tyres.
They are made up of unique tread patterns and wider grooves to allow water to disperse away, as well as featuring Sipes for better grip on snow and ice. Also, the softer rubber still works well in conditions when the temperature drops below seven degrees Celsius.
But, their biggest advantage is that they work well all-year round, regardless of the temperature and road condition. This means you don’t need to worry about swapping over your tires depending on the season, which makes it cheaper and they are just as hard-wearing and long-lasting, too.
Where is the best place to store winter tyres?
If you do decide to invest in winter tyres, but you want to swap them for a pair of summer tyres when the winter period is over, you’ll need to find somewhere to store them.
The best place is somewhere away from the outdoor elements, with a garage or shed the best preference.
If you decide to leave them outside, make sure they are covered up and protected as the tyres exposed to the elements can cause the rubber to weaken over time.
Also, keep the tyres away from direct sunlight, as this can also lead to premature damage on the rubber. And, if you do keep them indoors, make sure there is enough ventilation and that the tyre is nice and clean, as they will have been exposed to salt, mud and grime, which could also damage them over time.