Touring Tires vs. Performance Tires for Your Car and Driving Style

Few car parts work harder than your tires — these components deal with constant friction and stress while helping you get from point A to point B. But because of that strain, most tires wear out after three to five years of use. At that point, you’ll need to visit a tire shop to buy replacement tires.

While this is a necessary part of being a responsible driver, it’s also an opportunity to explore different tire options. If you’re interested in switching to a new tire type, there’s a good chance you’ve heard about performance and touring tires. With our expert guidance, you’ll be able to determine whether one of these tire varieties would be a good fit for your situation.

Touring Tires: A Closer Look

Whether you’re constantly running errands or you enjoy regular road trips, touring tires are an excellent choice for drivers who are always on the road. More specifically, these tires work well with passenger vehicles like SUVs, minivans, and sedans.

Touring tires are distinguished by their reasonably wide treads. Because of their design, these tires make more contact with the road than some wheels do. They also provide a comfortable ride experience, minimal noise, even tread wear, and balanced handling. And since the majority of North American touring tires are all-season tires, you’ll be able to use them year-round — even if you spend the winter in a part of the country that gets more snow than the Inland Empire.

Understanding Performance Tires

On the other hand, performance tires live up to their name — they deliver short stopping distances and tight cornering. Performance tires are able to provide this level of functionality thanks to their unique tread patterns, rubber compounds, and construction methods. These tires are often seen on sports cars, luxury cars, racing-style cars, and other high-end vehicles.

Most performance tires are suitable for use in wet and dry summer weather conditions. However, these wheels aren’t perfect — they lag behind other tire types in terms of life span, noise levels, and gas mileage.

Which Tire Variety Is Right for You?

Are you trying to decide whether you should buy performance tires or touring tires at your local tire shop? If so, be sure to consider factors such as:

• The level of responsiveness you want. If you drive in conditions where you need the best possible responsiveness and handling, performance tires are probably right for you. On the other hand, you won’t need this level of performance if you primarily use your car for errands and travel.
• How much all-season driving matters to you. Touring and performance tires can both work well in wet and dry weather, but touring tires tend to do better when it comes to all-season driving.
• The comfort level you’re looking for. Since touring tires make more surface contact with the road than performance tires do, they can offer a more comfortable ride experience.
• How much you value gas mileage. Though performance tires deliver phenomenal handling, this comes at the expense of gas mileage. If you’re looking to save as much as possible on fuel, touring tires are your best bet.
• The life span of your new wheels. Performance tires offer a high level of control, but you’ll have a harder time controlling their wear rate. (That is to say, touring tires will usually last longer than performance tires.)

Other Noteworthy Tire Varieties

While touring and performance tires are well-known tire options, neither of these tire types is a “one-size-fits-all” choice. Because of that, you’ll also want to consider tire types such as:

Snow Tires

While all-season tires can cope with light snowfall, they aren’t the best fit for intense winter weather. Instead, you’ll need snow tires for these conditions — these tires use specialized rubber that won’t harden in the cold.

Mud Tires

If you’re a big fan of off-roading, mud tires may be worth looking into. These tires offer extremely deep treads designed with mud and other unpaved surfaces in mind.

All-Terrain Tires

While mud tires are excellent for off-roading, they deliver reduced performance in regular driving environments. If you’re looking for a balance between driving on and off paved roads, all-terrain tires may be just what you need.

Finding a Tire Shop You Can Trust

Whether you want touring tires, performance tires, or an entirely different tire variety, you’ll need to buy these wheels from a tire shop you can truly rely on. At Ramona Tire & Service Centers, we pride ourselves on being that shop for Southern California residents thanks to our:

• ASE-certified mechanics. No technicians are more qualified than those with ASE certification, so we exclusively hire these mechanics to work in our shops.
• Money-saving opportunities. Instead of overcharging our customers for tires, we provide affordable prices — and then help people save even more with coupons and financing options.
• Unbeatable customer service. When you buy tires at a local shop like Ramona Tire, you’ll get service from people who genuinely care about you.

Are you looking to benefit from these advantages and others while buying new tires? If you are, book an appointment or explore our tire catalog online!