#TireReview

When it comes time to buy replacement tires for your family vehicle, the choices are seemingly endless.

All-season traction, enhanced fuel economy and the toughness to shrug off punishing abuse are challenges not every tire is up to. Even fewer can deliver all of this along with extended tread life and smooth on-road performance.

I’m a firm believer that there’s no such thing as an all-season or all-weather tire.

Continental is no small player in the automotive world, but still sits outside the top three when it comes to new tire sales in the U.S. With its new TrueContact all-season tire, it means to take on top dogs like Bridgestone, Michelin and Goodyear.

There’s a growing segment in the tire world: ultra high-performance (UHP) all season tires.

We’ve attended a lot of tire events over the years. It’s always the same old thing when a manufacturer wants to show off the latest and greatest rubber. Three things are guaranteed at an event like this. First, there is a presentation highlighting the advanced design and technology of the new tire. Second, there will be supervised track time. And finally, a known inferior (and usually out of date) competitor’s tire is brought along to highlight how great this new tire is.

A five minute test drive isn’t going to tell you much about a car. Likewise, a quick spin through a snow-covered slalom course isn’t going to reveal all the advantages (or disadvantages) of a winter tire.