Introduction
Most people cannot make a difference between all-season tires, mud tires, and snow tires. Hence, many wonder if mud tires are good in snow.
Well, it depends on different factors such as what type of snow are we talking about, snow depth, outside temperature and so on. First, let’s see what are the best tires for snow.
If you want to read more about mud and snow tires read our article Best tires for SUV, All Season.
Best tires for snow, and ice, are those market with a mountain peak and snowflake symbol. Keep in mind that you will find several all season tires having this symbol as well. This does not mean that they are as good as a proper winter tire, but merely that they perform decent in light snow.
A proper winter tire will have special tread pattern that provides better traction on ice and in deep snow. Because of this tread pattern the tire will dig better in deep snow, providing better traction in different winter situations. More importantly, these tires are softer and more flexible thus they will keep their characteristics even in freezing temperatures.
If you live in those areas with lots of snow, ice and freezing temperatures buy proper winter tires.
What are Mud and Snow Tires?
Mud and snow tires are also known as All Season Tires. Most of these tires will have the M+S Symbol on the side. As the name implies, these tires are good for all seasons, as long as you live in areas where the winter is rather warm with light snow and occasional icy roads. These tires provide good traction and grip in mud, wet and on slushy surfaces.
Most people consider these tires to be three-season ones; because they are good in autumn and spring, decent in the summer but not so good in winter conditions. This is partially because of their tread pattern with wider section gaps, compared with a proper winter one.
Another reason they are not that good in freezing temperatures is the tread compound which uses less natural rubber, thus the tire will get stiff in freezing temperatures. Thus, you must be careful when cornering and braking on ice on in freezing conditions.
Conclusion
If you came this far reading and you still want to buy mud and snow tires for your car, we suggest to go with the Bridgestone Ecopia HL All Season Tire. They are some of the best all season tires available on the market. Even so, they won’t be near proper winter tires, especially in deep snow and icy surfaces.
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Confirmation bias forces me to mention the tires I chose after a long period of research. Toyo M-55s. My criteria included the lowest probability of ever having a puncture, the mountain/snowflake rating for winter use, and long tread life on gravel and off-road. Note that mud, literal rock-crawling, and quietness aren’t listed. M-55s are used by logging companies around here (Black Hills), in the U.S. Rockies, and in western Canada for fleet pickups. After 20k miles, there’s nothing much to report. They work well, haven’t punctured, and don’t have enough tread wear to show up in a snapshot. Kinda loud. For more info, use Google.