Do new cars need snow tires in the first year?
3 Answers
In the first year of a new car, it is necessary to decide whether to switch to snow tires based on the usage environment. Snow tires are specifically designed for winter driving conditions, ensuring driving safety and optimal vehicle performance in winter climates, regardless of whether the car is new or old. In China, regions like the three northeastern provinces, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Gansu replace their tires with snow tires annually. In snowy areas, the decision to use snow tires depends on specific usage conditions. Most original equipment tires on vehicles are all-season tires, which generally have mediocre winter performance and cannot guarantee good driving performance on ice and snow roads. Therefore, as long as the driving environment involves ice and snow roads, it is advisable to switch to snow tires.
When I first got my new car, I also thought about this issue. The key is to consider where you live. In our northeastern region, it starts snowing by late October, and without winter tires, you simply can't drive. The deep treads on new tires are useless because regular rubber hardens like bricks at minus twenty degrees Celsius, causing the car to slide seven or eight meters when braking. Winter tires contain special soft materials in the rubber that maintain grip at low temperatures, and their treads have grooves to break up snow. Friends in the south have it easier, but if you frequently drive in mountainous areas, it's safer to have them. Don't hesitate to change tires in the first year—your life is more valuable than the tires. Store them in a cool place when spring comes, and with proper care, they can last four or five winters.
Let me break it down for you: Skipping winter tires on a new car seems like saving money, but it's actually planting a time bomb. Regular tires suffer performance drops below 7°C, doubling braking distances on ice. A rear-end collision repair costs at least 3,000-4,000 yuan - enough for a set of Continental winter tires. Insurance companies are shrewd too; if they determine your tires are non-compliant during an accident, your claim gets slashed. I've seen worse cases where new tires endured two winters only to develop sidewall cracks come spring. Modern tires with QR codes have 5-year warranties - don't hesitate to replace them. Always swap all four tires for winter use; mixing tread patterns creates dangerous traction imbalances (front grip vs rear slide).
