Does Tire Width Affect Winter Performance? If you reside in a snowy area, you’ve probably heard that narrow tyres provide better traction in the snow. In contrast, you may have heard that wider tyres are superior since they have more rubber surface area, resulting in increased grip. So, who is right?
Tyre Reviews decided to find out, and in a new video, they put four winter tyres of varied widths on the same automobile to discover which one was the best. The three broadest were from the same line as the three narrowest, although the slimmest had a distinct tread pattern, which may have altered its performance.
Does Tire Width Affect Winter Performance?
So, which one did the best? From a subjective standpoint, it was difficult to say for sure. According to the host, all of the tyres performed admirably on the test track, with only small variances in feel. The narrowest tire’s one evident advantage was its extra sidewall, which made driving along the rough snow track a little more comfortable.
Test Size Combination:
| Front | Rear |
| 205/60/R16 | 205/60/R16 |
| 225/45/R18 | 225/45/R18 |
| 255/35/R19 | 255/35/R19 |
| 255/35/R19 | 275/35/R19 |
Unfortunately, the data was not much more useful. The fastest tyre was neither the broadest nor the slimmest. In reality, the second-narrowest tyre (225/45 R18) recorded the fastest lap time of 82.29 seconds, which was around a second faster than the 205/60 R16 tyre and about 2.4 seconds faster than the widest tyre combination, coupled with a 255/35 R19 at the front with a 275/35 R19 at the back.
When it comes to braking and acceleration tests, the data only becomes more perplexing. While the narrowest tyre was undoubtedly the fastest off the line, it took the slowest to stop. As a regular driver, I know which I prefer: the ability to slow down.
