Learn the difference between touring tyres and performance tyres, and find out how to pick the best type of tyre for you and your car.
WHAT ARE TOURING TYRES?
Great for sedans, minivans, SUVs, and passenger vehicles
Offer balanced handling along with a quiet, comfortable ride
Mostly designed for all-season use
Provide great traction in wet and dry conditions
Touring tyres are ideal for sedans, minivans, SUVs, and other passenger vehicles. In general, they’re a reliable option if you drive a lot—whether that’s on your work-to-errand-to-school-pickup route (phew!) or if you’re getting ready for a cross-country road trip with the kids.
Touring tyres are known for having a relatively wide tread, which allows them to make more surface contact with the road. Thanks to their design, they offer balanced handling along with a quiet, comfortable ride, and even tread wear. Most touring tyres sold in Australia are all-season tires, meaning they're designed to deliver great traction in wet and dry conditions—and sometimes in light snow!
If you’re looking for a smooth ride, Bridgestone’s Turanza line of touring tyres—especially the Turanza QuietTrack—is worth checking out. You won’t believe how peaceful your next road trip can be when your tires absorb road noise like Turanza touring tyres do. (Though we’ve yet to invent tyres that absorb backseat drivers’ road noises!)
WHAT ARE PERFORMANCE TYRES?
Great for sports cars, coupes, exotic cars, and racing-style cars
Offer tight cornering abilities and reduced stopping distances
Mostly designed for use in winter’s wet and dry conditions
Provide enhanced performance, but in exchange for compromises in petrol mileage, road noise, and tyre lifespan
Increasingly popular performance tyres are designed to provide owners of sports cars, sports coupes, exotic cars, and racing-style cars with improved handling response and traction. Most performance tyres are designed for use in winter’s wet and dry conditions, but if you want performance features and all-season capabilities, Firestone Firehawk AS offers the best of both worlds.
Performance tyres feature unique tread patterns, construction, and rubber compounds to enhance the all-around driving experience. These tyres can improve your car’s racetrack-inspired features such as cornering abilities and reduced stopping distances. However, you may find that you’ll make small compromises in petrol mileage, road noise, and tyre lifespan in exchange for enhanced performance.
TOURING TYRES VS. PERFORMANCE TYRES
How do you decide whether you should equip your car with touring tyres or performance tyres? Start by checking your vehicle manufacturer guidelines, then focus on your driving wants and needs. You're in the driver's seat! Let’s look at some of the deciding factors.
Are you seeking sporty responsiveness? If you went the extra mile for a sporty trim level, a performance tyre might be right for you. If you’re more interested in quietly and comfortably getting from Point A to Point B or heading out on long, leisurely drives, then a touring tyre could be what you need.
Do you value all-season versatility? Both touring and performance tyres can function well in wet and dry conditions, but touring tyres are generally superior for all-season driving. If you’ve got your heart set on performance tyres, you may have to look into all-season performance tyres or consider changing tyres with the seasons.
How important is petrol mileage? If you want to maximize savings at the pump, you might want to go with a touring tyre. With performance tyres, you make small sacrifices in petrol mileage to really rev up your time behind the wheel.
Do you want a super-cushy ride? Touring tyres are your best bet in the comfortable-ride category, due to their treads’ increased surface contact with the road. Performance tyres offer slightly less comfort in exchange for the performance element.
How much does tyre lifespan matter? Again, the touring tyre might be the best option here, as its tread typically lasts longer. However, even though the lifespan of a performance tyre might be shorter, you’ll gain tighter control.
Do you demand the best handling and responsiveness? Performance tyres perform better in this regard (such as braking and quickly turning corners), although touring tyres still offer plenty of traction.
As you can see, neither touring tyres nor performance tyres fall into the one-tyre-fits-all category. When you’re picking new tyres, the rubber really meets the road once you determine what type of performance you want from your car and your tyres—and from yourself as a driver.
Whether you know the exact type and model of tyre you need or not, Wheels Of Wanneroo can help! Our experienced technicians can make recommendations for your situation so that you can make the final decision. Visit your local Wheels Of Wanneroo for some of the best tyre prices around, plus free lifetime rotation when you buy tyres at Wheels Of Wanneroo.