Comparison Toyo Open Country A/T Plus 235/60 R16 100H vs Nexen Roadian HP 235/60 R16 100V

The time of the year the tyres are designed for.

Tyres designed for the warm season are called summer, for cold — respectively, winter (among the latter, studded and non-studded models are separated, see below for details). The need for separation by season is due to the fact that when the temperature drops, the rubber solidifies; therefore, cold weather requires softer tyres than warm weather. And the time when you need to change tyres is best determined by the average daily temperature: if it is above +5 °C, it is better to use summer tyres, if lower — winter ones. There are also more detailed recommendations regarding the time of changing tyres, they can be found in special sources.

Also note that there are tyres positioned as all-weather. Such models should be treated with some caution: they can be produced in countries where winters are very mild, without snow and severe frosts, and be designed specifically for such “all-season”; for a full-mean winter, such tyres may not be suitable. So the specific attributes of all-season tyres should be specified separately (including reviews). If there are no detailed info, such tyres are best considered as summer tyres with slightly increased resistance to cold, and if used in winter, then in simple conditions (for example, driving along well-cleaned city streets).

The type of tyre is the type of vehicle for which it is designed.

This parameter is determined mainly by the height of the profile in centimeters, and in some cases by the size and load index. In general, there are three main types of tyres - for cars and SUVs, for SUVs and vans. Here is a more detailed description of each option.

— Passenger car. Tires with a relatively low profile height for a wide range of passenger cars, aimed primarily at smooth roads and more or less favorable operating conditions. Among such products of the tire automobile industry you can find both rubber exclusively for passenger vehicles and tires for SUVs (SUVs, crossovers, city SUVs). SUV tires differ from their traditional passenger counterparts by increased radius and profile height, reinforced internal structure, as well as increased load indices.

— Off-road. SUVs are designed for more difficult conditions than regular cars; they often have to deal with difficult terrain or some high unevenness. Therefore, tires of this type have a significant profile height - more than 14 cm. It is worth considering that such tires can have different specializations - both all-terrain and off-road; For more details, see “Purpose”.

— Minibuses. Tyres designed for relatively heavy vehicles – minibuses and mini trucks. Such vehicles still does not reach the full-fledged f...reight transport, however, they have more weight than passenger cars. Accordingly, tyres for such vehicles has a high load index.

This parameter is indicated for models that are designed for a specific format of operation and differ markedly from conventional tyres for "everyday" use. In our time, there are such destinations: sports track tyres(namely, semi-slicks and slicks for track days and training on race tracks); off-road tyres - all- terrain (All-Terrain) and off-road (Mud-Terrain). Here is a detailed description of each of these options:

— Sports track. A special kind of "high-speed" tyres with a reduced tread depth. More precisely, this feature is characteristic of semi-slicks; in slicks, there is no pattern at all, the surface of such a tyre is completely smooth. This provides excellent speed performance. On the other hand, slicks and semi-slicks are intended mainly for specialized racing tracks with high quality even surfaces; the use of such tyres on ordinary roads is at least not recommended, and for some models it is completely prohibited.

- All-terrain (All-Terrain). Universal all-terrain tyres, designed mainly for dirt roads and off-road, but quite effective on even asphalt. They are inferior to off-road ones (see below) in terms of efficiency on rough terrain, but they behave better on hard surfaces. So it is precisely such rubber that will be the best choice for tech who, in addition to difficult terrain, often have to travel on ordinary roads. Externally, tyres o...f this purpose are characterized primarily by a rather deep tread and high profile.

- Off-road (Mud-Terrain). Tyres designed for maximum cross-country ability and efficiency on rough terrain, including complete off-road. According to these indicators, such tyres are noticeably superior to all-terrain tyres (see above); outwardly, it is distinguished by a very deep tread and a high profile height (in most models - 60% and above). But for regular driving on asphalt, tyres of this purpose are poorly suited. Therefore, paying attention to off-road tyres makes sense, first of all, to tech who have to drive on dirt roads and off-road most of the time.

The speed rating that the tyre corresponds to.

This indicator determines the maximum speed that tyre is allowed to operate. It is designated by the letters of the Latin alphabet, each of which corresponds to a certain speed limit:

F — 80 km/h; G — 90 km/h; J — 100 km/h; K — 110 km/h; L — 120 km/h; M — 130 km/h; N — 140 km/h; P — 150 km/h ; Q — 160 km/h ; R — 170 km/h ; S — 180 km/h ; T — 190 km/h ; U — 200 km/h ; H — 210 km/h ; V — 240 km/h ; W — 270 km/h ; Y — 300 km/h ;

The maximum permitted speed must not be exceeded — this creates the risk of an accident. However, there are other rules associated with choosing a tyre by this factor. So, ideally, the actual driving speed should be at least 10 – 15% lower than the speed rating of the installed tyres — this will give an additional guarantee in case of emergency situations. In addition, in some tyre models, as the speed approaches the maximum, the upper limit of allowable load is reduced; see “Load Index” for details.

The shape of the tyre tread pattern:

— Directional. Pattern with a characteristic V-shape. Among other things, such rubber is considered to be especially effective on wet surfaces — in rain, on snow, with an abundance of melt water, etc.: the pattern provides effective water drainage, reducing the risk of hydroplaning and increasing grip. Also, these tyres are well suited for high-speed sports cars (although, of course, their speed rating and specialization may be different). When installing directional tyres, the direction indicated by the manufacturer must be kept.

— Symmetric. The pattern without signs of directionality is the same both on the outer and on the inner part of the tread. These tyres are easier to manufacture than directional or asymmetric tyres, and are generally cheaper, while still having good performance on a flat and dry surface. In addition, symmetric tyres are as simple as possible to install, they do not need to follow the direction. However, for hard conditions, particularly wet weather, they are poorly suited. So, typically, such tyres are designed mainly for city cars used on short trips on relatively high-quality roads.

— Asymmetric. Tyres with a different pattern inside and outside the tread. Each of these parts plays a role: the inner part provides water evacuation and reduces the risk of aquaplaning, while the ou...ter part provides the necessary rigidity for manoeuvrability and stability. While installing, you need to take into account the location of the outer and inner sides, they usually have the appropriate marking. Asymmetric tyres are considered the most advanced, although, of course, the actual characteristics and cost of such products may vary, depending on the brand and the general level. Such tyres are designed mainly for cars of medium and top levels; they are often supplied as factory equipment for advanced cars.

An index that determines the overall performance of a tyre on wet pavement. Lettered from A(highest) to G(lowest); intermediate options, respectively — B, C, D, E and F.

The higher this indicator, the stronger the tyre grips to the wet road, the more efficient and safer it will be in difficult weather conditions. At the same time, it is worth noting that a low grip index does not mean unsuitability for driving in rain or snow — you just need to be more careful using such tyres. Conversely, a high index does not relieve the driver of the need to be careful in difficult weather conditions.

The average noise level created by a tyre while driving. The lower this indicator, the more comfortable this model will be, the less additional noise it will create.

Note that EU rules provide 3 categories of tyres in terms of noise. “Quiet” are considered models with an index of up to 68 dB, “medium” — 68 – 71 dB, “loud” — 72 dB and above.