What Are the Different Types of Tires?

Shoppers on Tire Agent's website will notice that we classify tire treads in two ways: by tread type and by road condition. Additionally, some people search for tires by application or usage. Whether you're wondering what type of tires are there or trying to decode tire terminology, this guide explains tire types with clear definitions and characteristics for every category. Organized alphabetically, it includes examples of each so you can find the right match for your vehicle.

Tire Classification by Tread Type

All-Season Tires 

What are all-season tires? All-season tires are designed for year-round comfort and handling for SUVs, cars, pickup trucks, crossovers, and most passenger vehicles. All-season tires are the most common tire type in the U.S.

There are 4 types of all-season tires:

• All-season all-terrain
• All-season all-weather
• All-season touring and highway touring
• All-season performance (including high performance and ultra-high performance)

All-season tires are meant for driving on roads and highways and typically feature symmetrical tread patterns for good traction on dry and wet roads. Some high performance tires feature asymmetrical treads for improved grip. They can be good in most conditions, but not great in severe weather. All-season tires will perform well in mild winter conditions, but don’t use all-season tires if you live in a climate that experiences heavy snowfall. 

Get Tire Agent's Guide to All-Season Tires.

All-Terrain Tires

What are all-terrain tires? A/T tires are a type of all-season tire designed for both on- and off-road driving in dirt, gravel, and uneven surfaces. They feature larger tread blocks than standard all-season tires with wider grooves and extra tougher construction to help withstand punctures. Many all-terrain tires carry 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) designation, which means they meet performance standards for severe snow.

The trade-off of all-terrain versus all-season is all-terrain tires tend to be noisier on the pavement than all-season tires, and generally speaking, they tend to get lower gas mileage. While some are rated 3PMS for snow, some A/T tires struggle on ice because stiff rubber for puncture resistance isn't flexible in low temperatures.

Get Tire Agent's Guide to All-Terrain Tires. 

All-Weather Tires

What are all-weather tires? All-weather tires are engineered for year-round performance in a wide range of conditions, including rain, snow, ice, and cold temperatures. Many all-weather tires carry the 3PMSF designation, certifying they meet severe winter performance standards. Compared to standard all-season tires, all-weather tires provide better winter traction and may reduce the need for seasonal tire changes. 

Get Tire Agent's Guide to All Weather Tires.

ATV/UTV Tires

What are ATV/UTV tires? ATV/UTV tires are engineered specifically for all-terrain vehicles and utility task vehicles designed to navigate trails, mud, sand, and uneven terrain. These tires feature aggressive tread patterns and reinforced sidewalls to handle rough off-road conditions and provide traction on loose surfaces. ATV/UTV tires come in a variety of treads optimized for different terrain types, from mud to rock to general trail use.

Get Tire Agent's Guide to ATV/UTV Tires.

Commercial Highway Tires

What are commercial highway tires? Commercial highway tires are engineered for light trucks and vans operating in urban and regional delivery environments. They feature reinforced sidewalls to resist curb damage, cuts, and abrasions from frequent parking and maneuvering in tight spaces. Commercial highway tires also incorporate cut-and-chip-resistant tread compounds and higher ply ratings to withstand the wear and tear of high-scrub, stop-and-start city driving. These tires are ideal for last-mile delivery fleets, urban route work, and any vehicle regularly navigating congested city streets.

Get Tire Agent's Guide to Highway Tires.

Competition & Track Tires

What are competition and track tires? Competition and track tires are engineered with soft rubber compounds and minimal tread to maximize grip, handling, and speed on a racetrack or closed course. They are not meant for daily driving or street use. Some competition tires are DOT-approved street tires, like the Toyo Proxes RA1; while others carry track-only designations, like the Toyo Proxes R, and are designed exclusively for professional racing and competition events.

Competition and track tires have very short tread lives and are not suitable for severe weather conditions such as rain, ice, and snow. Hydroplaning is a high risk if you drive competition tires in wet or rainy conditions, even if they are DOT approved street tires. These tires are best for competition clubs, racing enthusiasts, and drivers who take their vehicles to closed tracks for racing or autocross events only.

Mud-Terrain Tires

What are mud-terrain tires? Mud-terrain tires are a type of all-terrain tires that have very large, aggressive tread blocks that perform extremely well in soft terrains like mud and sand. While similar to all-terrain tires, mud-terrain tires will be less comfortable and noisier on normal roads. They’re best for vehicles that regularly go off-road. Although some mud-terrain tires may have an M+S designation (mud and snow), mud-terrain tires are not as good in snow, as their rubber type is far too stiff to maintain traction. 

Get Tire Agent's Guide to Mud Terrain Tires.

Rugged-Terrain Tires

What are rugged-terrain tires? Rugged-terrain tires are a hybrid category falling between all-terrain and mud-terrain tires in terms of aggressiveness. They feature aggressive tread patterns designed for off-road performance while maintaining reasonable on-road comfort and noise levels. Rugged-terrain tires are engineered for drivers who want more aggressive off-road capability than all-terrain tires but don't need the extreme performance of mud-terrain tires.

Get Tire Agent's Guide to Rugged-Terrain Tires.

Performance Tires

What are performance tires? Performance tires are designed for handling, grip, and shorter stopping distance, as compared to touring tires. These tires are typically for sporty vehicles designed to drive at higher speeds in a variety of weather conditions. Therefore, these tires tend to have improved grip with higher driving responsiveness. Because performance tires prioritize driving, they may sacrifice ride comfort, tread lifespan, and gas mileage. Performance tires will also not perform well in snowy conditions.

Performance tires can also be high performance or ultra-high performance, which is dependent on speed ratings and other factors like compound softness, responsiveness and load rating. If you’re driving a vehicle with extra horsepower, you may want to invest in ultra-high performance tires, which will have maximum performance at the cost of tread life and a bumpier experience. 

Get Tire Agent's Guide to All-Season Performance Tires.

Summer Tires 

What are summer tires? Summer tires are engineered for warm and hot weather driving in dry and wet conditions. They feature softer rubber compounds than all-season tires, which allows them to maintain grip and responsiveness in high temperatures. Summer tires typically have less siping (small cuts in the tread) and shallower tread depths than all-season tires, allowing more rubber to contact the road for better grip and hydroplaning resistance on wet pavement.

Summer tires come in two main styles. Performance summer tires prioritize dry and wet handling, cornering, and braking for sports cars and enthusiast drivers. Touring or grand touring summer tires balance performance with comfort and longer tread life for everyday sedans and passenger vehicles.

Because summer tires sacrifice tread life and durability for warm-weather performance, they're best for vehicles in regions with warm summers and mild winters. They perform better than all-season tires in hot, dry conditions and heavy rain, but they become rigid and lose grip in cold weather (below 45°F).

Get Tire Agent's Guide to Summer Performance Tires.

Touring & Highway Touring Tires 

What are touring tires? Touring tires are a type of all-season tire engineered for comfort, long tread life, and quiet road noise. They're designed for everyday driving on sedans, crossovers, and SUVs, balancing traction in wet and dry conditions. Highway touring tires are essentially the same technology, marketed specifically for light trucks and SUVs. Unlike performance tires, touring tires prioritize ride comfort and durability over cornering grip and high-speed handling.

Get Tire Agent's Guide to Touring Tires

Winter & Snow Tires

What are snow tires? Snow tires (also known as winter tires) are defined as tires with tread designed to perform in places with heavy snow, ice, freezing rain, or temperatures under 40 degrees.

If you make trips through snowy areas like mountains or forests, you'll need snow tires for your vehicle. Snow tires have heavy siping and deep grooves to get rid of snow and slush buildup. The rubber in snow tires is flexible and elastic in low temperatures, allowing you to maintain grip and handling.

Snow tires come in three varieties: studded, non-studded, and stud-able. Studded tires feature small metal studs that maintain traction in heavy ice, but they come with increased noise and driving discomfort. Studded tires may also be illegal to use in your state or limited to certain times of the year—check your state's regulations if you live in an area with particularly harsh winters. Studded tires are designed for only the heaviest winter conditions.

Get Tire Agent's Guide to Winter and Snow Tires.

Types of Tire Applications & Features

Light Truck & SUV Tires

What are light truck and SUV tires? Even though this post explains tread types, we want to be clear: Light truck and SUV tires are not tread types. They are tire applications. LT (Light Truck) is a load-rating designation that indicates the tire is engineered to carry heavier loads than passenger vehicle tires. SUV tires are similarly designed for larger vehicles with higher weight capacities. The tread type that light trucks and SUVs use depends on manufacturers' specifications and your preference and include:

• All season
• All terrain
• Commercial highway
• Touring and highway touring
• Performance all season

Get Tire Agent's Guide to LT Tires and the Guide to SUV Tires.

Off-Road Tires

What are off-road tires? Off-road tires describe a use or application of a tire, not a tread type. Off-road tires include all-terrain, mud-terrain, and rugged-terrain tires. They feature deep treads and aggressive tread blocks designed to grip dirt, mud, sand, and loose terrain. Off-road tires generally do not provide the most comfortable ride on pavement, and they tend to be noisy. Some all-terrain tires may be rated 3PMSF for snow, which means they are rated for use in medium-packed and heavy snow. Mud-terrain tires generally are not recommended for heavy snow, though some may be labeled by manufacturers as M+S for mud and light snow.

Get Tire Agent's Guide to Off-Road Tire Brands.

Passenger Tires

What are passenger tires? Passenger car tires are designed for standard passenger vehicles including sedans, coupes, hatchbacks, and crossovers. These tires feature lower load ratings than light truck (LT) tires and are engineered to balance comfort, fuel efficiency, and everyday performance. Passenger tires are the most common tire type and come in a variety of tread types, including all season, all weather, performance, touring, and more, to match different driving conditions and preferences.

Run-Flat Tires

What are run-flat tires? Run-flat tires are not tread types. They are a feature built into some tires designed to survive a puncture and “run” while flat for a limited distance at a limited speed, typically 50 miles at 50 mph. While you can’t drive a run-flat forever, it will help you to make that extra stretch to an auto shop or at least a safe place to park. The run-flat tire will either have a self-supporting system with reinforced sidewall construction or a support ring with hard rubber on the interior of the tire. Both systems will maintain the tire's shape even when it loses air. The run-flat feature can be found in some summer performance, winter, touring all-season, and performance all-season tires.    

Get Tire Agent's Guide to Run-Flat Tires.

Spare Tires

What are spare tires? Spares can either be compact or full size – usually rated for lower speeds and distances (50 miles and 50 mph). They need very high air pressure and are only meant to be used in the case of a flat tire. Most new passenger vehicles come with spare tires; the type of spare tire depends on the vehicle. Some vehicles, like certain Jeep models, come with full-size spares; most vehicles, however, come with compact "donut" style spares designed for limited performance.

Get Tire Agent's Guide to Spare Tires.

Trailer Tires

What are specialty trailer tires? Specialty trailer (ST) tires are engineered specifically for towing boats, campers, utility trailers, and other towable equipment. Unlike passenger tires, trailer tires have thicker sidewalls and higher load-bearing capacity designed to handle heavier loads at higher inflation pressures. Trailer tires may suffer uneven wear due to the load being distributed toward the back of the trailer, so tire rotation is recommended to extend tire life.

Get Tire Agent's Guide to Specialty Trailer Tires.

Traction Tires

What are traction tires? Traction tires is a regulatory designation for tires that meet severe winter performance standards. These tires typically carry the 3PMSF (Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake) or M+S (Mud and Snow) designation on the sidewall. Some states and provinces require traction tires on vehicles during winter months. Winter tires, all-weather tires, and some all-season tires can be considered traction tires if they meet the performance criteria.

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