Finding the Right Tires for Your Chevy Trax

Tires are one of the most important factors in your vehicle’s performance. While they might not be as glamorous as engines and all-wheel drive systems, the tires you have play a large role in how well your vehicle can accelerate, brake, and maneuver. Using worn-out or used tires may seem like an easy way to save some money, but it will severely impact your vehicle’s performance and can even pose a significant safety hazard. Investing in a good set of discount tires in Cincinnati is well worth it as they will not only improve your vehicle’s feel and performance, but they can even save you from a far more expensive accident.

However, at McCluskey Chevy, we know that the world of tires can seem overwhelming to the average driver. There is a huge variety of different manufacturers, tire types, and tire sizes to sort through. So we have put together some tips to consider when it comes time to buy a new set of tires for your Chevy Trax. The single most important piece of advice we can offer is to shop for the deal that will give you the best performance, while still maintaining the budget you have set. While you probably do not need the best of the best for a daily vehicle such as the Chevy Trax, choosing quality tires when you get rid of your old, worn set will still be important. So let’s take a look at how to navigate the tire market.

Proven OEM Tires

The easiest path to take when buying new tires for a vehicle is to simply use the same type of tire that came on the vehicle from the factory. After all, the manufacturer understands its vehicles better than anyone else and will have run countless tests to determine the most suitable tire choice for the widest variety of situations. Further, because the manufacturer has to buy tens of thousands of whichever tire they chose, they need to consider price in their decisions just as you do. This means that the factory tires usually have the best value-to-performance ratio possible.

In the case of the current Chevy Trax, the factory tire is the Continental ContiProContact. Continental is a German company that dates all the way back to 1871 and was making tires before the automobile was even invented. Continental is still one of the top tire manufacturers in the world and ranks among the premium brands alongside Michelin, Goodyear, BF Goodrich, and Bridgestone.

The ContiProContract is what is referred to as an “all-season touring tire.” This class of tire is designed to give a comfortable and pleasant ride in the widest possible variety of conditions. While it will not provide the sharpest handling possible, the ContiProContact will reduce road noise and enhance fuel economy while providing a longer than average tread life. Further, it is reasonably capable even in light snow, making it a tire that you can safely leave on your Chevy Trax all year long. If you are unsure exactly what you want out of a tire, then it is hard to go wrong with an all-season touring design.

Facing Ice and Snow? Try a Set of Winter Tires

However, an all-season tire is still optimized for warmer weather, and its performance will suffer in our cold Cincinnati winters. If you are the type who often finds yourself braving snow and ice beyond the city limits, then you should consider getting yourself a set of winter tires. Even if your Chevy Trax has all-wheel drive, good winter tires will massively increase your traction on ice and snow. This is because winter tires use rubber compounds that remain grippy even in freezing temperatures when all-season tires begin hardening. Further, winter tires have extra tread designed to dig into snow and ice, reducing skidding and wheel spin.

Winter tires can be broken down into two main types – studded and studless. Studded tires, as the name implies, have a large number of metal studs to help them dig into ice. However, studs can actually reduce your grip when driving on clean roads. Further, Ohio law prohibits using studded tires before November 1st or after April 15th as they can damage the roads. But if you have studded tires and the snow comes early or stays late, this law can prevent you from actually using your winter tires when you need them.

However, even if you choose studless tires, it is a good idea to remove them as soon as the weather heats up. Because their rubber is designed for a lower temperature range, winter tires actually become soft in good weather and wear out quickly. Further, their heavy tread gives them inferior handling compared to all-season tires.

While there are no factory-recommended winter tires for the Chevy Trax, there are some clear leaders in this market. Among the studless winter tires currently available, the best are the Bridgestone Blizzak and the Michelin X-Ice. Both of these premium tires perform extremely well in the harshest winter conditions. However, if you want the extra advantage of studs, then the Nokian Hakkapeliitta is the gold standard. Although Nokian is not commonly considered a premium tire brand, this Finnish company is the acknowledged leader in studded winter tires thanks to its home country’s incredibly inclement weather.

Summer Tires & All Terrain Tires

While we do not usually recommend summer tires for vehicles such as the Chevy Trax, they are an option to be aware of. Like winter tires, summer tires are optimized for particular weather conditions, and in those conditions, they will provide superior performance over all-season tires. But unlike winter tires, which have a massive advantage when it comes to safe driving through snow and ice, summer tires are optimized for an environment in which all-season tires already perform exceptionally well. When combined with the noticeably inferior performance of summer tires in colder weather, these tires are usually only found on high-performance sports cars that both need the extra edge to unleash their full capabilities and that are rarely driven in bad weather.

Another type of specialty tire not often found on compact crossovers is the all-terrain tire. These designs are intended for off-road driving and include large tread patterns to help claw through mud and dirt. However, like winter tires, all-terrain tires come at the cost of reduced performance on-road, making them a generally poor choice for anything other than serious off-road vehicles. Further, you will likely have a difficult time even finding all-terrain tires that will fit on an unmodified Chevy Trax as they are usually designed for much larger trucks and off-road vehicles.

Tires for the Trax

All in all, it is generally best to stick with the tried and true tire options for the Chevy Trax and get yourself a set of high-quality all-season touring tires such as the Continental ContiProContact. And if you regularly venture outside of the Cincinnati city limits during the winter, then adding a set of studless winter tires such as the Bridgestone Blizzak can be a worthwhile investment to keep you on the road through snow and ice for the season. With all of that said, replacing old tires is essential, no matter what vehicle you drive.