There was a time when the mini ruled the roads and the only off-road vehicles available were a novelty owned by the enthusiast. The world of vehicles, though has changed, and nowadays big bulky vehicles lumber on the roads. The SUVs are the new fad, and everyone wants of piece of them. Ranging from the Range Rover to the Lamborghini Urus they come in all shapes, sizes and price range. These vehicles as opposed to the now sidelined mini due to the versatility of surfaces they need to perform on require special tyres. The options – all-terrain and mud-terrain. But what is the difference between them, and which one should you opt for?
Let us look at the differences between these two types of tyres and understand how and why they are useful. If you are looking for off-road or all-terrain tyres in Southampton, do visit Eco Tyres to check out their impressive collection of on-sale tyres.
Terrains they are built for – Though most vehicles today come with terrain response, they need good tyres to help them scale different surfaces. To facilitate this, there are two sets of tyres for SUVs to choose from. All-Terrain tyres and Mud Terrain tyres. The basic difference between them is their purpose and the job they are designed to do.
All-terrain tyres are built to perform on most terrain surfaces, roads as well as off-road. On the other hand, Mud Terrain tyres are built to handle the worst of off-road situations. They, therefore, are not suitable for use on built-up roads. Why? Well, let us see.
Mud terrain tyres are made with very deep grooves and come in big sizes to ensure they can handle even the most difficult of terrains. These grooves and their size is a boon off-road, as it helps to grip loose surfaces and provide ride comfort. On the roads though, these very attributes become a nuisance.
The Grooves become a source of excessive noise. And the bulk of the tyres become a source of constant drain on fuel consumption. So much so that studies suggest that mud-terrain tyres, when used on roads, reduce the fuel economy of a vehicle by 3%. This reduces the viability of using them on the vehicle, which drives on more roads than slushy countrysides.
On the other hand, all-terrain tyres are built to handle road conditions with additional deeper treads to help them tackle unbuilt conditions as well. However herein lies the main difference. All-terrain tyres are built to perform on roads and can handle not too difficult off-road conditions whereas mud-terrain tyres are built to handle extreme off-roading and can handle built-up areas as well.
Which tyres should you opt for?
As is the case with anything, the answer to this question depends on the driver’s preference. If the vehicle is being used on roads with occasional short off-road runs on well-defined paths, all-terrain tyres are the best choice.
If, however, the terrain the vehicle handles are serious off-road surfaces without any defined paths or for competitive off-roading events with minimal use on the road, then mud-terrain tyres are the best option.
So depending on the driver’s preference and the use of the vehicle, tyres should be fitted. For amazing prices on both Mud Terrain and All Terrain, Tyres Portswood, visit Eco Tyres. Not only do they maintain an extensive inventory of tyres, but are also expert providers of tyre fittings and maintenance services.