This is thoroughly answered here. Herein, do snow tires really make a difference?
Winter tires gain their advantage not only because they have superior tread patterns that are designed for traction on ice and snow, but because they employ softer rubber compounds to enhance grip. That means when it's cold, whether it's on dry pavement, snow, or slush, it'll outperform an all-season.
Furthermore, how much do used winter tires cost? Used tires cost can vary from $25-$160, usually 30-50% of the price of a new tire of the same model.
Keeping this in consideration, is it worth it to buy snow tires?
Consumer Reports' testing clearly shows that most winter/snow tires have better snow traction than the average all-season tires. But Consumer Reports subscribers consider winter/snow tires to be beneficial whether they have a two-wheel-drive or an all-wheel-drive car or SUV, according to a recent CR tire survey.
Are snow tires better than all season tires?
Winter tires have more sipes (cuts in the tread) than all-season tires to squeegee more water off the road. Winter tires perform much better than the “snow” tires you may remember (if you're old enough). They work better in snow, ice, slush and mud and on cold, dry pavement. The rubber compounds are entirely new.
