It’s that time of year again when the mercury drops and we turn our clocks back. As we rake leaves and prepare for winter, now is the best time to purchase a set of quality winter tires for your car. You can find the best selection – and the lowest prices – at Thomas Nissan of Joliet, your local winter tire dealer.
Buying and installing winter tires is a great way to prep your car for slick, snowy roadways. Winter tires have unique features designed to give you better traction, which translates into safer commutes and an overall easier experience in potentially perilous wintry driving conditions. Don’t have a set? Maybe now is the time to purchase some, and our technicians and parts specialists can help.
Do you need a set of winter tires? We think they’re extremely important. It’s a decision many newer car buyers don’t consider, but typical all-season tires aren’t the best defense against ice and slush. Most winter tires last for thousands of miles, so one set can last you four or five years, making them an economical choice. If you’re pondering the practicality of swapping out your all-season tires for a set of cold weather-ready winter tires, we invite you to visit Thomas Nissan of Joliet to browse our huge selection of options. We offer on-site installation, too, so you don’t have to drive all over town to get the job done. Trade an hour of your day, and we’ll get you set up and on your way.
Winter tires are constructed very differently from all-season or summer tires. For starters, they have deeper channels for disbursing water that accumulates when you drive over slick surfaces. Also, their tread patterns are very different from those found on other tires. The treads themselves are deeper, and for a very important reason: traction. In wet conditions, you need all the traction you can get.
Winter tires, also known as snow tires, are made of more pliable rubber, so they won’t harden as temperatures drop. That added flexibility means they’ll adapt to snowy, uneven road surfaces more easily than traditional tires. Also, the deeper tread patterns are designed to hold snow, and though it sounds strange, traction is better when snow makes contact with snow.
The architecture of a typical winter tire also includes something called biting edges. They perform much like the name implies – they grab icy roads and help drivers maintain optimal traction, especially when turning. So, pliability, deeper treads, and biting edges all help you stay in control during winter driving. It’s a critical contingency plan for keeping you and your passengers safe.
When snow and ice pile up on road surfaces, normal road irregularities tend to be filled in, creating a more level driving area. All-terrain and summer tires don’t have the correct structure to avoid hydroplaning or slipping on these flat-surfaced, slick roads. Also, friction from driving will cause a thin layer of water; winter tires have special channels to quickly send that water away from the tire. Other tires don’t.
Thomas Nissan of Joliet is your winter tire headquarters. It’s here in our state-of-the-art service facility that you’ll find some of the industry’s most well-respected tire brands, including Continental, Michelin, Bridgestone, and Pirelli. We carry all different sizes, so even if you don’t drive a Nissan, we can recommend and install the best quality tires for your car.
Some of our favorite winter tires include the Continental Viking Contact 7, an affordable and trusted tire that works for all different types of vehicles. The Viking Contact 7 will see you through adverse weather conditions in temperatures below 45 degrees. We also recommend Michelin’s popular X-Ice XI3, a tire that comes with a 40,000-mile warranty that can carry you through several winters.
Bridgestone’s value-priced Blizzack series is another favorite of the Thomas Nissan service and parts teams. These tires are perfect for sedans like the Maxima and the Altima. Special Vari-Width grooves contribute to the tire’s exceptional water and slush removal capabilities and offer amazing grip control for confident winter driving.
The best part of buying your winter tires at Thomas Nissan of Joliet is our tire price match program. Simply show us a competitor quote, and we’ll not only match the price, we’ll also give you an additional 5% credit on an eligible tire purchase. To sweeten the offer even more, we offer eligible buyers road hazard coverage, so you get support when you get a flat.
With winter approaching, your tires aren’t the only part of your vehicle that needs attention. We also recommend checking essential fluids and ensuring they’re clean and filled. You’ll want to prepare for Old Man Winter by getting ahead of your vehicle’s routine maintenance, including the engine oil. Schedule an oil change, and make sure your oil has the correct viscosity for winter temperatures.
We recommend starting with something simple but often overlooked – make sure you have a full reservoir of windshield washer fluid and an extra gallon at home for quick refills. There’s nothing worse than attempting to clean a salt-covered windshield and finding your tank empty. We go through a lot of windshield washer fluid in the winter months. Don’t find yourself empty the moment you need it most.
Another often forgotten vehicle component that’s taxed during the winter months is the battery. Battery capacity frequently diminishes in cold weather, so we recommend having your battery inspected before the temperature drops. A battery inspection is but one component of our comprehensive multi-point inspection process. It’s also a great idea to keep a set of jumper cables in your trunk.
Even the most prepared drivers could end up running into trouble during a severe winter storm. That’s why we recommend keeping a handful of emergency supplies on hand to keep you safe. Don’t forget an ice scraper/snow remover, a durable pair of gloves, a small shovel, and ensure your vehicle’s spare tire and tire changing tools are intact.
Buying a set of quality winter tires is a smart decision that pays the biggest dividends in the unexpected moments when road conditions are treacherous and your passengers are counting on you to keep them safe. With a set of tires designed specifically for navigating snow, ice, and slush, the winter driving months will go by a lot more smoothly. Thomas Nissan of Joliet is your one-stop shop for sales and installation of your new winter tires. We offer competitive pricing and high-quality brands that you can trust. Our team of on-site technicians is here to provide professional installation of your new winter tires, and they’ll swap them for your all-season or summer set in the spring.
If you don’t yet own winter tires, let this be the year you add them to your winter season to-do list. The peace of mind that comes from driving on tires designed to handle the perils of winter road conditions is worth the price of acquiring them. Plus, if you keep them in good shape and store them properly during the winter months, you'll be able to use them for quite a few seasons. Thomas Nissan is the best spot for finding a great set of winter tires at an everyday low price. Give us a call to schedule an appointment or schedule here on our website to get your winter tires put on before the cold weather really hits.
