Why can't tires be mixed?

It's not uncommon to come across cases where only two tires from a set are replaced. We've already discussed which axle should have the new tires installed, but how dangerous is it to mix tires with different tread patterns?

Of course, you won't find any recommendations that suggest it's acceptable to mix tires with different tread patterns on the same vehicle. Except, of course, for mixing on the same axle, as this is generally contrary to the legitimate requirements of the traffic rules.

The main reason for the undesirability of such a replacement is that the vehicle may behave inadequately in an extreme situation. Certainly, we're not talking about calm driving on dry asphalt. Here, it's more likely to cite an example of a situation where you get caught in a heavy downpour on the highway and are forced to make maneuvers, even if they're minor. Tires with different tread depths and tread patterns handle water differently, and you can lose control even when simply changing lanes.

Many may object that such situations arise extremely rarely. But the thing is, no one guarantees that such a situation won't arise, and it only takes one extreme situation to damage the vehicle or put family members in danger.

It's rare for situations to arise where the vehicle has a rare size for the front and rear axles, and there are simply no offerings from a single model range. Yes, this can happen. But in such a case, it's best to choose tires from the same manufacturer and segment, whether it's the "comfort" or "sport" class. In this case, the tire characteristics will be different, but they will still be as close to each other as possible.