Should I change all four tyres on an all-wheel drive car?

I have owned my SEAT Leon Cupra ST 300 4Drive (estate version) since new. It's now three years old and has done 30,000 miles. It has the original tyres on.

The front tyres need replacing due to tread depth, down to 2-3mm. The rears still have 5mm. Do I need to replace all four tyres or just the front two?

If I replace just the front two, do they need to be the same as the rear two (I currently have Continental ContiSportContact 5, and was considering having SportContact 7's).

In effect, can I put 2 SportContact 7's on the front, or is it better to have all four SportContact 7's?

I was also contemplating Continental All Season tyres, but that would mean changing all four.

Asked on 8 September 2022 by Jonathan Medlycott

Answered by Lawrence Allan

Our default answer on this is that replacing all four tyres would be the ideal scenario, but replacing the two tyres on each axle at a time isn't a disaster. However with all-wheel drive cars there is a risk of mechanical damage because the older, more worn tyres have a lower circumference and will rotate faster than the new tyres. This can cause increased mechanical wear on items such as differentials on all-wheel drive cars. Given yours is a high power car that needs all the grip it can get, we'd bite the bullet and get all four. You might find that the tyre fitter is willing to discount and sell on your rear tyres as part-worn.

Tags: tyres all-season tyres

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