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Yokohama tires are an excellent option for the eco-conscious driver. The company is one of the most sustainable tire manufacturers in the industry, both in its production and its products.
In this Yokohama tires review, we’ll take a look at the brand as a whole, discussing the company’s background, its industry ratings, most popular models, tire costs, and more. Tires are often an expensive investment, so it’s worth taking the time to research different companies before deciding which tire is best for you.
Our review team researched and ranked the best tires and brands on the market. Yokohama tires ranked eighth in our review. If you’d like to know what companies beat out Yokohama, we encourage you to read the article. You can also compare tire brands at TireRack.com.
Yokohama Tires Overview
Founded in 1917 as a joint venture with BFGoodrich, Yokohama is a Japanese tire manufacturer headquartered in Tokyo. In the ‘80s, after establishing itself as a credible U.S. tire manufacturer, Yokohama split from BFGoodrich. Currently, Yokohama is the eighth-largest tire manufacturer in the world, according to the 2019 Tire Business Global Tire Company Rankings.
Yokohama is one of the more sustainable tire manufacturers in the industry. The company has made efforts in recent years to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and landfill waste as well as lowered many of its models’ rolling resistance to increase fuel efficiency.
Across the board, Yokohama produces high-quality models including some of the best all-season tires, all-terrain tires, and winter tires on the market.
Yokohama Industry Ratings
Like all tires on the road today, Yokohama tires are graded for quality based on an evaluation system created by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This system is called Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG), and it grades tires – except specialized tires – based on their treadwear, traction, and temperature resistance.
Here’s an explanation of the UTQG grading system:
Treadwear: This grade estimates the longevity of your tires. To calculate treadwear, tires are measured against a control tire given a rating of 100. If a tire has a 500 treadwear rating, that means it lasted five times longer than the control. Most passenger tires have between a 300 and 500 treadwear rating, according to data from SaferCar.gov.
Traction: This grade measures how well your tires “grip” a wet road. Traction grades are given on a scale of AA, A, B, or C. Good day-to-day passenger tires typically receive A ratings.
Temperature: This grade evaluates a tire’s heat resistance on a scale of A, B, or C. Tires need to withstand different temperatures based on their specialization. High-performance tires, for example, usually move at much higher speeds than all-season tires, and in turn, have higher temperature ratings.
It’s important to note that the NHTSA does not oversee UTQG tests. Manufacturers and independent companies hired by brands are responsible for tire testing and reporting.
Below, we’ve listed a few top-rated Yokohama tire models and their treadwear, traction, and temperature scores using data from SaferCar.gov.
| Yokohama Tire Model |
Tire Type | Treadwear Score | Traction Score | Temperature Resistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AVID Touring-S | Passenger Standard touring All-season |
620 | A | B |
| Geolandar A/T G015 | Light truck/SUV All-terrain |
600 | A | B |
| ADVAN Sport A/S | Passenger Ultra-high performance All-season |
180 | A to AA | A |
| Parada Spec-X | Light truck All-season |
420 | A | A |
If you want to know the UTQG scores for your current tires, they can be found on the tires’ sidewalls.
Most Popular Yokohama Tires
The most popular Yokohama tires span a few tire categories. Though the tire manufacturer is known for its performance and touring tires, its highest-rated tires include an all-terrain tire and a sporty truck tire as well.
Backed by Tire Rack customer reviews and industry ratings, here are Yokohama’s four most popular tires:
- Yokohama AVID Touring-S: A standard touring all-season tire with several design features to maximize traction and hydroplaning resistance
- Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015: An all-terrain tire featuring variable tread blocks, 3D sipes, and lug grooves for even wear and increased handling, even in snowy conditions
- Yokohama Parada Spec-X: An all-season tire for sports trucks and muscle cars, designed with a directional tread for hydroplaning resistance
- Yokohama AVID Ascend GT: A grand touring all-season tire designed with the company’s sustainable BluEarth technology, increased silica for added grip, and a low-noise tread design
Each of these Yokohama tire models holds at least a 4.0 out of 5.0-star rating from customers on Tire Rack, as well as excellent industry reputations.
Yokohama mainly produces replacement tires but has stepped into the original equipment (OE) tire space relatively recently. According to a 2020 Modern Tire Dealer interview with Yokohama president Jeff Barna, the company expects substantial growth in OE partnerships moving forward.
Yokohama’s tread life warranties are standard in the industry, averaging around 50,000 miles. The tire manufacturer’s six-year limited warranty for replacement tires is also in line with competitors.
Cost of Yokohama Tires
Yokohama tires aren’t the cheapest, nor are they the most expensive. However, the company’s more resilient tires offer great long-term value. In a 2016 Consumer Reports study comparing all-season tires’ cost versus longevity, the Yokohama AVID Ascend (T) tire came in second place. Though the tire cost $93, it lasted for 85,000 miles.
Here are the costs of Yokohama’s most popular models on Tire Rack:
- Yokohama AVID Touring-S: $98.69 (P205/60R16)
- Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015: $144.28 (P245/75R16)
- Yokohama Parada Spec-X: $196.85 (305/40R22)
- Yokohama AVID Ascend GT: $136.99 (215/55R17)
Yokohama Tire Reviews
Yokohama tire reviews are mostly positive, though the company’s performance tires tend to have higher ratings than other models. In the J.D. Power 2020 U.S. Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction StudySM for passenger tires, which rated tires based on wear, ride, traction, handling, and appearance, Yokohama scored 718 out of a possible 1,000 points. This score was above the industry average – 712 points – placing Yokoma just behind Pirelli, Michelin, and Firestone tires.
Below are a few customer reviews from Tire Rack to give you a better idea of how Yokohama tires perform on the road.
Positive Customer Reviews
“[Yokohama’s Parada Spec-X] tires made my Camaro ride like a dream. [They are] so smooth and responsive. The grip felt so sure-footed on dry roads, it felt like it could climb a wall and looked good, too. They shed water like nobody’s business and worked very well on sandy roads and light snow.” – via Tire Rack
“I bought [Yokohama AVID Ascend GT] tires mostly looking for low noise, decent traction and excellent tread wear. They have not disappointed … I feel confident that they enhance the safety of [my wife’s] car and perform better than most every tire that we have installed on her 150,000-mile car.” – via Tire Rack
Negative Customer Reviews
“While I had high hopes for this tire, after just eight track days it started to become much stiffer and no longer delivered the ultimate grip that it had when I first bought it. Looking over other reviews, it seems that heat cycling (from successive track days) is the ultimate death for the [Yokohama ADVAN A048].” – via Tire Rack
“The big problem [with the Yokohama Advan Sport] is that the rubber is so soft that you should expect to have them last two summers or 10,000 miles, whichever comes first. At the beginning of September, I was driving under wet conditions (not monsoon but a mild steady rain) and at 70 mph, my car began hydroplaning and then fishtailing wildly.” – via Tire Rack
Our Final Thoughts on Yokohama Tires
We rate Yokohama tires 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. We like the company’s wide tire variety and steps toward sustainability. Many Yokohama models are well priced, though tread life warranties are relatively standard and Yokohama customer reviews aren’t as high as other providers we’ve reviewed.
To start shopping for Yokohama tires, visit TireRack.com.
Our Recommendations for Tires
If you’re looking for other top-rated tire manufacturers to compare with Yokohama, we recommend Michelin and Cooper. Both companies are well-regarded in the industry but cater to different needs. Michelin tires are durable and long-lasting, and the company has a wide range of high-quality models. However, if you’re looking for an affordable alternative, we recommend Cooper tires.
Michelin: Best Tires Overall
In our recent industry-wide review of the best tires, we named Michelin the best overall brand on the market. We like the company’s tire variety, durability, and century-long history in tire manufacturing and production. Whether you need an all-season tire or an all-terrain tire, Michelin has plenty of choices.
Shop for Michelin models on TireRack.com.
Cooper: Most Affordable
Cooper tires are a great choice if you’re looking for affordability. For passenger and light truck/SUV tires, Cooper models are always competitively priced. However, the company specializes in replacement tires, so you’re out of luck if you want to purchase an OE tire.
Shop for Cooper models on TireRack.com.
Original article: 2021 Yokohama Tires Review
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