June 21, 2019
Grand Touring All-Season tires are those capable, dependable tires consumers install on their daily-driven vehicles with the expectations that no matter what situation they may encounter, the tires will be up to the task. While this perception may be at least directionally correct, the reality is there exists an enormous variance in the performance of tires within the category; some are quite good at everything they would reasonably be asked to do, others are pretty bad at nearly everything. Most fall somewhere in between.
One area in which we often find Grand Touring All-Season tires may fall a little short is snow performance, which isn’t surprising given the "M+S" rating that denotes an all-season tire is strictly based on the tire’s tread pattern; it has nothing to do with how a tire actually performs in the snow, or any given condition. To help improve satisfaction in this area, many tire manufacturers are introducing Grand Touring All-Season tires bearing the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol. Because a tire must pass a test demonstrating a certain level of longitudinal snow traction to bear the 3PMSF symbol, these premium traction Grand Touring All-Season tires promise at least a minimum competency in that discipline. The 3PMSF certification relates to just a single aspect of a tire’s overall performance, and like usual, there are trade-offs to obtain that level of snow traction.
Firestone recently introduced the WeatherGrip, a 3PMSF-branded Grand Touring All-Season tire the company expects will have category-leading snow traction, along with satisfying wet performance and ride and noise comfort suitable for daily use. To see how the new WeatherGrip performs in the real world, we tested it against the Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring, the 3PMSF-branded Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady, and the Yokohama AVID Ascend GT. Our evaluation used 2017 BMW F36 430i sedans fitted with new, full tread depth 225/50R17 tires mounted on 17x8.0 wheels.
Our 6.0-mile loop of expressway, state highway and county roads provides a great variety of road conditions that include city and highway speeds, smooth and coarse concrete, as well as new and patched asphalt. This route allows our team to experience noise comfort, ride quality and everyday handling, just as you would during your drive to school or work.
Grand Touring All-Season tires are expected to be good at everything, but their most obvious trait, what drivers live with every day, is their on-road behavior. While that doesn’t necessarily mean comfort and refinement are the most important performance characteristics, it certainly puts them very high on the list of "wants."
The AVID Ascend GT is a noticeable step ahead of the group on the road, and it presents a compelling overall package. The ride is composed, and while it may be a little firm, it isn’t objectionable. There is some tread growl, but it’s a medium-volume white noise that blends in with other ambient sounds. The steering is accurate and relatively quick, with a moderate dead spot on-center that makes it feel somewhat non-linear, but is acceptable for the mission of the category. The Assurance WeatherReady is satisfying for the daily drive, with a ride that is taut and controlled, though it transmits all the road’s imperfections to the vehicle’s occupants. Tread and impact noise aren’t obtrusive, though they’re present at a volume that’s slightly higher than in the Yokohama. Steering is sharp and linear and quite fast, possibly more than the typical Grand Touring All-Season driver is looking for. The WeatherGrip is more relaxed on the road, with a relatively soft feel that to some of our testers seemed vaguely reminiscent of dedicated winter tires. It is arguably the most comfortable tire in the test, enveloping larger impacts and essentially eliminating some small bumps, but a little more motion control would have helped its score with our team. A low, always-present growl is a reminder of the heavily siped pattern and independent tread blocks, as is steering response that meets inputs with a slight delay before changing directions. The CS5 Ultra Touring delivers an on-road experience that generated the most conversation among our testers, primarily focused on the ride and steering response. The ride is soft to the point of seeming unsteady, with constant motion that never feels settled or planted on the road. While this softness means impacts are never harsh, they are very noticeable because they tend to upset the vehicle. Tread noise occurs at a similar volume to the Firestone, but with a slightly more distinct tone that can stand out more, depending on the driver. The most notable attribute of the CS5 Ultra Touring’s steering is the significant delay between input and response. Whether the input is large or small, just off center or near full lock, there is a palpable disconnect between what the driver does with the wheel and when the vehicle reacts accordingly. A lack of feel and general vagueness combine to make the steering very imprecise, as well, and the tire’s subjective handling score really suffered because of it.
Our 1/3-mile per lap test track course includes 90-degree street corners, a five-cone slalom and simulated expressway ramps. Run in both dry and wet conditions, the test track allows our team to experience the traction, responsiveness, handling and drivability normally only encountered during abrupt emergency avoidance maneuvers or competition events.
Fast lap times typically aren’t a concern for drivers of Grand Touring All-Season tires, but they can be willing and fun to drive on the road, and it’s especially important they are capable of avoiding whatever may inadvertently enter the vehicle’s path.
Here the Yokohama again leads the way, with the Goodyear close behind objectively. Where subjective feel is concerned, the Yokohama is a more complete package, with positive, precise steering, good balance, and confident braking. The Goodyear has crisp steering and sharp handling during fast transitions that don’t challenge the ultimate grip of the front tires. Through larger turns, however, the quick and direct steering tends to mislead the driver into making last-minute inputs that invariably result in frustrating understeer. It’s apparent the WeatherGrip isn’t designed for track use, as it is a little slow to react and needs to "take a set" before making any directional changes. Driven accordingly, though, it is predictable and gets the job done. As evidenced by average lap times that are essentially tied with the Firestone, the CS5 Ultra Touring also can get the job done, but the same deficiencies we found on the road led to a subjective score significantly behind the rest of the group.
The Yokohama continues its dominance in our wet testing, with objective stats that are head and shoulders above the rest of the group. In addition to traction that puts it in a class of one in this test, it is easy to drive, with good reserve grip, steady behavior at the limit, and gentle understeer if pushed too hard. The slower response of the Firestone pairs well with its moderate wet grip, as additional urgency would have a tendency to overpower the available traction. There are some minor stability issues during rapid transitions, but if driven appropriately, the tire is acceptable in the wet. The Goodyear is noticeably slippery in the wet, and it has some tricky handling traits, as well. With the limited traction, our drivers were best served by slowing down and driving conservatively. Those who did attempt to hustle the tire found the quick steering response typically leads to terminal understeer, though the rear end will quickly step out under certain situations, as well. Looking solely at the objective data tells us the Cooper is reasonably capable and has decent outright traction, but once again its lethargic response to inputs of all types and generally disjointed feel relegate it to the back of the pack subjectively.
In our winter testing, the 3PMSF-branded tires stood out above the others. While it may seem this would be the expected result, we often find some non-3PMSF-branded tires outperform other tires with the brand within the same competitive set.
The WeatherGrip and Assurance WeatherReady were closely matched at the top of the snow testing results. The WeatherGrip displayed a slight advantage in acceleration and braking, with a mere half foot lead in 0-12mph acceleration distances, and slightly more separation in 25-0mph braking at two feet. The tables turned a little where lap times were concerned, as in that discipline the Assurance WeatherReady was perceptibly, though not significantly, faster. Both tires proved confidence-inspiring and easy to drive and are likely to satisfy individuals who are used to driving all-season tires year-round. The AVID Ascend GT was a considerable step back from the leaders, requiring an additional seven feet to accelerate to 12mph and ten more feet to brake from 25mph. Lap times saw a significant increase, as well, and the driver had to take more care to manage the modest traction available. The CS5 Ultra Touring was another minor step back from the Yokohama in our measured testing, but was preferred to that tire in our team’s subjective scores. This was thanks to good communication and balanced performance in all aspects. Though the traction provided was somewhat limited, our drivers could immediately tell what the tire had to offer and how to remain within that window.
We found a similarly significant disparity among the group during our ice testing. While the leaders in this test performed well for all-season tires, the ice traction they provided was still far from that of a dedicated winter tire. The Firestone WeatherGrip led the way by a small margin, with the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady close behind. Like in our snow testing, a big step back brings us to the Yokohama AVID Ascend GT, with the Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring back nearly the same distance again.
Our Real World Road Ride features a relatively flat 6.0-mile loop of 65-mph expressway, 55-mph state highway and 40-mph county roads along with three stop signs every lap. Our team drove each tire approximately 500 miles over the course of several days. Since we wanted to compare fuel consumption results that typical drivers would experience, our drivers were instructed to maintain the flow of traffic by running at the posted speed limits and sustain the vehicle’s speed using cruise control whenever possible. They did not use hypermiling techniques to influence vehicle fuel economy.
| Tire | Test MPG* | Gallons/Year @ 15,000 Miles |
% vs. Most Efficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring | 29.6 | 506.8 | -2.4% |
| Firestone WeatherGrip | 29.9 | 501.7 | -1.0% |
| Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady | 30.2 | 496.7 | -- |
| Yokohama AVID Ascend GT | 29.8 | 503.4 | -1.7% |
| Our evaluation used Race Technology DL1 data loggers to record true distance traveled. | |||
Fuel economy is a consideration for most drivers, and within this group we found a minor, .6-mile per gallon disparity between our lowest and highest observed fuel economy. This difference would result in an additional 6.7 gallons of premium gasoline used per year for a vehicle driven 15,000 miles annually.
It’s important to note our test’s fuel consumption measurements follow consistent procedures designed to minimize variables that could influence the results; however, they do not represent an exhaustive long-range fuel consumption study. While our procedures require the test vehicles in each convoy to run under the same prevailing conditions, the week-to-week differences in ambient temperatures, barometric pressures and wind speeds that we experience over a season of testing can influence vehicle fuel consumption and prevent the absolute mpg values of this test from being compared directly against those of others.
Larger differences in consumption between tires may indicate a difference that might be experienced on the road, while smaller differences should be considered equivalent. As they say, your mileage may vary.
The Yokohama AVID Ascend GT is a balanced, capable tire with a lot to offer drivers in the warm months and light snow and ice traction that are acceptable, though not standouts. In fair conditions, it delivers a composed, refined performance on the road, impressive wet traction, and confident dry track capabilities. The Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady has on-road behavior that most drivers are likely to find acceptable, and it is strong in the snow for an all-season product. Wet traction is a noticeable low point, however. Firestone’s new WeatherGrip is a capable performer in light snow and acceptable on ice, leading the test in both disciplines. The tire feels soft and relaxed on the road, with some constant tread growl and a slight delay in response to steering inputs. Wet traction is just OK, and while far from a performance tire, it would respond appropriately in an emergency situation. Decent wet traction and a balanced, predictable performance in the snow are two high points for the Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring. Aside from those, we unfortunately don’t have a positive report for the tire. A disjointed, disconnected feel on the road prompted several unflattering comparisons from our test team, and the increased speeds of our test track only exacerbated the concern. The soft, almost underinflated feel of the tire doesn’t equate to improved ride quality, and tread noise is moderate in volume and distinctive, making it difficult to tune out.
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