New "H" rated winter tires from Yokohama AVS Winter

Background Information: I drive 80-90 thousand km (53k miles) a year in Eastern Canada (Quebec) and have used a wide variety of snow tires both on my A4-2.8 5sp.Quattro, and on previous vehicles. I am so impressed: with these new Yokohamas that I felt I should write a brief review to let you all know about this alternative. The last 2 winters I have used Dunlop Graspic DS-1 tires and was pleased with their ice and snow performance however, their dry road performance wasn't great. They are a soft sidewall tire. Wear was medium (approx 50k km. before they became useless) I tried Michelin Arctic Alpines but sent them back. They are not suitable for my type of climate. Snow traction just isn't very good. My tire shop suggested that I try the new Yokohamas and boy am I impressed. Here is a brief summary of my observations so far: ( 1 month-2 good snowstorms & 6000km.) 

Cornering/handling: 

These things are great. They way outperform my Michelin MXV4 in the dry. They are "H" rated. Sidewall stiffness is ideal for my tastes. They will scream in a corner if you really push them but they hang right on. Steering feedback is great and they respond instantly to inputs. 

Snow/ice performance: 

Although Quattro makes this evaluation a little difficult I would say these things are as good as Blizzaks (WS50) in snow and on ice. You can't get better without using studs. I've been through 2 good snowstorms and the remarkable improvement over other winter tires is their ability to remain stable in slush at highway speeds. My previous tires always gave me the impression that they were too wide and were floating on top of the slush. These things seem to cut through the slush and ride on the road. Guess it probably has something to do with the tread design. 

Dry road performance: 

As I already stated performance in dry is great. Another bonus is that they are absolutely silent. Once again they are quieter than my summer MXV4's. 

Tread wear: 

I'll have to let you know in the spring. 

Conclusion:

If you haven't already figured it out I love these things. If you haven't made up your mind about snows and live in a region where you regularly encounter snow and ice give them a try.

Back to Wheel & Tire Reviews