Goodyear WeatherReady as all-weather choice

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Hi all:

So I've had Continental TrueContact tires on our 2015 Corolla but measured today they are at 5/32 with only 22k miles and regular rotations/tire pressure check. They have worn evenly and the "S" for snow indicator on the tires is almost gone on all tires. The car is driven very conservatively and I'm pretty disappointed they will probably only make it a few thousand miles more before I deem them unsafe for next snow season.

I really don't want to hear the merits of dedicated snow as our snow conditions in my estimation and experience don't merit two sets of tires. What I would like to discuss is this apparently new all-weather/severe snow service tires - GoodYear Assurance Weatherability which apparently got #2 slot in last November's Consumer's Report review of all-weather tires I still need to get from the library.

I carefully reviewed the snow/ice data from TireRack.com. I know their overall scores they post out of 10.0 don't count across tire categories, but I specifically looked at the reports they published showing stopping distance on snow/ice etc. I would think tires evaluated in this manner even between different reports would be valid but I could be wrong (perhaps for instance different cars used for different tests could make a difference and may explain the conclusions I am trying to draw here).

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(Sorry, table lost some formatting between Word and Paint where I had to convert to jpeg)
If this data is comparable, note the Goodyear WeatherAbilty stops in snow from 25mph to 0mph in 75 seconds vs. Cont. TrueContact even better in 61 seconds. So, how then, does the Goodyear get the severe snow service certification but the Cont. TrueContact doesn't?

For reference, I pulled the data for the Bridestone Blizzak . Snow stopping distance from 20 mph was a full 67 seconds and even worse than the TrueContacts stopping from 25 mph in snow in 61 seconds. So a dedicated snow tire takes longer to stop in snow than a regular all-season?

I was excited to consider the option of an all-weather tire thinking that it would better than an all-season for snow performance but not to the point of a dedicated snow tire but what I'm gleaning here is that it may not be better than an all-season like the TrueContact and even the Blizzak dedicated snow tire may not be better than an all season like the TrueContact and that just doesn't make sense.
 
There's a tire for everybody and I won't put down your choice.

But what I've noticed as a difference, the most remarkable one, between A/S and snow tires is how A/S tires have terrible lateral grip. They don't steer for beans. A snow tire, if I get sliding, I can steer out of it, as expected. An A/S, if I'm stuck on them in an off-season snow, will be massively disappointing with either massive under (no) steering or me spinning out.

If you think you're a good driver, a poor A/S will humble you, even if it gets moving okay, or stops okay.

If I were you doing research, I would look more into these "lap times".

If you were to run one tire, and chose an actual winter one, it would harden up over summer so your 2nd winter would be much less pleasant. These goodyears you propose are likely better suited for summer running without going hard.
 
Why not see if you can warranty the conti's before you do anything?

I just warrantied my Conti LX20's which have a 70K mile warranty. I had a little over half the mileage warranty at 37K miles. I was able to get 4 new tires for less then $400 compared to $800 for a new set at full price.
 
Originally Posted by eljefino

If I were you doing research, I would look more into these "lap times".
.


Thanks... I did check that data too (from the same TireRack reports) and they are 104, 106, 89 seconds for the WeatherAbility, TrueContact and General Altimax respectively, and 96 seconds for the Blizzak. So even there, the all-season General performed better than the dedicated snow.
 
Originally Posted by Cup of Joe
Why not see if you can warranty the conti's before you do anything?

I just warrantied my Conti LX20's which have a 70K mile warranty. I had a little over half the mileage warranty at 37K miles. I was able to get 4 new tires for less then $400 compared to $800 for a new set at full price.


Thanks... already on top of that. I talked with Discount Tire and even though I got them from the dealer, apparently as a Continental dealer they can do the pro-rated warranty but said they must reach 4/32" (which won't be long).
 
We are in the same boat. The TrueContacts on my '05 Corolla are down to 4.5/32" to 5.5/32" after 24K miles. (Also strange that they are slightly more worn on the outside edges, despite running slightly higher than door spec psi.) Rotations, alignment, gentle driving. Common complaint with the TrueContacts; it's a shame since apart from the treadwear it's a very good all-around tire.

And now I am looking at all-weather tires for my next set, maybe for Christmas, since where I live (northeastern PA) you need good winter traction but not to the point that winter tires are essential. I am researching a few models, including the WeatherReady. Also check out the new Firestone all-weather tire, with some sizes made in USA and a 65-K mile treadwear warranty.

Part of the answer to the statistics at Tire Rack might be that they test new tires. I have found that all-seasons start out well for winter use but lose winter grip quickly, much faster than winter tires do. The first winter I ran Hankook H727 on my old Chevy Classic I would have said they were winter tires if I did not know better. The second winter they were still good, but you could tell the difference pretty clearly.

Please let us know if you get any warranty help once your tires wear down. This might reach class action someday, like the SilverStar headlights. A head-scratcher, for an otherwise top-notch tire from a top-notch tire manufacturer.
 
You would be served well by the Weatherready or any other 3-peak all-season such as the Nokian WRG4 or Verdestein Quatrac 5.

What is your commute like? Is it a lot of city streets and lots of turns? Or is mostly straight highway usage? The more turns, the shorter the tread life.
 
I have a set of Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady tires on my Elantra and I've been really pleased with them. They've handled excellently in the rain, much more so than the last set of tires we had.
 
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