Everyone wants to get the best value for their money, even in buying tires. It would be great if we could save up some cash without sacrificing too much quality.
In this Yokohama vs Michelin tires comparison, we will look at the products as well as the overall value that they offer to their customers. Although Michelin is a much bigger brand, Yokohama also produces high-quality tires. Let’s see how this matchup turns out.
Table of Contents
Yokohama
Pros
Cons
Michelin
Pros
Cons
The Yokohama Rubber Company, Ltd. is a Japanese company founded in 1917. It started as a joint venture between Yokohama Electric Cable Manufacturing and BF Goodrich.
One significant event in Yokohama’s history was when they supplied tires for two Japanese automakers, namely Nissan and Toyota. This led to them being one of the leading rubber companies in Japan.
As a manufacturer with over a century of experience in the tire industry, Yokohama has achieved a lot of success. Their ADVAN tire line became a favorite of consumers, which helped them gain more popularity.
Michelin is one of the world’s largest tire manufacturers. This company began in 1889 in France as a rubber company specializing in farm equipment.
They are known for their innovations that greatly improved the tire industry. This includes the invention of the removable pneumatic tire in 1891. This tire was used by the winner of the first long-distance cycle race.
In 1934, Michelin invented the run-flat tire, which allows vehicles to run even when they have a punctured tire.
Over ten years later, the company introduced the radial tire to the world. This was an invention that caused a great improvement in the handling and fuel economy of the tires.
In this part, I will compare Michelin vs Yokohama tires head to head to determine which product has the better overall performance. I will also include their differences in terms of longevity, warranty, and cost.
Dry performance is not a problem for any Michelin tires. However, we should not overlook the quality of Yokohama tires. I will compare Yokohama Avid Ascend LX vs Michelin Defender T+H for this category.
These tires are both standard all-season touring tires.
The Avid Ascend LX provides great traction and braking, although it is slightly behind the Defender T+H in these features. The steering could also be slower with the Yokohama tire than its competitor.
The tire from Michelin came out on top in terms of dry performance.
Although it is just a slight advantage, it is important to consider if you want a better driving experience.
For wet performance, we can look at the ultra high-performing all-season tires from these two brands. They are the Yokohama ADVAN Sport A/S vs Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 4.
The Yokohama Advan Sport A/S meets the expectations for a performance-focused tire. It has the right amount of handling stability and cornering traction on wet surfaces.
However, the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 4 is far ahead in terms of wet performance. It has superb steering responsiveness and traction. The wet braking is arguably the best in its tire class.
For this part, we are going to look at how the two brands’ all season tires perform on snow. A fair matchup would be Yokohama YK-HTX vs Michelin LTX MS2. They are both highway tires that are used for pickups, crossovers, and SUVs.
Both of these tires are not labeled with the 3 Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) marking.
This means that they are not suitable for driving in deep snow.
However, the Michelin tire has an advantage on light snow. The YK-HTX could also be good, depending on how extreme the snow is, but it will not be as good as the LTX MS 2.
To compare Yokohama and Michelin tires in terms of comfort, we can go back to the above-mentioned standard touring all-season tires, the Avid Ascend LX and Defender T+H.
Both of these tires will never give you problems regarding road noise, although the Defender tire may be a little less vocal.
The level of comfort on the road is close, with the tire from Yokohama getting a slight edge. It greatly absorbs rough parts of the road, allowing a smoother ride than its competitor.
It is almost even for the two tires that have been compared in this category. However, I think the tire from Yokohama wins due to the more luxurious ride that it offers.
Aside from tire maintenance, other factors that affect longevity are durability and even treadwear of the tires.
This is what Michelin Defender tires are known for. So in this part, we will look at Yokohama tires vs Michelin Defender.
We can use Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG) as a basis for the tread life of the two. The treadwear score of the Defender T+H in this rating system is 820.
Among the all-season touring tires from Yokohama, the closest treadwear score is from the Avid Ascend LX with 800, followed by the Avid Ascend GT with 740, and Avid Touring-S with 620.
The treadwear scores from the all-season touring tires of Yokohama are decent, but the Defender T+H still came out on top.
Read more: Average lifespan of Michelin tires.
Together with the warranty that a company gives is the confidence they have in their product. This means that the better the warranty offered, the higher the chance that a tire will live up to its expectations.
Between Yokohama and Michelin, Michelin is the one that provides better tire warranties. Michelin is offering longer satisfaction guarantees with 60 days while Yokohama offers only 30 days.
However, Yokohama is just following industry standards, so we can’t say that they are not confident in their tires.
That said, some of the brands’ models have the same treadwear warranties, such as the Avid Touring-S and Energy Saver A/S at 65,000 miles.
If we are going to look at the prices, tires from Michelin are more expensive than those from Yokohama. For example, the price of Yokohama’s Advan Sport A/S+ starts at about $130 while the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 4 is about $175.
Aside from the brand name, Michelin ensures that their tires are of premium quality, so the prices are reasonable. This doesn’t mean that Yokohama tires lack value; they are still a great option if you want to save money while not compromising on performance.
It will be helpful to hear what most customers say about the products of these two brands. So I included here the highlighted features of Michelin and Yokohama tires based on the reviews from retail sites and online communities like Reddit.
Which is better, Yokohama or Michelin?
Michelin is one of the leading companies in the tire manufacturing industry. This means that if you are aiming for better tire quality, technology, and performance, Michelin is your brand.
However, if you are considering the price, Yokohama is a great option as well. Although their tires might not be as good as the Michelin in some aspects, they are still excellent options that can give you a great experience on the road.
Are Yokohama tires really good?
Yokohama tires are a cost-effective alternative to products from bigger brands. Their designs have many positive reviews on different retail sites, especially their performance and all-season tires.
Is Yokohama a premium tire?
Currently, Yokohama is the 8th largest tire producer in the market. This means that their products can be classified as premium.
However, there are some countries where they are not so popular, such as the UK. This can be due to the limited availability of their products there.
In most of the categories that I included here, Michelin won against Yokohama.
This shows why they are the more popular brand among these two. However, you should not entirely close your doors to Yokohama.
As I have mentioned in this Yokohama vs Michelin tires comparison, the tires from Yokohama are still a cost-effective alternative as they also have great overall performance. Now, it is up to you to decide. I hope this article was able to help.
Affiliate disclosure: Automoblog and its partners may be compensated when you purchase the products below.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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:
69 (P205/60R16)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.
“[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
“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
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.
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.
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 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.
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Model
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