We begin a long-term, multi-part review of a very exciting new all-weather tire. Can the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady2 match the best in its class?
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Of all the tires we are presently lined up to review, the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady2 is one of the most exciting for us. All-weather tires that earn the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol denoting that they earn the severe snow duty rating, are an important new segment in the tire industry. Tires of this type allow many vehicle owners to have just one set of tires rather than swap to winter rubber when the snow season begins and then back to “all-season” tires in spring. We won’t pretend the Michelin CrossClimate2 tire is not the present-day segment leader. In our testing, it was outstanding. That said, Goodyear knows a thing or two about creating winning tires, and we are very pleased to have the company’s support. Our testing and review is one of the first for this new model.
Related Story: Goodyear Helps Explain the Difference Between Winter and All-Weather Tires
Our initial testing was done on a dry fall day with temperatures in the low 40F range. We conducted a test drive on twisty suburban streets, plus a route we know to have some rough patches, and on the highway.
- Noise - The great news is these tires seem to be a great match to our Venza Hybrid. They did not add any noise to the cabin. We could discern no difference between the OEM tires and these new tires in that regard.
- Handling - The tires felt very secure on twisty suburban roads. Turn-in is nicely crisp. On the bumpy section, the tires did feel a smidge stiffer than the OEM tires, but not in a negative way.
- Highway Test Notes - On the highway, we felt zero vibrations. There is no noticeable sound from the tires compared to OEM. The Venza tracked straight, and the crown of the road didn’t tug the vehicle off its line. Overall, a very nice highway ride.
- Aesthetics - We love the look of the directional tread, and the sidewalls look premium to our eye.
Goodyear is a premium tire manufacturer with an outstanding reputation for quality, performance, and durability. The WeatherReady line is a touring all-season category of tire. The Assurance WeatherReady2 is a subset of the all-season tire category we call “all-weather.” That’s because it is designed, tested, and certified for use in severe snow, not just a light dusting of snow. The tire is stamped with the 3PMSF symbol, which denotes this important certification.
There are multiple reasons why a driver might choose such a tire. First, the driver simply wants to avoid having to swap to winter rubber in the fall and then back to some other tire in mild weather. This saves money, but it also saves space since tire storage is not required. It also saves time. Let us be clear that if you drive in harsh winter conditions frequently, particularly in icy conditions, then this tire may not be enough for you. Dedicated winter compound tires and even studs are levels better than these when the weather is truly nasty. However, we have a lot of winter testing experience and have found that for commuting and even for adventures in ski country, all-weather tires are a great compromise. Lastly, they meet all “winter tire” mandates in places such as Canadian provinces.
The Assurance WeatherReady2 has many premium and special design features compared to conventional all-season tires. These include:
- V-shaped directional tread pattern.
- A special compound optimized for low temps.
- AquaTred tread technology for water shedding.
- Evolving Traction grooves that change shape so the tire has long-term water shedding.
- A built-in Wear Gauge that offers owners a quick way to see exactly how much tread life remains.
- 3PMSF certification denoting severe snow duty
Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady2 - Our Test Vehicle 2024 Toyota Venza (Hybrid) Limited
We chose our Venza Hybrid as the test vehicle for the Assurance WeatherReady2 for many reasons. First, it is used for winter commuting in harsh weather, and an upgrade from the stock tires was warranted. Second, it is an extremely quiet vehicle. Any noise additions due to tire changes are easy to detect. Third, it is optimized for fuel efficiency, so any changes in that regard will be easy to observe and document.
Our go-to tire service provider is Jay Condrick, owner/operator of Boston Mobile Tire. Jay provides on-site mounting and balancing and has immense knowledge of tires. He is our most trusted source for tire facts and real-world experience.
Jay uses the very best mounting and balancing equipment and hand tools to torque the lug nuts to the Mfgs specifications. Jay reported nothing unusual about the tires, which were easy to balance.
The stock OEM tires Toyota uses on the Venza are good in many ways but earn some unkind reviews in other ways. The Bridgestone Ecopia H/L422 Plus is a traditional general-purpose all-season tire. Its strengths include:
- Low noise
- High fuel efficiency (low rolling resistance and lightweight)
Owners report that this tire is not well-suited to harsh winter conditions and is not the longest-lasting of its kind. This is certainly not an indictment of Bridgestone. Automakers choose tires they feel are a good starting point for most drivers. We are looking for some specific things from the Assurance WeatherReady2, and we are willing to accept some compromises with regard to some of the strengths of the Ecopia tire.
Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady2 - Expectations
We feel it is only fair to list out our expectations for the Assurance WeatherReady2. No tire is all things to all people. No tire is best in all circumstances and by all measures. Here are areas we will be evaluating this tire on:
- Winter weather handling and safety (Better than typical all-season tires is expected)
- General performance - Handling, Braking, Wet Weather Performance
- Noise (Similar to stock tires is the hope)
- Durability
- Longevity
Fuel Economy Goals For Our Review of the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady2
You may notice that we have not listed fuel economy as a primary goal. That is because we are more than willing to accept a 5% reduction of about 2 MPG by using tires optimized for winter commuting. The Assurance WeatherReady2 is an XL (extra load) rated tire that has a mass of about 34 pounds. The Ecopia, by contrast, has a new-tire mass of 28.8 pounds. There are five specific reasons why MPG drops when new tires are mounted.
Price Comparisons of the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady2 To Its Peers
Here are some comparison prices of models we feel are worthy competitors to the all-weather Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady2 tire provided by Tire Rack. We have also included the Bridgestone OEM tire the Venza came with.
- Michelin CrossClimate2 - $261.99
- Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady2 $258
- OEM Tire: Bridgestone Ecopia H/L 422 Plus - $259 (Not Severe Snow Duty Rated)
- Falken Aklimate - $234.00
- Cooper Discoverer EnduraMax $216.99
Testing Plan - Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady2
Our plan is to update our readers with quarterly articles that discuss how well the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady2 performs in various weather conditions, how quickly the tires wear, and how the noise, fuel economy, and handling evolve over a one-year test period. If possible, we will provide longer-term updates. Please check back for new content.
Testing Fast Facts:
Tire Model: Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady2
Tire Size: 225/55-19
Load Rating - XL
Weight 34 Pounds
Tread Depth (Measured) - 8.42mm
Serv. Desc: 103V
UTQG: 700 A A
Manufacturer’s Warranty - 60K Mile Plus 60-Day Satisfaction Guarantee
Test Vehicle - 2024 Toyota Venza Limited
Test Vehicle Starting Miles - 8,922
Test Vehicle Recorded Average Mileage = 40.2 MPG
Test Vehicle EPA Combined Mileage Estimate- 39 MPG
Test Inflation - 33 PSI
About Our Testing:
Torque News doesn’t accept independent advertisers. Any ads you see when you view our content are inserted by your browser. We accept test tires from manufacturers simply because it is cost-prohibitive to purchase them on our own. However, we pay out of pocket for mounting, balancing, and rotations, and we replace damaged tires at our own cost as we conduct long-term testing. We share our outcomes honestly and hope you find what we offer of value.
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John Goreham is a credentialed New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on Linkedin and follow his work on our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ Grammarly grammar and punctuation software when proofreading.
Images of Goodyear WeatherReady2 tire by John Goreham.
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