Track Testing Validates Our Strong Opinions of the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady2 Tires on Public Roadways And Shows Where This Tire Ranks In Comparison to the Michelin CrossClimate2 and Other All-Weather Tires
All-weather tires are really gaining traction in the industry (sorry, cheap pun). Consumers who want one set of tires that can safely get through winter without the need to buy, mount, and store a dedicated set of winter tires have many great choices today. We are presently smack dab in the middle of a successful test of the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady2 and have offered up our initial findings. This week, we came across a great test done by another organization, and what struck us was just how close our opinions are.
Here are Our First Two Review reports:
You can also find our 30K-mile review of the Michelin CrossClimate2 tire here.
Track Testing by Tyre Reviews
We subscribe to Tyre Reviews on YouTube, and their recent video on all-weather tire testing caught our eye as soon as it posted. The video now has over a quarter million views. That’s because this channel offers up some excellent content. The team does on-track instrument testing of many tire models back to back in the same conditions.
The track data show that our impressions of the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady2 are well-founded. Honestly, it’s a relief but not a surprise. We really like these tires, but one aspect of our testing has been giving us a bit of heartburn since we were not sure if it was directly related to our having chosen a 40 MPG hybrid crossover as the test vehicle. It turns out it is not. Let's dive in.
Tyre Reviews Verdict of the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady2 & Correlation To Our Testing
OK, let's jump to the news of concern for us first. Tyre Reviews found through instrument testing that the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady2 had the highest resistance to rolling of the seven all-weather tires tested. This jives well with our observations that the tires reduced our MPG by a meaningful amount. Roughly 5 MPG or so, based on our MPG average going down from about 39 MPG or so to about 34 MPG or so over about 2,000 miles of observation. If fuel efficiency is your top priority, this is information you should take note of.
Now, some great news. Tyre Reviews found that the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady2 was tops in many important categories and did very well in nearly every category of testing. Here's a breakdown by driving conditions.
Wet Roads - In wet handling, the WeatherReady2 was the number one tire overall, and it was not really a close contest. The Michelin CrossClimate2 was third after a Pirelli tire. If you are looking for a great all-weather tire to handle a commute in very wet conditions, look no further; you have found your tire. In our updated report we comment on the tires in rain as follows: "We’ve experienced temps in the single digits (F) and a lot of rain since we mounted the tires. They are outstanding in rain of any type, and hydroplaning has not been an issue. Grip in cold rain is very good."
Dry Grip - When it comes to dry grip, the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady2 is second, just a smidge behind the CrosClimate2s. Frankly, all of these tires perform well in the dry. Still, it’s nice to know that you are not getting a squiggly tire that sacrifices performance on dry days, which, let’s face it, are most days. Great showing by the Goodyear tire in this category.
Noise and Comfort - The next testing section was noise and comfort. Here, the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady2 really shined. It was again second place, behind a Firestone tire and well ahead of the CrossClimate2. We feel this is an important segment because one big downside to dedicated winter tires is that they are LOUD. With these all-weather tires, you can barely hear any difference from a standard touring tire. In our first report, we said, "There is no noticeable sound from the tires compared to OEM." We also offered this observation: "The tires have thus far proven to be extremely comfortable and quiet on our Venza."
Snow - Snow handling went well for every tire in this matchup, and it is sort of subjective. The Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady2 finished mid-pack among many great tires. Certainly a solid result and worthy of your business if this is why you are buying an all-weather tire. Here's what we said in our second report after having driven in wintery conditions: "We’ve also driven over snow-covered surfaces and compacted ice/snow mixtures. On these surfaces, the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady2 have proven to be very sure-footed. Traction in wintery mix and light snow has proven to be very good. We’d rate these a 10 out of 10 in such conditions."
Ice - Ice braking came next, and the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady2 had a solid showing, finishing mid-pack. The tester noted that if this is an important category for you, you really should be on a dedicated winter tire, perhaps with studs. We agree totally. Ice is not the friend of all-weather or all-season tires.
Pricing - When pricing is factored in, the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady2 beats every less expensive tire pretty handily. No tire tested offered at a lower cost can match it. So, the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady2 is a bargain tire with great performance.
Conclusion - We Find Agreement With Tyre Reviews In Every Category
To be clear, we offered up two reports on the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady2 before the Tyre Reviews video was published. We reported on the great wet-weather handling, solid performance in snow, and the remarkably low noise. We also reported our MPG findings. We plan to continue our testing and reporting, which will include some wear measurements. However, what we can now say with confidence is that our real-world driving review is validated by the great job Tyre Reviews did on the closed course.
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 his personal X channel or on our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ grammar and punctuation software when proofreading and he also uses image generation tools.
Images by John Goreham