In the world of performance-oriented all-season tires, the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT is the one that receives a lot of praise. Yokohama made sure the Avid Ascend GT will retain the excellent all-season handling of a performance tire with the low noise and long wear characteristics of a touring tire. Drivers from all over the world also have praises for the supreme comfort of the tires.
It all sounds good, but there is a minor caveat with the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT: the price. I guess this will depend on the type of vehicle and the intended application, but you can find a competent set of all-season touring tires for a lower cost compared to the Avid Ascend.
But the price is all relative to the features and performance of the product. In this review of the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT, I was able to acquire a sporty 2010 Nissan Altima 2.5 S sedan equipped with aftermarket 17-inch wheels. The Yokohama Avid Ascend GT tires fitted to my test car were only a month old during the time of this review. The owner is a fella in his late thirties who loves to drive fast without giving up space and ride comfort. It seems I have the perfect car for the job.
My test vehicle was slightly modified by the owner. The engine had a nice intake noise courtesy of an aftermarket cold air intake. The car was riding on progressive-rate lowering springs for a more aggressive stance. The wheels looked like they were ready to hit the track.
I asked the owner why he chose the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT. He was quick to point out the stellar reviews of the tire, particularly the comfort and long tread life. In terms of price, the Avid Ascend GT is not exactly cheap. Prices start at less than $125 each and are lower than comparable tires from other popular brands.
Features
The Yokohama Avid Ascend GT is constructed using the innovative Orange Oil Compound to promote the adhesion of the rubber on both wet and dry roads. The Orange Oil enables the tire to maintain a lower rolling resistance without penalties to all-season traction and grip. As an added fact, the tire compound infused with Orange Oil is the most durable high-performance compound Yokohama ever created in their 100-year history of tire making, which also gives their tires excellent mileage for the money.
The Yokohama Avid Ascend GT is equipped with an optimized tread profile with unique tread block ridges to help reduce tread movement when the tire is in motion. This will enable the tires to perform silently even at high speeds.
The tire is also equipped with deep circumferential grooves and cross grooves to further enhance water evacuation while providing high levels of grip on slippery or icy roads. The adaptive 3D sipes are designed to increase the rigidity of the blocks to promote even tire wear and enhanced all-season traction.
The Yokohama Avid Ascend GT takes it a step further by adding a tapered center rib to enhance the stability and steering feel of your vehicle. The tire also benefits from a multi-pitch tread design that utilizes variable shaped tread blocks to cancel out tire roar at high speeds.
Test Drive
Even though my test car was fitted with a CVT transmission, I was still excited to explore the capabilities of both the tires and the Nissan Altima. The delicious intake note made the experience a lot better since it gave me the sensation of being one with the car despite the limp transmission.
Dry Traction
The Altima is one of the best-handling Japanese sport sedans. The lowering springs made it even more capable. I was able to tackle tight corners at higher than usual speeds without triggering the traction control system of the vehicle. The Yokohama Avid Ascend GT felt like proper summer tires in the dry and offered relentless amounts of traction and grip. However, if you’re the type of driver who demands the highest levels of traction and grip, you are barking at the wrong tree. You are better off with a proper set of ultra-high performance tires.
Wet Traction
There were some rain showers in the early afternoon and this gave me the opportunity to test the tires on water-soaked slippery roads. The steering of my test car was so direct and precise that I actually felt the tires gripping the wet surface as I manipulated the steering wheel. You can coax the rear tires to break traction in the wet, and I felt you can also do so in the dry with the help of some sand on the surface. But the tires felt planted even as I applied abrupt throttle and steering changes over soaking wet roads.
Snow Traction
I got the chance to test the tires on mild snow and they performed admirably as well. Of course, don’t expect the tires to remain calm and composed if you are driving on roads covered with thick ice and snow. I also noticed that braking and acceleration were a bit apprehensive in the snow, but this is par for the course.
Comfort
Despite the slightly stiff ride courtesy of the lowering springs, I was visibly impressed with the comfortable nature of the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT tires. It felt like the tires have a dual-personality. They are calm, quiet, and composed if you drive like a nun, but the tires will wake up and deliver a jolt of traction and grip if you bury the throttle pedal, all without upsetting the ride comfort.
Noise
Road noise was kept to a bare minimum. You won’t hear it on tight city roads or at slow speeds, but you will hear the tire roar creeping in as you add speed, although it’s never enough to merit a low score. All in all, the Yokohama Avid Ascend GT tires delivered on the promise of exceptional comfort and low road noise.
Treadwear
The Yokohama Avid Ascend GT tires fitted to my test car were still new. The treads were still thick and fresh at the time of this review. But there’s no need to worry as the tires are backed by an impressive 85,000-mile treadwear warranty.
Conclusion
The Yokohama Avid Ascend GT may have a premium price tag, but the features and performance aspects of the tire is hard to ignore. It delivers advanced levels of traction and grip while still remaining comfortable and quiet on both wet and dry roads.
I recently bought new Yokahoma Ascends for my 2014 Chevy Impala. I am not happy with the road noise and hard to balance.
Put a set of Avids on my 09 RAV4 in 2013,have 60k now with 5/32 left.
I just so impressed by these Tires I wanna say the smooth ride and handling is impressive. I drive a 2010 Chrysler Sebring Convertible Touring the Yokohama Ascend GT is quiet and responds very well to my aggressive driving
My immediate impression of the Avid Ascend GT is that it vibrates miserably at highway speeds. That tire is only made in the Philippines. So far, two balances didn\’t get it right.
The discontinued made only in US Avid Envigor didn\’t give me any vibrate/balance issues.
I am a car guy. Not a noob. Have changed engines, etc. So I have a clue.
I bought the Avid Ascend GT for my 2016 Accord V6, which is in near-perfect condition. I spent extra for these because of the claims of performance and low noise.
The performance is good. The tires feel good, stick well to the road.
The noise level is simply intolerable. I went back and swapped two of them out, thinking maybe a defect. No change. People comment the car sounds like a UFO with the wobbly, whiney noise these tires make. People walking on the side of the road turn their heads to see whats coming.
I am taking these back. Going to demand a refund for all six tires, and if Yokohama thinks they are going to prorate them, they can explain their position to a Judge. Even with the good performance characteristics, this is hands-down the worst tire purchase I have made in my 40 years owning cars. WHAT a disappointment.