The Yokohama Avid Touring S is the next-generation all-season touring tire designed for sedans, sport coupes, small crossovers, and minivans. What makes the Yokohama Avid Touring S more desirable is the budget-friendly price tag. Depending on the size, prices can start as low as $65 each and is a great choice for discerning car owners who want great attributes in a cheap tire.
I managed to borrow a workhorse 2007 Toyota Corolla LE sedan equipped with a 1.8-liter four banger and 4-speed automatic transmission. My test car was fitted with aftermarket 17-inch wheels and Yokohama Avid Touring S tires. The owner of the Corolla is a good friend of mine who also owns a modified Toyota MR2 that he drives on track days. As a matter of fact, the MR2 is fitted with Yokohama Advan Neova tires, which I will get the chance to drive for my other review.
It is safe to assume my friend is a huge fan of the Yokohama brand. In this review, I want to find out if the Avid Touring S performs better than other tires in the same price range. My friend also told me the tires are one of quietest and most comfortable touring tires he has ever tried, so I want to dig deeper on this as well.
Features
The Yokohama Avid Touring S has all the great qualities of a proper touring tire. The twin-rail stability rib offers better stability in straight-line driving and helps to minimize the noise patterns of the tire as it rolls on the road. The silent shoulder design utilizes variable tread blocks and extra sipes to cancel out the tire roar to deliver a smooth and comfortable ride.
The tire is manufactured using the Tri-Plex Compound that is formulated to improve all-season traction while increasing the tread life of the tire. This made me wonder why Yokohama didn’t use the proprietary Orange Oil Compound in the Yokohama Avid Touring S. I guess it all boils down to lowering production costs. It must be true since the tires with Orange Oil are more expensive than those without.
Equipped with tapered rain channels and cross traction sipes, the features will enable the tire to promote traction and grip on wet or snow-covered roads. Also worth noting is the luxury sidewall construction of the Yokohama Avid Touring S. This feature utilizes a tapered hard rubber insert to better absorb bumps and vibrations even in low-profile configurations.
Test Drive
Based on the features listed above, it is clear the Yokohama Avid Touring S is geared more towards comfort and balanced all-season performance rather than outright traction and grip. I grabbed the keys to my test vehicle and proceeded to enjoy an entire weekend of driving.
Dry Traction
Traction in the dry was acceptable given the comfortable nature of the Yokohama Avid Touring S tires. I did feel the tires were hunting for some much needed traction as I drove aggressively on an empty backroad.
My test vehicle will prevent you from driving too aggressively since body roll was pretty much evident no matter the angle or depth of the turn, but the tires will remain composed as long as you remain judicious with the throttle and steering. Truth be told, I wish the tires offered more in terms of dry traction. If you are a sporty driver in an equally sporting sedan or sports coupe, this is not the tire for you.
Wet Traction
It’s a good thing the Yokohama Avid Touring S also performed decently on wet roads, but not by much. Traction was acceptable given the slippery conditions but braking is a different matter altogether. I felt the tires were struggling to stop the car in the wet as I pressed hard on the brake pedal.
Snow Traction
The owner of the Corolla had a story about driving his car in the snow. He took it out one snowy morning to get some breakfast. Everything seemed fine until the snow began to fall to further aggravate the road conditions. By the time he finished his breakfast and morning coffee, the snow was thick enough to prevent him from driving home. With that being said, the Yokohama Avid Touring S is only capable of tackling very light snow.
Comfort
In terms of comfort, it is hard to fault the Yokohama Avid Touring S. The Corolla felt like a more expensive car on the highway, and it felt comfy in the city as well. Potholes and expansion joints will still emit a loud thud inside the cabin, but it’s not enough to upset the composure of the vehicle. True to form, the riding comfort is one of the strongest traits of the Avid Touring S.
Noise
The same holds true for the road noise. The Yokohama Avid Touring S were eerily silent in the city and they were also much refined on the highway. Tire roar will slowly creep inside the cabin as you approach the speed limit, but I was impressed how the tires remained silent even on poorly-paved concrete and tarmac.
Treadwear
Yokohama claims the Avid Touring S is designed to deliver better wear characteristics, but my test vehicle seems think otherwise. The tires were approximately 5 months old at the time of this review, and the car has traveled roughly 3,000 miles since the tires were bought brand new. However, I found early signs of wear on the front tires upon closer inspection. It was nothing too drastic to merit attention, but it is important to mention it nevertheless.
Conclusion
The Yokohama Avid Touring S is an affordable set of touring tires that are capable of offering balanced performance and luxury levels of comfort. If all you want is a tire that will roll silently and comfortably while still offering acceptable levels of traction and grip in all-season driving, the Yokohama Avis Touring S should be on top of your list.
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Alvin Reyes has expertise in automotive evaluation. He collaborated with famous newspapers and is still making efforts in tire review for DrivingPress.com