At first glance, the Yokohama YK-HTX may look like an all-terrain tire, what with the rugged and aggressive tread design. In truth, the tire is similar to a hybrid between a highway-terrain and all-terrain tire. This may look good on paper, but how does it behave on a real road?
I managed to grab hold of a 2012 Ford Explorer Limited AWD equipped with stock 20-inch wheels and Yokohama YK-HTX tires. I was excited to begin the review because the sun was out and it seemed like a great day for a test drive.
You can say what you want about the Ford Explorer. Some people might say the Explorer has become too refined or too classy to tackle extreme off-road terrain, but I don’t agree with them. You don’t buy an Explorer to go off-roading, much in the same way you buy a dual-core laptop for gaming. In fact, the vehicle is still highly competent in mild off-road driving but is much more refined than the original.
The owner of my test vehicle is an adventurous guy in his late forties. He loves the Explorer but is planning to upgrade to a bigger truck in the near future. He told me that he tows a 23-foot RV, a boat, and a cargo trailer on any given day in his Ford Explorer. He purchased the Yokohama YK-HTX tires about 5 months ago and was so satisfied with the performance and longevity of the tires that from then onwards, he swore to only buy tires from the Yokohama brand.
It seems we have a big fan of the Yokohama YK-HTX. Let’s see if the tires can turn me into a believer as well.
You can say what you want about the Ford Explorer. Some people might say the Explorer has become too refined or too classy to tackle extreme off-road terrain, but I don’t agree with them. You don’t buy an Explorer to go off-roading, much in the same way you buy a dual-core laptop for gaming. In fact, the vehicle is still highly competent in mild off-road driving but is much more refined than the original.
The owner of my test vehicle is an adventurous guy in his late forties. He loves the Explorer but is planning to upgrade to a bigger truck in the near future. He told me that he tows a 23-foot RV, a boat, and a cargo trailer on any given day in his Ford Explorer. He purchased the Yokohama YK-HTX tires about 5 months ago and was so satisfied with the performance and longevity of the tires that from then onwards, he swore to only buy tires from the Yokohama brand.
It seems we have a big fan of the Yokohama YK-HTX. Let’s see if the tires can turn me into a believer as well.
Features
In my opinion, the Yokohama YK-HTX is the brand’s attempt to make a more rugged highway-terrain tire. Manufactured using a silica-enriched compound mixed with Orange Oil technology, the tire is rated to deliver excellent all-season traction even on light snow. The treads are equipped with multi-sipe blocks that provide more biting edges for high levels of traction on snowy or slippery roads and loose gravel.
The tire was also developed with Triple 3D sipes that change shape as the tire wears down. This will ensure that the tire will continue to have biting edges even if the tread wears off. The optimized sidewall construction and adaptive shoulder blocks are all designed to enhance the stability of the tire to give you sure-footed handling. The shoulder blocks are designed to form a continuous outer rib to reduce tire roar at higher speeds.
The Orange Oil and silica compound will also reduce the rolling resistance to maximize the wear characteristics of the tire. The treads were also designed with an optimized contact patch to promote even wear.
The Yokohama YK-HTX is available in 15” to 22” diameters and is applicable to rugged crossover vehicles, SUVs, and pickup trucks.
Test Drive
My test vehicle was equipped with large 20-inch wheels so I was expecting the ride to be a bit jiggly. I hopped in and drove into the warm sunlight to get a feel for the vehicle before the actual test.
Dry Traction
It is hard to fault the Yokohama YK-HTX tires in terms of dry traction. The steering felt planted and precise while the vehicle was calm and composed as I sped on the bone-dry highway. The tires felt relentless as I took a detour to some badly paved roads peppered with loose rocks, sand, and dry soil. I got back on smooth tarmac and continued my journey with nary a complaint.
I never felt the tires break traction even as I was coaxing the SUV to attack a moderately tight corner at speed. Of course, you will feel the tires squirm for grip if you are insistent with your throttle inputs, but I was not driving a sporty sedan, so what’s the point?
Wet Traction
The roads were a bit damp as I was on my way home to deliver the SUV back to its owner. I didn’t get a chance to test the tires at top speed on wet roads, but the performance was satisfactory overall. What I did notice was the steering remained tight and precise even on slippery wet tarmac. It seems the 3D-designed sipes and the Orange Oil compound worked wonders to elevate the wet driving performance of the tires.
Snow Traction
There was no way for me to test the tires in snow. I asked the owner about this and he was in awe of the tire’s ability to tackle ice and light snow. He was supposed to buy a separate set of snow tires for his SUV but it was totally unnecessary. The Yokohama YK-HTX tires were more than enough for anything lower than 2-inches of snow.
Comfort
The Ford Explorer had a decently comfy ride, and the tires were a big part of the overall refinement of the vehicle. Even the owner can attest to the fact that the Yokohama’s were more comfy than his old set of tires. Large potholes and moon-size craters will still make themselves felt inside the cabin but it wasn’t too much to upset the composure of the vehicle.
Noise
You would probably think the Yokohama YK-HTX will be a bit talkative given the aggressive nature of the treads, but this was not the case. The adaptive shoulder blocks with continuous outer ribs did their job well to suppress tire roar at speed. The tires were also whisper silent on city streets. However, there will be some tire roar if you’re really pushing it on the highway, but it still sounds a bit muted compared to other highway-terrain tires.
Treadwear
The Yokohama YK-HTX tires on my test vehicle are not what you would consider brand new, but the treads were still relatively fresh at the time of this writing. That is pretty impressive for a tire that carries the weight of a large SUV.
Conclusion
The Yokohama YK-HTX tires are not the cheapest or most affordable highway terrain tires you can buy, but it performs admirably on both wet and dry roads with no penalties to ride comfort and wear.
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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