I’ve examined dozens of tires over time, from road treads to heavy-lugged mud tires to all-terrains. The Yokohama Geolander AT G015s stand tall within the latter class.
Making a choice on what tires could be an excellent substitute for those getting somewhat lengthy within the tooth underneath our automobiles isn’t straightforward. There appear to be as many tire manufacturers and types as there are automobiles they match. However selecting one tire over one other is like rolling the cube as a result of a tire’s true price can solely be identified after placing them on to see how they deal with the various highway circumstances one faces over months of driving.
Happily, I’ve had sufficient driving time on Yokohama’s Geolander AT G015 all-terrains to know their worth.
Briefly: The Yokohama Geolander AT G015 is a light all-terrain tire that works exceptionally properly on gentle vehicles, crossovers, and SUVs that see occasional use off-pavement.
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Dimension
235/55R19 -
Weight
32 lbs. -
Tread Depth
11/32” -
Tread Width
7.5” -
Peak
29.1” -
Max Load
2,039 lbs.
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Extra responsive than the OEM tires -
Quieter than the OEM tires they changed -
Wonderful dry/moist pavement traction -
Superb off-pavement efficiency -
Sturdy with lengthy tread life
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Doesn’t take up impacts properly -
Snow/ice traction not similar to devoted snow tires
Yokohama Geolander A/T G015 Evaluate
Again in December 2020, I swapped out the OEM Toyo 225/55R19 tires on my 2018 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring AWD for a set of Yokohama 235/55R19 Yokohama Geolander A/T G015s. The Toyos had somewhat greater than 35,000 miles on them and had been in want of substitute.
My aim was to discover a tire that might be higher suited to a mixture of driving over pavement and occasional gravel backroads. So, I gave the G015s a shot.
First Impressions
My largest concern about switching to a tire with the marginally extra aggressive tread of the G015 A/Ts was them being louder on pavement than the street-tread Toyos. That concern was short-lived.
To my nice shock, there was no noticeable distinction in sound quantity or pitch with the Geolander A/Ts, which I think about a “gentle” all-terrain tire. Conversations between driver and passenger, and between these within the entrance seats and the rear seats, remained straightforward and relaxed.
What I’ve observed, particularly the day of the tire swap, is the Yokohama Geolander A/Ts really feel barely firmer going over enlargement joints and cracks within the pavement, however are literally higher in total trip high quality and dealing with than the OEM Toyos they changed.
The G015s reply barely faster to steering and impart extra confidence when cornering. The wet-pavement traction is significantly better than the OEM tires, too. The deep tread and the sample do an excellent job forcing water out so driving on rain-slicked pavement and thru standing water has stored the Mazda’s footing sturdy even in heavy Oregon Coast downpours.
The Finish of Life
Now, somewhat greater than 3.5 years and 48,408 miles later, the Geolander A/Ts are down to five/32” in tread depth, which implies they, too, are nearing the latter a part of their helpful life. That put on performs in with the 60,000-mile restricted tread guarantee.
I hate parting with the Geolanders. They’ve been a pleasant tire selection, offering good highway manners with minimal noise transmitted into the inside. They carried out fairly properly navigating occasional off-pavement use on forest, mountain, and desert backroads, towing small off-road trailers, lengthy stints on the open freeway, and infrequently getting somewhat sporty on twisting mountain and coastal highways.
Discovering Traction
The G015s made the Mazda really feel sure-footed, most noticeable throughout the spring and fall when rain was all the time an element driving within the Pacific Northwest. I attribute that to the Geolander AT G015’s design of the tread blocks, which did a masterful job of forcing water outward and away from the middle of the tires to cut back the possibilities of hydroplaning.
One other traction issue is Yokohama’s use of the Enduro Compound of the rubber, which helps the tires stay pliable over a variety of temperatures for enhanced braking and dealing with. This expertise comes into play when rain turns to snow. The micro-siping within the tread blocks provides to their efficiency because the tiny cuts within the tread grip snow for higher traction.
In addition they dealt with lighter powder snow and plowed roads higher than I’d anticipated. These tires have achieved three-peak mountain snowflake certification, and bought me by means of three gentle winters the place a number of inches of snow dusted native backroads, and the mountain cross highways had been plowed. However they only don’t have the traction of a devoted snow tire.
Correct Tire Care
I rotated the directional Geolanders each 5,000 miles, front-to-rear, so they’d put on evenly. I stored tire pressures at 32 psi, which supplied the perfect trip and dealing with for my utility.
Now after some 48,000 miles driving over principally paved roads, the tread is all the way down to 5/32”, which is a bit more than half of what they’d new. These tires have a 60K Restricted Tread Put on Guarantee on crossovers and SUVs, 50,000-mile guarantee of LT variations.
Tread Depth Issues
At this level within the G015’s tread life, the traction, each accelerating and braking, on moist roads and snow, will not be almost pretty much as good because it was early on. That’s to be anticipated. Tire specialists, like the oldsters at Tire Rack, suggest that drivers anticipating to expertise moist circumstances think about changing their tires after they attain 4/32″ of remaining tread depth.
Tire Rack’s exams have proven how shallow treads cut back moist braking traction and enhance stopping distances (see extra at: Measuring Tire Tread Depth). So these Geolanders will likely be retired quickly to make approach for testing one other tire well-suited for crossovers and SUVs.
Yokohama Geolander AT G015 Lengthy-Time period Evaluate: Ultimate Ideas
To wrap up my tackle the Yokohama G015s: For an “all season,” “all-terrain” tire, I discovered the Yokohama Geolander ATs year-round efficiency, on- and off-pavement, summer season or winter, excelled underneath my AWD CX-5. They need to even be an excellent tire selection for different passenger automobiles, crossovers, SUVs, and light-duty vehicles.
A aspect observe: Yokohama now gives three totally different ranges of Geolander tires, with the brand new AT4 being essentially the most aggressive all-terrain, the G015 the mid-level AT, and the HT G056 being the all-season road tire.