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Head-to-head Updated September 2026

Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+ vs Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate — Compared (September 2026)

Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.

Tire A Cooper

Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+

Touring Winter tire

Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+ tread pattern
Objective (60%)
71/100
4 professional tests
User signal (40%)
85/100
36 owner reviews
Dry
79
Wet
81
Snow
66
Comfort
86
Noise
71
Treadwear
86
Handling
83

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B Goodyear

Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate

All Season Ultra High Performance tires

Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate tread pattern
Objective (60%)
72/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
76/100
12 owner reviews
Dry
88
Wet
89
Snow
61
Comfort
85
Noise
100
Treadwear
80
Handling
83

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate — better noise, dry and wet. Pick the Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+ if treadwear and snow matter most to you.
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Category breakdown

7 categories, side by side

Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.

Dry

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Eagle Exhilarate leads by 9
A — Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+
79
B — Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate
88
Why this score
SourceWeatherMaster SA2+Eagle Exhilarate
Professional tests (TWG score) 73 88
Tire Rack owners – 91
Tyre Reviews owners 74 88
SimpleTire owners – 90
Dry Braking (% of best) 91% 96%
Dry Handling (% of best) 96% 97%

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Eagle Exhilarate leads by 8
A — Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+
81
B — Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate
89
Why this score
SourceWeatherMaster SA2+Eagle Exhilarate
Professional tests (TWG score) 75 92
Tire Rack owners – 87
Tyre Reviews owners 80 81
SimpleTire owners – 90
Wet Braking (% of best) 92% 99%
Wet Handling (% of best) 96% 95%

Snow

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) WeatherMaster SA2+ leads by 5
A — Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+
66
B — Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate
61
Why this score
SourceWeatherMaster SA2+Eagle Exhilarate
Professional tests (TWG score) 55 61
Tire Rack owners – 65
Tyre Reviews owners 83 57
SimpleTire owners – 80
Snow Handling (% of best) 93% 99%
Snow Traction (% of best) 83% 83%

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) WeatherMaster SA2+ leads by 1
A — Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+
86
B — Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate
85
Why this score
SourceWeatherMaster SA2+Eagle Exhilarate
Professional tests (TWG score) – 89
Tire Rack owners – 83
Tyre Reviews owners 82 76
SimpleTire owners – 100

Noise

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Eagle Exhilarate leads by 29
A — Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+
71
B — Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate
100
Why this score
SourceWeatherMaster SA2+Eagle Exhilarate
Professional tests (TWG score) 63 –
SimpleTire owners – 100

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) WeatherMaster SA2+ leads by 6
A — Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+
86
B — Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate
80
Why this score
SourceWeatherMaster SA2+Eagle Exhilarate
Tire Rack owners – 80
Tyre Reviews owners 80 76
SimpleTire owners – 100

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+
83
B — Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate
83
Why this score
SourceWeatherMaster SA2+Eagle Exhilarate
Tyre Reviews owners 56 83

Scores at a glance

Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+ vs Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryCooper WeatherMaster SA2+Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate
Relative Score 80 84
Dry 79 88
Wet 81 89
Snow 66 61
Comfort 86 85
Noise 71 100
Treadwear 86 80
Handling 83 83

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Neutral
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Important
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Recomputed
Headline score

Tire A

Tire B

Test data

The professional test results behind the scores

Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.

DisciplineCategoryTire ATire BΔBoth?
Dry Braking Dry 91% #18/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test 96% #5/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test -4.4 Different tests
Dry Handling Dry 96% #20/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test 97% #1/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test -1.2 Different tests
Overall Ranking Overall 5% #22/49 · 2021 Winter Tyre Market Overview 50% #2/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test -45.5 Different tests
Snow Handling Snow 93% #20/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test 99% #5/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test -5.3 Different tests
Snow Traction Snow 83% #19/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test 83% #5/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test +0.1 Different tests
Wet Braking Wet 92% #10/44 · 2019 Winter Tyre Test Market Overview 99% #4/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test -7.5 Different tests
Wet Handling Wet 96% #15/20 · 2020 Auto Bild Performance Winter Tyre Test 95% #3/7 · 2020 Tyre Reviews UHP All Season Tyre Test +0.5 Different tests
From owners

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+

The Cooper Weather Master SA2+ is widely regarded as a high-value winter tire that excels in snow and slush, offering impressive traction at a competitive price point. While most users praise its winter capabilities and comfort, some report concerns regarding handling feedback and noise levels, particularly after extended use or rotation.

Pros

  • Excellent traction in deep snow and slush
  • High value-for-money proposition compared to premium brands
  • Comfortable and smooth ride quality
  • Reliable performance on icy surfaces, especially when studded

Cons

  • Increased road noise reported by some users
  • Vague steering feedback and handling characteristics
  • Potential for vibration or balancing issues
  • Inconsistent performance in extreme ice conditions compared to dedicated Nordic-compound tires

Observations

  • Users noted that the tire's performance and construction can vary significantly based on manufacturing origin, with 13-16 inch sizes and 17+ inch sizes utilizing different compounds and designs.
  • Drivers of performance-oriented vehicles (e.g., Mustang) reported that switching to a narrower tire profile significantly improved winter safety and confidence.
Tire B Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate

The Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate is generally regarded as a capable Ultra-High Performance all-season tire that excels in dry handling and ride comfort. While many users praise its sporty feel and wet-weather confidence, there is a notable divide in user experience regarding road noise levels and winter performance, with some drivers finding them surprisingly capable in light snow and others reporting poor traction and excessive cabin noise.

Pros

  • Strong dry pavement handling and sporty steering response
  • High level of ride comfort and bump absorption
  • Reliable wet-weather grip and hydroplaning resistance for many users
  • Competitive pricing compared to premium segment rivals

Cons

  • Reports of significant road noise, described by some as intrusive
  • Inconsistent tread life and potential for uneven wear
  • Polarizing performance in snow and ice conditions
  • Occasional quality control issues, such as tires going out of round or broken belts

Observations

  • Tesla Model 3 Performance owners have utilized these as a lighter-weight, year-round alternative to stock 20-inch summer setups.
  • Users driving heavier sedans like the Nissan Maxima have reported higher cabin noise levels compared to other vehicle segments.
Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+ B · Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate
CategoryTouring Winter tireAll Season Ultra High Performance tires
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Sizes available—37
Rim diameters—17″ – 22″
Tread depth—10 - 11/32″
UTQG—500 AA A
Treadwear warranty—45,000 mi
Sidewall—Vertical Serrated Band
Max pressure—50 - 51 psi
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Cooper

Goodyear

Winner: Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate — better noise, dry and wet. Pick the Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+ if treadwear and snow matter most to you.

Pick tire B You want a quieter cabin

Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate scores 100 vs 71 on noise.

Pick tire B You want the most grip on dry roads

Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate scores 88 vs 79 on dry.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate scores 89 vs 81 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+ scores 86 vs 80 on treadwear.

Tire A · Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+
Tire B · Goodyear Eagle Exhilarate

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.