80
/ 100
Objective (60%)
71/100
4 professional tests
User signal (40%)
85/100
36 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+ vs Yokohama AVID Ascend — 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.
VS
89
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
91/100
23 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Yokohama AVID Ascend — better snow, noise and dry. Pick the Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+ if handling matters 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
Score (0–100)
AVID Ascend leads by 16
Why this score
| Source | WeatherMaster SA2+ | AVID Ascend |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 73 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 74 | 80 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
AVID Ascend leads by 12
Why this score
| Source | WeatherMaster SA2+ | AVID Ascend |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 75 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 80 | 80 |
Snow
Score (0–100)
AVID Ascend leads by 19
Why this score
| Source | WeatherMaster SA2+ | AVID Ascend |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 55 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 83 | 80 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
AVID Ascend leads by 3
Why this score
| Source | WeatherMaster SA2+ | AVID Ascend |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 82 | 70 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
AVID Ascend leads by 17
Why this score
| Source | WeatherMaster SA2+ | AVID Ascend |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 63 | – |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
AVID Ascend leads by 4
Why this score
| Source | WeatherMaster SA2+ | AVID Ascend |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 80 | 95 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
WeatherMaster SA2+ leads by 3
Why this score
| Source | WeatherMaster SA2+ | AVID Ascend |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 56 | 80 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+ | Yokohama AVID Ascend |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 80 | 89 |
| Dry | 79 | 95 |
| Wet | 81 | 93 |
| Snow | 66 | 85 |
| Comfort | 86 | 89 |
| Noise | 71 | 88 |
| Treadwear | 86 | 90 |
| Handling | 83 | 80 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Recomputed
Headline score
80
/ 100
Tire A
89
/ 100
Tire B
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
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.
The Yokohama Avid Ascend is widely regarded as a high-value, all-season tire that excels in wet weather performance and ride comfort. While most users report significant improvements in traction and noise levels compared to factory-installed tires, a small subset of owners has raised concerns regarding premature tread wear and occasional manufacturing defects.
Pros
- Exceptional wet weather traction and hydroplaning resistance
- High value-to-performance ratio compared to premium competitors
- Smooth and quiet ride quality
- Reliable handling in light snow and slushy conditions
Cons
- Reports of premature or uneven tread wear in some instances
- Occasional noise issues on dry pavement
- Isolated reports of tires going out of round after moderate mileage
Observations
- Subaru Forester owners frequently cite these as a superior upgrade for both comfort and all-weather capability.
- Users of AWD vehicles, including the Audi A4 and Toyota Sienna, report high satisfaction with the tire's handling in mixed precipitation.
- Hybrid vehicle owners noted that the tire maintains fuel efficiency comparable to factory specifications.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+ | B · Yokohama AVID Ascend |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Touring Winter tire | Premium Touring All Season tire |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Tread depth | — | 12/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 740 A A |
| Treadwear warranty | — | 75,000 mi |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 51 psi |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
80
/ 100
Cooper
89
/ 100
Yokohama
Winner: Yokohama AVID Ascend — better snow, noise and dry. Pick the Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+ if handling matters most to you.
Pick tire B
You drive through snowy winters
Yokohama AVID Ascend scores 85 vs 66 on snow.
Pick tire B
You want a quieter cabin
Yokohama AVID Ascend scores 88 vs 71 on noise.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Yokohama AVID Ascend scores 95 vs 79 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Yokohama AVID Ascend scores 93 vs 81 on wet.
Tire A · Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+
Tire B · Yokohama AVID Ascend
More comparisons
Also compared with
Cooper WeatherMaster SA2+ also compared with
Yokohama AVID Ascend also compared with
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.