74
/ 100
Objective (60%)
73/100
6 professional tests
User signal (40%)
75/100
8 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Yokohama BluEarth 4S AW21 vs Yokohama W.Drive — 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
76
/ 100
Objective (60%)
71/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
71/100
14 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Yokohama W.Drive — better treadwear, dry and comfort. Pick the Yokohama BluEarth 4S AW21 if snow and noise 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
Score (0–100)
W.Drive leads by 14
Why this score
| Source | BluEarth 4S AW21 | W.Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 66 | 98 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 87 | 77 |
| Dry Braking (% of best) | 88% | 100% |
| Dry Handling (% of best) | 97% | 99% |
Wet
Score (0–100)
BluEarth 4S AW21 leads by 1
Why this score
| Source | BluEarth 4S AW21 | W.Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 69 | 77 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 86 | 71 |
| Wet Braking (% of best) | 92% | 90% |
| Wet Handling (% of best) | 89% | 94% |
Snow
Score (0–100)
BluEarth 4S AW21 leads by 20
Why this score
| Source | BluEarth 4S AW21 | W.Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 82 | 67 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 82 | 55 |
| Snow Braking (% of best) | 95% | 86% |
| Snow Handling (% of best) | 100% | 100% |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
W.Drive leads by 4
Why this score
| Source | BluEarth 4S AW21 | W.Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 73 | 77 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
BluEarth 4S AW21 leads by 18
Why this score
| Source | BluEarth 4S AW21 | W.Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 99 | 81 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
W.Drive leads by 23
Why this score
| Source | BluEarth 4S AW21 | W.Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 55 | 78 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
W.Drive leads by 1
Why this score
| Source | BluEarth 4S AW21 | W.Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 70 | 71 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Yokohama BluEarth 4S AW21 | Yokohama W.Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 74 | 76 |
| Dry | 75 | 89 |
| Wet | 76 | 75 |
| Snow | 82 | 62 |
| Comfort | 73 | 77 |
| Noise | 99 | 81 |
| Treadwear | 55 | 78 |
| Handling | 70 | 71 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Recomputed
Headline score
74
/ 100
Tire A
76
/ 100
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.
| Discipline | Category | Tire A | Tire B | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Braking | Dry | 88% #28/35 · 2023 All Season Tyre 35 Set Shootout | 100% #1/9 · 2018 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test | -12.1 | Different tests |
| Dry Handling | Dry | 97% #6/7 · The Best All Season Tyres for 2024 | 99% #3/9 · 2018 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test | -1.5 | Different tests |
| Rolling Resistance | Efficiency | 76% #7/7 · The Best All Season Tyres for 2024 | 84% #8/9 · 2018 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test | -7.9 | Different tests |
| Noise | Other | 100% #7/7 · 2025 Motor All Season Tyre Test | 99% #2/9 · 2018 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test | +1.4 | Different tests |
| Price | Other | 76% #2/7 · The Best All Season Tyres for 2024 | 63% #2/9 · 2018 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test | +12.5 | Different tests |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 17% #6/7 · 2025 Motor All Season Tyre Test | 13% #8/9 · 2018 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test | +4.2 | Different tests |
| Snow Braking | Snow | 95% #3/16 · 2024 ADAC All Season Tyre Test | 86% #9/9 · 2018 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test | +9 | Different tests |
| Snow Handling | Snow | 100% #7/7 · 2025 Motor All Season Tyre Test | 100% #9/9 · 2018 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test | 0 | Different tests |
| Straight Aqua | Straight | 87% #5/7 · 2025 Motor All Season Tyre Test | 92% #8/9 · 2018 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test | -5.3 | Different tests |
| Wet Braking | Wet | 92% #11/16 · 2024 ADAC All Season Tyre Test | 90% #7/9 · 2018 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test | +2.3 | Different tests |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 89% #6/7 · The Best All Season Tyres for 2024 | 94% #7/9 · 2018 AZ SUV Winter Tyre Test | -5.1 | Different tests |
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Yokohama BluEarth 4S AW21 is generally regarded as a competent all-weather tire that excels in wet and winter conditions, providing reliable traction in cold temperatures. While users appreciate its performance in adverse weather, the tire receives mixed feedback regarding its longevity, road noise, and handling characteristics during warmer months.
Pros
- Excellent wet weather grip and stability on motorways
- Strong performance in snow and icy conditions
- Quiet and smooth ride quality during the first two years of ownership
- Aesthetically pleasing tread design
Cons
- Noticeable increase in road noise, described by some as excessive
- Soft compound feel during high-temperature summer driving
- Concerns regarding long-term durability and premature tread cracking
- Unusual steering feedback during low-speed maneuvering
Observations
- Drivers of compact hatchbacks, such as the VW Golf, report acceptable dry and wet grip but note a peculiar sensation in steering feel.
- Performance in warmer climates (30°C+) results in a 'soft' feeling during cornering, suggesting the compound is better suited for temperate or cold environments.
The Yokohama W Drive presents a polarizing user experience, with performance heavily dependent on vehicle drivetrain and driving style. While many owners report excellent traction in snow and ice, providing a transformative winter driving experience, a significant subset of users—particularly those with high-torque rear-wheel-drive vehicles—report severe handling instability and safety concerns.
Pros
- Exceptional traction and mobility in snow and ice conditions.
- Strong dry-road handling performance, often described as comparable to summer tires.
- Impressive tread longevity when maintained at proper inflation pressures.
- Quiet and comfortable ride quality for most users.
Cons
- Significant instability and lack of rear-end grip reported on high-torque, rear-wheel-drive vehicles.
- Inconsistent performance on greasy or wet road surfaces.
- Reports of excessive road noise and harsh ride quality from some users.
- High sensitivity to tire pressure, leading to rapid wear if not monitored.
Observations
- Users of high-torque BMW models (535d, 335d) reported severe traction issues and fishtailing, suggesting a potential mismatch between the tire's compound and high-torque RWD platforms.
- Quattro (AWD) users reported high satisfaction, noting the tires provided reliable grip and durability across varied conditions.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Yokohama BluEarth 4S AW21 | B · Yokohama W.Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season Premium Touring tires | High Performance Winter tire |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
74
/ 100
Yokohama
76
/ 100
Yokohama
Winner: Yokohama W.Drive — better treadwear, dry and comfort. Pick the Yokohama BluEarth 4S AW21 if snow and noise matter most to you.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Yokohama W.Drive scores 78 vs 55 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Yokohama BluEarth 4S AW21 scores 82 vs 62 on snow.
Pick tire A
You want a quieter cabin
Yokohama BluEarth 4S AW21 scores 99 vs 81 on noise.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Yokohama W.Drive scores 89 vs 75 on dry.
Tire A · Yokohama BluEarth 4S AW21
Tire B · Yokohama W.Drive
More comparisons
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Yokohama W.Drive 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.