Yokohama W.Drive review
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.
Two scoring systems, side by side
Owner scores come from reviews on retailer and review sites; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.
By owner reviews
71%By road tests
70.6%What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 14 owner reviews across retailers and review sites.
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.
Worth knowing
- 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.
1 published test appearance
Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.
2018 AZ SUV Winter tire Test · 235/60 R18
8th of 9
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 7th of 9 | |
| Wet Handling | 7th of 9 | |
| Dry Braking | 1st of 9 | |
| Dry Handling | 3rd of 9 | |
| Snow Braking | 9th of 9 | |
| Snow Handling | 9th of 9 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 8th of 9 | |
| Straight Aqua | 8th of 9 | |
| Noise | 2nd of 9 | |
| Price | 2nd of 9 |