By: Krish Persaud
February 11, 2023
The people of Ontario, Canada, would prefer to experience no more than three seasons per year, but unfortunately they are subject to a fourth: winter. As much as we’d like it to always be 20 °C, we know that’s wishful thinking. However, given that we can’t just stop driving whenever the weather or road conditions change, it’s good to know that tire manufacturers do what they can to ensure our continued safety by offering tires appropriate for every season. Although it’s not required, most Ontarians swap out their tires for winter tires between the months of November and March.
Yokohama has been producing high-quality tires for more than a century. They have a wide variety of tires to choose from, including the ADVAN performance line, the Geolandar light truck line, the AVID passenger line, the PARADA line, the BluEarth line, and the iceGuard winter line. This review will center on the Yokohama iceGUARD G075 winter tires we were given to test extensively throughout the winter from our friends at Yokohama Tire Corp.
225/55/18-sized Yokohama iceGUARD G075 tires are mounted on a 2022 Subaru Forester Sport used for this evaluation. The 2022 Subaru Forester Sport is equipped with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a CVT. As a replacement for the Falken all-season tires that come standard on the Forester, these winter tires feature a softer compound, producing an above-average level of road noise of about 57.5 dB which is less than anticipated.
In temperatures below 7°C, the steering feel was greatly enhanced by the Yokohama iceGUARD G075 compared to that of the factory-installed all-season tires. In wet and slushy conditions, these iceGuard G075 tires also provided a notable reduction in stopping distances. These tires gave us peace of mind when driving through deep snow, ice, and heavy rain.
In order to achieve enhanced traction on low-friction surfaces, the iceGuard G075 tires feature 3D triple sipes, diagonal micro-slats, as well as zigzag main and secondary longitudinal grooves. The multipurpose nature of the grooves that run between the tread’s blocks and ribs contributes to an improvement in the tire’s traction on snowy and icy terrain. The purchasers will be happy with this.
The iceGuard G075 tires have two layers of rubber, which contribute to reduced rolling resistance due to increased stiffness and a high-density compound, resulting in reduced fuel consumption, uniform tread wear, and a longer lifespan.
For many years, the majority of DriveMan.ca vehicles have been outfitted with Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires which have never left us stranded or made us second-guess our driving plans. Nevertheless, based on our driving experiences with the iceGUARD G075, we are confident that the Yokohama tires would provide the same level of comfort and confidence behind the wheel. The iceGUARD G075 for crossovers and SUVs comes in 37 different sizes ranging from 16 to 20 inches. These winter tires have our support as a direct replacement and we believe you should give them a try.
Related Content:
Yokohama ADVAN SPORT A/S +