Cooper Endeavor Plus Review – Best Value All-Season SUV Tire?

The automotive industry is at a turning point, with EVs quickly gaining market share and technologies like automotive driving approaching very fast. But one thing won’t change – the buyers’ desire for ever larger vehicles. This isn’t precisely economical and efficient, even if you slap an electric powertrain, as big cars will always consume more energy and take more space.

But the reality is that roads today are crowded by big crossovers, SUVs, and trucks, which will perhaps remain the reality in the foreseeable future. And those vehicles need to be maintained regularly, with one of the biggest expenses being tires. Yup, tires are getting bigger and more expensive, just like cars. And it is a real wake-up call for owners of SUVs and trucks once they need to change the tires on their vehicles.

Budget-friendly tires for crossovers, SUVs, and trucks are becoming increasingly popular for all those reasons. Cooper, one of the oldest US tire brands, is always keen to fulfill the desires of the average buyer by launching excellent tires at lower prices than the premium competition. A great example is the Endeavor Plus, the company’s latest all-season model for SUVs, crossovers, and trucks.

The Endeavor Plus is one of the newest touring all-season tires for raised vehicles and comes with the brand’s latest advanced technologies. Cooper promises that this will be the only tire you need if you own a crossover, SUV, or truck at a lower price than a premium tire. On average, the Endeavor Plus costs 20% less than a tire from a premium tiremaker, which is a significant saving.

But will you lose anything if you opt for this tire? Will it satisfy your driving needs? These are just the questions I will try to answer in my in-depth Cooper Endeavor Plus review. In this article, you will learn everything there is to know about the tire, from its performance in various conditions, how comfortable it is, and how long it will serve you. So, without further ado, let’s dig into my Cooper Endeavor Plus review!

The sipes, i.e., checkmark channels on the tread blocks, also help with snow traction, providing the necessary biting edges. The large lateral notches provide additional support by digging into the snow, helped by the grooves that trap snow for enhanced snow-to-snow traction.

Cooper also carefully designed the tread pattern to reduce unwanted airborne noise despite all those grooves and sipes. The company says that the improved construction techniques ensure even wear across the tread, but the Endeavor Plus also has a reinforced layer of material for longer treadlife.

The internal construction of the Endeavor Plus is standard for the category and includes two steel belts and a two-ply polyester casing aided by a single nylon reinforcement ply. As such, the Endeavor Plus is only designed for light-duty SUVs, trucks, and crossovers and can’t match owners’ requirements that tow large trailers or haul heavy cargo.

But what makes Cooper’s Wear Square indicators special? First, you must learn what the wear bars on every tire do.

Namely, it is generally accepted that a tire with less than 2/32 inches (1.6 mm) of tread depth won’t be able to dissipate water from the tread properly, resulting in extreme hydroplaning and traction loss in wet conditions. For that reason, driving with tires with less than 2/32 inches of tread depth is illegal.

The wear bars are designed to do just that – show you when the tread reaches the 2/32-inch threshold. When that happens, the wear bars will be flush with the rest of the tread.

But the thing is, tires don’t perform that way. In other words, its hydroplaning resistance is gradually reduced over time, and it won’t become magically unsafe when the tread reaches 2/32 inches. In fact, I would consider a tire with 3/32 inches of tread depth unsafe in very wet conditions.

And if you care about your safety, you might want to replace your tires before the wear bars become flush with the surface. The problem is that tires don’t have visual indicators to help you with that. Well, most of them.

The Endeavor Plus’ Wear Square indicators can give you a much better representation of the tread depth left on your tire. Notably, the square’s four sides are of a different depth. All four sides are visible when the tire is new, meaning the tread depth is 100%.

Only three sides will be visible once the depth reaches 75%; two will be visible at 50% and one at 25%. When the tread depth reaches the lowest legal 2/32 inches, the last remaining side of the square will turn into an exclamation mark. Neat, right?

We hope that other tiremakers also jump onto the bandwagon and introduce their own unique wear indicators. These are crucial for safety because many accidents happen each year because drivers don’t replace their tires on time.

For example, the Yokohama Geolandar CV G058 also comes with a 65,000-mile warranty, but it also costs much more than the Endeavor Plus – over 20%. The Kumho Crugen HP71 has the same 65,000-mile warranty but costs around 10% more.

So, overall, the Endeavor Plus should be one of the most cost-effective tires because it is cheap to buy and doesn’t necessitate frequent replacements. But the real question is – does it suffer in the performance department? Let’s have a look!

Now, of course, you shouldn’t expect performance on the level of a premium touring all-season tire. For instance, the Continental CrossContact LX25 will give you a higher grip in the corners and shorter braking distances.

Still, putting things into context here is essential simply because the Endeavor Plus is such a cheap tire. And for the money, you are getting very, very respectable traction. The stopping distances are sufficiently short when you need to stop quickly, and the lateral grip is more than good enough for daily driving.

As for the handling, it feels nimble enough for a touring all-season tire, though Cooper probably focused more on delivering secure and surefooted cornering. As a result, this is not a tire you will enjoy driving but one you can rely on to keep you safe, even when driving more quickly through the corners.

The steering of the tire is also pretty good. In our Endeavor Plus review, we found it felt responsive enough without the sluggishness of some other cheap touring all-season tires. Moreover, the straight-line tracking was spot on when we tried the Endeavor Plus on the highway, as it gave us an easy time keeping the vehicle in the lane.

With that said, while the Endeavor Plus will fit most SUVs and trucks, I wouldn’t trust it with towing or hauling heavy cargo. The tire is available in XL load ratings, meaning it can do some tasks, like towing smaller trailers. Still, you will need LT-metric sizes for anything heavy-duty, and the Endeavor Plus is not available in those.

Again, a premium touring all-season tire will perform better in the rain, giving you even higher traction. For instance, the CrossContact LX25 is a much better overall performer on wet tarmac, and the same is true for the Pirelli AS Plus 3 and Bridgestone Alenza AS Ultra.

But the Cooper Endeavor Plus is a budget-oriented tire, and it performs quite excellently for the money you pay. The hydroplaning resistance it provides is very good for the price, meaning you can drive through deep puddles of water without worrying about losing control of your SUV or truck.

Furthermore, the stopping distances are pretty short, almost on the level of some significantly more expensive premium tires. We were also very happy with the lateral grip, which was high enough to allow us to drive faster and keep the vehicle in control.

The handling was quite balanced, though the Endeavor Plus does exhibit understeer when you push it past its limits. Still, that is not a big issue; in fact, the regular driver prefers understeer, as you correct that just by slowing down and turning the steering wheel more. In other words, it is the natural thing to do and a preferred behavior of touring tires.

Cooper’s focus on delivering safe traction in rainy conditions is something we welcome with open hands. Although modern tires are much better on wet roads than before, there are significant differences between various models, with some struggling in the rain. Not the Endeavor Plus, though – it is genuinely a serviceable wet tire despite its lower price point.

But if you only encounter the occasional light snow on the roads near you, the Endeavor Plus will be up to the task. Compared to other similarly-priced all-season touring tires, it provides shorter stopping distances, accelerates better off the line, and achieves higher velocities in the corners.

Most importantly, the Endeavor Plus feels secure when driving over light snow. Its handling is reasonably balanced, with only slight understeer when you push the vehicle harder. Fortunately, the Endeavor Plus loses traction gradually, giving you enough time to react and correct the slide.

With that said, if you are into off-roading, you should at least opt for a highway all-season tire. These tires come in LT-metric sizes and have additional support against punctures and cuts, making them much more helpful when you go off the beaten path. Cooper has a very good highway all-season tire of its own, the Discoverer HT3.

Or, you can go for all-terrain or off-road tires, which are even tougher than highway tires while providing much better traction on slippery terrains.

The sound characteristics of the Endeavor Plus are not as impressive, but still pretty good for the money. Namely, the tread produces an audible tread growl at lower speeds, but the noise surprisingly disappears when you reach over 40 mph. In other words, it is pretty quiet on the highway, unlike other cheap touring tires that can reach uncomfortable noise levels.

Naturally, the Endeavor Plus is not a flawless tire. For instance, while it is serviceable on light snow, it will struggle in deep snow and over ice. Moreover, it can be noisy at lower urban speeds and can’t compete with the premium rivals with its dry/wet traction.

Still, it is crucial to put the price into the equation. In its price range, the Endeavor Plus is the most accomplished tire, with the best balance between dry/wet/snow traction, comfort, and treadlife. Oh, yes, let’s not forget about the most significant selling point of the Endeavor Plus – it comes with an excellent 65,000-mile treadwear warranty.

As for its competitors, the Kumho Krugen HP71 has the same 65,000-mile warranty and is neck-and-neck with the Endeavor Plus in dry conditions. Still, the Krugen HP71 lags behind its rival on wet and snow-covered roads and is even slightly noisier. Kumho’s tire is also slightly more expensive, though it comes with a higher speed rating in most sizes.

Meanwhile, the BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport LT offers ride quality comparable to the Endeavor Plus and slightly better snow traction. However, it struggles in wet conditions, particularly when it comes to braking. You will get the same 65,000-mile warranty on the Advantage T/A Sport LT, though BFGoodrich’s tire costs significantly more than the Endeavor Plus.

If you are prepared to spend a bit more money, we would suggest going for the Continental CrossContact LX25. It is a premium touring all-season tire for crossovers and SUVs with almost no disadvantages and is known for its exceptional handling and traction on dry, wet, and snowy surfaces. You might also want to try the Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV, which provides best-in-class snow traction and performs well in most other areas, though it only comes with a 60,000-mile warranty.

There are even sizes available for full-size trucks, like the Ford F-150. Still, please note that those are not LT-metric dimensions, meaning they don’t have the reinforcements necessary for towing large trailers or hauling heavy items.