Goodyear Eagle Sport All-Season Review: a Solid Overall Performer

High-performance all-season tires are nothing new. However, in the past, they were far off the pace of summer performance tires. Today, though, things are different. Most premium high-performance all-season tires offer excellent driving dynamics, which satisfy the daily driving needs of most drivers. On top of that, some of these tires work very well in the winter.

One of the most popular ultra-high-performance all-season tires (high-performance rating in lower speed categories) is the Goodyear Eagle Sport All-Season. As a successor to the bestselling Eagle GT, the new model has a lot to live up to. In addition, the Eagle Sport All-Season competes with some really accomplished rivals today, such as the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06, Michelin Pilot Sport A/S3+, and Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS.

And, most of the competitors are newer as well – the Eagle Sport All-Season was launched in 2013. Which brings the question – is it any good? To answer that question, I’ll cover all significant aspects of the tire in my Goodyear Eagle Sport All-Season review. These include dry handling and braking, wet capabilities, snow traction, comfort levels, and treadlife.

Interestingly, Goodyear has other high-performance all-season tires, including the Eagle RS-A, and the F1 Asymmetric All-Season. Compared to those tires, the Eagle Sport sits in the middle. The Eagle RS-A is less aggressive and generally offers worse performance, both on dry and wet surfaces. Besides, that tire doesn’t come with any treadwear warranty. For those reasons, I think that you should avoid it.

The F1 Asymmetric, though, is a very interesting tire for enthusiast drivers. Overall, it has a more aggressive tread compound that sticks to the road better, both on dry and wet surfaces. It’s also more responsive than the Eagle Sport. Nonetheless, the F1 Asymmetric is also slightly more expensive and comes with a lower treadwear warranty. So, at least for daily driving and cost, the Eagle Sport All-Season might be a better option.

As with every product, it’s best when you choose tires that will suit your needs. And, to find out if the Eagle Sport All-Season works for you, scroll to see my thoughts below.

Before we jump to any conclusions, though, let’s see what features Goodyear utilized in its most popular ultra-high-performance all-season tire to make it stand out from the competition.

What are the features of the Goodyear Eagle Sport All-Season?

According to Goodyear, the Eagle Sport All-Season is a “powerful sport performance tire with enhanced responsive handling and strong grip in all-season conditions.” To achieve those things, Goodyear utilized many modern technologies when developing and designing the Eagle Sport All-Season.

The most important feature on every tire is the tread compound. In this case, Goodyear employed an innovative all-season tread compound, designed to give the driver excellent performance in various weather conditions, including freezing weather.

The rubber compound of the Eagle Sport is molded into an asymmetric tread compound designed to have a large tread contact area with the road. This improves dry handling by raising the grip levels, while also enhancing stability and braking.

The large contact patch is achieved with the linked outboard shoulder blocks, backed by notched center ribs and connected inboard shoulder blocks. According to Goodyear, this design enhances steering response and the wear characteristics of the tire.

The Eagle Sport All-Season also features four wide circumferential grooves, which channel water through the longitudinal grooves inside the tread blocks. This design improves traction on wet surfaces by improving the hydroplaning resistance.

Goodyear also employed many sipes across the surface of the tires. These small cuts into the tread blocks increase the number of biting edges, which is crucial for increasing traction on snowy surfaces.

The most interesting feature on the Eagle Sport All-Season is the internal construction. On most tires, the construction of the tire features twin steel belts reinforced by a polyester cord casing ply.

However, on the Eagle Sport All-Season, Goodyear utilized its RaceWrap Construction Technology, which was developed in the NASCAR competition. This construction is largely similar to competing tires, with the difference that the polyester cord casing wraps around the bead and returns all the way up the sidewall until it ends under the edge of the steel belts at a slight angle.

According to Goodyear, the RaceWrap Construction Technology further improves steering responsiveness, handling, and high-speed capabilities.

What are the maintenance indicators?

Goodyear employed the industry-standard treadwear indicators (TWI’s) in the Eagle Sport All-Season. These indicators help the driver monitor the remaining tread depth without the need for measuring instruments.

And, keeping an eye on the tread depth of your tires is crucial for safety. Without sufficient tread depth, the tire won’t be able to channel the water of the tread, which limits the traction on wet surfaces. Moreover, the tire loses the hydroplaning resistance, especially in heavy rain, or at higher speeds.

The minimum legal tread depth on all-season tires is considered 2/32-inch (1.6 mm). When your tires reach that point, you should immediately replace them with a new set. Otherwise, you risk your safety in wet conditions, and you can even get a fine. For maximum safety, though, I recommend replacing the tires even sooner, and especially if you want to have reliable snow and ice traction.

The treadwear indicators are designed to show you when your tires reach the 2/32-inch mark. They are narrow rubber bars that sit recessed into the tread grooves of the tire and become more visible as the tread wears down. The TWI’s will be completely flush with the surface when the tread depth reaches 2/32-inch.

Fortunately, the Goodyear Eagle Sport All-Season is one of the longest-lasting tires in its category. Consumer reports rates the tire at 80,000-mile treadlife, which is exceptional for an ultra-high-performance all-season tire. In other words, you can get up to five years of your Eagle Sport All-Season set if you daily drive your vehicle.

Moreover, Goodyear provides an excellent 50,000-mile treadwear warranty on the Eagle Sport All-Season. That’s one of the best results in the category, on par with other premium tires.

How does it behave on a dry tarmac?

Overall, the Eagle Sport All-Season is one of the most pleasing tires in its category. The responsiveness is excellent, despite the fact that the ride quality is very smooth (more on that later). Also, the tires communicate with the driver very well, even at the limit, providing a truly satisfying experience.

The cornering grip is also very impressive. It might not be the best you can find – Goodyear’s own F1 Asymmetric All-Season, but I think it completely satisfies the needs of most drivers. Moreover, the tire impresses when braking – the distances are very short.

Ultimately, thanks to the RaceWrap Construction Technology, high-speed stability is one of the best in the business.

How is it over wet and slippery roads?

Unlike its cheaper brother, the Eagle RS-A, the Eagle Sport continues to impress on wet roads. Again, the tire doesn’t outright beat its competition, but the differences are very small and only noticeable on closed courses.

For daily driving in rainy weather, the Eagle Sport All-Season works tremendously well. The hydroplaning resistance is excellent; the tires feel planted on the road, and provide the driver with excellent traction and braking.

With that being said, how is it on snowy roads?

Sadly, the Eagle Sport All-Season could see improvements in snow traction. The tire is good for the category, but some competitors, like the Continental ExtremeContact DWS06, fare much better, especially when braking. I simply wouldn’t trust the Eagle Sport All-Season on snow, and certainly not in extreme winter weather.

Is it suitable for off-road driving?

The Eagle Sport All-Season isn’t designed for off-roading. Above all, the tire doesn’t have enough tread depth for attacking slippery surfaces, including hardpacked surfaces, mud, and rocky terrain. Then, the tread of the tire also isn’t very tough and might get easily damaged or punctured.

Is it comfortable and refined?

Despite the excellent responsiveness and stability, the Eagle Sport All-Season is a very smooth tire. Smaller imperfections are ironed-out very successfully, and even larger bumps don’t unsettle the interior of the car.

Nonetheless, road noise can be an issue at higher speeds. Again, like with most things, the issue isn’t very big, but some premium competitors are definitely quieter.

You can see more Goodyear Eagle Sport All-Season Review here: Video created by Code Name: new2vero2

Should I buy the Goodyear Eagle Sport All-Season?

The Eagle Sport All-Season might be old by now, but it’s still one of the most accomplished tires in its category. Apart from the average snow traction, and the slightly louder tread growl, the tire impresses elsewhere.

Above all, the tire will provide you with an enjoyable driving experience, without sacrificing ride comfort and treadlife. On top of that, the Eagle Sport All-Season isn’t expensive for such a good tire. Because of those things, it gets an easy recommendation from me. You should definitely put it on your shortlist.