Yokohama AVID Ascend LX Tire Review: One of the Best Standard Touring All-Season Tire

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Dry

90%

Wet

88%

Snow

80%

Comfort

95%

Noise

90%

Treadwear

92%

Overall

88%

Pros

  • Quiet and comfortable rides
  • Impressive tread life
  • Enhanced controllability
  • High driving comfort levels
  • All-seasons traction

Cons

  • Weak responsiveness in wet conditions

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In the auto world, the word touring is as old as cars themselves. In the early days, touring referred to cars that were ideal for distant driving. The term also started to be used in the tire industry to refer to distant driving tires.

The introduction of all-season touring tires came as a relief to drivers looking for quieter tires with longer tread life and improved gas mileage, ideal for long trips and daily driving.

One such tire is the 2019 Avid Ascend LX, which Yokohama introduced as a premium tire in their touring tires category to cater to these drivers.

The tire promises comfortable and quiet rides, dependable traction across a range of road conditions, significant mileage potential, and improved fuel economy courtesy of its low rolling resistance technology.

In this post, I’ll go into details on everything you need to know about the Yokohama AVID Ascend LX tires, including their performance and how they compare against other similar tires.

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What are the features of the Yokohama AVID Ascend LX?

Yokohama AVID Ascend LX Specs

TypeStandard All-Season Touring Tire
CarsMinivans, sedans, coupes, and crossovers
DWSDry, Wet, and Snow
Load Index95
Speed RatingT, H and V
Tread Wear800
TractionAA
TemperatureA
Rim diameter.15-18″
Sizes39
TechnologyAdvanced L-2 Compound
Tread Depth11/32”
Max. Inflation Pressure50 psi
Tire Diameter26 in
Side WallBSW
Run-flatNo
Tread life Warranty5 Years / 85,000 Miles

The all-season touring tire market has many brands claiming to offer the best performance throughout the year. However, it’s rare to find a tire that performs as advertised. Fortunately, the Yokohama AVID Ascend LX meets the needs of most drivers in terms of performance.

Construction Features

  • Wavy Adaptive 3d Sipes and Notches
  • Multi-Pitch Offset Tread Design
  • Circumferential and Lateral Groves
  • Advanced L-2 Compound made of unique polymer blend
  • Wider and Flatter Contour Profile

The Yokohama AVID Ascend LX is a standard touring tire made for passenger Minivans, sedans, coupes, and crossovers. The tire is available in 39 sizes for 15, 16, 17, and 18 inches wheels diameter.

The tire is an excellent fit for drivers looking for a touring tire that delivers a quiet and comfortable ride and with great road manners. The Yokohama Avid Ascend LX employs a multi-pitch offset tread design staggered in five sections to reduce the road noise.

The tire has dependable winter traction courtesy of wavy 3D shoulder sipes and notches in the intermediate ribs delivering a solid grip during wintry conditions. Yokohama also designed the tire for superior wet traction, using four wide circumferential and many lateral grooves that make the tire reliable during wet braking and resistant to hydroplaning.

The Adaptive 3D Sipes on the tires increase block rigidity and change shape gradually as the tire’s tread wears down, providing traction throughout the year during their lifetime.

The Avid Ascend LX is produced under BluEarth, a Yokoyama department that focuses on creating socially friendly, human friendly, and environmentally friendly products. Tires under the BluEarth technology feature a lightweight design, advanced reaction technology in mixing, reduction of natural resource consumption, and reduction of CO2 emissions during tire usage and tire production process.

What are the Yokohama AVID Ascend LX maintenance indicators?

Yokohama-Avid-Ascend-Lx-Indicators
Source: Tire Rack

Yokohama did not put much effort into maintenance indicators, especially compared to competitors like the Continental TrueContact Tour, which has QuickView indicators. The AVID Ascend LX uses industry-standard tread wear indicators. They are narrow rubber bands that sit recessed in the tire’s grooves.

The tread wear indicators protrude by 2/32 inches from the bottom of the tire. If the tread reaches that depth, it will be flush with the surface, delivering poor and risky wet traction and hydroplaning resistance. Note, it’s also illegal to drive in a vehicle that has reached the 2/32-inch tread depth. For winter drives, the minimum recommended tread depth is 5/32 inches.

What is the Yokohama AVID Ascend LX treadwear warranty?

The AVID Ascend LX is covered under Yokohama’s limited warranty of up to 85,000 miles (42,500 miles on staggered fitment). The limited warranty is way higher than what most of their competitors offer. For instance, the Continental TrueContact Tour tire has a mileage warranty of up to 70,000, while the Michelin CrossClimate 2 tires come with a limited warranty of 60,000 miles.

The uniformity warranty is eligible for the first 2/32″ of wear, while Yokohama will happily replace your tires for the first year or 2/32″ of wear, then prorated to 2/32″ remaining depth. Unlike other manufacturers, Yokohama offers a 30-day test drive.

Yokohama Tire 1
Source: Tire Review

To be eligible for a warranty, you must meet the following requirements:

  • The tire must bear the Yokohama brand name and complete the D.O.T serial identification number.
  • Should be operated under normal highway use (commercial applications are excluded).
  • The original usable tread depth has to be down to the level of tread wear indicator bars molded at 2/32 inches.
  • 60 months from the date of purchase (proof of purchase required). If there is no proof of purchase available, then 72 months from the date of purchase.
  • Only applies to the original tire purchaser and is not transferable to any other party.
  • Must be in the United States.

How does the Yokohama AVID Ascend LX behave on dry roads?

Yokohama’s AVID Ascend LX performs marginally better on dry tarmac than most of its competitors, especially in terms of comfort and noise levels. The tire’s treads are designed with a ribbed pattern which improves the tire’s surface contact in dry tarmac conditions. The improved road contact boosts driving stability and responsive steering on dry tarmac.

The shoulder tread block placement and sipping details improve the tires’ cornering and maneuvering capabilities. The detailed sipping pattern generates the necessary friction between the tire and the road surface during braking, significantly shortening the model’s braking distance.

Considering that this is a standard touring tire, this performance is impressive in its category. It would be unfair to compare the performance with what performance tires deliver. Provided your expectations are within the touring tires range, you won’t be disappointed.

Unlike other all-season touring tires that have performance elements, Yokohama made the AVID Ascend LX as a true standard touring tire. For those looking for touring tires that have performance elements, Yokohama has the AVID Ascend GT grand touring tires.

How is the Yokohama AVID Ascend LX over wet and slippery roads?

One area that most touring tires struggle with is driving in wet conditions.

On wet and slippery roads, the AVID Ascend LX provides reliable performance. The tires stand out in the steering, handling, and balance aspects. Probably the area I could say they score the least is braking, but it’s still reliable.

Compared with some top tires in this category, such as the Continental TrueContact Tour and Goodyear Assurance MaxLife, the AVID Ascend LX ranks behind them when wet performance.

On wet and slippery surfaces, the AVID Ascend LX’s wide four circumferential and lateral grooves come in handy in quickly dispersing water and slushes from below the tire. This enhances wet traction while maintaining optimal driving safety levels.

With that being said, how is the Yokohama AVID Ascend LX on snowy roads?

The tire market is cutthroat. Every manufacturer is trying to make a tire that pushes the limits. In the all-season touring tires category, manufacturers put the most effort into winter performance.

Let’s be honest; you cannot expect a tire in this class to perform like a winter tire, but it should deliver reliable traction and grip on light snowy roads.

So how does the tire perform?

Yokohama AVID Ascend LX tires perform reliably good in winter conditions. The tire’s high-density sipping pattern along the ribbed tread design increases the number of biting edges gripping the road surface when driving on light snow and slush.

The tire is made of an Advanced L-2 Compound material that maintains its rubber flexibility in ice- and snow-covered road conditions improving the performance on such roads.

Is the Yokohama AVID Ascend LX suitable for off-road driving?

If you are planning to go off-roading in your SUV or Crossover, the Yokohama AVID Ascend LX will not be a good fit for the journey. While they are made for all-season weather, the tires focus on comfortable and quiet long road trips.

If you are looking for a Yokohama all-terrain tire, there are a few options for SUVs such as the GEOLANDAR  A/T G015.

Is the Yokohama AVID Ascend LX a run-flat tire?

No, the Yokohama AVID Ascend LX is not a run-flat tire. If you get a puncture when driving on these tires, pull over and change the affected tire. To confirm if a particular Yokohama tire is run-flat, check if there is a print of ZPS letters (Zero Pressure System) on the tire’s sidewall.

The only Yokohama run-flat tire in the touring tires category is the AVID ENVigor grand touring tire.

How is the Yokohama AVID Ascend LX road noise and comfort?

Yokohama AVID Ascend LX excels when it comes to delivering a luxurious ride in terms of comfort. Compared with other all-season standard touring tires from leading brands, this tire sits confidently at the top. So, if you are looking for touring tires with the most leisurely ride for long cross country drives, these are great tires.

The tire’s impressive performance is made possible by the multi-pitch design. This includes an offset tread design staggered in a five-block sequence that actively reduces road and pattern noise. The pattern creates a variable pitch which generates a unique sound frequency that negates the sound waves generated while the tires are in motion.

Because of the tread design, there is a better and larger contract with the road delivering a better grip which adds to the ride comfort. This is unlike with most performance tires that you have to sacrifice ride comfort to take advantage of their handling capabilities.

Should I buy the Yokohama AVID Ascend LX?

Yes, the Yokohama AVID Ascend LX tires are among the best standard all-season touring tires on the market. These tires offer one of the most luxurious rides, with better fuel efficiency and longevity.

Yokohama Avid Ascend Lx Tire 3
Source: SimpleTire

The tire has a speed rating of T, H, and V for all their sizes, with an AA traction rating, a load index of above 90 for all their tires, 800 tread wear, and an A temperature rating. Though the tire has limited tire sizes, it is available in 39 different sizes for tires between 15- and 18-inch diameter.

If you are interested in a tire that will give you smooth and comfortable rides to work and during long drives, you won’t go wrong with the Yokohama AVID Ascend LX.

What sizes does Yokohama AVID Ascend LX come in?

Tire SizeSpeed Rating
185/65R15 88H
195/60R15 88H
195/65R15 91H
205/65R15 94H
205/70R15 96T
215/70R15 98T
195/60R16 89H
205/55R16 91H
205/60R16 92H
205/65R1695H
205/70R16 97T
215/55R16 97H
215/60R16 95H
215/65R16 98H
225/60R1698H
225/65R16 100H
235/60R16 100H
235/65R16103T
205/50R17 93V
215/45R17 87V
215/50R17 95H
215/55R17 94V
215/60R17 96H
215/65R17 99H
225/50R1794V
225/55R17 97H
225/60R17 99H
225/65R17 102H
235/50R17 96H
235/60R17 102T
235/65R17 104H
P215/50R1892V
225/45R1895V
225/55R1898H
225/60R18100H
235/45R18 94V
235/55R18100V
235/60R18103H

New Year Sale @Priority Tire
Valid through January 13, 2023
Available at PriorityTire.com

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