Goodyear Assurance UltraTour Tire Review

When it comes time to buy replacement tires for your family vehicle, the choices are seemingly endless.

There are tires for different types of vehicles, different seasons and different kinds of performance. And even a specific tire manufacturer can sell several different tires that seemingly do the same thing.

But what if it’s a good, all-around, reliable tire you’re after? What should you look for? Well, Goodyear thinks it has the answer with the new Assurance UltraTour tire.

The UltraTour is part of a new performance touring tire lineup from Goodyear. But what makes this tire different is that the only place it’s being sold is exclusively through the Discount Tire chain of stores.

SEE ALSO: Goodyear Eagle Sport All Season Tire Long-Term Review

The Ultratour focuses on comfort and longevity, with an added dollop of performance as well. Basically, Goodyear is positioning it as a standard touring tire with a bit of extra performance.

To provide high levels of comfort, the tire features tightly packed shoulder blocks and an internal construction that’s designed to absorb road bumps. Another benefit of the tire’s construction is that it should eliminate road noise as well.

After a few hours driving around on the UltraTours, I’ve found that they are comfortable over small and medium bumps. They absorb road imperfections very well and soften rough pavement. But these tires are not all that quiet. Tested over many different surfaces, more road noise than usual found its way into the cabin of our test 2013 Honda Accord. It’s not horrible or unbearable by any stretch, but it’s more than I’ve experienced with Goodyear’s more premium products like the Eagle Sport.

To ensure these tires last a long time, they come with a 620 treadwear rating as well as a 70,000 Mile limited treadwear warranty. Although I can’t comment on longevity after a few hundred miles of driving, I will say they track fairly straight on the highway and have a smooth transition when changing directions.

For those who live in wet climates, Goodyear claims the Assurance UltraTour provides excellent wet weather grip thanks to four groves that channel water away from the contact patches. As well, wet weather traction is further enhanced with squeegee-like sipes and lateral grooves.

I did have a chance to test the tires out in a moderate rain storm and they live up to their billing. Lateral and braking traction is excellent on wet road surfaces. Never did the tires hydroplane nor did they side-step at highway speeds over expansion joints. Although a four-cylinder Accord with a continuously variable transmission isn’t exactly a torque monster, hard acceleration in wet conditions would not break the front tires loose.

This may not be a dedicated performance tire, but Goodyear still wanted the UltraTour to perform better than your average touring tire. It comes equipped with an A traction rating, but only a B rating when it comes to temperature.

SEE ALSO: Goodyear Eagle Sport High Performance All-Season Tire Test

Not meant for the track, I took the tires through a mild slalom to simulate enthusiastic driving on a fun, twisting road. I was surprised by how much bite there is on initial turn in. It’s not as immediate as a purpose-built performance tire, but I didn’t expect as much lateral grip from a touring tire focused more on longevity and comfort.

Highway on ramps can be taking with surprising speed as there is plenty of warning from the UltraTours before adhesion finally gives out.

The Goodyear Assurance UltraTour is slotted below more premium Goodyear tires like the Assurance Triple Tread and Fuel Max. For a 225/55R17 tire as equipped to our test Honda Accord, expect to pay around $136 per tire at either a Discount Tire location near you or at DiscountTire.com.

Long-lasting, comfortable and decently sporty, the Assurance UltraTour provides yet another, more affordable way into the Goodyear family.

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