Yokohama YK520 Tire - Quiet, Smooth, Long-Lasting, But Not For Everyone
Written: Dec 14 '07 (Updated Aug 28 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Smooth, quiet, lasts long, asymmetrical design, good traction, mileage warranty
Cons: Not very responsive, recent price increases
The Bottom Line: The YK520 is a quiet, smooth and long-lasting tire with above-average traction in dry and wet weather (we have no snow here). It is an excellent choice despite...
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| dkozin's Full Review: Yokohama YK520 Tire |
My 2004 Infiniti G35 came with mediocre Bridgestone Turanza EL42 tires. You can see in my review of the EL42 how mediocre they were. Even before they wore out, I headed to America's Tire to get some Falkens. But they were out of Falkens and suggested that I get the Yokohama YK520 and offered to reduce the price to $104 per tire.
Since I saw nothing but good reviews for the Yokohama tires that featured similar characteristics and/or tread patterns (e.g. Yokohama TRZ, etc.), I decided to try them. After all, at $104 per tire for the 225/55VR17 size (close to $600 installed) with 60,000 mile warranty and the premise of good ride, handling and free tire rotation/balancing for the life of the tire, this seemed to be a good deal.
Note: I bought the YK520 in 2005 and now have 29,000 miles on them.
Performance
The YK520 seem to be wearing well with about 60-70% remaining at the first 8,000-mile rotation. I recently performed the third rotation at 23,000 miles. The tires they look pretty good still with 29,000 miles and 4 years on them, nowhere near wear bars (7/32" of tread left, which means they might last over 60K).
The YK520 is an asymmetrical non-directional tire, which can be rotated to any position. The outer, meddle and inner parts serve different purposes for dry, wet and light snow duty (the tire is an all-season one).
The ride became much smoother and quieter comparing the Turanza EL42. The so-called progressive sidewall of the Yokohama tire might be helping in this respect.
The traction in dry and wet weather is very good and much better than the EL42. The tire is speed-rated V and can go as fast as I can legally (and illegally) drive. I took it to 130 and the car was very stable, but it is no big deal since I took a small Volkswagen Polo turbo-Diesel to that speed in Germany on some other tires and it behaved well too. Tires are speed rated to ensure the construction is robust enough to withstand the force that tries to rip it apart the faster the tire spins. So V is good enough for me and more.
Despite the fact that the traction in turns, acceleration and braking is very good, the tires are not very suitable for spirited driving. They are not very responsive: it seems that the initial split second you turn/accelerate/brake nothing happens. Is it the fault of the progressive sidewall that gives you cushy/quiet ride? Maybe.
I do run recommended by Infiniti 30 psi and tried 35 psi with no noticeable responsiveness improvement. And in LA, when someone cuts in front of you (I have seen some of the worst drivers in the world right here in LA, and cutting in front of someone with no use of turn signals is what they do all the time), you want maximum deceleration or turning immediately.
Another Yokohama Tire
I have another Yokohama tire on a Honda Accord; check it out: Yokohama TRZ.
Conclusion
The YK520 is a quiet, smooth and long-lasting tire with above-average traction in dry and wet weather (we have no snow here). It is an excellent choice despite recent price increases. Provided you want exactly that: smooth, quiet tire with good traction that will last long. A great replacement for any OEM all-season non-sport tire.
It is not for you if you want responsiveness and/or the best traction possible.
Recommended:
Yes
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dkozin
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