Founded: 1917
Founder: Yokohama Cable, BFGoodrich
Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
Website: https://www.yokohamatire.com/
Yokohama is one of the lesser Japanese tire manufacturers, although it is still a sizeable enterprise. Given their origins, they are going to be relatively cheap, but also well-done. Exactly how and in what way, it remains to be seen. At the very least, they aren’t going to be bad.
Who makes Yokohama tires? Yokohama tires were for a long time made in conjunction with BFGoodrich. At the moment, they are coordinating this effort all by themselves.
The usual cost of these is around $40 to $50, which is reasonably cheap, but it also is a sign that these tires might be slightly fishy. The longevity is always the obvious flaw in such cheap treads, but it’s not the case here.
The grip is especially good. Depending on what sort of tread you got, the performance will surely change. However, they are all equally good in water. The tread pattern is done in such a way that these tires almost never suffer from hydroplaning of any sort. They just deflect the water with gusto.
They are also pretty obedient and, consequentially, predictable. The Japanese tires overall don’t often have awkward moment on the road, and Yokohama – not in the slightest. Even if they lose of their grip on a treacherous part of the road, you’ll be able to fix it by cautiously managing the tire trajectory.
Where are Yokohama tires made? There are several key factories that belong to Yokohama: in India, Japan, China, etc. These locations don’t really contribute to the quality, but they do contribute to the price. Consequentially, the tires are cheap to make and pretty cheap on sale.
The endurance is another good thing about them. Like all modern tires, they are soft. It means both more risk for the tire integrity and more practicability. You’ll be able to get out of the tough spots easier, but avoid being hit in the sidewalls. They are thick, but constant bashing will kill them quickly.
Besides that, Yokohama tires easily reach 70,000 miles – and that applies also to the $40 options, so often taken simply as replacements. That makes them very cost-effective, although you need to look closely at their handling capabilities. While they are consistently good, the $40 tires are more for mild weather than extreme driving.
Who sells Yokohama tires? Yokohama sells them independently. They actually have a pretty decent network of stores, but they aren’t really numerous. You often have to drive to the biggest city of the region to even have a chance of finding them. A lot of people order them online, for this reason.
As for the noise issues, it’s actually unclear. The general consensus is that tires alone aren’t terribly noisy, although the actual level of noise depends on the type of car you got and how well your tires are balanced. Statistically, they aren’t loud, but you should know which treads make your car noisier.
In essence, these tires are very cost-effective, and if you’re constantly looking for an economic tread solution, this brand is going to please you. However, the real challenge is actually finding them. They only have one office/store per country, on average. They aren’t exactly a big name in many of these regions.
But if you do find them, they are absolutely worth giving a shot. All the flaws they got are massively overshadowed by the peak performance they provide in the majority of situations.