Yokohama AVID Ascend LX Review: On What Terrains It Excels?

Yokohama has produced many standard touring tires, but few get the same overwhelmingly positive feedback as the AVID Ascend LX. With wide circumferential grooves, 5-block pitch sequences, and 3D wavy sipes, this tire promises great traction and control in all weather conditions and on-road terrain.

Our COR Wheels Team has tested the tire in real-life driving conditions to confirm whether the features mentioned above perform as expected. Scroll down for our detailed reports!

Yokohama AVID Ascend LX Specifications & Features

Yokohama produces the AVID Ascend LX to support coupes, minivans, sedans, and crossover vehicles to maintain good traction, riding comfort, and longer tread life in all conditions (light snow included). 

• Its symmetric pattern features a 5-block pitch sequence and an offset design to reduce road noises.
• The polymer blend in the compound prevents premature wear on the tire.
• Flatter and wider tread contours distribute pressure evenly across the footprint for better tire longevity.
• Lateral and circumferential grooves resist hydroplaning
• Wavy, three-dimensional shoulder sipes and notched intermediate ribs create more biting edges while traveling through ice and light snow
• Polyester casings and two steel belts aid riding comfort
• Nylon reinforcement promotes durability, handling, and higher speed capability. 

Yokohama AVID Ascend LX Review & Performance Test Results

We installed the 225/50R17 tire size version of Yokohama AVID Ascend LX on our 2018 Honda Accord model. This is a part of the 2023 COR Wheels Tire Test.

1. Dry Performance: 9/10

Dry Traction: 9.1/10

AVID Ascend LX was very stable on dry roads. Its flat and wide contour evenly distributed pressure, so our car rolled over pavement grooves and slightly rougher road surfaces without obvious traction loss. The tire also handled abrupt acceleration and deceleration easily; for instance, our team accelerated from 40 MPH to 75 MPH in only three seconds without any slippage. Hence, you should be able to maintain your control and grip in many driving situations, regardless of your driving skill. 

The tire’s performance on highways will also impress you; its sidewalls and contact patch settled onto the asphalt so confidently that the brief shudders over slightly sharper bends were not noticeable. Furthermore, it retained most of its power through extended curves without losing traction over time, an impressive feat for a standard tire.

There is no glaring feedback worth mentioning, though some of you might notice slightly weaker traction once the car reaches 85 MPH, but that brief slippage is controllable and not dangerous. 

Corner Stability: 9/10

Yokohama AVID did not disappoint when cornering, either. 

Thanks to the intermediate ribs and notches, our Honda Accord easily tackled high-speed strikes into tight corners and could afford occasional mid-way changes without slipping. Braking is also the last issue you should worry about, evident in the decisive and smooth pull whenever we engage the pedal.

Like on straight roads, you might experience slightly weaker traction once the car passes 85 MPH. But those brief shudders are usually predictable, and you can control them easily using the gear shift; reducing your passengers to 2-3 also helps.

Steering Response: 8.9/10

We were pleased with Ascend LX’s steering. It was sharp, quick, and sensitive to all our inputs. Sharp bends or quick turns didn’t make the tire delay like what we often saw in other lower-quality tires. When we accelerated gradually, the steering likely stayed consistent throughout the entire ride and prevented us from unwanted chokes.

Some of you may notice the steering gets a bit less crisp when the car is fully occupied with 5 people. Fortunately, keeping your speed between 30-35 MPH should deal with this minor downside just fine.

2. Wet Performance: 8.7/10

Wet Traction: 8.6/10

The Ascend LX did not travel as confidently in wet weather conditions as it did on dry roads. Nevertheless, the lateral and circumferential grooves reinforced the tire-road connection despite the thick layer of water. We could still drive the Honda Accord through 3-6 inches of rainwater without too much gliding. Tight corners might require slower riding and a stronger grip force, but wider curves are as easy to handle as in dry conditions.

On another note, in water 7 inches deep and more, the lateral grooves started getting overwhelmed by the increased water volume. Do not be surprised if the tire experiences shuddering and slipping more often in such conditions. You can still control the situation by avoiding extremely twisty road sections or aggressive handling. 

Hydroplaning Resistance: 8.7/10

The grooves channeled water quite fast at 40 to 55 MPH. Hydroplaning still occurred during cornering or when our steering wheel slackened, but they did not feel intrusive and even got more predictable over time. Better yet, light cargo of 100 to 200 lbs did not affect the tire’s stability as much as expected. So, you can still drive mindlessly through heavy rainfalls or storms while carrying sports gear, camping equipment, etc.

On another note, the nearer you reach 85 MPH, the more weakly the grooves divert water (hence the increasing hydroplaning). Advanced drivers can still maneuver around flooded roads at such a high speed – but if you are a beginner, keeping your speed low will be the wisest choice. 

3. Winter/Snow Performance: 7.7/10

Light Snow Traction: 8.2/10

Thanks to the 3D shoulder ribs, this all-season tire performed quite well on light snow (3-5 inches). Sure, it could not compete with a dedicated snow tire, but its traction at 30-35 MPH was stable enough to guarantee smooth and consistent steering feedback along our test track. Since we could still go through more complex corners (e.g., chicanes, carousels, etc.) with minimal/moderate steering inputs, you should easily do the same without relying too much on snow chains.

Of course, more aggressive driving at higher speeds (above 55 MPH) caused more slippage on snow. Fresh beginners should avoid them at all costs, but if you have average/advanced driving skills, alternating between acceleration and deceleration (with some downshifts in between) should not be too challenging. Strong chains on at least two wheels also improve its stability significantly when ascending and traversing angled surfaces.

Deep Snow Traction: 7.7/10

The grooves and notches are great for a standard touring tire but not enough to claw through snow depths beyond 5 inches. As a result, our car still encountered occasional shudders and shakes along the way, even at below 40 MPH. Once the thick blanket reached beyond 7 inches deep, our car took at least ten seconds to struggle out of the sticky, wet snow. 

But here is the great news: Ascend LX is still rideable and well-controlled most of the time. Driving between 30-35 MPH ensures the tire does not drift too much, and when you use snow chains, navigating gentle corners or sharp bends is 100% possible.

Ice Traction: 7.1/10

Despite Yokohama’s advertisements, Ascend LX still struggles much more on ice than snow. Aggressive, higher-speed rides are out of the tire’s reach; our car could barely maintain a consistent footprint at 40 MPH and faltered constantly once we passed 50 MPH. 

Your car will only retain traction well when kept below 25 MPH. Reducing cargo or passenger counts is also highly recommended, although it still cannot 100% prevent the drifting around tighter corners.

4. Comfort: 8.6/10

Ride Quality: 8.8/10

The tire will impress you with its excellent riding quality at 40-55 MPH on any on-road surface. Slightly rougher paths (e.g., cobblestones, brick, etc.) do not dampen their cushioned feel too much, allowing you to steer wilder and lean lower without drama.

On another note, Ascend LX needs some refinement when subjected to hard-braking or abrupt revving mid-corners, given its upper-range pricing. 

Noise Level: 8.5/10

If you are not noise-sensitive, the AVID Ascend LX will satisfy your demands in almost every basic driving situation. Except for the low-key rumbling through rugged paths and tight corners, it usually stays quiet or barely noticeable.

But of course, as mentioned before, higher speeds beyond 55 MPH are not the best fit for these tires, especially in wet conditions. You should prepare for louder screeching in those cases. 

5. Treadwear and Durability: 8.6/10

The car vibrated slightly on thicker gravel and sharper rock/debris. But other than that, it composed well on roads and resisted temperature extremes (both hot and cold) better than expected. Yokohama also offers a very impressive mileage warranty (85,000 miles); you do not have to worry about tread wear issues for at least 5 years.

Yokohama AVID Ascend LX Pros and Cons

Yokohama AVID Ascend LX Competitors & Alternatives

We compared the Yokohama AVID Ascend LX with Continental TrueContact Tour, Goodyear Assurance MaxLife, and Michelin Defender T+H in our test.

• Yokohama AVID Ascend LX was comfortable and performed decently on light snow. However, it could have controlled the tread noise better at higher speeds. 
• Continental TrueContact Tour had great wintertime and wet traction. However, it did not always feel composed when handling road impacts and large cracks. 
• Goodyear Assurance MaxLife excelled in handling and dry traction. Still, we would love a softer on-road feel and better traction on light snow.
• Michelin Defender T+H offered consistent traction and quick steering. Unfortunately, the underwhelming lateral wet grip lowered its total score.

Conclusion

The tire is very confident in dry and wet conditions and handles snow decently for a non-winter tire. Its noise control and ice traction still need improvement, but that does not stop Avid Ascend LX from gracing our Top 3 best standard touring tires.