Goodyear Assurance ComfortDrive Tire Review and Ratings
Dry Conditions – 90%
Wet Conditions – 90%
Snow – 70%
Comfort – 80%
Noise Reduction – 80%
Durability – 80%
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Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, cars have evolved a lot over the past few decades. The tire industry has been following closely, creating tires that will satisfy their needs. For the most part, people are looking for a set of comfortable, fuel-efficient tires that will last as long as possible.
These tires are called touring, and many manufacturers aim to make the best models they can. Naturally, in this regard, we can praise the premium manufacturers for being on top of the game. Among the many options available today, I’ll talk about one from Goodyear.
This is a manufacturer that makes excellent tires, which is to be expected. For today’s review, I’ve chosen a grand touring tire aimed at refinement, which is evident from the name. The Assurance ComfortDrive is a tire that should offer everything we car owners can expect from a premium touring tire.
With that said, is the Goodyear Assurance ComfortDrive the option you need, or should you consider other models? Let’s find out.
Pros
- High comfort levels combined with not a lot of tread noise
- Far from the most expensive premium grand touring tire
- Superb performance in dry and wet conditions, more than enough for most people
- Very stable in harsh rain
Cons
- Snow performance is average
- The handling isn’t the best
The Features of the Goodyear Assurance ComfortDrive
The Assurance ComfortDrive is a grand touring all-season tire, and as such, it ticks all the right boxes regarding features. Remember that this is what Goodyear claims the tire can do, so we’ll see how much of this translates into real-world performance.
As you can guess from the name, Goodyear aimed to make a very comfortable tire. The Assurance ComfortDrive is made using the ComfortFlex technology, which should help the tire achieve that. Thanks to this technology, the tire should be able to absorb impacts better and offer smoother transitions over bumps and imperfections.
The tread pattern is designed to offer advantages in multiple areas. Goodyear wanted to make a well-refined tire, and the pattern should offer lower noise levels over multiple surfaces.
Wet performance is crucial, and the Assurance ComfortDrive should deliver in these conditions as well. By utilizing the Evolving Traction Grooves and TredLocks technology, the tire should easily handle damp roads. The addition of soybean oil means that the performance shouldn’t degrade drastically in colder temperatures.
In harsher rain conditions, the Assurance ComfortDrive has the AquaChannel grooves to rely on. They’re designed to help it evacuate water as best as possible, meaning that it should offer excellent aquaplaning resistance.
Goodyear Assurance ComfortDrive in Dry Conditions
When it comes to performance in dry conditions, the Assurance ComfortDrive is a tire that won’t disappoint, putting it near the top of the premium grand touring class.
In daily driving scenarios, it offers superb levels of traction, allowing you to accelerate without any issues or slip. You can go into a corner confidently thanks to the grip, which will keep it on the road. Considering the performance levels, there is room to push it, and it doesn’t disappoint in this regard either. It has some sportiness, and the tire will handle spirited driving on a twisty road. The important thing to note is that you shouldn’t expect it to do wonders.
Now let’s talk about a slight disadvantage: the handling. The Assurance ComfortDrive isn’t the sharpest tire in the world, even when compared with other grand touring models. There is a slight delay between turning the steering wheel and the tire changing direction. Combine this with the lack of feedback, and you’re looking at a tire that won’t be too fun to push around.
Goodyear Assurance ComfortDrive on Wet or Slippery Roads
Goodyear put a lot of effort into making the Assurance ComfortDrive an excellent performer in wet conditions, and it shows. In the real world, this is a tire I’d classify as one of the best in its class.
It seems that Goodyear nailed it with the rubber compound and tread pattern, allowing the Assurance ComfortDrive to deliver superb performance in damp conditions. For daily driving scenarios, the grip and traction levels will be far more than what most people need. As a result, you won’t notice any slip regardless if you’re accelerating or going into a corner. Like in dry conditions, there is some headroom, meaning you can push the tire without feeling like you need more performance.
The best part about the Assurance ComfortDrive is that it handles quite well in these conditions. Yes, the drawback I mentioned in the previous section is still here, but it’s not a tire that will catch you off guard or be hard to handle when you approach the limits.
In these conditions, safety is critical, and the Assurance ComfortDrive doesn’t disappoint. The tire offers short braking distances, and when you combine them with the excellent aquaplaning resistance, you can understand why I say it’s among the best in its class.
Goodyear Assurance ComfortDrive in Snow
The Assurance ComfortDrive is an all-season tire, and as such, you’d expect to get usable winter performance. Unfortunately, that’s not the case here, and I find this tire to be a bit disappointing when driving in snow.
When it comes to driving in lighter snow conditions, the Assurance ComfortDrive can be considered acceptable, and that’s as much praise as I can give it. Even though the tire can bite down and deliver some traction, you will notice it slipping a bit more. This becomes especially noticeable if you’ve driven some of the best grand touring tires in these conditions, models like the CrossClimate 2.
It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about packed or unpacked snow, the Assurance ComfortDrive is behind its rivals. I wouldn’t exactly call it terrible, but most people would expect a bit better from a premium model. It’s the same situation with the braking distances. They are on the shorter end of the spectrum but are still longer than some of its rivals.
Goodyear Assurance ComfortDrive Off-Roading
When it comes to off-roading, it’s important to note that the Assurance ComfortDrive is a road tire, meaning that it won’t do well in these conditions. The most you’d be able to get is some performance on a dirt road. Any more than this, and you’re risking extensive damage to the tire.
Goodyear Assurance ComfortDrive for Sporty Driving
To be honest, I want to give the Assurance ComfortDrive high praise for sporty driving, but unfortunately, some things are holding it back.
On the positive side, you have more than enough performance, even if you are a more aggressive driver. The tire can handle getting pushed despite being in the touring segment. Unfortunately, the handling is the thing that lets it down. The slow responsiveness and lack of feedback mean enthusiasts will be disappointed.
Does the Goodyear Assurance ComfortDrive Ride Comfortably?
As far as comfort and noise levels are concerned, the Assurance ComfortDrive is the tire that certainly doesn’t disappoint. It’s not perfect, but better than many of its rivals.
On the conference side of things, I can praise the Assurance ComfortDrive for being a soft tire. To be fair, I was kind of expecting this, considering the lack of responsiveness. The tire smooths a good amount of road imperfections and softens the larger bumps, offering a plush ride. My only complaint here is that it doesn’t seem to absorb vibrations as well as I’d like to.
Regarding noise levels, the Assurance ComfortDrive is a tire that I would call quiet. It may not be on the same level as the Turanza QuietTrack, but it’s pretty close. You won’t notice a lot of tread noise around town, and on the highway, the growl is drowned out by other noises around you. The only thing worth mentioning is the thump you’ll hear whenever you hit a pothole.
Goodyear Assurance ComfortDrive Warranty
As far as the warranty is concerned, I feel like Goodyear could have done a bit better with the Assurance ComfortDrive. The tire comes with a 60,000-mile treadwear warranty, which is similar to some of Michelin’s models. This isn’t something I’d call excellent, especially when you consider that some models come with more.
Goodyear Assurance ComfortDrive Pricing: Is It Worth the Price?
Compared to the rest of the premium lineup, the Assurance ComfortDrive can be considered on the more affordable side. A common 17-inch tire is below the $200 mark, meaning it’s a bit more affordable when compared with some models from Michelin or Bridgestone.
Should I Buy the Goodyear Assurance ComfortDrive?
The Assurance ComfortDrive is a premium tire, and as such, it delivers on most of its promises. It’s not perfect, meaning that there are some drawbacks that you should consider before deciding if you should buy this tire.
In most conditions, the performance is excellent, which is what you’d expect. It doesn’t handle as well as some of its rivals, so as long as you’re not that kind of driver, this tire should be fine for you. The winter performance is disappointing, so I wouldn’t recommend this tire for people living in areas where the winters aren’t too mild. As for refinement, I don’t have too many complaints, and when you consider the price point, you’re getting a lot of tire for your money.
Is the Assurance ComfortDrive perfect? No, it has some shortcomings, but that doesn’t mean that I cannot recommend it to most people. The only two things you should keep in mind are winter performance and the average treadwear warranty.
What Vehicles Will the Goodyear Assurance ComfortDrive Fit?
Here’s a sample list of cars that the Goodyear Assurance ComfortDrive will fit:
- Audi A3, A4, Q5
- BMW 3, 5 Series, X5
- Chevrolet Malibu, Traverse
- Ford Focus, Explorer
- Honda Civic, Accord, CR-V
- Lexus IS, ES, GS
- Mazda 3, 6
- Nissan Juke, Maxima, Altima
- Subaru Impreza, Legacy
- Toyota Corolla, Camry, Rav4
- Volkswagen Passat, Tuareg
- Volvo S60, S90
Tire Sizes of the Goodyear Assurance ComfortDrive
16″
- 205/55R16 91H
- 205/60R16 92V
- 205/65R16 95H
- 215/55R16 97H XL
- 215/60R16 95V
- 215/65R16 98V
17″
- 215/45R17 87V
- 215/50R17 95V XL
- 215/55R17 94V
- 215/60R17 96H
- 225/45R17 91V
- 225/50R17 94V
- 225/55R17 97V
- 225/60R17 99H
- 225/65R17 102H
- 235/55R17 99H
- 235/60R17 102H
- 235/65R17 104H
- 245/45R17 99V XL
18″
- 215/55R18 95H
- 225/45R18 95V XL
- 225/50R18 95V
- 225/55R18 98V
- 225/60R18 100H
- 235/45R18 94V
- 235/50R18 97V
- 235/55R18 100V
- 235/60R18 103V
- 235/65R18 106V
- 245/45R18 100V XL
- 245/60R18 105V
19″
- 225/55R19 99V
- 235/40R19 96V XL
- 235/45R19 95H
- 235/50R19 99V
- 235/55R19 101V
- 245/55R19 103V
- 255/40R19 100V XL
- 255/50R19 107V XL
20″
- 235/55R20 102V
- 245/50R20 102V
- 255/45R20 105V XL
- 255/50R20 109V XL
- 255/55R20 107H