Goodyear Wrangler SR-A Tire Review and Rating

Written By Slavcho Andov
Last Updated July 13, 2021

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Dry

Wet

Snow

Comfort

Noise

Treadwear

Off-Road

Pros

Very stable at higher speeds
Decent off-road performance
Among the more comfortable tires in the class
Responsive with a decent amount of feedback

Cons

Only 50,000-treadwear warranty
Wet and snow performance is only average

SUVs and trucks are slowly taking over the car industry-leading tire manufacturers to making more tires suited for them. Despite the off-road capabilities, some owners don’t utilize that part of the vehicle and stay on the roads. For that purpose, tire manufacturers like Goodyear have plenty of models to satisfy their customers.

Among the many in Goodyear’s lineup is the Goodyear Wrangler SR-A. It may bear some similarities with an off-road tire from the side, but in reality, it’s an all-season touring one.

What are the features of the Goodyear Wrangler SR-A?

Goodyear is known for putting a lot of effort into the rubber compound, and the same goes for the Wrangler SR-A. To ensure performance throughout the year, the company used an advanced compound to make the tire perform well in summer and winter.

The symmetric tread pattern with independent blocks gives the Wrangler SR-A an improved wet performance. Goodyear used the WetTrac and TredLock technologies for these conditions. Not only should the tire have excellent traction in rainy conditions, but it should also be very good at aquaplaning resistance. This is backed by the 4 circumferential grooves and sipes that evacuate the water more efficiently.

Dry road performance isn’t neglected. Goodyear designed the Wrangler SR-A with independent blocks, which should help have a better grip in the corners. For the straights, the tire’s ribs are designed to offer excellent stability.

For snow and mud, the Wrangler SR-A is designed with self-cleaning grooves. This technology aims to keep the grooves clean of slush and mud and have maximum traction at all times. Additionally, the zig-zag tread pattern should help the tire grip on non-paved surfaces by utilizing the biting edges.

Internally, the Wrangler SR-A is not so different than most touring tires on the market. the double steel belts and the polyester casing offer durability without sacrificing comfort. The LT-metric tires are reinforced with nylon so that the tire can cope with the extra weight.

How does it behave on dry tarmac?

For a touring tire, the Wrangler SR-A performs very well on dry roads. The levels of grip in the corners are excellent, to a point where you can even have some fun.

Traction is also on a very high level, as you’d expect from a premium tire. The tire will grip to the surface even when you accelerate aggressively. Emergency braking is not an issue, as the tire has very short stopping distances for its class.

I was surprised mainly by the driving characteristics of the Wrangler SR-A. It proved to be more responsive than I thought and provided a decent amount of feedback from the road.

How does it behave over wet and slippery roads?

Wet performance from the Wrangler SR-A isn’t as good as Goodyear lead me to believe. The tire is still very safe to drive, but I was expecting a bit better performance.

The traction and grip levels are slightly above average, and while you won’t feel out of control, this is not a tire that you should push in rainy conditions.

With decent aquaplaning resistance and relatively short braking distances, the Wrangler SR-A is a tire that should be good enough for most people. Despite that, Michelin’s Defender LTX offers better wet performance.

How is it over snow?

In snowy conditions, the Wrangler SR-A is good enough to be driven, as long as you keep in mind that it’s not a winter tire.

The zig-zag pattern provides traction on light snow, but it’s not as good as some of the other all-season tires in this class. The cornering grip is average at best, and it’s a tire that feels like winter isn’t its forte.

One area where the tire is marginally better is when there’s slush on the road. The self-cleaning grooves will do their job and keep themselves clean for better traction.

Is it comfortable and refined?

Yes, and yes, the Wrangler SR-A is very comfortable and refined.

As a touring tire, one of the critical elements is comfort, which the tire has plenty of. Road imperfections are ironed out, and the tire takes most of the shocks. This includes even larger potholes, and thanks to the Wrangler SR-A, almost no vibration is transferred on the car.

Noise levels are also exceptionally well muted. The tire remains quiet even when you drive at higher speeds.

Is it good for off-roading?

The Wrangler SR-A is decent in off-roading scenarios, which is not a common thing to say about a touring tire.

While it won’t be nearly as good as a dedicated off-road tire, it can get the job done in lighter situations.

Gravel roads will not be a problem, and the tire will survive them without any issues. You should have no problem driving in mud, as long as you don’t go into the deep end of a swamp.

It is durable and sturdy enough to offer some basic off-road performance.

Is the Goodyear Wrangler SR-A ideal for sporty driving?

The Wrangler SR-A is decent for sporty driving but far from a high-performance tire.

Grip and traction levels are among the highest in the premium class, and the tire won’t disappoint in that area. Pair that with the relatively sharp responsiveness and feedback through the steering wheel, and you should be looking at an excellent tire for sporty driving, right?

Not exactly. Even though the tire can take some more aggressive driving, the wow factor isn’t there. On top of that, when you corner hard, you will feel the sidewall flexing.

Goodyear Wrangler SR-A Warranty

I believe that the warranty is one of the weakest sides of this tire. Goodyear offers the Wrangler SR-A with only a 50,000-mile treadwear warranty.

Let’s be realistic, this is the kind of warranty that we should expect from a mid-range brand. As a comparison, Michelin offers at least 10,000-miles more on most of its models.

Goodyear Wrangler SR-A Pricing: Is it worth the money?

I would be lying if I said that it’s worth the money. Prices start from $130, which is not a lot for a premium model. The problem is that there are some better-performing competitors for roughly the same price or even less.

Should I buy the Goodyear Wrangler SR-A?

I wouldn’t put the Wrangler SR-A in the “buy it” section. Instead, I would put it in the “consider it.” The tire isn’t terrible in every aspect, and there are some very positive sides to it.

Take dry performance, for example. The Wrangler SR-A drives on a dry road like a champ and even lets you have a bit of fun. The tire has excellent traction during accelerating and will comply even if you hit the gas more than you usually would. In the corners, the tire will hold to the road excellently and will take inputs from the steering wheel almost instantly.

Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for wet performance, as this is the area where the tire disappointed the most. Grip and traction levels were average, lower than the rest of the pack. The aquaplaning resistance was decently good, and the braking distances were relatively short.

Snow performance wasn’t any better. There are plenty of other all-season tires that seem to be better in snowy conditions. The tire did pretty well with slush, thanks to the grooves and tread pattern.

Off-roading seems to be the part where the Wrangler SR-A surprises the most. Unlike most touring tires, this one managed to perform exceptionally well on gravel or mud, meaning that you can even do some off-roading with your SUV.

Comfort and low noise levels should be standard on a touring tire, as is the case with the Wrangler SR-A. No matter what kind of surface you drive on, the tire will offer a very plush ride, maybe the best in the class. Noise levels are also to be praised. While it’s not as quiet as some grand touring tires I’ve looked at in the past, the noise levels are very low, even at higher speeds.

When it comes to warranty, the Wrangler SR-A falls behind its competitors. With only a 50,000-mile warranty, one could argue that it should be compared to its mid-range counterparts.

In general, the Wrangler SR-A is far from a lousy performing tire. The problem with it is that it’s not really as good as some of the other competitors in certain areas. In my opinion, you should consider it, but I would probably lean more towards something like the Michelin Defender LTX. At a similar price, I think that you can get more performance out of it.