Japanese tire manufacturer Yokohama has been producing and supplying tires worldwide for more than a century. It has been rolling out tires for different categories such as all-season, all-terrain, summer, winter, UHP, commercial, and more. Be it passenger cars, CUVs, SUVs, or light trucks, Yokohama has an ideal tire for each one of these vehicles. Coming from the stable of Yokohama, the iceGuard iG51v is a winter tire that’s engineered to support CUVs, SUVs, and light trucks on icy surfaces.

Being a winter tire, the iceGuard iG51v tire features zigzag circumferential grooves and a 3D-shaped wall to expel snow and slush grooves to remove snow and slush. The optimized tread design allows improved grip and traction at moderate speeds in severe winter weather conditions. It comes with a Three Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol that assures great performance in challenging winter conditions. It is available in the popular tire sizes of 16, 18, and 19 inches. For the peace of mind of buyers, the iceGuard iG51v comes with a 30-day trial satisfaction guarantee and 72 months of treadwear coverage.

So, how does the tire perform in reality? Let’s find out in the Yokohama iceGuard iG51v tire review. Keep scrolling.

Features and Benefits

Winter tires are designed to offer superior grip and traction in snow and icy conditions. The special rubber compound of these tires resists the extremely low temperatures of colder areas. The Yokohama tire too promises similar performance with its special features. Let’s understand its features and benefits.

• Strong winter traction – The symmetric tread pattern with excellent void ratio allows enhanced grip on ice and snow. The zigzag center rib and squarish blocks interlock with the surface pretty well and do not let the tire skid at moderate speeds. Pushing the grip further are the interlocking 3D sipes that hold the ground strongly and give the tread the extra biting edges it requires in such severe winter conditions.
• Improved handling and stability – The zigzag center rib provides directional stability by ensuring proper steering response on snowy surfaces. The solid shoulder blocks with lateral grooves also help in channeling out water and slush quickly to improve cornering in slippery areas.
• Long-lasting tread – The special rubber compound continues to maintain flexibility at low temperatures without hardening or cracking. The symmetric tread design resists uneven wear and boosts gradual, even wear. The special rubber compound ensures the tread delivers optimum performance until it reaches the designated TWI (tread wear indicator) level.

Pros and Cons

The Yokohama tires have a lot of features to their credit, however, it does come with a bunch of cons as well. Let’s have a quick look at the advantages and disadvantages of the tire before clicking on the ‘buy now’ button.

Pros

• Symmetric tread pattern with a strong rubber compound for even wear
• Circumferential grooves and shoulder grooves resist hydroplaning
• Interlocking 3D sipes and deep grooves for better grip and more traction
• Optimized tread for a comfortable ride quality
• Zigzag center rib and blocked tread for precise steering response and handling
• Special silica polymer for consistent performance in near-freezing temperatures
• Excellent stability
• Three Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol assures good performance in severe winter conditions
• Backed by a 30-day trial satisfaction guarantee

Cons

• It doesn’t have a warranty
• Cannot be used year-round
• Cannot be pinned with studs to further enhance traction in severe ice, slush, and snow

SimpleTire’s view on Yokohama iceGUARD iG51v tires

To sum up, the Yokohama iceGuard iG51v (starts around $144) is a nice winter tire that offers excellent dry and wet traction, strong handling and stability, precise steering response, adequate cornering ability, and a durable rubber compound.

It locks horn with Toyo Observe G3-Ice (starts around $137), Nexen Winguard Winspike 3 (starts around $69), and Hankook Winter i*Pike X (W429A) (starts around $121).

Vehicles the Yokohama iceGUARD iG51v is a good replacement tire for

Yokohama iceGuard iG51v isn’t an OE-fitted tire but it’s a great replacement option for SUVs, CUVs, and light trucks such as Acura MDX, Chevrolet Colorado, Dodge Journey, Ford Flex, Honda Element, Hyundai Tucson, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Land Rover Range Rover Sport, Lexus RX350, Mazda CX-7, Nissan Rogue, Toyota Highlander, Volkswagen Touareg, and many more.