Cooper Tires Review

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By Car Bibles Staff

Published Apr. 2, 2019

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Cooper Tire & Rubber Company is an American tire manufacturer founded in 1914 in Findlay, Ohio. With over one century of experience in designing and manufacturing tires for passenger cars, trucks and SUVs, the company has become a leading global competitor in the tire industry. Cooper’s primary focus is producing tires for the North American market, which is why they’re currently the 5th largest tire manufacturer in the U.S. Of course, since Cooper has manufacturing facilities on three different continents, their products can be found all around the world, including all-season, winter and summer tires, all-terrain, off-road and highway tires.

The company is well-known for producing a wide range of quality specialized tires that are always reasonably priced. Their products consistently include new tire technologies and features that enable them to perform exceptionally well to solidly good, depending on the specific tire and weather and road conditions.

Best Selling Cooper Tires

1

Adventurer A/T, All-Terrain, All Season Tire

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Adventurer A/T is Cooper’s best-selling all-terrain tire. Developed for SUVs, Jeeps, crossovers and all types of pickups, this tire combines rugged off-road performance with civilized highway manners to deliver an all-around great performing tire.

Made with a Coupled Silica rubber compound, the Adventurer A/T performs great on all imaginable terrains: mud, gravel and rocky terrains are no issues, but neither are highway environments. Indeed, this model delivers a stable and smooth ride no matter the road. It’s perfectly aggressive for rugged terrains, yet comfortable and quiet on highways. Importantly, the performance is the same during all seasons and weather conditions: whether it’s summer, spring, fall or winter, the Adventurer A/T provides stable handling and excellent traction.

As mentioned, the Adventurer A/T is perfectly stable on all terrains and in all weather conditions. While the many impressive tire technologies definitely help, what really makes this tire stable, durable and comfortable is its sturdy internal construction. The two wide steel belts are strengthened by two nylon cap piles, ensuring the tire is stable and resistant to punctures, plus, there is a two-ply, polyester casing that aids in the balance between durability and ride comfort. The only complaint is tread wear – if you’re not careful about tire maintenance, it’s not likely the Adventurer A/T will last as long as marketed.

The warranty is for 55,000 miles (unlimited time).

Key Features:

Aggressive 5-rib all-terrain design: for great traction and stability on all terrains, including loose soil

Paired intermediate tread elements: to reduce stone retention by expelling gravel towards circumferential grooves for easy release

Dual-draft element walls and bumpers: for enhanced puncture resistance

Wide circumferential grooves: for improved wet performance

High-silica tread compound + Snowgroove tech: promotes excellent traction in all seasons, especially wet conditions, while Snowgroove technology provides extra biting edges in deep snow

Specification:

BrandCooper Tire
Model90000019939
Weight41.9 pounds

2

Discoverer AT3 4S, All-Terrain, All Season Tire

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Another super-popular all-terrain tire by Cooper, the Discoverer AT3 4S combines several useful features and technologies to deliver fantastic all-season, all-terrain performance. Built for SUVs, crossovers and pickup trucks, this tire blends the off-road grip and traction these vehicles need with the comfort that highway environments require.

The Discoverer AT3 is engineered to deliver solid performance in all road and weather conditions. Whether you’re driving on smooth highways or rocky pathways, in torrential rain or in snow, this tire will provide equally solid grip, traction and responsiveness. How? By making use of a number of innovative tire technologies, including the Cooper’s own Away Van channels and Micro-Gauge Zigzag sipes. In fact, it’s safe to say that Discoverer AT3 is one of Cooper’s most durable, stable and comfortable tires.

Clearly, the Discoverer AT3 boasts quite a few innovative features which help make it incredibly stable no matter the road or weather. In fact, the all-season traction on this tire is so good, that it has the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol, meaning its snow performance meets the requirements of winter tires. So, whether you’re driving in dry or wet conditions, snow or ice, makes no difference here – the traction is solid, while braking and cornering are responsive. The tread life is also really good, as it lasts as marketed (65,000 miles) if you maintain your tires properly.

The warranty is for 65,000 miles, and there is a 45-day test guarantee included.

Key Features:

Snowgroove tech: saw-tooth technology traps snow in the tread, providing excellent snow traction

Aqua Vac channels: deep, uniquely shaped grooves improve wet traction and hydroplaning resistance

Secure-grip all-terrain design: with a 5-rib, all-terrain pattern, the tire provides exceptional off-road capabilities, as well as dry and wet traction

Silica-based tread compound: for enhanced all-season traction and responsiveness

Micro-Gauge ZigZag sipes: for increased vehicle stability, control and better dry and wet traction. This also reduces stone retention.

Specification:

BrandCooper Tire
Model90000032694
Weight42 pounds

3

Zeon RS3-G1, Ultra-High Performance, All Season Tire

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Zeon RS3-G1 is one of Cooper’s most popular ultra-high performance, all-season tires. Developed for performance sedans, sports cars and sporty coupes, this tire delivers excellent performance in both dry and wet conditions, and even light snow and ice are no issues.

The Zeon RS3-G1 features Cooper’s coupled silica tread compound which allows it to provide impressive dry and wet traction, while its asymmetrical pattern helps with snow grip, as well as road noise. Overall, this tire provides a solid year-round capability and ride comfort no matter the weather conditions. The excellent performance, including all-season stability, handling and grip, as well as durability, is a result of several tire technologies and advanced tire design.

Like all Cooper tires, the Zeon RS3-G1 also has a strong and sturdy internal construction: a two-ply polyester casing aids in ride comfort and stability, while a high-stiffness bead filler counteracts distortion and enhances steering responsiveness. Although excellent in all weather situations, where this tire really shines is in wet conditions. Thanks to its wide lateral notches and four deep circumferential grooves, the model is practically 100% resistant to hydroplaning. Even light snow is no issue, thanks to 3D Micro-Gague sipes which provide biting edges needed for proper grip. The tread life is solid, but you must ensure regular tire rotation and overall maintenance.

The warranty is for 45,000 miles (unlimited time) and includes a 45-day road test.

Key Features:

3D Micro-Gague siping: helps maintain stability during acceleration, braking and cornering. Also enhances grip and traction in all weather conditions, including light snow

Asymmetric tread pattern: promotes ride comfort, minimizes road noise

Wide lateral notches + four deep circumferential grooves: push water away from the contact patch, improving wet traction

Silica compound: enhances all-season traction, especially wet grip and traction

Wear Square indicator: allows you to quickly see the approximate remaining tread life.

Specification:

BrandCooper Tired
ModelZEON RS3-G1
Weight29 lbs

Cooper Tires Buying Guide & FAQ

Cooper tires offer a perfect blend of ride stability, comfort and all-around good performance at a reasonable price. Most of their models are quite durable, with great tread life, although tire maintenance is crucial here. But is this the right tire brand for you? As usual, whether or not a brand will suit you depends on your needs, budget, and of course, your vehicle. Thankfully, Cooper offers a wide range of products, with some tires being more affordable than others, so it shouldn’t be difficult to find a tire that suits your needs.

Why Choose Cooper Tires?

The American brand Cooper Tires has been in the tire manufacturing business for over a century. This alone gives it an edge – with so many years of experience in designing and producing tires for a number of vehicles, the company clearly knows what they’re doing, and Global 2018 Good Design Award which Discover AT3 tires won, proves that. All of their tires are durable, delivering solid year-round performance and ride comfort no matter the road. Two most important reasons to choose Cooper tires include:

Emphasis on Safety and Durability

If there is one thing you can count on with Cooper tires it’s safety. All of their models are designed to enable the driver to maintain a firm grip and stability on the vehicle, regardless of the road or weather. Some of the design elements, such as sturdy internal structure and shoulder notches, improve the overall stability of the vehicle, as well handling, resisting hydroplaning. As a result of the excellent stability of the tire, durability of the tread wear is also guaranteed. Most of the models have excellent tread life warranties too, however, it should be noted that in order to prolong your tread life (and avoid the “bald” look), regular rotating and general tire maintenance is an absolute must-do.

Wide Range of Tires

Cooper designs and manufactures tires for passenger vehicles, including coupes, sedans, crossovers, SUVs, pickups and even motorcycles. They offer a comprehensive product lineup that not only covers most vehicles, but driving needs as well: from all-season tires, to all-terrain models, to ultra-high performance tires, the Cooper company has it all. Whether you need a summer tire for your 15-inch rim, or a winter tire for your 17-inch rim, you’re bound to find it here. Cooper offers such a wide range of great performance options at all sizes, that’s it’s hard not to find a model that best suits your needs.

Another plus is their worldwide availability: although an American company, Cooper tires are sold all around the globe.

Tires in service center

Design Features

Due to various tire technologies and features that Cooper implements in their models, most of their tires provide excellent year-round traction, exceptional stability and proper ride comfort. The only minus is their inconsistent tread life – some tires have great tread life no matter the roads you’re taking, while others require frequent and regular rotations and general maintenance (although, you should be doing this anyway). In any case, Cooper’s most important design features include:

Stable Handling: the company does extensive research on tire stability and safety to provide exceptional handling and grip on every terrain imaginable. They also use tire technology called Adaptive Traction which enhances overall traction, but especially traction on rugged terrains. Most models also have a strong 5-rib tread pattern which not only improves handling stability while cornering at high speeds, but also dry and wet traction.
Durability: all Cooper tires are backed by standard or premium limited warranty, and most products also come with a 45-day road test warranty which greatly helps consumers decide if this is the tire for them. Generally, Cooper tires are durable and tough and last as long as marketed as long as you keep them well-maintained.
Comfort: all Cooper tires provide solid ride comfort, no matter the road or weather conditions. This is a result of using various tire technologies, including Stabledge tech, 3D Micro-Gauge siping and modern tread compounds. Although generally quiet and very comfortable, exactly how smooth and quiet your ride will be, depends on the tire model you choose.