Tests – · 1 test Owners 57 · 42 reviews
Best test result: #6 of 22 in 2022 Consumer Reports Ultra High Performance Summer Tires (tested tread life (miles))
Head-to-head
Updated
Sumitomo HTR Z III vs Yokohama AVID Ascend — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 1 + 0 road tests and 42 + 80 owner reviews. How we score
AVID Ascend is ahead, 73–61
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Tests – · none yet Owners 75 · 80 reviews
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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68
Dry
AVID Ascend +573Why this score
Source HTR Z III AVID Ascend Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 68 (est.) ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 68 76 HTR Z III: 60% × 67.9 (est.) + 40% × 67.6 = 68
AVID Ascend: 60% × 71.3 (est.) + 40% × 75.8 = 73
No road tests of dry for HTR Z III. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
No road tests of dry for AVID Ascend. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).
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63
Wet
AVID Ascend +1477Why this score
Source HTR Z III AVID Ascend Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 65 (est.) ≈ 76 (est.) Reviews found online 61 80 HTR Z III: 60% × 65.1 (est.) + 40% × 60.6 = 63
AVID Ascend: 60% × 75.7 (est.) + 40% × 79.6 = 77
No road tests of wet for HTR Z III. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
No road tests of wet for AVID Ascend. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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36
Snow
AVID Ascend +3268Why this score
Source HTR Z III AVID Ascend Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 50 (est.) ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 14 66 HTR Z III: 60% × 49.7 (est.) + 40% × 14.4 = 36
AVID Ascend: 60% × 69 (est.) + 40% × 66 = 68
No road tests of snow for HTR Z III. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
No road tests of snow for AVID Ascend. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.37).
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66
Comfort
AVID Ascend +773Why this score
Source HTR Z III AVID Ascend Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 68 (est.) ≈ 70 (est.) Reviews found online 65 75 HTR Z III: 40% × 68.4 (est.) + 60% × 65 = 66
AVID Ascend: 40% × 70.2 (est.) + 60% × 75.2 = 73
No road tests of comfort for HTR Z III or AVID Ascend. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.
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65
Noise
AVID Ascend +570Why this score
Source HTR Z III AVID Ascend Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 63 76 HTR Z III: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 62.6 = 65
AVID Ascend: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 75.8 = 70
No road tests of noise for HTR Z III or AVID Ascend. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.
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66
Treadwear
AVID Ascend +470Why this score
Source HTR Z III AVID Ascend Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 70 ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 59 73 HTR Z III: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 59 = 66
AVID Ascend: 60% × 68.5 (est.) + 40% × 73 = 70
No road tests of treadwear for AVID Ascend. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).
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66
Handling (owners)
AVID Ascend +1076Why this score
Source HTR Z III AVID Ascend Reviews found online 66 76
Scores at a glance
| Category | Sumitomo HTR Z III | Yokohama AVID Ascend |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 61 | 73 |
| Dry | 68 | 73 |
| Wet | 63 | 77 |
| Snow | 36 | 68 |
| Comfort | 66 | 73 |
| Noise | 65 | 70 |
| Treadwear | 66 | 70 |
| Handling (owners) | 66 | 76 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
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Recomputed
Headline score
61
/ 100
HTR Z III
73
/ 100
AVID Ascend
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A HTR Z III
Pros
- Excellent price-to-performance ratio
- Strong dry handling and steering feedback
- Quiet and comfortable ride quality
Cons
- Inconsistent wet-weather side grip during cornering
- Limited traction under heavy acceleration on high-horsepower vehicles
- Not suitable for winter or freezing conditions
Tire B AVID Ascend
Pros
- Exceptionally low road noise and quiet ride
- High level of ride comfort and shock absorption
- Strong wet and dry traction, inspiring confidence in heavy rain
Cons
- Isolated reports of premature tread wear or not meeting expected mileage
- Slightly spongy initial feel requiring a brief break-in period
- Occasional minor wheel slip during hard acceleration in wet or dry conditions
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Sumitomo HTR Z III | B · Yokohama AVID Ascend |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Premium Touring All Season tire |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Tread depth | 10/32″ | 12/32″ |
| UTQG | 300 A A | 740 A A |
| Treadwear warranty | — | 75,000 mi |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | 50 psi | 51 psi |
Which one should you actually buy?
61
/ 100
Sumitomo HTR Z III
73
/ 100
Yokohama AVID Ascend
Winner: Yokohama AVID Ascend — better snow, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire B
You drive through snowy winters
Yokohama AVID Ascend scores 68 vs 36 on snow.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Yokohama AVID Ascend scores 77 vs 63 on wet.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Yokohama AVID Ascend scores 76 vs 66 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Yokohama AVID Ascend scores 73 vs 66 on comfort.
Tire A · Sumitomo HTR Z III
Tire B · Yokohama AVID Ascend
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HTR Z III or AVID Ascend?
Which is better in the wet, HTR Z III or AVID Ascend?
Yokohama AVID Ascend, 77 vs 63 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, HTR Z III or AVID Ascend?
Yokohama AVID Ascend, 73 vs 68 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, HTR Z III or AVID Ascend?
Yokohama AVID Ascend, 68 vs 36 on our snow score.
Which is quieter, HTR Z III or AVID Ascend?
Yokohama AVID Ascend, 70 vs 65 on our noise score.
Which is more comfortable, HTR Z III or AVID Ascend?
Yokohama AVID Ascend, 73 vs 66 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, HTR Z III or AVID Ascend?
Yokohama AVID Ascend, 70 vs 66 on our treadwear score.
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.
Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology