Head-to-head Updated

Yokohama AVID Ascend vs Sumitomo HTR Z III — 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 0 + 1 road tests and 80 + 42 owner reviews. How we score

AVID Ascend is ahead, 73–61

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Yokohama AVID Ascend
Tire AYokohama

AVID Ascend

Premium Touring All Season tire

± 7

Tests – · none yet Owners 75 · 80 reviews

Sumitomo HTR Z III
Tire BSumitomo

HTR Z III

Summer

± 7

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))

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 73

    Dry

    AVID Ascend +5
    68
    Why this score
    SourceAVID AscendHTR Z III
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online7668

    AVID Ascend: 60% × 71.3 (est.) + 40% × 75.8 = 73

    HTR Z III: 60% × 67.9 (est.) + 40% × 67.6 = 68

    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).

    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).

  2. 77

    Wet

    AVID Ascend +14
    63
    Why this score
    SourceAVID AscendHTR Z III
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 76 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online8061

    AVID Ascend: 60% × 75.7 (est.) + 40% × 79.6 = 77

    HTR Z III: 60% × 65.1 (est.) + 40% × 60.6 = 63

    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).

    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).

  3. 68

    Snow

    AVID Ascend +32
    36
    Why this score
    SourceAVID AscendHTR Z III
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 50 (est.)
    Reviews found online6614

    AVID Ascend: 60% × 69 (est.) + 40% × 66 = 68

    HTR Z III: 60% × 49.7 (est.) + 40% × 14.4 = 36

    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).

    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).

  4. 73

    Comfort

    AVID Ascend +7
    66
    Why this score
    SourceAVID AscendHTR Z III
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online7565

    AVID Ascend: 40% × 70.2 (est.) + 60% × 75.2 = 73

    HTR Z III: 40% × 68.4 (est.) + 60% × 65 = 66

    No road tests of comfort for AVID Ascend or HTR Z III. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 70

    Noise

    AVID Ascend +5
    65
    Why this score
    SourceAVID AscendHTR Z III
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online7663

    AVID Ascend: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 75.8 = 70

    HTR Z III: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 62.6 = 65

    No road tests of noise for AVID Ascend or HTR Z III. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 70

    Treadwear

    AVID Ascend +4
    66
    Why this score
    SourceAVID AscendHTR Z III
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 69 (est.)70
    Reviews found online7359

    AVID Ascend: 60% × 68.5 (est.) + 40% × 73 = 70

    HTR Z III: 60% × 70.2 + 40% × 59 = 66

    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).

  7. 76

    Handling (owners)

    AVID Ascend +10
    66
    Why this score
    SourceAVID AscendHTR Z III
    Reviews found online7666
Scores at a glance
Yokohama AVID Ascend vs Sumitomo HTR Z III: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryYokohama AVID AscendSumitomo HTR Z III
Relative Score 73 61
Dry 73 68
Wet 77 63
Snow 68 36
Comfort 73 66
Noise 70 65
Treadwear 70 66
Handling (owners) 76 66

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
± 7

AVID Ascend

± 7

HTR Z III

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A 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
All owner themes in the AVID Ascend review

Tire B 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
All owner themes in the HTR Z III review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Yokohama AVID Ascend B · Sumitomo HTR Z III
CategoryPremium Touring All Season tireSummer
Vehicle typePassenger Car / CrossoverPassenger Car / Crossover
Tread depth12/32″10/32″
UTQG740 A A300 A A
Treadwear warranty75,000 mi—
SidewallBlackwallBlackwall
Max pressure51 psi50 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Yokohama AVID Ascend

Sumitomo HTR Z III

Winner: Yokohama AVID Ascend — better snow, wet and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You drive through snowy winters

Yokohama AVID Ascend scores 68 vs 36 on snow.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Yokohama AVID Ascend scores 77 vs 63 on wet.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Yokohama AVID Ascend scores 76 vs 66 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Yokohama AVID Ascend scores 73 vs 66 on comfort.

Tire A · Yokohama AVID Ascend
Tire B · Sumitomo HTR Z III

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AVID Ascend or HTR Z III?

Which is better in the wet, AVID Ascend or HTR Z III?

Yokohama AVID Ascend, 77 vs 63 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, AVID Ascend or HTR Z III?

Yokohama AVID Ascend, 73 vs 68 on our dry score.

Which is better in snow, AVID Ascend or HTR Z III?

Yokohama AVID Ascend, 68 vs 36 on our snow score.

Which is quieter, AVID Ascend or HTR Z III?

Yokohama AVID Ascend, 70 vs 65 on our noise score.

Which is more comfortable, AVID Ascend or HTR Z III?

Yokohama AVID Ascend, 73 vs 66 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, AVID Ascend or HTR Z III?

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