Tests – · none yet Owners 75 · 80 reviews
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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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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73
Dry
AVID Ascend +568Why this score
Source AVID Ascend HTR Z III Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 71 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 76 68 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).
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77
Wet
AVID Ascend +1463Why this score
Source AVID Ascend HTR Z III Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 76 (est.) ≈ 65 (est.) Reviews found online 80 61 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).
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68
Snow
AVID Ascend +3236Why this score
Source AVID Ascend HTR Z III Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 69 (est.) ≈ 50 (est.) Reviews found online 66 14 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).
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73
Comfort
AVID Ascend +766Why this score
Source AVID Ascend HTR Z III Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 70 (est.) ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 75 65 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.
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70
Noise
AVID Ascend +565Why this score
Source AVID Ascend HTR Z III Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 67 (est.) Reviews found online 76 63 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.
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70
Treadwear
AVID Ascend +466Why this score
Source AVID Ascend HTR Z III Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 69 (est.) 70 Reviews found online 73 59 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).
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76
Handling (owners)
AVID Ascend +1066Why this score
Source AVID Ascend HTR Z III Reviews found online 76 66
Scores at a glance
| Category | Yokohama AVID Ascend | Sumitomo 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.
AVID Ascend
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
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
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Yokohama AVID Ascend | B · Sumitomo HTR Z III |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Premium Touring All Season tire | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | Passenger Car / Crossover |
| Tread depth | 12/32″ | 10/32″ |
| UTQG | 740 A A | 300 A A |
| Treadwear warranty | 75,000 mi | — |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | 51 psi | 50 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.
Yokohama AVID Ascend scores 68 vs 36 on snow.
Yokohama AVID Ascend scores 77 vs 63 on wet.
Yokohama AVID Ascend scores 76 vs 66 on handling.
Yokohama AVID Ascend scores 73 vs 66 on comfort.
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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