Sure-Footed, 4-Season AT Tire: Yokohama Geolander AT G015 Long-Term Review

I’ve tested dozens of tires over the years, from street treads to heavy-lugged mud tires to all-terrains. The Yokohama Geolander AT G015s stand tall in the latter category.

Making a decision on what tires would be a good replacement for the ones getting a little long in the tooth under our vehicles isn’t easy. There seem to be as many tire brands and styles as there are vehicles they fit. But choosing one tire over another is like rolling the dice because a tire’s true worth can only be known after putting them on to see how they handle the varying road conditions one faces over months of driving.

Fortunately, I have had enough driving time on Yokohama’s Geolander AT G015 all-terrains to know their value.

In short: The Yokohama Geolander AT G015 is a mild all-terrain tire that works exceptionally well on light trucks, crossovers, and SUVs that see occasional use off-pavement.

Yokohama Geolander A/T G015 Review

Back in December 2020, I swapped out the OEM Toyo 225/55R19 tires on my 2018 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring AWD for a set of Yokohama 235/55R19 Yokohama Geolander A/T G015s. The Toyos had a little more than 35,000 miles on them and were in need of replacement.

My goal was to find a tire that would be better suited to a mix of driving over pavement and occasional gravel backroads. So, I gave the G015s a shot.

First Impressions

My biggest concern about switching to a tire with the slightly more aggressive tread of the G015 A/Ts was them being louder on pavement than the street-tread Toyos. That fear was short-lived.

To my pleasant surprise, there was no noticeable difference in sound volume or pitch with the Geolander A/Ts, which I consider a “mild” all-terrain tire. Conversations between driver and passenger, and between those in the front seats and the rear seats, remained easy and relaxed.

What I have noticed, especially the day of the tire swap, is the Yokohama Geolander A/Ts feel slightly firmer going over expansion joints and cracks in the pavement, but are actually better in overall ride quality and handling than the OEM Toyos they replaced.

The G015s respond slightly quicker to steering and impart more confidence when cornering. The wet-pavement traction is much better than the OEM tires, too. The deep tread and the pattern do a superb job forcing water out so driving on rain-slicked pavement and through standing water has kept the Mazda’s footing strong even in heavy Oregon Coast downpours.

The End of Life

Now, a little more than 3.5 years and 48,408 miles later, the Geolander A/Ts are down to 5/32” in tread depth, which means they, too, are nearing the latter part of their useful life. That wear plays in with the 60,000-mile limited tread warranty.

I hate parting with the Geolanders. They have been a nice tire choice, providing good road manners with minimal noise transmitted into the interior. They performed quite well navigating occasional off-pavement use on forest, mountain, and desert backroads, towing small off-road trailers, long stints on the open highway, and occasionally getting a little sporty on twisting mountain and coastal highways.

Finding Traction

The G015s made the Mazda feel sure-footed, most noticeable during the spring and fall when rain was always a factor driving in the Pacific Northwest. I attribute that to the Geolander AT G015’s design of the tread blocks, which did a masterful job of forcing water outward and away from the center of the tires to reduce the chances of hydroplaning.

Another traction factor is Yokohama’s use of the Enduro Compound of the rubber, which helps the tires remain pliable over a wide range of temperatures for enhanced braking and handling. This technology comes into play when rain turns to snow. The micro-siping in the tread blocks adds to their performance as the tiny cuts in the tread grip snow for better traction.

They also handled lighter powder snow and plowed roads better than I’d expected. These tires have achieved three-peak mountain snowflake certification, and got me through three mild winters where several inches of snow dusted local backroads, and the mountain pass highways had been plowed. But they just don’t have the traction of a dedicated snow tire.

Proper Tire Care

I rotated the directional Geolanders every 5,000 miles, front-to-rear, so they would wear evenly. I kept tire pressures at 32 psi, which provided the best ride and handling for my application.

Now after some 48,000 miles driving over mostly paved roads, the tread is down to 5/32”, which is a little more than half of what they had new. These tires have a 60K Limited Tread Wear Warranty on crossovers and SUVs, 50,000-mile warranty of LT versions.

Tread Depth Matters

At this point in the G015’s tread life, the traction, both accelerating and braking, on wet roads and snow, is not nearly as good as it was early on. That’s to be expected. Tire experts, like the folks at Tire Rack, recommend that drivers expecting to experience wet conditions consider replacing their tires when they reach 4/32″ of remaining tread depth.

Tire Rack’s tests have shown how shallow treads reduce wet braking traction and increase stopping distances (see more at: Measuring Tire Tread Depth). So these Geolanders will be retired soon to make way for testing another tire well-suited for crossovers and SUVs.

Yokohama Geolander AT G015 Long-Term Review: Final Thoughts

To wrap up my take on the Yokohama G015s: For an “all season,” “all-terrain” tire, I found the Yokohama Geolander ATs year-round performance, on- and off-pavement, summer or winter,  excelled under my AWD CX-5. They should also be a good tire choice for other passenger cars, crossovers, SUVs, and light-duty trucks.

A side note: Yokohama now offers three different levels of Geolander tires, with the new AT4 being the most aggressive all-terrain, the G015 the mid-level AT, and the HT G056 being the all-season street tire.