Winter tires from the famous Japanese brand "Yokohama" - the passenger model "Ice Guard 35" - were released by the winter of 2011. The manufacturer guaranteed this rubber excellent running characteristics, promising reliability and stability in the most difficult winter road conditions. How true these promises are, showed four years of active use of this model in the conditions of Russian roads.
The content of the article
This article will cover the following aspects:
- History and achievements of the Yokohama company.
- Consumer reviews: "Yokohama Ice Guard IG35."
- Brand characteristics of this model.
- "Yokohama Ice Guard IG35", "Guardex F700Z" - reviews, specifications, tests.
- Advantages and disadvantages of tires.
- "Yokohama Ice Guard IG35" - a discussion of car owners.
Achievements of Yokohama
The Yokohama company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of tires of various directions. In addition to the manufacture of car tires, it is famous for the production of high-pressure hoses, various components for shipbuilding, conveyor belts, rubber seals, etc. Also, the company's factories are developing tires for racing cars participating in world competitions. Repeatedly tires of this company became winners in races, confirming the high quality of Yokohama products.
Many automakers choose tires from Yokohama for the initial configuration of their cars. "Aston Martin", "Mercedes Benz", "Porche" and "Lotus" are regular customers of this company. The high quality of its tire products is known throughout the world.
Yokohama Brand History
The history of the famous Yokohama company dates back to 1917, when two large industrial enterprises (from Japan and the USA) joined forces to produce automotive products. The reunification deal took place in the Japanese city of Yokohama - the famous company of the same name was born, which is still engaged in the development and production of tires for various purposes.
The company established the production of tires by 1930. During the war, due to the low demand for automotive products, the company was forced to establish new areas in the tire industry - this is how the production of aircraft for military fighters began (the enterprises ensured the fulfillment of several government orders).
In the post-war period, the company continues to actively develop and grow. In the 80s, Yokohama factories developed and introduced new technologies used in the manufacture of tire products. Also opens the largest testing ground, designed for active testing of new models developed at the enterprises of this company. The oval polygon track is equipped with a profiled turn of 41 degrees. It simulated several types of various road surfaces required for comprehensive tire testing.
Company today
Currently, the company has made significant advances in tire manufacturing. She has earned numerous certificates confirming the high quality indicators of her products. Yokohama has major overseas offices located in countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, Singapore and Russia.
The products of this famous company are popular all over the world: enterprises annually produce more than 3 million tires for export to Russia alone. Factories are equipped with high-tech equipment from Europe and Japan. In addition, in the Russian Federation there is an enterprise that is a Japanese branch specializing in the production and sale of Japanese tires.
Tire characteristics
High-tech novelty in 2012 - the tire "Yokohama Ice Guard iG35", designed for use in cars, which has a directional type of tread pattern.
The main advantages of the model:
- Excellent car handling on icy and snowy roads is provided by special three-dimensional lamellas used in the design of “Yokohama Ice Guard IG35”
- Winter tires with a multifaceted surface of the lamellas guarantee reliable passage of the car on icy and snowy roads, providing an additional edge effect.
- On the "Yokohama Ice Guard IG35" model, the spike has a special shape that contributes to reliable grip with the icy road surface. Special technology for studs (with protrusions around each of them) guarantees a reduction in the risk of premature loss. The special material from which the spikes are made ensures their durability and resistance to abrasion. It is also important to note the special 16-row landing technology.
- Semicircular drainage grooves prevent aquaplaning by instantly draining water, slush and snow porridge from the wheel, resulting in quick drainage and self-cleaning of the tire. Longitudinal grooves prevent wheel slippage, guaranteeing lateral stability of the car.
- Reviews "Yokohama Ice Guard IG35" perfectly characterize and note the unique qualities of the composition of the rubber compound, contributing to the durability and wear resistance of the tire. In addition, thanks to the components of the mixture, deformation of the tire along the entire perimeter of the tread is minimized. At the same time, its central part retains rigidity for longer, which improves traction characteristics.
- The directional type of tread pattern is able to provide excellent grip on any road surface in the winter season.
- The central tread stiffener is designed to improve tire maneuverability and stability when driving on snowy roads.
- The shoulder area of the tread is designed taking into account a large layer of snow to improve the patency of the car in any road seasonal conditions.
- Numerous tests carried out before the release of the tires confirmed the characteristics declared by the company. Before the start of production, the described model was successfully tested on the most complex test devices designed to check the quality of winter tires.
Company guarantees
In addition, Yokohama engineers guaranteed complete road safety in the winter season, confirming their claims using the latest technologies used in the manufacture and development of these tires.
Testing winter tires “Yokohama Ice Guard IG35”
The question of changing winter tires is always very acute for any car owner. Many are eager to buy Japanese brand tires, trusting the long-standing quality of the manufacturers and world-famous brands. Nevertheless, before choosing a particular model of Japanese tires, you should carefully study the feedback of car owners who have experience in their use.
With numerous professional tests of these tires, several shortcomings were identified, which is also confirmed by numerous consumer reviews. "Yokohama Ice Guard 35" showed average grip when driving on icy roads. Despite the fact that this model is studded, its behavior in the conditions of snowfall was somewhat worse than similar models.
Model reviews
Reviews "Yokohama Ice Guard IG35" put in a good light, they say that this is a fairly popular model among many motorists. During operation, they are faced with some features of these tires, which is reflected in the numerous characteristics of this product. Professional drivers, while leaving reviews of the Yokohama Ice Guard IG35 winter tires, note the insufficiently effective lateral grip, as well as their accelerating and braking characteristics. When testing in deep snow, tires do not always cope properly with wheel slippage, burying themselves in a snowdrift even with a small amount of snow cover. These are the negative sides of the Yokohama Ice Guard IG35 tire.
Customer reviews also note some of the positive qualities demonstrated by these tires. When operating in the city mode of the metropolis, they proved to be "excellent". In addition, a lot depends on the activity of car operation. Fans of aggressive riding style should not get these tires, because in the conditions of the season they do not guarantee complete safety on slippery roads.
Reviews on the tire “Yokohama Ice Guard IG35” by tidy car owners boil down to quite positive characteristics. With careful handling and compliance with speed limits, these tires meet all the requirements for winter tires. Consumers also note the durability of studding: without significant loss of studs, tires last up to 3 seasons.
According to numerous tests of these tires, they showed average performance in almost all research points.
Purchase price
The prices of Yokohama tires (model “IG 35”) depend on the size of the rim. This product belongs to the budget price category, so its cost is low. You can buy tires of this model in any specialized stores in the country at a price ranging from 2,300 to 3,400 rubles.
Yokohama tires "Guardex F700Z"
In addition to the above, quite a popular model of this manufacturer are tires "Guardex F700Z". Winter passenger model with studding is designed for all types of cars for use on slippery winter roads.
The claimed technical characteristics of this model
- A directional symmetrical herringbone tread pattern contributes to stable grip on slippery roads in the most difficult weather conditions.
- The four longitudinal ribs of the tread are composed of large massive blocks that contribute to excellent grip. The central blocks have sharp edges and angles that contribute to the stabilization of traffic in difficult road conditions.
- Numerous blocks provide an additional number of sharp clutch edges, guaranteeing reliability even when driving in deep snow.
- The 10-row stud system contributes to reliable traction and grip due to the active operation of the coupling points.
- Numerous lamellas in the form of the letter "S" form an additional edge effect. Working in conjunction with spikes, the lamellas provide reliable grip on slippery roads.
- Thanks to a specially designed tread pattern, the tires have high directional stability.
- Thanks to its reliable rolling resistance, the use of Guardex f700z tires significantly saves automobile fuel consumption.
- Wide and deep drainage channels provide reliable moisture removal, contributing to the self-cleaning of the tire from adhering snow.
- The two-layer structure of the tread is to use a rubber mixture of varying degrees of stiffness. The outer layer of rubber is softer, helps to maintain tire elasticity at the required level. The inner layer of rubber - more rigid - helps reduce tire deformation during active use.
Reviews: "Guardex F700Z"
Reviews and tests of these tires also indicate average running performance and technical specifications. Among their positive qualities, stability is noted during operation in the "city" mode.
As in the previous model, the Guardex F700Z is not reliable when used in deep snow (similar reviews of the Yokohama Ice Guard IG35 are described in the same way). If you compare the characteristics of both models, you can safely put them an average score.
Perhaps, in the conditions of the European winter, these tires show excellent performance, but their properties are insufficient for Russian roads. However, in the combination of price / quality, the models described above are quite acceptable for use.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we should summarize the quality characteristics of the Guardex F700Z model and once again describe the Yokohama Ice Guard IG35 tires. Consumer reviews are often contradictory, so it is advisable to carefully study the results of testing tire products. During testing, special competitions are held in which several different manufacturers, representing tires with the same characteristics, take part simultaneously. According to the results of the final indicators, the results are summed up, consisting in the assessment of such parameters as braking, acceleration, behavior in various road conditions, etc.
According to independent assessments by specialists involved in the study of the real properties of the Guardex F700Z and Yokohama Ice Guard IG35 tires, comparisons and tests showed their true technical characteristics, rated average.
The Russian market is currently one of the largest for the Yokohama company. Thanks to the branch producing tires of this company, it becomes possible to satisfy sufficient demand for the company's products.