1999 Subaru Legacy - Yokohama Avid ENVigor - Tire Review
Test Mule
‘99 Subaru Legacy
Test Driver
John McGann
Test Track
Streets of Los Angeles and Malibu canyon roads
Track Condition
60 degrees Fahrenheit, dry and overcast
Specs & Details
Yokohama Avid ENVigor
Type All-season performance radial
Size 225/45R17
UTQG 560
In its product literature, Yokohama makes bold claims about the new Avid ENVigor tire, calling it the “most complete performance tire available.” Yokohama promises not only summer-tire levels of grip but also the wet-road traction of an all-season tire. Usually such claims fall miserably short on all accounts, but we admit to being pleasantly surprised with the performance of the ENVigor, having driven on them for about three months now.
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1999 Subaru Legacy - Yokohama Avid ENVigor - Tire Review
We can attest to Yokohama’s all-season claims. These tires delivered impressive performance during an uncharacteristically rainy Los Angeles winter. Standing water on the roads, previously a white-knuckled affair, was easily handled by the ENVigor tires as they sliced the water away without a hint of vagueness through the steering wheel or loss of traction in the rear of the car.
Dry-road performance also exceeded expectations. Though the majority of our time on these tires has been spent commuting to work, we did get a couple good runs in our favorite canyon roads, and these tires delivered; we ran out of guts before they ran out of grip. The harder we entered a corner, the better they grabbed the road — no howling understeer and no drama, just strong, confident traction.
Has Yokohama created the perfect tire? We doubt it — there has to be a compromise in some aspect of the performance of the ENVigor. But to Yokohama’s credit, we haven’t found fault with any aspect of these tires yet. They have been good in the rain, great on dry roads and they’re much more quiet than the tires they replaced. If you want all-out grip, buy dedicated race compound tires. If you live at the poles, buy studded snow tires. But for all other conditions, the Avid ENVigors are a good decision.
Key Features
>>UniBloc shoulder and tapered center rib for enhanced stiffness and improved wet and dry handling
>>Angled, grooved walls and adaptive sipes to resist hydroplaning
>>Built-in rim protector bar
>>New silica compound to reduce rolling resistance without sacrificing dry road performance