Cooper Review Our Opinion: Cooper tires are a great choice for drivers looking for an affordable replacement tire without spending a lot of money. Although Cooper is not the largest tire manufacturer, it still competes with Goodyear and Michelin. Many customer reviews mention brand loyalty, with some drivers buying Cooper tires for over 20 years and not complaining. However, other reviews mention Cooper tire tread life issues. State of the Industry: Tire Diversity: Availability: Customer Satisfaction: Benefits Available Tire Options Tires designed with a focus on safety, first and foremost Tires with up to 80.00 miles of tread wear guaranteed. truck tiresLimited selection of original tires4
Cooper Tires is one of the most affordable brands in the industry. But does Cooper's lower prices mean you're sacrificing quality?
In this article, we will discuss Cooper tires in detail, look at industry rankings, popular Cooper models, tire prices, and customer reviews. Instead of focusing on a single Cooper Tire model, we'll be looking at Cooper as a brand so you get a clear idea of the company's strengths and weaknesses and evaluate the best Cooper tires to buy.
Our panel of experts has studied and ranked the top 10 tires currently available. Cooper Tires came in at number 3 on our list, so you can compare their tires to options from other strong manufacturers. Visit TireBuyer.com to find prices for the best tires from various manufacturers on the market.
Overview of tires Cooper
Although Cooper Tires was founded in 1914, it is still considered one of the newest tire manufacturers in the industry. The American company started out selling tire patches and tire repair kits but quickly grew into a major manufacturer of replacement tires. In recent years, Cooper Tires has awarded original equipment (OE) tire supply contracts to Ford, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz.
While Cooper isn't considered one of the big three tire brands — Michelin, Goodyear and Bridgestone — it accounted for nearly five percent of North American tire sales in 2019. Cooper tires are among the most affordable on the market. While other big name brands can easily cost over $800 for a set of SUV tires, Cooper tires can cost as little as $600, according to TireBuyer.
Cooper Tires manufactures products for cars, trucks, SUVs and minivans. It is also an independent manufacturer, which means that its products are only distributed through independent dealerships, select regional and national retailers, and wholesale websites. This can sometimes make finding Cooper tires difficult.
Cooper Tires industry rankings
Like all consumer tires, Cooper Tires products comply with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) grading system called Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG). This system evaluates all tires (with the exception of winter tires) for their grip, tread wear and heat resistance.
Here is some more information on how UTQG works:
- Clutch . Shows how well your tires "hold" on wet roads. Grip classes are rated from highest to lowest using AA, A, B, or C. Most stock tires are rated A or higher.
- Tread wear: evaluates the life of a tire and is estimated by comparing the tire with a control. The control is rated 100 and most passenger car tires are rated between 300 and 500 meaning they last three to five times longer than the control.
- Temperature resistance : Measures the tire's maximum to minimum heat resistance using A, B, or C. This is important depending on the design of the tires and their rotational speed. For example, high performance tires tend to have higher temperature ratings because they rotate at higher speeds.
Below we have compiled some popular Cooper tire models and their UTQG grades using data from SaferCar.gov.
Cooper tire model | Tire type | Wear resistance rating | Thrust rating | Heat resistance |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cooper Evolution Tour H/T | SUV / crossover All Seasons |
600 | BUT | B |
Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S | Cross-country ability Truck and SUV |
620 | BUT | B |
Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 | Ultra High Performance All Seasons |
500 | AA | BUT |
Cooper Trendsetter SE | Passenger All Seasons |
440 | BUT | B |
It is important to note that the NHTSA does not assign these scores because it does not test. Manufacturers hire independent companies to test tires. Thus, these ratings should be treated with a grain of salt.
If you want to know more about a Cooper tire you already own, you can check the sidewall of the tire for its UTQG grade.
Most Popular Cooper Tires
Cooper specializes in tire replacement but also offers OE tires for Ford, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz. As the fourth largest tire manufacturer in the United States, Cooper has become a trusted supplier of passenger car, off-road and performance tires.
According to TireBuyer, some of the top-rated Cooper tires include:
- Cooper Zeon LTZ: tire for trucks and SUVs with a special hybrid design, designed for off-road and ordinary trips.
- Cooper Evolution Tour: An all-season tire built for driving comfort, with long tread life and innovative safety features.
- Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring: Durable all-season tire with silica compound tread for reliable grip on dry and wet surfaces.
- Cooper Evolution Winter: studded winter tire designed to reduce road noise, low rolling resistance and optimal braking on ice and snow.
Each of the above Cooper tires has received a TireBuyer score of at least 4.0 out of 5.0, indicating customer satisfaction and popularity. These models are also well known in the tire industry.
Cooper Tires offers both a limited warranty and tread wear protection on its products. The Limited Warranty covers original owner car and light truck tire replacements and will replace any defective Cooper tires before the tread wears out. Cooper tread wear protection varies by model, but the maximum limit is 80,000 miles.
Cooper tire prices
Cooper tires are known for their affordability. Popular everyday tires like the Cooper Trendsetter SE are $75 to $85 on TireBuyer. Other models range from $65 to $475 depending on tire size, vehicle type, and tire specialization.
If you purchase a large tire with a special tread for mud or snow, it will cost significantly more than standard-size all-season tires for a car or SUV. However, in general, Cooper tires are noticeably cheaper than competitors such as Michelin and Goodyear.
Cooper customer testimonials
To give you a better idea of the typical performance of Cooper tires on the road, we've compiled some customer testimonials from TireBuyer. Feedback from Cooper is mostly positive, but some customers have reported problems with tread life and tread separation while driving.
Here are some examples of customer experiences with Cooper tires:
Positive experience with Cooper tires
“This is my third time buying [Cooper Tour Evolution] tires online and ended up saving $100 to $200 off rebate. The first set I bought for my truck that pulls a horse trailer and they work great. I have 40,000 [miles] on them and they still have enough tread.” - Andio via TireBuyer
“I've had [Cooper Discoverer A/T3 XLT tires] on the truck for only three weeks, but they're smooth as glass and incredibly quiet for any tire – let alone an all-terrain tread. I even rolled down the windows on my way to work and couldn't hear a thing." — BRK via Tirebuyer
Negative impressions from tires Cooper
“Tires [Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring] are not worth the money. They may fit a small car, but they certainly don't fit a midsize SUV. I've been buying Cooper tires for 20 years...that's where it ends." — Lyle via TireBuyer
“Good price, but I would recommend paying a little more for something that should last longer. [Cooper Trendsetter SE tires] seem to wear out quickly and crack quite early. They are a good summer tire, they feel good in the wet and perform well in snow and light mud.” — Tito via TireBuyer
Our final thoughts on Cooper tires
We rated Cooper tires 4.0 out of 5.0 stars and named the manufacturer the most affordable tire company in 2021. Its price point, variety of tire replacement options and focus on safety make the Cooper a strong choice for most drivers. However, Cooper tires may not be the most durable on the market.
We recommend comparing the Cooper to some of our other top tires, especially if you're looking for an OE tire. You can start buying Cooper tires at TireBuyer.com.
Best Tire Recommendations
When buying tires, we also recommend looking at Michelin and Pirelli. These brands scored well in our roundup of the country's best tires and can offer reliable tire options for your vehicle.
Michelin: the best tires overall
Michelin offers a good selection in almost all tire categories. Summer tires, all-terrain tires, commercial highway tires are industry leaders and Michelin customer recommendation lists. We especially like the Michelin Defender T+H model for the durability of the tire.
Compare Michelin tires at TireBuyer.com.
Pirelli: The best for high performance
You don't have to own a Maserati or Lamborghini to get Pirelli tires, although the tire manufacturer is known for its high performance tires for luxury and exotic car brands. Pirelli also makes tires for everyday cars, trucks and SUVs. At a premium price, you can get high-quality tires that perform well on both wet and dry roads.
Compare Pirelli tires at TireBuyer.com.