Cooper Discoverer True North Review

Winter tires are not snow tires and that fact proves true with the Cooper Discoverer True North tire.

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While that may sound confusing, it’s actually quite simple. Winter tires are designed to operate not just in snow, but in low temperatures, specifically when the temperature drops below 45 degrees Fahrenheit or 7 degrees Celsius.

The Discoverer True North tire is specifically designed for clean roads, as well as slush and ice. It is not designed with driving on or in snow as a primary concern – though it can certainly do that as well. If you’re looking for something more like that, then you might want to try Cooper’s other winter tire, the Evolution Winter.

All this isn’t to say that the True North isn’t also a very good tire when it comes to snow. This is due, in part, to the plentiful amount of sipes as well as Cooper’s “saw tooth” tread edges that help grip the snow.

Of note, winter tires don’t actually get their performance from the tread gripping the snow, but from the traction created by the snow that has already been gripped to the tire creating friction with the snow on the ground. So when you see snow caked to the tread of a winter tire, that’s actually a good thing. (This can be surprising info to some, because it’s very much the opposite of what you might expect, and the opposite of how an all-terrain or mud-terrain tires operate. Those tires get their traction from tossing away dirt, loose earth or mud).

A tire’s ability to perform in cold temperatures is also due to the actual tread compound used (including, in this case, silica) that helps the tire stay soft in frigid temperatures.

The Discoverer True North is unique in that the tire is like two tread designs in one tire. The outboard tread pattern has more space between the tread blocks to help evacuate water and slush, while the inboard tread pattern is more closely knit to help grip the bare or snowy road better. And both are separated by a circumferential groove, much like on a typical all-season tire, to help evacuate water and prevent hydroplaning.

Overall, it does an excellent job in the slush and in offering plenty of grip and confidence on frozen roads. We highly recommend the Discoverer True North for pretty much anyone who lives in Northern US states or Canada, with the exception of those who drive on snow covered roads regularly. If you do, read our Evolution Winter tire review here.

Cooper Discoverer True North Price

The Discoverer True North retails starting from around $80 per tire for a 15-inch fitment and going up to just under $200 per tire for the largest 20-inch fitments.

Cooper Discoverer True North Warranty

The Discoverer True North is backed by a 45-Day test drive guarantee. Like all Cooper Tires it is also backed by a standard limited warranty. Tires deemed defective in either workmanship or materials during the first 2/32nds of an inch of treadwear will be replaced free of charge. After that, Cooper will replace the defective tire at a pro-rated rate. Owners will have to cover the cost of any mounting or balancing.

Like the vast majority of winter tires, the Discoverer True North does not come with a mileage guarantee.

Cooper Discoverer True North Sizes

15-inch sizes

195/65R15
195/60R15

16-inch sizes

225/65R16
205/60R16
215/60R16
225/60R16
205/55R16
215/55R16

17-inch sizes

245/70R17
225/65R17
235/65R17
245/65R17
225/60R17
235/60R17
205/55R17
215/55R17
225/55R17
235/55R17
205/50R17
215/50R17
225/50R17
215/45R17
225/45R17

18-inch sizes

235/65R18
255/65R18
265/65R18
225/60R18
235/60R18
245/60R18
265/60R18
225/55R18
235/55R18
245/55R18
225/50R18
235/50R18
225/45R18
235/45R18
245/45R18

19-inch sizes

235/55R19
245/55R19

20-inch sizes

235/55R20
245/50R20
265/50R20

Are Cooper Discoverer True North tires directional?

No, the Cooper Discoverer True North is not a directional tire. Is is asymmetrical, meaning the pattern is different across the width of the tire.