Cooper Evolution Winter Review

The Cooper Tires Evolution Winter tire is more of a conventional “snow tire” with the benefits and drawbacks that that entails.

PROS

First, let’s clarify what we mean by that. Traditionally, winter tires are thought of as snow tires, meaning that they are meant for driving on snow. That’s not necessarily the case.

Cooper’s Discoverer True North tire is a perfect example of a winter tire that’s actually not really designed for driving in or on snow, but rather for driving on cold, clear roads, or in slush, or on ice. The Evolution Winter tire, however, is designed for driving in deep snow.

The Evolution Winter and True North both make use of Cooper’s “saw tooth” technology, with serrated edges on the sides of the tread lugs, although the Evolution Tire has twice as many of these edges, allowing it to bite that much better.

This features works by allowing the tire to grab the snow. If you’ve never researched winter tires before, their grip actually doesn’t come from the tread’s ability to grip the snow but by it’s ability to trap the snow and then grip based of the snow-on-snow traction that that provides.

Where the Evolution Winter doesn’t perform as well as some other winter tires is in slush, ice or cold dry roads. As a winter certified tire with the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol, however, the Evolution Winter does still offer far superior winter grip than an all-season thanks to a tread compound. Remember, winter tires should be used when the temperature drops below 45 degrees Fahrenheit or 7 degrees Celsius.

Where these tires really excel is driving on snow covered roads, where they not only offer exceptional grip, but the broad tread pattern means they offer plenty of stability. This will give you the sort of confidence you don’t often get when driving on snow and thankfully that wide tread pattern also delivers excellent cornering control too, so your confidence is not misplaced. And if you require even more grip, the tire is studdable too.

Is the Cooper Evolution Winter a Good Tire?

For its intended purpose: Absolutely. The Cooper Evolution Winter is built to maximize grip on snow covered roads, allowing you to easily get going from a stop, or climb through that snow bank the plow left at the end of your street.

Cooper Evolution Winter Price

Attractively priced, the Cooper Evolution Winter tire retails from approximately $160 a tire for a 14-inch size to $160 per tire for a 20-inch size.

Cooper Evolution Winter Warranty

The Cooper Evolution Winter tire comes with a 45-Day guarantee. Like all Cooper Tires it also gets the brand’s standard limited warranty. Tires that are defective in either workmanship or materials within the first 2/32nds of an inch of wear will be replaced free of charge – though mounting and balancing have to be covered by the owner. After that, Cooper will replace the defective tire at a pro-rated rate.

No mileage warranty is offered, which is expected for winter tires.

Cooper Evolution Winter Sizes

14-inch tires

175/70R14
195/70R14
175/65R14
185/65R14

15-inch tires

235/75R15
205/70R15
215/70R15
175/65R15
185/65R15
195/65R15
205/65R15
185/60R15
195/60R15
205/60R15
215/60R15

16-inch tires

225/75R16
215/70R16
225/70R16
235/70R16
205/65R16
215/65R16
225/65R16
235/65R16
205/60R16
215/60R16
225/60R16
235/60R16
205/55R16
215/55R16
205/50R16

17-inch tires

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

18-inch tires

235/65R18
255/65R18
265/65R18
225/60R18
235/60R18
245/60R18
265/60R18
215/55R18
225/55R18
235/55R18
255/55R18
225/50R18
235/50R18
225/45R18
245/45R18

19-inch tires

235/55R19
245/55R19
255/50R19

20-inch tires

255/55R20
245/50R20
255/50R20
265/50R20

Is the Cooper Evolution Winter tire directional?

Yes, the Evolution Winter is built with a tread pattern this is directional, with five rows of tread blocks that form a wild arrow pattern. This helps give the tire added grip in deep snow. The down-side is that the directional tires allow for more limited rotation possibilities, which can limit your ability to maximize their tread life.