Milestar Weatherguard AW365 Review
Four season or all-weather tires are growing in popularity, but for the most part they’re all from premium brands and cost a lot. But not with the Milestar Weatherguard AW365.
PROS
- 4-season capable (3PMS certified)
- Attractively priced
- Solid wet weather performance
CONS
- Shorter mileage life
- Passable summer performance
Milestar has come to market with a three-peak mountain snowflake certified all-season tire, meaning it can be driven all year round, even in true winter conditions. It does this by combining a softer tread compound that resists freezing in colder temperatures, with unique features designed to provide grip in winter conditions.
While not true winter tires, the Weatherguard AW365 is certified to meet a minimum standard for true winter grip and as a result comes certified with the three peak mountain snowflake logo on its sidewall.
To achieve this, most notably, is the heavy amount of siping built into the interior tread blocks, with the most aggressive zig-zag siping on the interior shoulder blocks. Critically the siping runs in multiple directions helping give this tire winter grip under cornering, as well as acceleration and braking. The sipes work by trapping snow against the tire and using it as a friction point to grip snow on the road.
Towards the outside of the tire the siping diminishes and the exterior shoulder tread blocks, while slotted for water evacuation, feature no zig-zag sipes. These sections of tread are also quite wide to help give the tire appropriate handling capability in dry summer conditions.
A softer tread compound also helps with decent summer grip, although the tread design has a good amount of flex in it and overall dry weather handling is just ok.
Wet weather grip is another strong point of this tire with a silica-infused compound and plenty of water evacuation channels that help it retain much of is dry grip on wet roads.
Noise levels, while slightly higher than conventional all-season, are kept to a minimum by the angled interior tread design, which works to cancel out road noise.
Is the Milestar Weatherguard AW365 Any Good?
Overall this tire really does deliver on the promise of all-weather performance. It makes some sacrifices (though we think acceptable ones) in the dry to deliver capable wet and winter grip. The one real down-side is the mileage warranty of 40,000 miles. Premium all-weather tires last roughly 50 percent longer, though, to be fair, they cost at least 50 percent more.
Who Should Buy This Tire?
The Milestar Weatherguard AW365 is an ideal option for those who need extra winter grip but who aren’t willing to make the switch to true winter tires. It is a budget option and we do advise that if handling capability is a big concern then you might want to look elsewhere. However, for many consumers looking to add some added safety in the winter, with the convenience of not having buy (and mount) a dedicated set of winter tires, this is an affordable and attractive option.
Milestar Weatherguard AW365 Price
Pricing for the Milestar Weatherguard AW365 ranges from roughly $70 per tire for the smallest 15-inch sizes and goes up to just over $200 per tire for the largest 18-inch sizes.
Milestar Weatherguard AW365 Warranty
Milestar backs the Weatherguard AW365 with a 40,000 mile tread life warranty. This tire is also covered by a Road Hazard Warranty that covers the first 2/32-inch of tread life or first year of service (whichever comes first). Tires damaged due to a road hazard, such as running over a nail, will be replaced free of charge during that time. However, this only applies to tires bough in-store, not online. A 30-Day Ride Guarantee means you can return your tires for a new set if not completely satisfied.
Milestar Weatherguard AW365 Sizes
15-inch sizes
P185/60R15
P185/65R15
P195/60R15
P195/65R15
P235/75R15
16-inch sizes
P205/55R16
P205/60R16
P205/65R16
P215/60R16
P215/65R16
P215/70R16
P225/60R16
17-inch sizes
225/60R17
225/65R17
235/55R17
235/65R17
245/65R17
P205/50R17
P215/55R17
P225/50R17
P225/55R17
18-inch sizes
225/45R18
235/45R18
255/55R18
265/60R18
P225/55R18
P235/50R18
P235/65R18