Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015 All-Terrain Tire Review - Can This Tire Handle Rural New England In Winter?

All-terrain can mean many things. In the case of the Geolandar A/T G015 from Yokohama, the tire is intended as a multi-purpose tire that will spend the majority of its miles on pavement. A major brand known for its off-pavement capability fits this tire to some of the most popular Wilderness trims of its top-selling crossover SUVs. We took the Geolandar to central New Hampshire in single-digit temps following fresh snow and ice, and drove during a squall to see how it behaved. As our comparison for reference, we had a Ford Bronco Sport Badlands with similarly-sized Michelin X-ICE Snow SUV tires fitted. We’ll draw comparisons and contrasts between them in our review, but this is not intended to imply they are direct competitors.

Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015 All-Terrain Tire - What Is It?
The Geolandar G015 is an all-terrain tire with a mild tread type intended for off-pavement use. It’s not a mud tire or a rock tire, but a general-purpose tire. It does have the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol, indicating it has been tested and approved for severe snow duty. We tested a 225/60R17 tire size on our personally owned vehicle.

Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015 All-Terrain Tire - Dry Cold Highway Handling
The Geolandar G015 is a quiet tire on the road and on the highway. It drives well, but it does require a bit of on-center correction. More so than an all-season tire with a lower profile. It’s likely as much the shape and size as the tire design itself. Overall, we’d score the tire a B+ on the highway.

Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015 All-Terrain Tire - Twisty Mountain Roads - Dry Cold Pavement
New Hampshire has wonderful rural roads with speed limits that seem well matched to the conditions. Not overly low. On dry twisting mountain roads, the tires we tested were responsive, and handling was very predictable. We drove safely, but in a spirited way that gave us ample opportunities to feel the tires grip the road in turns and when stopping. Given the generous sidewall and the relatively narrow contact patch, the tires were good. B+ overall without any excuses.

Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015 - Off-Pavement Snow and Sand Covered Dirt Roads
On dirt roads with a layer of frozen snow and ice, with sand having been applied in some areas, the Geolandar A/T G015 offers predictable handling and stopping. With stones ranging from marble-sized to over golf-ball-sized liberally mixed in, we were glad to have the rugged sidewall of the G015 to offer protection from tears and sidewall punctures. This is a definite plus versus a winter tire.

In terms of overall grip, there is no doubt that a winter tire is better. However, we’d also score this all-terrain G015 above any standard touring all-season tire without question. The all-terrain tire with its 3PMSF symbol is between a (lousy) all-season type of tire and an outstanding winter tire in this regard.

Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015 All-Terrain Tire - Flash-Freeze Thin Ice At Stop Signs
One tricky hazard in winter driving is when the sun melts the snow piled at the side of intersections with stops. It can flow across the road and form a very thin layer of ice. You are headed to a stop sign, thinking you have plenty of stopping distance, and apply the brakes. Then you get anti-lock pulsing and no stopping power or significantly-reduced stopping grip. On this type of surface, we would not score the Geolandar A/T G015 better than an all-season tire. It’s equal, and not great. A winter tire is noticeably better.

Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015 All-Terrain Tire - Snow Squall
We experienced a snow squall during testing, which is a quick burst of snow that immediately covers the pavement. It’s slicker in some ways than deeper snow. We will be honest. We slowed and used caution. We would take winter tires in this scenario any day.

Geolandar A/T G015 - Four Inches of Fresh Snow
We didn’t have more than about four inches of fresh snow on which to test, so we can only report what we could use. Over fresh snow with anything but ice underneath, the Geolandar A/T G015 is unstoppable when moving forward with AWD. Here, the design is excellent. If a winter tire is an A+, then the Geolandar G015 all-terrain tire is an A.  Stopping and turning were good, again a half-grade lower than a winter tire. Far better than a standard all-season tire, and it is easy to feel.

Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015 All-Terrain Tire - Glaze Ice Over Compressed Snow
On glazed ice over snow we found the Geolandar A/T G015 to be predictable. We tried some low-speed stops on this type of surface that develops when compressed snow is warmed by the sun and then refrozen. Better than all-season tires, but not as good as a winter tire compound. Factually, studded snows are the preferred option on this surface, and many drivers in New Hampshire do drive on studded snows.

Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015 All-Terrain Tire - Conclusion
All-terrain tires with the 3PMSF symbol will move you forward in snow very well, unless you encounter a steep incline, and unless there is ice under the snow. If getting out of your driveway is the primary concern and you plan to drive on plowed roads, these tires are all you need. These tires are also better in every snow-related winter scenario we would find to test on than conventional all-season touring tires.

Over any form of ice, the compound in winter tires makes a meaningful difference. Back-to-backing the winter tires on a very similar vehicle reveals the advantages. However, winter tires such as the Blizzak and Michelin X-ICE Snow SUV do not offer any added sidewall protection. Instead, they have a sidewall design similar to all-season tires. Over gravel and stone-covered unpaved roads, the all-terrain tires seem tougher.

We hope this honest review has shed some light on the Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015 All-Terrain Tire. The tires used in this test belong to us; they were not provided by the manufacturer.

If you own this tire, tell us in the comments below about your experience with it.

My Testing Credentials - I’m a graduate of multiple performance driving schools, including the Team O’Neil Rally School’s Winter Driving program. In addition, I’ve tested cars and tires on closed courses for 14 years. I’ve been a voting member of the New England Motor Press Association’s Best Winter Vehicle Awards for over a decade. 
 

John Goreham is the Vice President of the New England Motor Press Association and an expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his fourteen years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on LinkedIn and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. John employs grammar and punctuation software when proofreading, and he sometimes uses image generation tools.