The Cooper WeatherMaster WSC is a winter tire with strong owner praise for snow traction and competitive wet braking in its sole independent test. Ice grip is less convincing in that test, despite generally favorable owner comments, and rolling resistance was high.
Snow traction is the clearest strength of the Cooper WeatherMaster WSC in everyday use, praised in eight of 13 owner reviews, with three also describing predictable snow handling. Wet grip draws five positive comments against one complaint. That broadly agrees with the 2017 Autocenter Studded Winter Tire Test, where wet braking placed second of ten and the testers liked wet handling. Snow braking was fifth, only 1.7% behind the shortest stop, while dry braking was sixth with a 2.6% gap.
The unusual disagreement concerns ice: three owners praise grip and one criticises it, yet the independent test recorded ninth place in ice braking, 45.2% behind the best, alongside criticism of ice handling. Rolling resistance was last in that field. Noise also bothers a minority of owners, with two complaints, and later-life wear reports remain too limited for a firm lifespan judgement. The balance is more encouraging for snowy and wet roads than for drivers whose main priority is ice performance or efficiency; the comparative evidence rests on one studded winter test.
The quick answer
Owners say82%from 13 owner reviews92% would buy againRead the reviews
Strengths & weaknessesIce, SnowDry, ValueRelative to its rivals across every test we hold
Built from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold for this tire - the evidence is all further down the page. Data updated January 2025.
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How good is the Cooper Weather-Master WSC in the wet?
Across the 1 wet-braking test it has featured in, the Cooper Weather-Master WSC stops 10.3% shorter than premium rivals, 9% shorter than mid-range rivals and 10.3% shorter than budget rivals. It has a Tyre Reviews wet score of 45/100, and owners rate it 8.4/10 in the wet from 13 reviews.
How good is the Cooper Weather-Master WSC in the dry?
Across the 1 dry-braking test it has featured in, the Cooper Weather-Master WSC stops 0.2% longer than premium rivals, 0.4% shorter than mid-range rivals and 0.6% longer than budget rivals. It has a Tyre Reviews dry score of 10/100, and owners rate it 8.1/10 in the dry from 13 reviews.
How good is the Cooper Weather-Master WSC in the snow?
Across the 1 snow-braking test it has featured in, the Cooper Weather-Master WSC stops 1.6% longer than premium rivals, 0.6% longer than mid-range rivals and 2% shorter than budget rivals. It has a Tyre Reviews snow score of 94/100, and owners rate it 8.9/10 in the snow from 13 reviews.
How good is the Cooper Weather-Master WSC on ice?
Across the 1 ice-braking test it has featured in, the Cooper Weather-Master WSC stops 34.8% longer than premium rivals, 45.2% longer than mid-range rivals and 2% longer than budget rivals. It has a Tyre Reviews ice score of 96/100, and owners rate it 8.1/10 on ice from 13 reviews.
How fuel efficient is the Cooper Weather-Master WSC?
Across the 1 test measuring rolling resistance, the Cooper Weather-Master WSC's rolling resistance is 18.6% higher than premium rivals, 49.4% higher than mid-range rivals and 17.4% higher than budget rivals.
More questions about the Cooper Weather-Master WSC(8)
What treadwear rating and mileage warranty does the Cooper Weather-Master WSC have?
The Cooper Weather-Master WSC has no UTQG treadwear grade: winter and light-truck sizes are exempt. Cooper gives it no mileage warranty.
What do owners say about the Cooper Weather-Master WSC?
Across 13 owner ratings the Cooper Weather-Master WSC averages 82%. Owners rate Snow Grip highest at 8.9 out of 10 and Comfort lowest at 7.2. 2 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles. 85% of owners score it 70% or better.
What is the Cooper Weather-Master WSC's EU tire label rating?
Across its range, the Cooper Weather-Master WSC most commonly carries EU label ratings of D for fuel efficiency, C for wet grip and 72 dB for noise.
How comfortable and quiet are the Cooper Weather-Master WSC?
Owners rate the Cooper Weather-Master WSC 7.2 out of 10 for comfort and noise across 13 reviews.
How well do the Cooper Weather-Master WSC wear, according to owners?
Owners rate the Cooper Weather-Master WSC 8.4 out of 10 for wear across 13 reviews. 2 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles, and the typical review covers 4,500 miles.
Would owners buy the Cooper Weather-Master WSC again?
92% of owners say they would buy the Cooper Weather-Master WSC again, based on the 12 owner reviews that answered the question. 83% of them gave it the highest possible answer.
What do owners say about the Cooper Weather-Master WSC's snow traction?
Of the 13 owner reviews analyzed for the Cooper Weather-Master WSC, 8 mention snow traction: 8 praise it (strong snow traction) and 0 criticise it (weak snow traction). One owner wrote: "in snow ice and wet they have been excellent". Read those reviews
What sizes does the Cooper Weather-Master WSC come in?
The Cooper Weather-Master WSC is available in 61 sizes, ranging from 175-265/45-75 R14-20.
Questions and Answers for the Cooper Weather-Master WSC
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Owners most often praise the Cooper WeatherMaster WSC for snow traction, with eight of 13 reviews highlighting it and three describing predictable snow handling. Wet grip is also widely liked, while ice grip attracts more praise than criticism. Eleven reviews are positive and two neutral, with an average score of 80.2%. Noise is the clearest recurring complaint, raised by two owners, including one who finds it louder in warmer weather. Nearly half the reviews describe the tire when new, so favorable later-life wear reports are too limited to establish a consistent lifespan.
What owners mention most counted across 13 reviews
Tap one to read only the reviews that mention it.
Owner ratings averaged from 13 ratings
Owner score82%
Snow Grip89%
Wear84%
Wet Grip84%
Road Feedback83%
Ice Grip81%
Dry Grip81%
Handling73%
Comfort72%
Featured reviews
Most helpful 47%
“Average performance on snow. Studs are small an few so the ice grip is not so good. This is my second set of these tires, the previous one was almost impossible to wear out, and performed much better than the new one...”
“I just fitted these... I still can not comment on dry and wet performance, but comparing to previously fitted Michelin A4, I have to say braking distances are a bit longer, not much, but you definitely notice it. Snow...”
“These have been a great tire on the Q5, when pushed in the dry warmer months, which in the NE of Scotland is rare, they start to struggle. But in snow ice and wet they have been excellent and the wear on them has been...”
Tires with exceptional performance on ice and snow and that perform well in all other aspects. Recommended for those who are going to drive in winter areas on a regular basis.
Average performance on snow. Studs are small an few so the ice grip is not so good. This is my second set of these tires, the previous one was almost impossible to wear out, and performed much better than the new one.
For some reasons the car has been wery little used, the tires is 18 month old and without any wear, but all 4 tires is on both sides dry rotten and redy to throw in the gabage. I have tried to send a complain but told this happend cause wrong storage and low tire pressure and all is my own fault.
Stay away these tirs unless you get a warranty of lifetime.
Check out how the BEST all seasons tires perform against premium summer and winter tires!
These have been a great tire on the Q5, when pushed in the dry warmer months, which in the NE of Scotland is rare, they start to struggle.
But in snow ice and wet they have been excellent and the wear on them has been great, have ran them year round and they are holding up really well and not showing much sign of wear.
Wouldn't hesitate to get them again if they were available in the size needed.
Which tires do you drive?
Researching the Cooper Weather-Master WSC? Rate the tires you actually drive - and help the next buyer choose.
I carefully chose the tires I fit on my car. Particularly, to me they have to be suitable for normal road driving and for some offroad. The car is 4x4 soft-roader but I often push her to the limits driving off the road. On road I like to drive fast but with these tires I didn't want to push it so much to test their limits and to speed the treadwear.
On my opinion these tires are as good as any true winter tires. Snow and ice performance is at high level. Wet performance too. And here I have to mention that when I drove trough several flooded patches of the road with quite high speed the aquaplaning didn't easily occur with these tires – contrary to what could be expected of winter tires. Another good characteristic is that the offroad performance on mud and other difficult slippery terrain is as good as one can ask for. So, to me, they are the best of both worlds – winter road and offroad tires for the type of car I own.
Replaced old road tires on my disco 2. Thought I would take a chance with these and I am impressed. Road handling is very good and in the wet I was pleasantly surprised as my old girl is approaching 2 1/4 tons and comes out of the corners well. Not tried on snow but good in the mud. Wear is only v light as only done 3000 miles.
Very good performance on wet and dry. Although for rain Cooper Zeon 4XS Sport is unbeatable. I have them for summer season and I use them till temperature is above 5°C. Weathermaster is excellent on snow and ice. One of the best tires for snow that I tried. Last winter I used them on temperature -15°C and they performed great. Because of that there is small downside on fuel usage and noise. They are little bit louder than my old tyers, but my opinion is that it shouldn't deal breaker for decision to buy these tires. Regarding wear, it's early to say because I did around 4000 miles.
Overall very good tire, specially for snow conditions.
Fitted to a Suzuki grand vitara, ran these tires since November last year. Excellent in the wet and as good as any in the dry. Only complaint is they get noiser as it gets warmer, but that's no distraction as there winter tires
The average mileage for this car is around 6,000 per year and I made the decision to fit WINTER tires for use all year round. The car is used for short runs into town and longer runs in the countryside.
Fitted as replacements for perished Pirelli Scorpion Verde. These tires are very chunky looking with holes for spikes - they suit the look of the X3 perfectly. I have used Avon tires for many years and found them to be at least as good as OEM fitments from Dunlop, Michelin, Pirelli etc and superior to Continental. When looking for a set for the BMW it was clear that the parent company of Avon - Cooper - made very good tires that are suitable for SUV usage. They do not have a huge marketing presence in the UK but I did a little research and discovered that David Coulthard was one of their development drivers. I thought that I would try a set based on my experience with Avon. The tires cost £260 for a complete set (!) plus fitting. I know this was a very good price and I was obviously very lucky to find them at the time I needed a new set.
In usage they are no noisier than the Pirelli and when the car only achieves 17-20mpg you won't notice much difference in fuel consumption anyway...but in terms of wet grip and snow...WOW!
Effortless in cold weather - why does the UK not make it a legal requirement to use WINTER tires? So much of the seasonal road problems would be alleviated instantly - it is unbelievable that the average UK road user has no idea of the concept of Winter tires (and consequently - no idea of the benefits and safety gains that are made by using them).
No contest fitting winter tires like these - fantastic snow/slush/mud performance - did not even need 4 wheel drive in the recent snow storms unless exceptionally steep snowy slope or deep rutted mud. Best money ever spent on the car - felt very safe, turned and stopped on snow in completely predictable fashion. Why do all these rear wheel drive automatic car drivers think they can get away with it? Get some winter tires!!! These are not expensive, wearing well, and worth every penny.
I just fitted these... I still can not comment on dry and wet performance, but comparing to previously fitted Michelin A4, I have to say braking distances are a bit longer, not much, but you definitely notice it. Snow performance is great, as you expect from full winter tire :))
I was unpleasantly surprised with tire comfort. Noise is OK, but suspension fill hard. You feel every bump on a road, these do not absorbs anything. Having so much tread and soft compound, I expected to be more comfortable than my summer tires. But I was wrong...
If you live in area without lot of snow and low temperatures this tires are not for you. You would be better with regular winter tires. I still have to see snow and ice performance on very low temperatures (-10C and lower) to be more objective and give better feedback.
For now, I can only score comfort.
