Cooper Weather-Master WSC: a Tire that Deserves our Attention

Last fall, we introduced you to the Cooper Weather-Master WSC, a winter tire designed specifically for pickups and SUVs, vehicle types that remain among Canada’s bestsellers, year after year. Not only is the Weather-Master WSC likely to be a very popular product in the Cooper lineup, but it should also rival a wide array of other tires made by well-established manufacturers. While Cooper isn’t exactly a Johnny-come-lately, the brand isn’t very well known in Canada.

We recently had the opportunity to test this winter tire and gather information about how it performs in the worst of the cold season. We mounted the set on our test vehicle, a Ford F-150 previously fitted with Michelin LTS Winter tires. As soon as we exited the shop, we noticed how the Cooper Weather-Master WSCs were quieter and smoother on the road. The manufacturer clearly paid special attention to making the tire flexible enough to absorb the road's imperfections—and as you would imagine, Canadian roads are nothing like those in California.

• Also: Hankook Winter i*Pike RS Tires: We Put Them to the Test
• Also: BFGoodrich Tires Delivers All-Weather, All-Purpose Performance with Advantage T/A Sport LT

Surprisingly efficient

The tire proved very effective on wet pavement and snow, while being very comfortable and quiet on dry surfaces, more so than other tires we’ve tested in the past. Even if you have bigger wheels, you can still choose to mount higher-sidewall, smaller-diameter tires on new rims. Not only will this make it easier to change your tires every season, but a thicker sidewall will enhance the vehicle’s ride, particularly by providing more damping. Plus, a smaller tire will be more affordable, which will offset the cost of additional rims.

In heavy snow, the Cooper Weather-Master WSC offers good grip, helping it get out of most situations. Same thing on the highway. At higher speeds, the feeling of control is remarkable, reacting very well in corners and when braking, to the point that we wondered what its limits were. We were surprised by how well this very reasonably priced tire performed. Its performance exceeded our expectations, especially since it’s considered to be a tire for smaller budgets.

Volatile weather during our test period meant that we got to try the tire in some really icy conditions. Despite good handling overall, the tire would have been more efficient had it been equipped with metal studs. This is an important consideration if you have to deal with icy conditions on a regular basis. On the other hand, tires with studs are a lot noisier on dry surfaces, so it’s something of a trade-off.

Some owners have given the Weather-Master WSC a lower-than-average treadwear rating. This was hard for us to evaluate, but bitterly cold conditions during part of the winter most certainly contributed to slower wear, compared to driving in a region with milder temperatures.

In short, we were pleasantly surprised by this tire. It deserves its share of the limelight, and many owners are very satisfied with it.