Goodyear Marathon Radial vs Endurance: Both of these are All-season tires made with special rubber compounds to provide maximum traction in dry, wet and snowy conditions. The size compared in this article is 225/75R15.
Endurance will give you maximum grip on snowy roads while optimizing the handling performance of the vehicle. Marathon on the other hand, comes with efficient sipes pattern that shows a marvellous performance in wet conditions. It allows smooth navigation through wet roads as well as on icy areas. Find more interesting features of both these tires below, so you can select the best option for you.
Examine the treads on these tires closely. They hold the key to knowing which to choose. In fact if you visit my "tread design" page, picking the right tire would never bother you.
Table of Contents
General Comparison of both tires:
Marathon radial tire comes with a little aggressive look. The tire has a symmetrical tread pattern that enhances the grip. It has two massive grooves that significantly increases its void ratio. The other two central grooves are relatively narrow to increase the central contact patch area. Central rib provides the stability to the tire and the two prominent grooves on either side of the central rib help to minimize hydroplaning by effectively removing water. Overall, this tire has a decent contact patch along with broad grooves and deep biting edges to provide better traction when moving on wet and snowy surfaces.
Endurance tire comes with a tread pattern that shows longitudinal division along the entire tread and the tire seems to be divided into three main sections with two broad shoulders. Comparatively, the tire comes with more contact patch. The four longitudinal grooves give sufficient area to the tread blocks to maintain maximum grip with the dry road. The grooves of this tire are wide enough to allow good aquaplaning resistance. The zig-zag pattern of sipes can be seen expanded all over the tread blocks.
Grip Comparison:
Marathon comes with bold and better groove spacing all over the tire. The tire has relatively high void ratio that compromises its grip on dry roads. The wider grooves result in increased braking distance of this tire. Dry and wet grip of this tire is compromised but the broad spacing along with the efficient zig-zag sipe pattern assist the tire to move through snow terrains without much effort as the wider grooves continuously clean the tire by scooping out the snow.
Endurance comes with two main longitudinal grooves on either side of the central rib. This arrangement of tread pattern increases the contact area of the tire with the road, which results in better grip on dry roads. As more surface area of this tire is in contact with the road, the braking distance is reduced, and better grip is delivered. It shows better grip on wet and icy roads as compared to its rival. It has adequate sipes pattern to allow smooth propagation through wet/icy roads. Due to the low void ratio, it has to struggle a bit in areas with soft snow.
Handling Comparison:
Handling of any vehicle depends majorly on shoulders of the tires. Marathon comes with increased grooves spacing over shoulders, showing comparatively less contact area with the road. This compromises the handling of the tire to some extent when cornering on dry and wet roads. Its lugs are open to increase the handling on snowy surfaces.
Endurance tire will not disappoint you when it comes to handling. The broad shoulder lugs that come with sharp biting edges provide outstanding handling on dry roads. Its handling on wet and icy surfaces is also better comparatively due to its big shoulder lugs and efficient sipes pattern on them.
Hydroplaning Resistance Comparison:
When it comes to aquaplaning resistance, both tires show satisfactory performance because of the effective zig-zag pattern of sipes. Marathon is more efficient in aquaplaning resistance. This tire has open tread blocks with an increased number of sipes on them. The void ratio of this tire is enhanced which removes the water timely and effectively. Broad grooves along with the zig-zag sipes pattern assist the tire to wipe away water when moving on wet roads even at high speeds.
Endurance comes with two main longitudinal grooves on either side of the central rib. The tread has cuts along its blocks to provide adequate hydroplaning resistance. The results shown by this tire are satisfying but it still loses some scores because its self-cleansing ability is lower than its competitor.
Rolling Resistance Comparison:
Marathon comes with wides grooves along with a highly efficient pattern of sipes on tread blocks. Therefore, the void ratio is more, lowering the rolling resistance. The fuel efficiency of this tire is more as compared to its competitor as less energy is required to drag the vehicle.
Endurance has more Rubber-to-Road contact patch and comes with a relatively less void ratio. The contact patch with the road is enhanced resulting in higher rolling resistance. Therefore, the fuel efficiency of this tire is less because more energy is required to allow smooth mobility of the vehicle.
Comfort and Noise Comparison:
The high void ratio and effective sipes of Marathon allows more air to enter between the tread blocks and strike against its walls. These air particles cause vibration and make the tire a bit noisy. So, the quality of the ride is compromised as compared to its rival.
Endurance tire shows more contact patch with the road as compared to its rival. The lesser grooves allow a fewer number of air particles to enter into them, thus producing less noise. This enables the riders to experience a smooth ride as the tire becomes virtually inaudible. The Soundtech Technology allows the tire to provide a quieter and more comfortable ride as compared to its rival.
Durability and Treadwear:
Radial tire has an optimized tread depth and the presence of a decoupling groove help the tire to remain cool while towing heavy loads. The Durawall technology is introduced in this tire that helps to resist the sidewall cuts and punctures. This self-protecting technology makes it highly durable. The tire is manufactured to show optimum performance in all seasons. The Silefex tread compound is introduced to make it more durable. The tire comes with a high void ratio that significantly decreases its rolling resistance and enhances its durability.
On the other hand, the Goodyear Endurance shows a balanced tread pattern. More contact area of this tire with road leads to more treadwear. This tire comes with a directional design and even a wear profile. This tire shows a specialized inner liner that minimizes air loss in trailer applications due to the use of 100% halobutyl rubber.
Summary:
- Both Radial and Endurance are all-seasonal tires.
- Endurance shows better traction on highways where more speed is required.
- Marathon radial has outstanding hydroplaning resistance as compared to its rival.
- Endurance has high rolling resistance due to increased contact patch.
- Marathon is more fuel-efficient tire.
- Endurance is a bit costlier as compared to its counterpart.
