Cooper Discoverer EnduraMax Review: The Ideal Touring Tire for a Comfortable and Safe Ride on Rough Roads
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Pros
- Super-tough construction
- Cut- and -chip-resistant tread compound
- Can’t be damaged by hardpacked surfaces
- Safe on-road dynamics and excellent highway stability
- Very good wet performance
- Usable traction and braking on light snow
Cons
- Handling is slightly worse than “regular” touring tires
- Responsiveness could be better
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There are an overwhelming number of crossovers, trucks, and SUVs on the highways nowadays. Despite the fact that these cars are capable of off-roading, however, only a small number of their owners actually use them for this purpose. This is completely understandable given that paved roads provide access to the vast majority of locations on our planet.
Having said that, it is not possible to go to every location on Earth utilizing solely paved roads. You will inevitably run into compacted surfaces like dirt and gravel at some point in your travels. In some less common instances, you may also need to negotiate smaller boulders and shallow muck in order to get to certain locations.
Even the most urban-focused crossovers of today are capable of navigating light off-road terrain, especially when equipped with a powertrain that features all-wheel drive. Despite this, you are still going to have problems with the tires, particularly the ones that came from the factory.
Tires known as touring or highway tires are typically standard on sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and pickup trucks because they are primarily intended for usage on paved roads. To a limited extent, you can use these tires on hardpacked surfaces like dirt and gravel, but only for short distances.
When used for an extended period of time on these abrasive surfaces, tires can sustain damage to the tread compound, which can lead to chips and cracks. This is especially true for touring tires, which typically have tread compounds that are softer and less durable than other types of tires.
The problem is that there aren’t a lot of options available on the market if you want a tire that is great for paved roads but also has the ability to hold up on terrain that are packed down tightly. Fortunately, Cooper Tire has designed one such tire: the Discoverer EnduraMax, which is brand new for the year 2020.
The company’s lineup of tires for SUVs, crossovers, and trucks includes this touring all-season model as one of its available options. The vehicle was developed particularly for usage on the highway, but it also needed to be extremely resilient.
Because of this, the EnduraMax is resistant to wear and tear even when worn for extended periods of time on rough off-road terrain. Additionally, the tread compound is made to be resistant to freezing, which indicates that it should be more useable even in severe winter conditions.
Up until now, customers looking for these features had no choice but to purchase highway tires and make up with on-road dynamics that were slightly inferior to those of the highway tires.
Is it possible for the Discoverer EnduraMax to truly excel on the road while still delivering a performance that is dependable on hardpacked terrain? You’ll find all the information you need to respond to your inquiry in the review of the Cooper Discoverer EnduraMax that follows.
Before we move to my thoughts on the tire, it is important to realize that it is available in a wide variety of sizes, ranging from a wheel diameter of 16 inches all the way up to a wheel diameter of 20 inches.
Cooper covers a very substantial percentage of the market with these sizes, as well as a very large portion of SUV and truck owners in North America. If you drive a contemporary SUV or truck, there is a good possibility that the Discoverer EnduraMax is offered in a size that is compatible with your vehicle.
What are the features of the Cooper Discoverer EnduraMax?
Let’s have a look at what the manufacturer has to say about the Discoverer EnduraMax before we go on to the impressions that real-world drivers have had of the tire.
“Tires can take a beating on gravel roads, but they can also take a beating on the rough city streets. Because of this, we came up with the Discoverer Enduramax” – this is how Cooper introduces its newest model to us on their official website. “It has the tenacity of an off-road tire but is designed for use on paved roads,” the manufacturer says.
When the engineers were designing this product, their primary objective was to create a tire that was not only smooth and silent during operation but also had the toughness to withstand harsh road conditions, extreme weather traction, and harsh winter circumstances.
The tread compound of the Discoverer EnduraMax is made with Cooper’s unique Durable-Tread Technology so that the company may fulfill the aforementioned goals. This innovation makes the rubber more resistant to abrasion and wear from rough surfaces, much to how all-terrain or mud-terrain tires are designed to withstand the rigors of such terrains.
Additionally, the Discoverer EnduraMax is resistant to cuts and chips, which is a trait that we have never seen in a touring tire before. This is a first for us. Although Cooper doesn’t mention it, the more durable tread compound should also be better at resisting punctures than the previous one.
The long-lasting tread compound is shaped into a symmetric tread pattern using a mold. Cooper Tire claims that the tread design was intended for a quiet ride, even at greater speeds, which is something that owners of touring tires anticipate from products of this kind.
In addition, the tread pattern was designed expressly for the purpose of providing safe handling, effective braking, and high levels of traction on surfaces that are wet or otherwise slippery. It all begins with the four wide circumferential grooves, which, with the assistance of the lateral notches, eject water from the tire and reduce the likelihood of hydroplaning.
The biting edges are provided by the numerous sipes that are located on the independent tread blocks that are included on the Discoverer EnduraMax. These not only improve wet performance to an even greater extent, but they also help when driving over snow, making both traction and braking more effective.
However, Cooper did not end his work there. The manufacturer incorporated their Winter Grip Technology onto the EnduraMax tire in order to earn the right to put the 3PMSF (Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake) insignia on the tire. This innovation makes use of sawtooth grooves and zig-zag sipes, both of which produce additional biting edges for improved traction on snow and ice.
Even when traversing exceptionally rugged and uneven terrain, the Discoverer EnduraMax is able to keep its original form because to the internal architecture that has been specially built for this purpose. Another area in which this model diverges from other touring all-season tires is this particular aspect.
Inside, Cooper made use of a technology called Armor Belt Technology. This technology includes increased strength, light vehicle steel belts for a stronger overall construction, and a nylon-reinforcement for improved high-speed stability, straight-line tracking, and better response.
What are the maintenance indicators?

Source: Cooper Tire
The Discoverer EnduraMax is not an exception to Cooper’s policy of including regular tread wear indicators (TWI) into all of their touring and highway tires; in fact, it is not even an option.
Because they reveal how much tread is still there on the tire, these indicators are of critical significance to the owners of the vehicle. If the tire does not have sufficient tread, it will become unstable on wet terrain and will not be functional on snow.
Although 2/32 of an inch is considered the minimum tread depth for touring tires, it is highly recommended that you replace your tires well before they reach this stage.
If you take a look at the TWIs, which are thin bars of smooth rubber that run across the tread of your EnduraMax tires, you will be able to readily determine how much tread is still left on your tires.
Because they are recessed into the tread of the tire, the tread indicators are not immediately noticeable when the tire is originally purchased. Nevertheless, when the tread wears down, the bars become increasingly obvious to the viewer.
When the bars are perfectly flush with the tread, this indicates that there is just 2/32 of an inch of tread depth remaining. In the event that this takes place, you should immediately get new tires.
The Discoverer EnduraMax is built to last, which is helpful not just when traveling over hard terrain but also in general. Each size comes with a warranty that covers treadwear for 60,000 miles from the manufacturer.
Considering the cost of the EnduraMax as well as its emphasis on durability, I am extremely delighted with this warranty. While other touring tires come with treadwear warranties of 70,000 miles, I find that this one is more than adequate for my needs.
How does it behave on a dry tarmac?
On paved roads, the Discoverer EnduraMax performs admirably when faced with typical day-to-day challenges. When driving on the highway, the tire has a very stable feeling, and it also offers the driver precise and direct handling.
Additionally, there is a very good level of traction and grip, which, when combined, results in excellent cornering stability. Additionally, the braking is fairly excellent, although not being spectacular.
You shouldn’t anticipate miracles from the Discoverer EnduraMax, even though it is completely risk-free. This is a product that was developed for secure performance on paved roads and for long-lasting use on other areas with densely packed terrain.
Therefore, standard touring all-season tires that are just built for the road give superior handling, and especially better responsiveness. These tires are only designed for the road.
How is it over wet and slippery roads?
In wet conditions, the Discoverer EnduraMax does not present any safety concerns. You can anticipate outstanding traction, handling, and braking even in heavy rain thanks to the vehicle’s hydroplaning resistance, which is top-notch.
Even while its performance on wet asphalt isn’t as outstanding as it is on dry pavement, the tire is still able to give the driver with safe handling and braking.
With that being said, how is it on snowy roads?
To sum it up in a one word: impressive. At the very least for a tire designed for all seasons. Even though many tire manufacturers say that their touring all-season tires may be used for driving on light snow, very few of them actually deliver on this promise.
Thankfully, Cooper was able to coax the Discoverer EnduraMax into giving its best possible performance in the cold. Traction and braking in light snow are both quite good, and the car also turns safely despite the little snow.
Now, it’s true that the EnduraMax can’t take the place of a good winter tire, but when it comes to things that can be used in any season, it’s easily among the top choices.
Is it suitable for off-road driving?
To put it another way, this is one of the reasons why you should purchase this product in the first place! Just make sure that you are aware of the constraints, as the Discoverer EnduraMax was not developed to provide the highest possible level of off-road traction.
To put it another way, the sole purpose of the tire’s design was to enhance its resistance against abrasions, chips, and cuts caused by rocky terrain. In terms of its performance, I would say that it is absolutely useful on dirt and gravel because to its high levels of traction, handling, and braking. Additionally, I believe that it is entirely feasible.
However, you shouldn’t put too much pressure on it. Although the EnduraMax may be rugged and long-lasting, the tread pattern on its tires is not designed to give adequate grip on really large rocks or in extremely deep mud.
Is it comfortable and refined?
In terms of comfort, I’ve experienced touring tires that were better, but the Discoverer EnduraMax isn’t too far behind the competition. When traveling on the highway, the ride is very smooth, but it becomes noticeably bumpier when driving over huge potholes. Even at highway speeds, there is a significant reduction in the amount of noise.
More information regarding the Cooper Discoverer EnduraMax Review can be found at: Tire Rack is the creator of this video.
Should I buy the Cooper Discoverer EnduraMax?
Because of its one-of-a-kind design, the Discoverer EnduraMax deserves an immediate recommendation. At the moment, there is almost no other touring all-season tire designed for crossover vehicles that can deliver performance throughout the entire year and a level of tenacity comparable to that of all-terrain tires.
Therefore, if you are looking for a good tire on the road that is also capable of being used for some minor off-roading, then I strongly suggest that you go with the Cooper Discoverer EnduraMax.