A value oriented tire lineup that its owners can’t get enough of.
If you’re shopping for your car’s first replacement set of tires, you might come across the Mastercraft lineup of tires.
Despite the “new-to-you” name, it might surprise you to learn Mastercraft has been in business in the United States for over 112 years.
According to Modern Tire Dealer, Mastercraft was originally produced by the Falls Rubber Co which was soon after acquired by Giant Tire & Rubber Co. and Cooper Corp. in 1930.
Both companies consolidated to Cooper Tire & Rubber Co in 1946, a company that still produces tires today.
They’re better known as Cooper Tires.
Cooper Tires launched its Mastercraft lineup of tires in 1995, making value-branded tires for cars, crossovers, light trucks, SUVs, and Vans ever since.
Goodyear Tires acquired Cooper Tire earlier this year (Feb 2021.)
Mastercraft Tires is part of the Cooper Tire family of subsidiaries which includes: Dick Cepek, Mentor, Mickey Thompson, Roadmaster, Starfire, Avon, and Dean.
Cooper Tires has manufacturing facilities in Ohio, Missouri, Arkansas and overseas in England, Serbia, Mexico, China, and Vietnam.
Although Cooper tires have tire factories overseas, they continue the legacy of what Mastercraft tires originally is, an American made product.
Mastercraft Tires are made in the U.S.A.
According to Mastercraft, they,
…embody the American spirit, are the ones (tires) professionals rely on, offer value that doesn’t mean cheap, are built for everyday performance, and are created for tough conditions.
Lineup
Mastercraft 2021 lineup includes the,
- Glaxier MSR– Winter truck & SUV tire
- A/S IV– entry level all-season
- Avenger G/T– cosmetic performance tire
- Avenger M8 UHP
- Glacier Trex– Winter Tire
- LSR Grand Touring– All-season touring
- SRT Touring
- Stratus AS– value, all-season performance for cars and CUVs
- Courser HXT– Commercial highway light truck
- Courser MXT
- Courser CXT
- Courser AXT2– A/T
- Courser HSX Tour– Premium SUV Tire
Technology
- Car and Minivan tire technologies (noteworthy) includes,
- Rubber compounds for durability and performance. (A/S IV)
- Optimized Pitch Sequence– Reduce tread-related tire noise (Avenger G/T, SRT Touring)
- Variable Pitch Tread- “Computer-designed to reduce noise, the different sized elements work to provide a quiet-running tire at highway speeds.” (Stratus AS)
- Spiral Nylon Over wrap– improves the contact footprint of the tire with the road. (Stratus AS)
- Winter Compound technology– Enhances flexibility & durability below 45 degrees. (Glaxier Trex)
- Modern Tread compound– Compound optimized for wear and long tread life( SRT Touring)
- Snow Groove II – patented design locks snow into tread for snow-on-snow grip. (Glacier Trex)
- Stability Control Siping (SCS)- utilizes 3-D sipe technology to stabilize tread elements, providing enhanced handling in wet and dry conditions. (LSR Grand Touring)
- Sport Utility and Light Truck Tire Technology
- Stone Armor Ribs – barrier to protect from stone drilling and rock. (Courser AXT2)
- R-Tech construction– sidewall construction feature that improves responsiveness in all driving conditions. (Courser HSX)
- Variable Pitch sequence on shoulder elements– reduces noise frequency, allowing for a quiet ride. (Courser HTR Plus)
- Quiet ride grooves– quieter ride due to limited airflow. (Stratus HT)
Warranty
Mastercraft warranty information can be found here.
Mastercraft tires offers standard coverage for the first 2/32″ (1.6mm) of tread wear for all tires and Extra Coverage for premium tires for its usable tread life (incl. Mastercraft LSR Grand Touring or Courser HSXTOUR.)
All Mastercraft tires come with a tread wear, prorated, warranty based on mileage ranging from 40,000-80,000 miles.
Mastercraft also offers a 45-day test drive if you’re not satisfied with your purchase. Per conditions, you’re reimbursed with a Free of charge Mastercraft brand replacement only.
Details of Mastercraft’s tire warranty.
Recalls
Mastercraft has two recalls affecting certain DOT Serial numbers,
- Recall for Mastercraft Stratus AS & SRT Touring for size 225/50/R17 (Mar 2 2021)- Incorrect sidewall component may result in loss of air pressure, noise, unsatisfactory ride, belt separation or tread distortion that may result in tire failure resulting in loss of vehicle control.
- Recall for Mastercraft Courser AXT and AXT2 for size 275/55/20 (Mar 2, 2021)- “Bulges or separations in the sidewall area o the tire may develop and if undetected may ultimately result in a tire failure leading to the loss of vehicle control.”
Are Mastercraft Tires any good?
Yes, Mastercraft tires are good.
Here’s why.
A good mark of a competent tire brand is a strong entry level tire. If a tire company can deliver a decent, all-rounder for a price that won’t break the bank, it stands to reason the rest of their lineup will be, at the very least, as good as, if not better.
For Mastercraft, that tire is the Stratus AS and A/S IV.
Reading dozens of reviews for these two tires on Mavis Tire, Simple Tire (a favorite tire shopping site for unbiased reviews) and on Les Schwab (one of the larger sellers of Mastercraft) and both these tires received glowing reviews.
Mastercraft’s entry level tires seem to deliver on wet and dry performance, have ample grip, have an aesthetically pleasing sidewall, and deliver on value.
Tom Lipinski on Simple Tire wrote,
“7 years using Mastercraft tires on 3 different cars, no problems ,perfect tires.”
Mastercraft tire buyers also appreaciate how Mastercraft is American made.
Andrew Hill commented,
“I wanted an American made tire with an affordable price for a family man and this one is made in U.S.A. If you look where your prospective tires are made, you’ll be amazed.“
Looking up reviews on Mastercraft’s Ultra High Performance offering, the Avenger M8, and reviews seem to back up my hypothesis, purchasers enjoy the performance and value they got buying a UHP from a value brand.
Just look how cool these whitewalls look on this Chevelle.
This Redditor could not recommend Mastercraft’s truck tire-offerings enough.
“Alternatively, Cooper has an “economy” brand, Mastercraft, that is made with the same rubber and comes out of the same factory but is a little less expensive. I’ve owned four sets of this brand, from the AXT’s and the MXT’s on my Yota to the MC 440 street radial on my Passat. They’ve done really well by me.”
It’s pretty clear, if you want an American-made tire that delivers on performance without skimping on features you’d only find on premium brands that’s also value-priced, look no further than Mastercraft.
