Mastercraft Stratus AP Review: An All-Purpose Tire That Really Performs

Mastercraft is a tire brand owned by Cooper Tire and Rubber Company, which is based in Findlay, Ohio.

The company has a long history dating back to 1914, though the Mastercraft brand itself was more recently launched in 2003.

Mastercraft aims to provide a range of tire options targeting the more budget-conscious driver who still wants a quality tire.

The brand covers a full range of tire types including performance tires, grand touring tires, highway tires, mud and all-terrain tires.

Mastercraft tires are designed to offer dependable performance at a lower cost compared to premium tire brands.

The Stratus AP is Mastercraft’s ultra-high performance all-season tire, engineered for responsive handling and dry traction.

As an all-season tire, it is made to perform well year-round in a variety of conditions.

This review will take a close look at the key features and performance of the Stratus AP to see how it stacks up against competitors for drivers looking for an affordable high-performance option.

List of Other Mastercraft Tire Reviews

If you’re interested in exploring other Mastercraft tire options, check out our comprehensive reviews of their various offerings.

Mastercraft’s commitment to quality and performance shines through in their diverse range of tires.

• Mastercraft Courser Trail HD Review
• Mastercraft Courser Trail Review
• Mastercraft Courser Quest Plus Review
• Mastercraft Courser MXT Review
• Mastercraft Courser CXT Review
• Mastercraft Avenger GT Review
• Mastercraft Stratus AP Review
• Mastercraft Stratus AS Review

Tire Overview

The Mastercraft Stratus AP is an all-season touring tire designed for crossovers and minivans. This tire focuses on a smooth, quiet ride while providing good traction in various weather conditions.

Key features and specifications:

• All-season tread design suitable for dry, wet, and light snow conditions
• 65,000 mile treadwear warranty
• Quiet ride with minimal road noise
• Good handling and braking in wet and dry conditions
• Stable at highway speeds
• Internal construction with twin steel belts for durability
• Traction sipes and independent tread blocks enhance grip
• Multiple sizes available from 15″ to 18″ wheel diameters

The Stratus AP tire is best suited for family vehicles like crossovers and minivans that are used for daily driving around town as well as highway trips.

It provides a smooth, even ride quality without excessive noise.

The all-season tread is designed to perform well year-round in various weather conditions.

Overall, the Stratus AP focuses most on comfort and quiet operation.

Tread Design

The Mastercraft Stratus AP tire features an asymmetric tread design, which means the inner and outer tread blocks are different.

On the outside, the tread blocks have multiple lateral grooves and sipes to provide responsive handling and traction.

The inner tread blocks have fewer grooves for better stability and a quieter ride.

This directional tread pattern is optimized to channel water away efficiently.

The angular shoulders resist hydroplaning and enhance wet grip.

At the same time, the continuous center ribs minimize noise on the highway.

The intermediate tread blocks also help smooth out the ride quality.

Overall, the Stratus AP’s tread is thoughtfully engineered to balance dry handling, wet traction, comfort, and noise reduction.

Drivers praise the confident feel and responsiveness of the tire, along with its refined ride quality.

The asymmetric design delivers versatile ultra high performance without compromise.

Ride Quality of Mastercraft Stratus AP

The Stratus AP tires provide a smooth and comfortable ride across various road surfaces.

The asymmetric tread pattern helps reduce noise and vibrations, resulting in a quieter cabin and enhanced driving experience.

On smooth highways and well-paved roads, the tires excel at absorbing imperfections and reducing harshness.

The sidewalls have a flexible design that absorbs bumps before they reach the chassis.

Even at high speeds, the Stratus AP maintains composed handling without sacrificing comfort.

The tires are also capable on rougher back roads and unpaved surfaces.

The tread blocks have an interlocking design that stabilizes the contact patch over uneven terrain.

The compound helps cushion against rocks or potholes. While you’ll still feel larger bumps, the tires do not crash or bounce excessively.

In wet conditions, the Stratus AP continues to provide decent hydroplaning resistance and traction thanks to the angled grooves and wide slots that channel water.

The tires maintain control when driving through rain, though naturally very deep water or flooding remains a hazard.

Overall, the Stratus AP provides a refined, luxury-car ride quality across various road surfaces.

The tires calm down harshness and imperfections without feeling floaty or disconnected.

Drivers that value comfort should find the Stratus AP delivers a smooth and quiet ride.

Noise Comfort of Mastercraft Stratus AP

The Mastercraft Stratus AP is designed to be a quiet touring all-season tire. The symmetric tread pattern helps minimize noise on the road.

On smooth highway driving, owners report very low levels of road noise in the cabin.

The tire glides smoothly across the pavement, without much hum or vibration.

This makes the Stratus AP well-suited for long road trips where cabin noise can become fatiguing.

On coarser road surfaces, the Stratus AP still maintains composed noise levels.

The tread blocks are siped to absorb sound, rather than transmit it into the cabin.

Owners note some mild road noise over damaged pavement, gravel, or concrete highways.

But the noise levels remain lower than expected and less intrusive than many other touring tires.

Overall, the Stratus AP delivers a quiet, comfortable ride across various road surfaces.

The noise isolation isn’t as complete as a dedicated grand touring tire.

But for an all-season model, the Stratus AP performs very well in limiting cabin noise for a peaceful ride.

Low noise levels contribute to the tire’s relaxing character during long drives.

Traction

The Mastercraft Stratus AP tire provides excellent traction, both in dry and wet conditions.

The asymmetric tread pattern features larger intermediary tread blocks and outside shoulder blocks for enhanced grip and control.

In dry conditions, the continuous center rib and stable shoulder blocks engage smoothly to resist sliding during cornering, acceleration, and braking.

The tires stick confidently to the road surface thanks to the silica-reinforced tread compound. Steering response and straight-line tracking are precise.

Performance remains surefooted in wet conditions. The grooves and sipes efficiently channel water away to maintain constant contact between the tread and road.

This prevents hydroplaning and reduces the risk of losing traction during heavy rainfall. The angled lateral grooves also boost wet grip.

Overall, drivers report excellent dry grip and traction, with responsive and predictable handling.

Even in pouring rain, the Stratus AP maintains composure and security, living up to its all-season capabilities.

The traction allows for safe control and maneuvering on both dry pavement and slick, wet roads.

Treadwear

The Mastercraft Stratus AP tire offers above average treadwear compared to other all-season tires in its category.

Independent testing shows a treadwear rating of around 60,000 miles for the Stratus AP in factory load testing.

Real world drivers report getting anywhere from 45,000 to 55,000 miles on their set of Stratus AP tires before needing to be replaced, depending on their driving habits and road conditions.

The tread depth starts at 10/32″ when new, and Mastercraft recommends replacing them when worn down to 2/32″ of remaining tread.

The Stratus AP tires come with a 60,000 mile treadwear warranty, which is better than average for an all-season tire.

As long as you rotate them as recommended, they should last for the full 60,000 mile warranty period before wearing down to 2/32″.

The warranty covers materials and workmanship for defects that lead to premature treadwear.

Overall, the Mastercraft Stratus AP tire offers very good tread life for an all-season tire, with above average treadwear ratings and warranties.

Drivers can expect to get several years of use from them in most conditions.

The durable tread compound helps resist irregular wear, enabling them to last for the full mileage warranty.

Fuel Efficiency of Mastercraft Stratus AP

The Mastercraft Stratus AP tire delivers solid fuel economy for an all-season tire.

While it may not match the fuel efficiency of a dedicated fuel saver tire, drivers can expect slightly better gas mileage compared to other all-season options.

The tread design and compound work together to lower rolling resistance, which directly enhances fuel efficiency.

The continuous center ribs are optimized to limit energy loss as the tire rolls down the pavement.

Additionally, the tread rubber compound has been formulated to reduce friction.

In tire comparison tests, the Stratus AP scored above average for fuel economy amongst all-season tires.

It particularly showed improved mileage over premium touring all-season tires from big brands like Michelin and Bridgestone.

While those tires focus more on ride comfort and noise reduction, they tend to have higher rolling resistance.

The fuel efficiency does come with a tradeoff of slightly shorter tread life, as the softer rubber compound wears faster.

However, for drivers doing under 20,000 miles per year, the improved gas mileage should more than offset having to replace the tires a few thousand miles sooner.

Considering the rising costs of fuel, saving money at the pump is a high priority for many drivers.

Overall, the Stratus AP delivers better than expected fuel economy for an all-season tire, making it a good option for drivers looking to optimize gas mileage without going to a specialty fuel saver tire.

It provides a nice balance of fuel efficiency, performance, comfort and treadwear.

Pricing

The Mastercraft Stratus AP follows the pricing strategy of most all-season passenger tires, coming in at a moderate, middle-of-the-road price point.

When purchased at retail pricing, drivers can expect to pay approximately $140 per tire.

This positions the Stratus AP in a competitive range alongside other major all-season tires like the Michelin Defender T+H and the Goodyear Assurance ComforTred.

The Stratus AP delivers strong overall performance and durability for the price. The value is comparable to many top all-season touring tires that cost $20-30 more per tire.

Drivers prioritizing affordability without sacrificing on key performance areas like ride comfort, noise, and treadlife should find the Stratus AP provides solid value.

It’s not the absolute cheapest option, but strikes a balance between price and performance that makes it appealing for many drivers.

While retail pricing is around $140, the Stratus AP can sometimes be found on sale or promotion for $110-120 per tire from select dealers.

This makes them an even stronger value buy for budget-focused drivers willing to shop around.

At sale pricing, the Stratus AP becomes one of the better priced options for a quiet, comfortable, long-lasting all-season touring tire.

The pricing flexibility gives added value for deal-seeking consumers.

Conclusion

The Mastercraft Stratus AP tire offers a mix of performance, comfort, and value.

This all-season tire provides responsive handling and confident wet and dry traction thanks to its asymmetric tread design.

While not the absolute quietest or smoothest riding tire, most drivers find it strikes a nice balance for daily driving and light performance needs.

The 70,000-mile treadlife warranty is also better than many rivals in the category.

Overall, the Stratus AP is a great choice for drivers looking for a dependable all-season tire that offers confident year-round traction without breaking the bank.

It provides a nice blend of dry handling, wet weather capabilities, ride comfort, and longevity.

While it doesn’t particularly excel in any one area, it also avoids major weaknesses.

For drivers wanting a versatile, attractive tire for commuting, performance, and all-season traction, the Mastercraft Stratus AP is easy to recommend.

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