One of our most frequent requests for passenger car tires is for something quiet and comfortable, often regardless of price. Based on our testing and customer feedback, our best recommendation is typically the Michelin Primacy MXM4.
The Primacy MXM4 (which is not to be confused with the similar Primacy MXV4) has quickly become one of our customer's favorite choices for standard and luxury sedans and coupes from Honda, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz and BMW. The newer MXM4 features Michelin's Green X technology for lower rolling resistance while still providing responsive handling in dry, wet and even light snow conditions.
Our extensive evaluations on the Performance Test Track course and Real World Road Ride loop have shown the Primacy MXM4 to be head and shoulders above similar Grand Touring All-Season tires when it comes to comfort, handling and longevity.
When you purchase a set of four Michelin brand passenger or light truck tires before February 26, 2012, you can receive a Tire Rack American Express®-branded Reward Card valued at $70 by mail. View complete details.
Most light trucks and truck-based SUVs made today are equipped for moderate off-road use, although few will ever venture off civilized roads to parts unknown. If a fresh blanket of snow on city streets is the closest your truck or SUV will get to an off-road adventure, a Highway All-Season tire may be most suited for your driving needs.
Highway All-Season tires provide a smoother, quieter ride compared to On-/Off-Road All-Terrain tires. The less aggressive tread pattern is optimized for on-road use and can typically provide longer tread life when compared to an all-terrain tire.
The Michelin LTX M/S 2, General Grabber HTS and Yokohama Geolandar H/T-S G051 are a few of our most popular and capable Highway All-Season tires. The Michelin LTX M/S 2 has been synonymous with long wear as most customers I speak to say, "it wears like iron." The General Grabber HTS has an astute ability to handle wet conditions and is usually a top pick in rainy areas. The Yokohama Geolandar H/T-S G051 is a tire I have used myself on a light truck. The key attributes that attracted me to this tire were the ability to provide great traction in all conditions and long tread life at a great price.
Review our Tire Survey Results to see how a Highway All-Season tire can enhance your light truck or truck-based SUV.
What is the difference between the tires in different performance categories? Grouping tires into categories helps identify products that are designed with similar characteristics. This allows us to perform our independent
tire tests and provide feedback in our
survey results that is more of an apples-to-apples comparison.
It's important to note that if you drive in the snow, an all-seaon tire is not a dedicated winter / snow tire. Summer tires will offer higher levels of wet and dry traction, but trade ride comfort and tread life to get there.
Take a look at a brief overview of some of the different performance categories:
- Extreme Performance Summer - Tires in this category are for the driver looking for serious performance. They deliver the highest levels of dry road grip and handling while trading some comfort, noise and hydroplaning resistance to get it. These will also have the shortest tread life expectancy.
- Max Performance Summer - Provides an unsurpassed combination of wet and dry traction for the spirited daily driver.
- Ultra High Performance Summer - The tires in this category make mild trade-offs that limit grip compared to Max Performance Summer options. Drivers will see a gain in ride characteristics and longevity as these options have higher performance abilities.
- High Performance All-Season - The category is designed with a preference towards performance characteristics. Branded with the M+S symbol, these low profile tires increase a vehicle's ride comfort while compromising wet and dry traction compared to higher performance categories.
- Grand Touring All-Season - Options in this category provide a mix of performance and ride characteristics. While they lean towards the touring (ride) side of things, they deliver plenty of grip for normal daily driving. You also find the higher speed ratings that many of today's sedans require.
- Standard Touring All-Season - Tread life increases with traction being traded to receive it. Lower speed ratings and taller sidewalls are also the norm.
- Passenger All-Season - Tread life, tread life and more tread life. You can find tires rated for 80,000+ miles in this category. While tires in this category provide adequate traction, they do focus more on ride comfort and longevity. They also offer all-season versatility, including light snow traction.
- Street/Sport Truck (All-Season or Summer) - Primarily targeted at the more spirited SUV and truck driver, these tires will enhance handling and responsiveness at some expense of tread life. They don't offer tread design features for off-roading. The summer versions push more towards performance, while the all-seasons will give some light snow capability.
- Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season - Targeting primarily the luxury SUV and truck segment, these tires provide a stylish appearance and comfort for on-road traction.
- Highway All-Season - This is the mainstream SUV and light truck category. Drivers can expect long tread life with all-season capability. They can even handle some mild off-road situations including gravel and dirt roads.
- On-/Off-Road All-Terrain - These tires typically have as much capability off the road as they do on the road. They feature more aggressive looking tread patterns for that tough truck look. On-/Off-Road All-Terrain tires provide better winter traction without sacrificing noise levels and comfort when compared to a strictly off-road focused radial.
- Off-Road Maximum Traction - Off-road and aggressive looks are the name of the game here as the tires in this performance category are designed to give the best traction in mud, sand, loose soil and the toughest trails.
View all
performance categories to see which options provide the best tires for your driving needs.
With winter upon us, now is a great time to buy a set of winter / snow tires!
Most drivers tend to use Studless Ice and Snow or Performance Winter / Snow tires. However, we carry a selection of
Studdable Winter / Snow tires for those who are after a traditional studded snow tire set-up.
While their name would suggest tires in this performance category can only be used with studs, they can actually be used without. In fact, the
General AltiMAX Arctic is a great entry-level Studdable Winter / Snow tire that has very good snow and ice traction without studs. The chart below shows how closely the unstudded General AltiMAX Arctic compared to the studded version in our test, "
Winter Testing at the Arctic Circle: Studdable Winter / Snow."

Designed for the drivers of coupes, sedans, minivans, passenger-oriented light duty pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles who are looking to enhance wintertime traction, the AltiMAX Arctic offers high levels of traction at low temperatures. Featuring General's All-Weather Dual Tread compound, the tire is developed to enhance cold weather flexibility and wet traction. General AltiMAX Arctic tires meet the industry's severe snow requirements and are branded with the mountain/snowflake symbol.
It's important to note that there are special break-in procedures for studded tires and to find the instructions, read "
Studded Tire Break-In."
Doesn't this FJ Cruiser look like it's ready to go anywhere? Well, with the right winter / snow tires, it can. Your
FJ Cruiser will be ready to race anywhere this winter with the proper set-up.
Winter / Snow Tire Size
Unless your FJ Cruiser has the unusual 18" or 20" optional wheels, you either have an Original Equipment size of 265/70-17 (31.6" overall diameter) or 265/75-16 (31.7").
Either the 245/75-17 (31.5") size for deep snow areas like
Anchorage, Alaska or the
265/70-17 for moderate snow areas such as
Cincinnati, Ohio are good size choices. The
narrower tire cuts through deeper snow better, while the wider tire drives more like your all-season tires for those better weather days.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
Toyota uses
valve-stem mounted direct TPMS sensors which are $71* each. Your Toyota dealer must initialize your winter sensors as well as
your summer sensors when your second set of tires is installed in the spring.
Winter / Snow Tire & Wheel Package with a Light Truck/SUV Studless Ice and Snow Tire
For Anchorage, Alaska, which averages over 100 inches of snow a year, the narrower
245/75-17 Blizzak DM-V1 on a
17x8 10mm offset Silver Painted Sport Edition TK6 at $1,396** would be a great selection.
Winter / Snow Tire & Wheel Package with a Studless Ice & Snow Tire For Cincinnati, Ohio which averages a moderate amount of snow a year, the wider
265/70-17 Continental ExtremeWinterContact on the 17x8 10mm offset Silver Painted Sport Edition TK6 at $1,440** is a suitable combination.
Toyota FJ Cruiser FAQ: - Does the Sport Edition TK6 have the same offset as my Original Equipment wheel? Both the 17x7.5" and 16x7" O.E. wheels have a 15 mm offset, therefore there is a 5mm difference when compared to the Sport Edition TK6.
- I noticed that some of the 16" winter / snow tire options are Load E 10-ply rated. What's the disadvantage of using a load range E 10-ply rated snow tire? A load range E 10-ply rated tire has heavier construction that allows it to carry more weight than a standard load tire. Your FJ Cruiser doesn't need a load range E 10-ply rated radial as each standard load O.E. tire carries 2,535 lbs. The downside to this heavier construction is additional rotational weight negatively affects fuel economy. For example, the standard load O.E. 265/70-17 Bridgestone Dueler H/T D684 II weighs 39 lbs., while the 265/75-16 load range E 10-ply rated Blizzak W965 weighs 53 lbs.
*Prices subject to change
**Prices subject to change, includes TPMS sensors and excludes shipping
The
Camaro is definitely one of those cars that everybody seems to love. If you're a Camaro driver who lives up north, you'll need winter / snow tires to keep your vehicle safe. Given the wide variety of Camaro trim levels and drivers' needs, both the Studless Ice and Snow and Light Truck/SUV Performance Winter / Snow tire options should be considered.
Winter / Snow Tire Sizes
Depending on your trim level and engine, your Original Equipment tires may have one of the following set-ups: 245/55-18 or 245/50-19 on all four corners, or the staggered set-up of 245/45-20 on the front and 275/40-20 on the rear or 245/40-21 on the front and 275/35-21 on the rear.
If you live in a harsh winter area like Green Bay, Wisconsin that receives lots of snow and
you can moderate how hard you drive when the temperatures are warm and the roads are dry, then you should look at 225/65-17 Studless Ice and Snow tires.
Camaro SS drivers should consider 235/55-19 Studless Ice and Snow tires since 17" wheels won't clear the O.E. Brembo brakes.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) Your Camaro uses a valve-stem-mounted Direct TPMS. O.E. sensors are $50* each and installation is part of our standard mounting and balancing. Your Camaro won't automatically learn the new sensors but you can initialize them yourself by following the instructions in your owner's manual.
Winter / Snow Tire & Wheel Package (Studless Ice and Snow) A great Winter / Snow Tire & Wheel Package with a Studless Ice and Snow tire option would be the
225/65-17 Bridgestone Blizzak WS70 on the
17x8 Moda EB1 at $1,116** plus shipping.
Winter / Snow Tire & Wheel Package (Light Truck/SUV Performance Winter / Snow)
A Winter / Snow Tire & Wheel Package to consider with a Light Truck/SUV Performance Winter / Snow tire would be the
245/50-19 Pirelli Scorpion Ice & Snow on the
19x8.5 Sport Edition WX5 at $1,720** plus shipping.
2011 Chevy Camaro Winter FAQ: - The Pirelli Scorpion Ice and Snow is listed as a Light Truck/SUV Performance Winter / Snow tire but you're recommending it for my Camaro, why? Because many of today's full-size sport sedans, muscle cars and sports cars share vehicle platforms with smaller crossover and sport utility vehicles, they also share their tall tire sizes. The Pirelli Scorpion Ice & Snow was introduced in 2003 with selected sizes for crossover vehicles and smaller SUVs. Then, well before the current Camaro became available for enthusiasts, Pirelli began adding 50-, 45- and 40-series T-, H- and V-speed rated tires in 17", 18", 19" and 20" wheel diameters for higher performance crossover vehicle applications. Pirelli chose to put these sizes into their Scorpion family and by doing so, the Scorpion Ice & Snow line also "crossed over" to be appropriate for many of today's car applications that use tall tire sizes. So while the Scorpion Ice & Snow's tire category may seem unusual for a Camaro, its combination of dimensions, wintertime traction and high speed durability are appropriate.
- I have 20" wheels as Original Equipment, can I run 20" winter / snow tires? You can run 20" snow tires but there isn't a matching set in a 245/45-20 front and 275/40-20 rear set-up, so you would have to run 245/45-20 on the front and back.
*Prices subject to change
**Including sensors, prices subject to change
Recently, we completed a test including a new breed of Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season tires. All three options that we tested combine year-round traction and handling with a reduced environmental impact.
With ever increasing fuel costs, more and more SUV and light truck owners are feeling the pinch on their wallets. In an effort to improve fuel economy, Bridgestone, Continental and Goodyear have all developed all-season tires with specialized rubber compounds with lower rolling resistance than the standard offerings.
During our
tests we found that the
Continental CrossContact LX20 with EcoPlus Technology provided the best handling and above average traction in wet conditions, while providing a quiet and comfortable ride. The fuel efficiency test did show a slight deficiency in the Conti's fuel economy compared to the
Bridgestone Dueler H/L 422 Ecopia and the
Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max, which may have been why the LX20 with EcoPlus Technology's rubber compound proved more responsive in the wet.
To further see how CUVs and SUVs can benefit from riding on more fuel-efficient tires, watch "
Testing Eco-Focused Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season Tires."
Here is a question I recently received in one of the BMW forums I moderate: "Speed rating is just about speed, right? I bought Continental ExtremeWinterContact 225/45-17 tires and I can't believe how they messed up my handling. My previous set of Vredestein winter tires were much better for the general handling. These tires are incredibly flexible, way too soft. They make the car wander about all the time. I played with different pressure; no difference."
Technically, speed rating is only a measure of the tire's top speed capability. However, there is almost always a correlation between handling and speed rating since higher performance tires tend to be capable of maintaining higher top speeds for a longer period of time. While this is not always true, in the majority of cases lower speed rated tires tend to have slower steering responses and reduced dry grip, especially in winter / snow tires.Shown below is what each speed rating letter equates to in miles per hour:
| L | 75 mph | 120 km/h | Off-Road & Light Truck Tires |
| M | 81 mph | 130 km/h | |
| N | 87 mph | 140km/h | Temporary Spare Tires |
| P | 93 mph | 150 km/h | |
| Q | 99 mph | 160 km/h | Studless & Studdable Winter Tires |
| R | 106 mph | 170 km/h | H.D. Light Truck Tires |
| S | 112 mph | 180 km/h | Family Sedans & Vans |
| T | 118 mph | 190 km/h | Family Sedans & Vans |
| U | 124 mph | 200 km/h | |
| H | 130 mph | 210 km/h | Sport Sedans & Coupes |
| V | 149 mph | 240 km/h | Sport Sedans, Coupes & Sports Cars |
| W | 168 mph | 270 km/h | Exotic Sports Cars |
| Y | 186 mph | 300 km/h | Exotic Sports Cars |
To learn more about speed ratings, read "
Understanding Speed Ratings."