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Best tires for Toyota Highlander

Best tires for Toyota Highlander
2022 Toyota Highlander

Best tires for Toyota Highlander: Toyota Highlander is one the iconic mid-size crossover SUV with 3 seating rows. Even though the volume has dropped over the years, it is still a popular car with over 250,000 units sold in the America market in 2021. The 2 latest tire sizes for Toyota Highlander are 235/65R18 & 245/60R18 as Toyota has followed the inch up trend by moving up from the 17″ size (245/65R17).

As mentioned in our best 225/65R17 tire article, all season tires have always been the go to tires for the American market and this segment has been well established across the years. There are 2 types of all season tires, one with 3 peak mountain & one with only M+S. We have covered these 2 types of tire head to head with Michelins Defender T+H (M+S) vs Cross Climate 2 (3 peak mountain) and the M+S all season tires are usually worse in winter performances but excel much better in mileage.

If you are in an area which snows quite heavily, 3 peak mountain all season tires would be definitely a good choice. Below are the best tire selections for Toyota Highlander based on segmentation.

All season tires

1. Continental Cross Contact LX25

The Cross Contact LX25 from Continental was launched in 2019 as it succeeds the popular Cross Contact LX2 which has served the global market from Asia to America. Based on the test results, Cross Contact LX25 excels in comfort, with very good snow performances. It however was slightly off when it comes to steering & handling. Nonetheless it is a well balanced tire.

  • Continental Cross Contact LX25
    • Launch: 2022
    • Press test wins: 0/1
    • Strength: Excellent snow.

Check out our head to head comparison of Cross Contact LX25 against its competitors.

Continental Cross Contact LX25 vs

2. Pirelli Scorpion AS Plus 3

Pirellis Scorpion AS Plus 3 is relatively new as it was launched in 2021 and it covers a large range of passenger cars and crossovers. Based on the test results, Scorpion AS Plus 3 is quite refined and very good to drive on dry roads while having decent light snow traction. However its wet performances are not on par with the top competitors.

  • Scorpion AS Plus 3
    • Launch: 2021
    • Press test wins: 0/1
    • Strength: Strong dry & comfort.

Check out our head to head comparison of Scorpion AS Plus 3 against its competitors.

Scorpion AS Plus 3 vs

3. Goodyear Assurance MaxLife

Goodyear Assurance MaxLife was launched in 2018 and falls into the M+S and high UTQG wear rating category. By serving the touring & SUV segment from 16-20″, Assurance MaxLife is one of the most popular tires in this category. Based on the test results, it has a good wet performance however it also trails badly in terms of mileage when compared to Michelin’s Defender 2.

  • Assurance MaxLife
    • Launch: 2018
    • Press test wins: 0/1
    • Strength: Strong wet.

Check out our head to head comparison of Assurance MaxLife against its competitors.

Assurance MaxLife vs

4. Bridgestone Alenza AS Ultra

In hopes to snatch a share of the high mileage focus all season market, Bridgestone launched Alenza AS Ultra in 2021 offering 44 sizes ranging from 16″-22″. Based on the test results, it has a strong wet handling performance but lacks in winter performances.

  • Alenza AS Ultra
    • Launch: 2021
    • Press test wins: 0/1
    • Strength: Strong wet handling.

Check out our head to head comparison of Alenza AS Ultra against its competitors.

Alenza AS Ultra vs

5. General AltiMAX RT45

General’s AltiMAX RT45 was launched this year in 2022 and covers mostly passenger cars, minivans, SUVs and crossovers sizes. AltiMAX RT45 was designed and sold specifically in the North American market. This is the general commitment from General’s research & development approach of bringing the best products for the local market. Based on the test results, AltiMAX RT45 had good wet braking but had a higher noise level compared to other tires.

  • AltiMAX RT45
    • Launch: 2022
    • Press test wins: 0/1
    • Strength: Strong wet.

Check out our head to head comparison of AltiMAX RT45 against its competitors.

AltiMAX RT45 vs

All season tires with 3 peak mountain.

1. Michelin Cross Climate 2

Michelin once again shows its innovation by revolutionizing the all season segment with its highly successful 3 peak mountain certified Cross Climate in 2015. At that time, all season markets were predominantly sold in America with poor winter performances. Cross Climate showed that it is possible to be marginally worse in summer performances while being extremely dominant in winter performances. After the initial success of Cross Climate, every tire manufacturer scramble to launch their own similar segment products but none are still as well balanced as the latest Cross Climate 2 !

  • Cross Climate 2
    • Launch: 2020
    • Press test wins: 3/6
    • Strength: Well balanced summer & winter performances. Excellent wear.

Check out our head to head comparison of Cross Climate 2 against its competitors.

Cross Climate 2 vs

2. Bridgestone Weatherpeak

Bridgestone’s answer towards Michelin’s Cross Climate 2 is a new product called WeatherPeak. This is Bridgestone’s first foray into America’s all season product with a 3 peak mountain certified tire. WeatherPeak was launched in 2022 and boosted a comprehensive line up covering most A to C segment cars in the replacement market. Based on the latest tire rack results, WeatherPeak excels on comfort but still lacks the top contenders in terms of wet & dry performances.

  • WeatherPeak
    • Launch: 2022
    • Press test wins: 0/1
    • Strength: Good comfort.

Check our head to head comparison of WeatherPeak against its competitors.

WeatherPeak vs

3. Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady

Goodyear’s Assurance WeatherReady was launched in 2017 and covers a large range of passenger cars and crossovers. Based on the latest test results, it has strong showing in snow with good comfort but lacks the firepower in wet.

  • Assurance WeatherReady
    • Launch: 2017
    • Press test wins: 0/2
    • Strength: Snow & comfort.

Check our head to head comparison of Assurance WeatherReady against its competitors.

Assurance WeatherReady vs

4. General AltiMAX 365 AW

With many competitors yearning to become the best all season tire, General Tires recently announced their latest touring all season tireline called AltiMAX 365 AW. This tireline slightly differs to its previous all season line up as the AltiMAX 365 AW comes with a certified 3 peak mountain label which makes them effectively a legal snow tire. AltiMAX 365 AW was launched in 2021 while serving the grand touring all season segment consisting of 15″-20″ sizes.

Based on the test results, AltiMAX 365 AW fared well in terms of dry braking & handling but still lacked the wet traction needed against competitors.

  • AltiMAX 365 AW
    • Launch: 2021
    • Press test wins: 0/1
    • Strength: Strong dry performer

Check out our head to head comparison of AltiMAX 365 AW against its competitors.

AltiMAX 365 AW vs

5. Firestone WeatherGrip

Firestone WeatherGrip was launched in 2019 and covers mostly passenger cars, minivans, SUVs and crossovers sizes from 15″-19″. Based on the test results, WeatherGrip was moderately ok in dry braking & handling but did not perform well in wet.

  • WeatherGrip
    • Launch: 2019
    • Press test wins: 0/1
    • Strength: Acceptable dry performance

Check out our head to head comparison of WeatherGrip against its competitors.

WeatherGrip vs

Summary

When it comes to buying your next set of tires, do remind yourself what you need and try to match your requirements to tire. If you can not make it your mind and want the best you can get, Michelin’s Cross Climate 2 will definitely be a safe choice if you live in a snowy environment. Alternatively you could choose Continental’s Cross Contact LX25 for good comfort and snow performance. Enjoy !


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