June 28, 2024
Odds are that no matter what kind of driver you are, you've driven on, or are driving on, Grand Touring All-Season (GTAS) tires. Whether you're a weekend racer, a tuner, a parent, a first-time driver, or you drive once a week, whether you have one car or a whole collection, these tires are the lifeblood that flows through the veins of our highways and byways. They get us to work, to school, and to everything in between, and we count on them to do it safely.
That's one of the reasons we chose the new 2025 Toyota Camry to join our test vehicles - it's a badge and a nameplate nearly universally recognizable, a dependable daily workhorse of the automotive world. It's Front-Wheel Drive (FWD) - like most commuter vehicles, and the behavior and characteristics we find on a Camry should align with what most of us expect to get from our regular grocery-getters. This is its first official test, and we're excited to share our findings on a platform that mirrors how most of us drive.
We'll introduce each, break down our experiences with them on our real-world road ride, then discuss their traction and subjective behavior on both a wet and dry track to understand how these tires act when pushed to their limits, mimicking the kind of high-speed emergency maneuvers you might need to deal with in a sudden crisis.
While they don't have the characteristics of more performance-tuned tires, that isn't to say we can't (and won't) have a little fun with them. Pushing these tires to their limits helps us find their best and worst qualities.
In addition to the limit-pushing data and experience we gather from running laps, this and future tests of non-performance tires will reference our new "emergency lane change" maneuver. On a dry surface, from a target speed of 45 miles per hour, our drivers will pass through 3 sets of cones. Each point is designed to illustrate how the tires handle the sudden, reactive swerves a person might make in an emergency situation. The 1st set indicates how a person would react to the presence of an obstacle ahead, such as a stopped car or pedestrian, leaving the "lane." The 2nd set is the target placement to avoid the obstacle, indicating the lane change has succeeded, the obstacle was avoided, but maybe the vehicle isn't where it's supposed to be now, so it acts as the trigger to suddenly recorrect and swerve back to the 3rd set of cones, returning to the "lane." We aim to look beyond "one size fits all" testing and better represent the kind of real-world concerns drivers deal with.
Let's get into it!
The ProControl is a newer tire from Cooper. To simplify its product stack, the ProControl consolidates multiple tire lines into one product. Grand Touring All-Season tires are largely designed to be "jack-of-all-trades" tires, so the logic makes sense; the only question is: how does it hold up to all the other tires attempting to do the same thing? On the road ride, one of the most immediately evident issues was the volume of the noise, and while some low-level droning can be expected from most tires, the variety of tones on most surfaces stood out to our testers. The ride quality itself was firm but not particularly composed, resulting in extra movement after hitting potholes or imperfections. The steering was light and loose on center but somehow also lethargic, lazily going through the motions with little feedback.
Taking the ProControl out on the wet track made it wake up a bit - traction under more intense cornering or during quick slalom maneuvers was solid. It was present, but the steering still felt somewhat numb and heavy, making the actual input response slower and harder to take advantage of. It had the grip to react and drive in a slippery environment, but the steering made it lag; turns needed to be started sooner to ensure they could be completed in time. That aspect carried over to the dry as well, it just needs more input to start moving. It passed the emergency lane change maneuver every time, but it took much of the steering wheel to get there.
In the snow, the ProControl showcased good lateral grip and responsive turn-in, though it struggled when it came to power delivery. It allowed for higher entry speeds up to the mid-corner, but required patience before applying throttle on exit due to its tendency to push under power. Acceleration and braking were objectively weaker, both on the snow and ice, with the ProControl taking just over 63 feet to come to a stop on the ice. As one of only 4 tires in the test to break the 60 foot mark, this was not encouraging.
Falken is a brand that's likely more known for their specialty off-road, racing and performance tires, and not as much for their everyday drivers. The Sincera SN250 A/S represents their attempt to show what Falken's R&D can accomplish when they broaden their focus a bit, and on the road, at least, what we found was extremely promising. The ride was gentle over impacts and nicely controlled, cushioning the cabin without losing composure. Noise was handled with equal elegance, remaining quiet on most surfaces and blending what little noise remained into an unremarkable homogeneity. It felt solid on-center when driving in a straight line and built response to steering inputs in a progressive, satisfying manner. It was, without reservation, the best tire on the road in this test.
On the wet track, the Sincera SN250 A/S was harmonious, balanced, and capable. It's not a performance tire; it didn't have performance-tire-level responsiveness in steering, and it didn't have the best traction in the test, but each of its elements worked together in a natural way to make the experience flow together in a controllable, athletic manner. It didn't feel quite as athletic in the dry, but that feeling of intuitiveness carried over - it was predictable, if not effortless. Emergency Lane Changes felt like less work, and overall, that "just right" feeling made for a tire that was greater than the sum of its parts.
Even in the snow, the Sincera SN250 A/S was well-rounded. It communicated what it could accomplish to the driver, and as long as our drivers stayed within those limits, it was cheerfully compliant. Exceeding those limits wasn't punishing, snappy, or surprising; it was consistent and recoverable. That isn't to say it was particularly strong in the snow - acceleration was among the weakest in the test, and braking was mid-pack at best. Ice braking was likewise mid-pack, but only a couple of feet from the lead tire. Ultimately, its strength came from its predictability, which is not a guarantee for most tires in slippery conditions.
This tire wears its intentions on its sleeve - an all-year, all-weather tire intended to be a one-tire solution for drivers in climates that face a full seasonal gauntlet of heat, rain, and snow. Ultimately, these tires must be generalists, and their on-road performance is just as vital as their foul weather behavior. In that realm, the AltiMAX 365 AW was firm with minimal movement, louder and stiffer than some of the others tested, with the tread creating noticeable medium-volume frequencies on coarse surfaces and distinct pitter-patter and warble on smooth surfaces. The steering was a little light and fast off-center but overall capable, if unexciting. That's not a bad thing - an unexciting trip to the corner store is a successful trip to the corner store, after all.
In the wet, things were a bit more lively - the steering felt responsive, changing directions with authority and effectively combining the kind of multi-input driving that normal drivers engage in under stress. Braking was solid, although slightly behind the traction capabilities. It could handle more aggressive driving, wet or dry - though "aggressive" isn't the same as performance driving, it was just fun to "yeehaw" around a bit, even if that's not what these tires are for. In the dry, however, there just wasn't enough traction to push it too hard, and the light steering made it easy to oversteer and hard to correct. The AltiMAX 365 AW only managed the Emergency Lane Change about half the time, and it wasn't guaranteed to be smooth - not an ideal outcome for a daily driver.
Snow driving was an entirely different story for the AltiMAX 365 AW - far and away, this was the strongest tire among this group in wintry conditions, and it wasn't even close. It was the strongest in the test in every objective measurement: braking, acceleration to 25mph (by almost 13 feet over the closet tire!), and it tied on ice braking for first. Even lap times, which we track, but rarely discuss for snow - it was a full second and a half faster than the closest tire, showing off that it could put everything together in a usable, drivable manner. Turning into corners felt confident, it just had the traction to take care of whatever was needed, allowing for more speed without becoming unmanageable.
The AltiMAX RT45 was released as the longer-lasting successor to the RT43, close in time to the other General in this test (the AltiMAX 365 AW), and while it deserves a comparison more to its All-Season predecessor than its All-Weather cousin, inevitably the question of what differentiates them is going to be asked. On the road, the AltiMAX RT45 provided a reasonably soft, compliant ride, with some jiggle over repetitive or rougher stretches of pavement, but over mostly flat surfaces, it was very pleasant. Noise levels were likewise pretty good, with a light, metallic-sounding grind over coarse surfaces and some pitter-patter on the smooth portion of the bypass. The steering was a bit vague on center but responded quickly to inputs.
The AltiMAX RT45 might have been pretty good during the road ride, but when pushed in the wet, it promised more performance than it could deliver, with the front end pushing and the rear feeling slightly unsettled, though not to the point of losing control. Braking was adequate but hardly confidence-inspiring, occasionally pushing further than expected. Steering was good despite the traction deficiency, tracking well relative to its grip levels. It was decently balanced, but one of the worst tires of the test in the wet - and its behavior on the dry track wasn't much of an improvement. It struggled mightily during the Emergency Lane Change, so it just could not complete the maneuver without drastically slowing down or ending up sideways. It kept that balanced feel but could not overcome the relative lack of traction.
Driving in the snow with the AltiMAX RT45 was adequate, good even. Namely due to its communication and feedback in the steering, connecting our drivers to the surface as much as possible, and what felt like a wider plateau of grip available before it let go and plowed into understeer. The additional grace granted made driving it feel considerate, forgiving. Braking and acceleration were reasonable in the snow, not the best or the worst, but competitive. Likewise with braking on the ice - the AltiMAX RT45 managed to stop in 58.8 feet, about 4 feet further than the leading tire.
The Assurance ComfortDrive has had a few years to prove itself as Goodyear's "go-to" Grand Touring All-Season tire; with positive consumer feedback and nearly 4 million miles of reviews, it's been a popular tire in the category. Our past testing has found it to be a reliable comfort option for drivers, but how does it hold up on the new Camry? On the road ride, it was easily competitive with the best options in the test for comfort, trading some plushness in the ride for a bit more composure over bumps. It was even-toned and consistently avoided having any stand-out noises, apart from some mild cyclical noise on the smoothest surfaces. It was slightly louder than the very best in the test but still ahead of most of the competition.
The Assurance ComfortDrive performed well on the wet track, with strong braking and reliable grip in corners or back-and-forth slalom maneuvers. The steering was alert, accurate, and natural, a real standout amongst a crowded group. Overall, it allowed for greater speed and control throughout, providing a confident and responsive partner for wet driving. It was equally as confidence-inspiring in the dry and felt secure, planted - ready to hold your hand even when it was being pushed hard. It cleared the Emergency Lane Change easily, recovering smoothly without ever really getting out of sorts.
In the snow, the tire had noticeably low traction compared to the group. It required precise corner entry speeds, because every attempt at making a turn became a commitment with little room for adjustment or recovery mid-corner. Everything demanded careful inputs, making it feel delicate and unforgiving, providing little confidence in its ability to adapt to slippery terrain. Acceleration was not particularly strong, though far from the worst tested. Braking was a similar story, falling into the lower end of the middle for the group. Ice braking was a significant fall-off, and the Assurance ComfortDrive took the 2nd longest in the test to come to a stop.
The Majesty 9 Solus TA91 has an ostentatious name and bills itself as a Grand Touring All-Season tire aimed at premium fitments, and although it has been a few years since we last took it to task, our past testing lined up with the comfort-focused tire Kumho aimed to create. It seems now, though, that time and competition have caught up with it on our new test vehicle. During the road ride, our team felt the ride was on the firmer side, not bad, but noticeable impact feel, and somewhat less refined than some of the front-runners in the test, with more secondary motion. Noise was much more present, though - coarse surfaces, in particular, created an annoying mid-volume tread growl and some two-tone pattern noise on asphalt. On more positive notes, the noise was minimal on smooth surfaces, for the handful that exist in the wild, and the steering was very nice for the category: quick but with appropriate heft and authority.
Taking the Majesty 9 Solus TA91 around a wet track showed our team a significant drop-off in traction compared to some of the other tires. The steering was still sharp and alert, but it couldn't translate into effective directional changes. The initial responsiveness was good, but the lack of traction led to understeer, especially during back-and-forth slalom driving. Braking and lateral traction were just average, and while the handling might have been balanced, the overpowering steering response highlighted the traction deficiencies, resulting in a less-than-ideal performance overall. On the other hand, it was a comparative dream on the dry track - clearing the Emergency Lane Change effortlessly, and the authoritative steering matched up well with its grip for an experience that was a narrow best-in-test during dry testing.
With snow on the ground, the Majesty 9 Solus TA91 was a handful in virtually every respect it could be. On the positive side, its steering feel was…adequate, but the tire's low limits required concerted efforts to drive below them simply to maintain control. Any throttle application mid-corner was heavily punished, as there was no reserve grip for corrections. Guess the correct speed and angle, and hold on for the ride. The front end lost effectiveness after turn-in, making adjustments nearly impossible. Any mistakes in tighter sections resulted in immediate push, with little ability to recover. Objectively, it was the weakest tire in the test, with the longest distance to accelerate to 12 mph, and the only tire to hit triple digits in braking at over 105 feet. Braking on ice was also a significant departure from the group. At nearly 6 feet further than the closest tire on the ice, this was not a comforting experience.
On the road, it was overall a pleasant tire to drive - rounding over bumps nicely, with only some slight uncontrolled motion and impact resonance. Noise was medium-volume on coarse surfaces, with some vibrato on smoother ones, though for the most part, tread noise was kept to an acceptable level. Handling was good and felt appropriate for a touring tire: even and mostly accurate.
Under the stress of driving in the wet, the Solus TA51a offered a mostly pleasant driving experience with direct, responsive steering and decent front-end authority. Its balance was good. It felt securely controllable, tending towards understeer but with some leeway before reaching that point. Braking and lateral grip were limited, but it delivered a satisfactory performance that was constrained by its traction. In the dry, it was a little less confidence-inspiring, the steering response still felt nice, but lower traction levels again held it back. The Emergency Lane Change was very dicey, and while it could pass under perfect conditions, it mostly didn't - and the kind of situations drivers face in an emergency are rarely "perfect."
Unlike its brand counterpart, the Solus TA51a offered a surprisingly balanced and approachable performance in the snow, with usable lateral grip, confident turn-in, and a broad operational traction plateau. While acceleration and braking were not real strengths, they also weren't terrible overall either, with middling longitudinal objective numbers. The even distribution of workload between the front and rear axles felt stable, as if they were more in-tune with one another, unlike most of the other tires tested. It was communicative and forgiving, and although it didn't excel in outright traction, it was predictable and effective when driven smoothly. Ice braking was not particularly strong, and took just over 62 feet to come a stop.
The only Standard Touring All-Season in this test, the Defender2 is not only a category classic but has enjoyed a good run at the top of its category in customer reviews, with over 2.5 million miles driven. While, in very general terms, Standard Touring All-Season tires tend to emphasize longer treadwear and ride comfort than their Grand Touring counterparts, the reality of that gap can get hazy as tire technology advances - and what better way to compare them than to include the best of the category?
The road ride showed our team exactly what the Defender2 offered on a regular commute, and the feedback was surprisingly mixed for a premium touring tire. Broken pavement was mostly smoothed over, and it remained firm and composed over uneven surfaces, but at a price. Impacts were abrupt but sharp, choppy, and fairly transparent overall, making even small cracks and bumps something the driver could feel. The noise levels were relatively low overall, but it didn't blend tones with some of the other options here, with some notable two-tone noise over rough and smooth pavement. The steering was accurate and linear but not lively or quick to respond either. It also didn't build effort into a turn, taking the same amount of work from the beginning of steering input to full lock.
In the wet, the Defender2's braking was less than satisfying and led to some unexpected sliding. It wasn't helped by the steering's lack of feel and responsiveness, and it just felt slow and lazy. While it managed the slalom reasonably well and didn't understeer excessively without throttle, adding throttle mid-turn caused significant understeer. The traction fall-off was sharp, not ideal for an unprepared driver unused to what it feels like to exceed traction limits and lose control in a vehicle. The numb steering didn't vanish in the dry, even if it was responsive. The bigger issue plaguing the Defender2 was a tendency to push into understeer, particularly during the Emergency Lane Change. It was capable of managing the maneuver most of the time but struggled to recover from the swerve, creating a new problem on returning to the lane.
Snow driving in the Defender2 was an experience dominated by understeer. Objectively, the Defender2 was acceptable - with acceleration and braking numbers in the upper-middle of the group's collective scores. Ice braking was likewise another good objective feather for the Defender2, with one of the shortest distances in the test. However, the actual reality of using any advantageous traction it possessed was made much more difficult by how narrow the line felt between control and a lack of it. Communication was not its strong suit - the moment when the tires were going to push was inevitably sudden and that made what was otherwise a decent tire in the snow feel much less composed.
Vogue is a name people think of first and foremost when it comes to style. Mostly well-known for their distinctive gold-and-white-striped tires, this is the first time we've tested them to see if they perform as well as they look. Taking the tire out on the road, the ride was slightly jiggly, picking up on repetitive bumps and undulations, but was otherwise acceptable, feeling soft and rounding over big impacts well. Noise levels were also pretty decent, with no distinct sounds and volume in line with the group's (generally good) average. The steering was no more or less accurate than anything else we had tested, but it was decent and lively.
The steering was just as responsive when giving the Vogue tire a drive around the wet track, but the traction didn't match it. It was fine with small adjustments, but any hard, fast corners requiring a large input or big directional changes, and it would understeer. Braking was a step behind as well. With a dry track underneath the tread, the steering was light and, while not hurried, was responsive enough. It had a fairly good absolute grip, but it felt a bit smeary when asked to tuck into a corner. It only completed the Emergency Lane Change about half the time, but was still one of the better tires in the test in the dry.
One certain positive for the Custom Built Radial during its time in the snow was that it didn't have the worst objective numbers in the test. It was only the second worst in that regard - but it was easily the least compliant or friendly to drive. It was difficult to recover past its limits, so each movement required precision. Abrupt inputs to the steering wheel pushed it into understeer - as did excess speed. Cornering required carefully spooling out the wheel, feeling out if it had enough grip to continue before attempting to turn further. Bafflingly, it tied for the best ice braking in the test, but that was cold comfort for any winter usage.
It's been a couple of years since we last tested the HiTrac All Season on our old platform, and while the landscape is a little different today, Vredestein has impressed in the past, and we were excited to see how the tires would perform on the new Camry. Though slightly stiffer, the experience was controlled and composed during the road ride. The noise was good, with nothing intrusive or distinctive, just medium-volume white noise on coarse surfaces and very quiet on smooth sections with minimal warble. The steering was heftier than most other tires, which felt nice.
Taking things over to the wet track, the HiTrac All Season was impressive. Traction was strong and allowed for turning combined with braking or accelerating, something casual drivers can count on to stay in control during a stressful, panicked situation. The steering was authoritative, responding quickly and accurately. Driving in the wet felt natural, with consistent cornering strength. Switching over to dry surfaces, it was equally as well-rounded, passing the Emergency Lane Change consistently, if not entirely effortlessly. While not exactly the top tire in the test, it was close, and perhaps more importantly, it was reliable. The steering wasn't incredibly quick, and the overall traction was a step down from the best in the test, but overall, it's still a well-rounded performer that did a good job recovering from mistakes or when pushed hard.
Snow testing in the HiTrac All Season was similarly positive, showcasing a tire that understands that "all-season" is not a suggestion, but a commandment. Limits were clear, it communicated to the driver where they were, when they were close, and didn't immediately punish our testers with understeer for daring to approach them. It was well-balanced, making it easy to drive. Objectively, it was one of the strongest tires in the test in almost every regard: from acceleration, to braking, to lap times. Ice braking wasn't quite as strong, but well within the group at 4 feet from the lead tire.
Trying to pick the best touring tire for yourself can be a daunting proposition. There are a ton of options on the market, and outside of simply being limited by size, many of them are pretty darn good. There just wasn't a vast gulf between the absolute best and worst tires in this test for the most part, but finding the nuance that separates them is a big part of why testing matters because, particularly for the kind of tires you'll be driving on every day, finding the "just right" fit can be the difference between loving your commute or slowly letting it drive you insane.
General's AltiMAX 365 AW is an interesting case - it was reasonably comfortable on road in the grand scheme of things, even if it wasn't one of the best in this group, but it was not happy to be stressed during dry testing, or during the Emergency Lane Change. However, it was absolutely alive and at home in the wet and a practical rock star during winter testing - leading every other tire by a significant margin that it arguably makes up for any deficiencies in the dry. Vredestein's HiTrac All Season is another tire that is easily deserving of being mentioned in the same breath - it's easily on par in most respects, with a particularly stellar showing in the wet. It's equally as well-balanced and comfortable on the road as it is being stressed on our test track or swinging into a sudden lane change, and led every other tire below it during winter testing in every respect. The Falken Sincera SN250 A/S, while not a tire with a great deal of fanfare around it and generally sitting in the shadow of Falken's more specialized options, deserves its time in the limelight here. It was handily our favorite tire on-road, leading the others in pretty much every regard that mattered. It was easy to drive over every surface or condition we test for, even if it was just a bit behind in overall traction, its pleasant, balanced character made it a true all-season option.
Goodyear's Assurance ComfortDrive, despite the name, wasn't our top pick for comfort on the road, but it wasn't far from it, and the overall agile, balanced performance of the tire, particularly in the wet, make it an extremely easy choice to field as a daily driver for most of the year. That does come with some tradeoffs in winter performance, and drivers should be aware of that if they drive in cold weather. The Solus TA51a from Kumho might be named like an inkjet printer from the 90s, and its performance was just as memorable - sporting middling wet and dry track behavior and a struggle to clear the Emergency Lane Change. It wouldn't be worth much consideration if it weren't for its slightly above-average on-road comfort and better-than-average winter performance. It's just a pleasant "point A to point B" tire, and as long as it's not asked to do more than that, it's pretty good. General's AltiMAX RT45 is in a similar position: its tonal variety made it less than ideal for uneven surfaces, but it's a step above some of the competition in the winter, and a step up from its all-weather sibling on the road. It still suffers in the wet, but it's a decent tire in the right circumstances.
The Michelin Defender2 might be the top option in the Standard Touring All-Season category, but it struggled to compete with some of its Grand Touring brethren and just never found a niche where it could really excel here. It was far from the worst tire in the test, and its ability to mitigate noise and handle emergency maneuvers were reasonable, as long as drivers are willing to slow down to work within its lower limits. Its handling in the snow might have drivers looking for a winter set of tires however. The Majesty 9 Solus TA91 from Kumho is a lively tire for the category, and one of the best in the group during dry testing - it handled the Emergency Lane Change well; it was planted, stable and competent. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite as pleasant in the wet, or the snow, or on the road, and the noise might be distracting on a daily commute, but on the whole, it's a worthy touring option.
The Cooper ProControl is not particularly enjoyable on the road, but it has pretty strong traction capabilities, in warm or wet weather at least, that give it the ability to perform reasonably well. Unfortunately, its handling just isn't as well-matched as some of the other tires in this test with similar levels of grip and that makes it a bit of bear to handle in an emergency. Vogue's Custom Built Radial, for our first time out testing, remains what it was designed to be - a stylish and attractive blend of whitewall and color to augment the look of a vehicle, but it's just not an ideal tire for anything else but looking good. The actual on-road experience isn't bad, and even its ability to maneuver and avoid obstacles in the dry was reasonable - but its ability to handle driving in wet or wintry conditions was frankly on the lower end for this category.
There was a lot to cover in this report, and outside of a couple of notable exceptions, the range of noise, comfort, and just plain ability of these tires to hold traction and track true in a bad situation was a pretty narrow band. That comes with a caveat for drivers in climates that experience winter: the spread between the most capable tires in the test and the least was very significant for snowy conditions, and if you aren't running a set of dedicated winter tires, pay particular attention to those aspects of the report. Still, strong competition is ultimately great news for drivers overall - naturally, some of these will be a better fit your own personal preferences than others, but to know that you have more than a few good options to pick from is never a bad place to be.
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