The Best Tires for Your Toyota Highlander in Any Weather
With one of these top tire picks on your Highlander, you’ll be ready for anything – and able to drive confidently for many miles.
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The Toyota Highlander is one popular SUV for plenty of good reasons. From its multiple drive modes, its ability to adapt to different types of terrain, to the smart and modern feature-filled interior to Toyota’s safety suite, it’s both well-rounded and nicely capable. But you don’t want to overlook one key basic: your Highlander’s tires.
Whether it’s time to replace your stock set or you’re ready to upgrade, finding a set of quality tires is key to keeping your SUV functioning (and handling) at its best. Road contact, performance in different kinds of weather and driving conditions, and even daily handling on dry streets can make a noticeable difference. We’ve rounded up our top picks so you can choose the best tires for your Toyota Highlander easily.
Continental CrossContact LX25
- Comfort Ride Technology keeps driving comfortable
- Smooth, responsive handling
- Highly durable with long tread life
- Not as grippy in snow
Goodyear Assurance Maxlife
- Reasonably priced
- Deep grooves provide water and mud evacuation
- Provide constant rubber-to-road contact in moderate weather
- Hard braking in wet weather can cause slipping
- Not as grippy in snow
Michelin X-Ice Snow
- Keeps traction in heavy snow and on ice
- Stays flexible even when freezing outdoors
- Slightly rough tread blocks for extra traction
- Not designed for year-round use
Summary List
- Best Overall: Continental CrossContact LX25
- Best Value: Goodyear Assurance Maxlife
- Honorable Mention: Michelin X-Ice Snow
- Best Off-Road Tire: Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 3
Our Methodology
In order to choose top-tier tires for the Toyota Highlander, we took a close look at the options available among SUV and passenger vehicle tires from reputable brands like Michelin, Continental, Goodyear, Bridgestone, and Vredestein, to name a few. We compared the tires to one another, examining their material and construction along with their tread pattern, design, shoulder strength and support, and quiet, smooth ride.
But we also took a look at the tires’ ability to handle different seasons, weather, and even terrain. To fully assess how well our product picks could withstand use over time, we also looked at user reviews and ratings to get a sense of how they performed.
Best Tires for Toyota Highlanders: Reviews & Recommendations
Specs
- Manufacturer: Continental
- Tire Type: All-season
- Rated for: Dry, wet, and light snow conditions
Pros
- Comfort Ride Technology keeps ride smooth and comfortable
- Continuous circumferential ribs reduce road noise
- Increased biting edges for traction on slick surfaces
- Stabilized by internal heavy-duty steel belts
Cons
- May not maintain grip or performance in significant snow
The Continental CrossContact LX25 is one all-around great tire. Developed just for the drivers of crossovers and SUVs, this tire delivers a comfortable and reliable ride whether you’re facing completely dry road conditions or a bit of rain or snow. It rolls quietly at all speeds, with crisp handling and good grip across the board. It’s designed with a few innovative features that offer better performance, including Continental’s Comfort Ride Technology for better vibration and roughness absorption and continuous circumferential rubs to reduce noise. You’ll also enjoy extended treated life and better stopping on wet roads, thanks in part to the tires’ Next Generation EcoPlus+ Technology. This detail even helps stabilize your Highlander at high speeds.
Drivers who’ve tried out this capable tire don’t have any significant complaints. However, reviews – and Continental’s own recommendations – do note that this tire doesn’t perform at its best in significant snow.
Specs
- Manufacturer: Goodyear
- Tire Type: All-season
- Rated for: Dry, wet, and light wintry conditions
Pros
- Constant rubber-to-road contact
- Built-in tire wear gauge for easy tread monitoring
- Deep, water-evacuating circumferential grooves
- Block edges keep grip in wet conditions
Cons
- Can slide or spin with medium to heavy braking on wet roads
- Do not perform well in mild to moderate snow
The Goodyear Assurance Maxlife tire is a standard touring, all-season option that’ll save you a little money while delivering great value. Built to help you improve your fuel efficiency and enjoy long-lasting grippy tread, this tire gives you good all-around performance in dry to light wintry road conditions. It features an asymmetric tread pattern with a continuous center rib that delivers constant rubber-to-road contact and a centered feel. A built-in wear gauge allows you to check tread wear easily, and the series of notched ribs plus semi-closed shoulders with more biting edges offer increased traction. Inside, the steel belts support the tire to help keep your handling responsive.
Unfortunately, if you’re looking for a winter weather tire, this isn’t it. This Goodyear SUV option can slip or spin when it encounters wet surfaces and medium to heavy braking power. And when there’s snow on the ground, you should expect decreased grip and potential slipping.
Specs
- Manufacturer: Michelin
- Tire Type: Winter
- Rated for: Severe snow
Pros
- Stands up to deep, heavy snow
- High silica compound with micro-roughness on tread
- Stays flexible, even in extreme winter temperatures
- Notched sipes increase traction in tough conditions
Cons
- Not for year-round use
If you live somewhere that sees some pretty good snow, you’ve got to equip your Highlander with the Michelin X-Ice Snow tire. This tough tire is built for the harshest winter roads and all kinds of weather, from heavy rain to inches of snow to ice-covered roads. Able to offer reliable winter traction and stability, this Toyota Highlander tire is made from a high silica compound, which gives the tread micro-roughness on its road-facing surfaces so you get increased grip. The V-shaped directional tread pattern also features extra-wide grooves for a lower risk of hydroplaning and numerous biting edges for traction even in the slickest conditions. Plus, the tire’s variable thickness sipes add a bit of extra traction and control when you’re driving on packed snow.
While these snow tires can technically perform well on dry roads, they’re intended to be used just for winter’s harshest weather – limiting their seasonality a bit.
Specs
- Manufacturer: Bridgestone
- Tire Type: Off-road, all-terrain
- Rated for: Dry, wet, and wintry conditions
Pros
- Provides solid grip off-highway roads
- Chip- and tear-resistant all-terrain tire compound
- Symmetric tread pattern resists uneven wear
- Groove stepping keeps tread blocks stable
Cons
- Can generate a significant amount of road noise
- Tread compound can harden after many miles of wear
Before you take your Toyota Highlander off the beaten path, make sure you get a set of Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 3 tires. This tire is designed for off-road adventures, with enhanced off-road traction and plenty of stability, even when your vehicle isn’t perfectly flat on the road. It’s constructed with chip- and tear-resistant compound that features an asymmetric tread pattern for better, more even wear over time. Strong shoulders with groove stepping help stabilize, while deep tread depth and wide circumferential grooves keep tires clear of water, mud, and debris. You’ll also benefit from the staggered shoulder lugs, which help give your Highlander traction on soft terrain as well as hard.
There are some areas of this tire’s performance and wear that could be improved, though. Drivers note that the tires can create some significant road-noise, particularly at high speeds on paved roads. And after many miles of use, you may experience some tread block hardening – which means it’s time to replace them.
Our Verdict on the Best Tires for Toyota Highlanders
You can’t go wrong when you install a set of Continental CrossContact LX25 tires on your Toyota Highlander, as this SUV tire is designed to last a long time and keep you stable and smooth in varying road conditions. Another value-rich option is the Goodyear Assurance Maxlife tire, which is a bit more affordable and delivers a comfortable, quiet ride in dry to mild weather.
What to Consider When Buying Tires for Toyota Highlanders
As you shop for the perfect set of high-quality tires for your Toyota Highlander, you’ll want to keep the following tips in mind.
Types of Tires for Toyota Highlanders
All-Season Tires
The most common kind of tires you’ll find in the SUV selection at online retailers? It’s all-season tires. These all-purpose, highly versatile tires are designed for year-round use, and they’re designed to suit your Highlander in warm and wet weather. All-season tires can handle dry roads as well as light to mild rainy conditions. However, these tires aren’t designed for significant levels of snow or ice.
All-Terrain Tires
If you’re taking your Toyota Highlander off smoothly-paved roads and onto less predictable terrain for off-roading adventures, all-terrain tires are the right fit. These adaptable and highly capable tires offer more stability and rugged, durable tread with larger blocks for better surface contact. Plus, with wider grooves, they’re designed to prevent rocks, mud, and other off-roading debris from getting caught.
Winter or Snow Tires
When you’re dealing with serious weather in the form of wet roads, icy conditions, slush, or snow, then you need a set of seasonal winter tires. Also known as snow tires, this kind of tire is really only meant for use in wintry road conditions. They feature specialized tread compounds and designs to keep better contact with the road, and they can handle everything from freezing outdoor temperatures to the slickest roads.
Tires for Toyota Highlander Pricing
When you’re shopping for a new set of tires for your SUV, you can expect to spend anywhere from $100 per tire to over $200 per tire. The price depends on what kind of tire you’re shopping for (all-season versus winter, for example) and the tire size. More specialized tires will cost more, between $150 and $250. Basic all-season tires, meanwhile, will run you less – they cost around $100 to $150 per tire.
Tips and Tricks
As with something you do for decades upon decades, you pick up a few tips and tricks along the way in terms of selecting the right product, and/or using it. That’s the case with us and tires for the Toyota Highlander. To help you bridge the information gap, here’s a selection of what we’ve learned along the way.
- To properly maintain your tires, check in on your tire pressure every month – every one of your tires can lose as much as a pound per square inch of air monthly.
- To keep your tires’ tread wearing evenly and maximize their lifespan, make a regular rotation appointment; it’s an inexpensive investment that pays off.
- Be careful not to overload your HIghlander when you’re hauling a lot of gear or cargo. Doing this can lead to faster tire wear or even potential tire failure.
- Save yourself the headache and always installed a set of identical tires. Driving on a mismatched set can alter the way your Highlander handles and lead to unusual, uneven wear and tear.
FAQs
Q: How long do tires last on a Toyota Highlander?
A: It really depends on the kind of tires you equip your Highlander with and how long they’re rated to last – and, of course, how you drive your SUV. In general, you can expect about three years of life out of your tires if you’re hitting 12,000 to 15,000 miles on the road annually.
Q: What size tires does a Toyota Highlander have?
A: Your Highlander’s tire size will vary depending on the exact model year and trim you drive. For example, while most Highlanders can work with 245/60R18 or 235/65R18 tires depending on the model year, certain trims will need 245/55R18 tires.
Q: How often should I rotate my Highlander’s tires?
A: It’s a good rule of thumb to rotate your Toyota Highlander’s tires every 5,000 to 7,500 miles.
Why Trust Us
Our reviews are driven by a combination of hands-on testing, expert input, “wisdom of the crowd” assessments from actual buyers, and our own expertise. We always aim to offer genuine, accurate guides to help you find the best picks.
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