Best Tires For Toyota 86: Complete Guide

General Altimax RT43 General Altimax RT437 Best Tires For Toyota 86

The Toyota 86 was originally released in 2017 as a 2 door fastback sports coupe. This model has been running for the past 3 years with no interruptions in productions or releases. The Toyota 86 is known for its naturally-aspirated boxer engine configuration and compact sizing.

We have put together the 7 best tires to consider for your Toyota 86 and an analysis breakdown of the OEM tire. We receive many questions about the factory tires on a vehicle and whether it is worth it to upgrade. We will answer that for you.

Every tire we review was personally tested by our field teams and analyzed by our industry experts to provide the most accurate information.

A Toyota 86 driver can be in the market for a top all season tire to handle 4 season climates. Other drivers could be searching for the best winter tire because they experience colder temperatures and want to improve winter performance. Regardless of what you are looking for, we have got it covered here. These reviews highlight all the important tire categories and provide recommendations based on each.

The ways we gather information for these guides is with field tests, research, and industry expert interviews and opinions. We combine this data to analyze market leaders and determine the best option for a compatible vehicle. We can give the best recommendations through this methodology. Our goal is to answer any potential question a buyer may have needed answered before they purchase. We also consider your budget as a driver, the features you might be looking for, and the overall versatility of the tire.

Here are the top tires we recommend for the Toyota 86 including a factory tire analysis:

General Altimax RT43 - Best All Season

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The General Altimax RT43 is a touring all season tire built with long tread life, quiet riding, and all season traction to handle high heats or light snow.

The Altimax RT43 was designed with a Twin Cushion Silica Tread Compound. This compound provides higher density traction for year round driving. This compound is also made to absorb bumps and potholes without giving away any ride comfort. It lessens the burden for a driver while keeping sound and vibrations low.

Further modeled into the tread is a reliable asymmetric design. This design uses a center rib and tread blocks to suppress road noise. The circumferential grooves run off of this rib to expel water from highly valued contact areas to maintain braking, handling, and traction capabilities.

Don’t forget about the Anti-Slip Sipe Design Technology to add extra biting edges for a much better winter, ice, and snow performance. This tire can handle all temperatures and maintains steady steering response despite the conditions.

The final layer of support is held together by two twin steel belts wrapped with a polyester cord body. This rests on the interior of the tire to improve strength, durability, and responsive handling. The twin belts hold together many features to maintain ride comfort for a driver.  

Specifications

Some specifications may vary based on the exact tire size selected.

• Warranty: 80,000 miles
• Max Load Capacity: 1,477 lbs
• Max Inflation Pressure: 44 PSI
• Tread Depth: 10/32’’
• Tire Weight: 24 lbs
• UTQG Treadwear: 820
• UTQG Traction: A
• UTQG Temperature: B
• The best choice for an all season driver
• Long tread life and quiet highway riding

FAQ

What sizes does this tire come in?

The sizes available for this tire range from 13” to 18”. The Toyota 86 fits to sizes 17” and 18” for interested buyers.  

What is the warranty on this tire?

The warranty on the General Altimax RT43 is a 6 year / 75,000 mile warranty on T rated tires only. The warranty decreases to 6 years / 65,000 miles on both V and H rated tires. The warranty cuts in half for rear tires if drivers used different sized tires on the front of their vehicle.

How noisy is this tire?

Because of the built-in technology with vibration suppression features, this is one of the quietest tires you will find to drive your Toyota 86 with. It is reliable and smooth and we highly recommend it.

Bridgestone DriveGuard - Best Touring

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The Bridgestone DriveGuard is a grand touring tire with built in run-flat capabilities. We would typically not recommend a run-flat tire as our top touring option unless the tire was that good. The DriveGuard breaks this rule because of strong performance, long lasting treadwear, and a comfortable ride experience.

The run-flat technology allows the car and tire to drive another 50 miles at a max speed of 50 mpg. It acts as a spare tire but instead it is simply your tire overperforming. We recommend treating this like a traditional flat with a spare change. Get it fixed as quick as possible to avoid a real flat or tire blow out.

This tire is designed for four seasons driving and adds great support in light snow and cold weather conditions. The silica enhanced tread is built asymmetrically for optimal cornering and handling performance. This compound can grip the surface firmly for more stability without as much wear.

For wet traction, the circumferential grooves are able to rid water from tight areas. These areas are the internal layer that creates ground traction. The grooves als assist in hydroplane resistance with added sipes and biting edges. Both features give a tire increased traction in rain, on ice, and in snow.

The NanoPro-Tech Sidewall is a rubber compound with Cooling Fin Design for a lightweight construction while maintaining a higher ride quality. This technology is responsible for the quiet highway driving and responsive cornering and steering. This all gets held together with twin steel belts to reinforce the supported sidewalls.

Specifications

Some specifications may vary based on the exact tire size selected.

• Warranty: Up to 60,000 miles
• Max Load Capacity: 1,356 lbs
• Max Inflation Pressure: 50 PSI
• Tread Depth: 11/32’’
• Tire Weight: 25 lbs
• UTQG Treadwear: 460
• UTQG Traction: A
• UTQG Temperature: A
• Smooth handling and responsiveness features
• Great wet surface traction

FAQ

What sizes does this tire come in?

The sizes available for this tire range from 15” to 20”. The Toyota 86 can fit to either 17” or 18” for interested buyers to purchase

What is the warranty on this tire?

The warranty on this tire is a 6 year / 60,000 mile warranty for H, V, and T speed rated tires. The warranty drops down to 5 years / 50,000 miles for W speed rated tires. Drivers should always understand speed rating so they are aware what their tire is capable of and what warranty they qualify for.

Are these tires durable? 

Yes absolutely. The NanoPro-Tech Sidewall and Cooling Fin design are newer technologies implemented in this tire construction to improve durability and extend treadwear lifetimes.

Continental ExtremeContact Sport - Best Summer

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The Continental ExtremeContact Sport is a max performance summer tire designed for sports cars to increase overall performance and traction. Drivers can expect a refined riding experience with low noise and added comfort. This summer tire cannot be driven at freezing temperatures.

The Continental SportPlus Technology is used within this tire’s design for more precise features. It helps improve handling responsiveness, better wet traction, longer treadwear lifespan, and more stable cornering. This is a maximum summer tire for a reason.

There are outer shoulder tread blocks layered across the tire for a more firm lateral grip and highway speed handling. The center rib and twin steel belts support the sport handling nature of this car. This rib also helps by increasing the amount of road contact the rubber can get. This means more traction. You can never have too much traction.

Continental's patented +Silane tread compound technology provides added grip support too.

The circumferential grooves give water a path to flow outward away from contact areas. This is the best feature to reduce hydroplaning.

Lastly, the internal support is held in place from a polyester cord with sidewall construction. This extra layer of stiffness is added strength. These sport cars can go fast and that extra support makes all the difference.

Specifications

Some specifications may vary based on the exact tire size selected.

• Warranty: 30,000 miles
• Max Load Capacity: 1,356 lbs
• Max Inflation Pressure: 51 PSI
• Tread Depth: 10/32’’
• Tire Weight: 19 lbs
• UTQG Treadwear: 340
• UTQG Traction: AA
• UTQG Temperature: A
• Lightweight tire
• +Silane tread compound

FAQ

What sizes does this tire come in?

The sizes available for this tire range from 15” to 120”. The Toyota 86 fits to sizes 17” and 18” to fit all models perfectly.  

What is the warranty on this tire?

The warranty available on this tire is a 6 year / 30,000 mile warranty. The coverage mileage is half for the rear tires if they are different sizes than the front.

There is also a 60 day return policy if you are not satisfied. Simply bring the tire back and get a full refund. Also, don’t forget to take advantage of the 3 year flat changing policy.

Can I drive this in the snow?  

Definitely not. This tire will begin to crack and peel with exposure to cold weather. It performs best in warmer climates and trying to drive this in the winter will limit your car’s performance and put you at risk for flat tires and car damage.

Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 - Best Winter

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The Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 is the top winter choice on the market for sport vehicles and coupes like the Toyota 86. The Blizzak is a tremendous winter series tire and we rate these very highly across various models.

The directional pattern design provides a high level of block stiffness. This gives drivers more responsive steering in the difficult weather. They also include interlocking sipes for added bite particles. This gives you more traction on ice along with quicker braking reaction.

This tire is also built with the Multi-cell Compound. This compound has even more bite particles, providing an extra layer of grip compared to competing tires. The silica tread is perfect for snow and ice with better grip quality.

This tire is designed to provide a 15% increase in block edges in comparison to the previous Blizzak WS model. Remember, the Multi-cell compound does not make up 100% of the winter tread design. Under this Multi-cell is the standard winter compound for when the Multi-cell wears off.

Specifications

Some specifications may vary based on the exact tire size selected.

• Warranty: None
• Max Load Capacity: 1,356 lbs
• Max Inflation Pressure: 50 PSI
• Tread Depth: 11/32’’
• Tire Weight: 23 lbs
• UTQG Treadwear: N/A
• UTQG Traction: N/A
• UTQG Temperature: N/A
• The best winter braking tire series
• Winter tires are not UTQG Rated

FAQ

What sizes does this tire come in?

The sizes available for this tire range from 15” to 19”. The Toyota 86 fits to sizes 17” and 18” for drivers in need of a winter tire upgrade.

What is the warranty on this tire?

There is no treadwear warranty offered on winter tires.

Kumho Ecsta V720 - Best Performance Street

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The Kumho Ecsta V720 is an extreme performance summer tire. Some drivers may prefer an all season tire for their performance street choice, but we selected the Ecsta V720 because of the superior grip it offers to competitors and quiet ride experience.

This tire is designed with a high grip synthetic resin. The tread compound uses this resin to form an asymmetric tread pattern for both better looks and performance. You can expect the best handling capabilities, responsive steering, quick reaction braking, and smooth wet grip traction.

The circumferential grooves help deal with wet surfaces by getting rid of water from the rubber to road area to avoid sliding or hydroplaning. The center rib also helps with the stability especially when riding at highway speeds and maintaining a noise free drive.  

The internal composition of the tire also includes twin steel belts for added support at high speed performance and handling. The tension control optimization gives the tire a level of flexibility without sacrificing durability.  

Specifications

Some specifications may vary based on the exact tire size selected.

• Warranty: 70,000 miles
• Max Load Capacity: 1,653 lbs
• Max Inflation Pressure: 51 PSI
• Tread Depth: 10/32’’
• Tire Weight: 23 lbs
• UTQG Treadwear: 700
• UTQG Traction: A
• UTQG Temperature: A
• Top notch wet braking and handling
• Dual steel belts for high speed stability

FAQ

What sizes does this tire come in?

The sizes available for this tire range from 15” to 19”. The Toyota 86 fits to sizes 17” and 18” making this a great choice for a driver in need of a performance street summer tire.

What is the warranty on this tire?

There is no warranty available for this tire.

Can this tire handle the snow?

No, we do not recommend testing this tire in the snow. Cold weather will cause it problems and your car will have terrible traction when it needs it the most.  

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 - Best Performance Track

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The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 is a track and competition tire that was built originally for the Ferrari 458 Speciale. Now, the tire can be put on your Toyota 86 if you are looking to improve performance towards racing status. This tire provides consistent performances every lap.

The Pilot Sport Cup 2 was built with the Bi-Compound technology. This happens into an asymmetric design for better rubber compounds on the tire. The better rubber is added strength and support at higher temperatures and heat due to track speeds.  

There are new outboard shoulders with tread rubber. The hardness here is meant for outstanding dry grip in cornering situations. The center rib and an interior work together to ensure precision steering around these tight corners.

Another added feature is the Variable Contact Patch 3.0 technology. This is a new innovation evolved to maximize the contact area size. By doing so, there is more surface for the tire to grip onto. This helps with responsive steering and cornering.

The tire's internal structure is held in place with a pair of twin steel belts reinforced by spirally wound Twaron cord. The polyester casing gives better ride comfort.

Specifications

Some specifications may vary based on the exact tire size selected.

• Warranty: None
• Max Load Capacity: 1,477 lbs
• Max Inflation Pressure: 50 PSI
• Tread Depth: 8/32’’
• Tire Weight: 21 lbs
• UTQG Treadwear: 180
• UTQG Traction: AA
• UTQG Temperature: A
• Variable Contact Patch 3.0
• Bi-Compound Technology

FAQ

What sizes does this tire come in?

The sizes available for this tire range from 17” to 21”. The Toyota 86 fits to sizes 17” and 18” making this a compatible performance track tire purchase.

What is the warranty on this tire?

There is no treadwear warranty on this tire but Michelin does offer a 60 day money back policy and a 3 year flat changing policy for driver’s to take advantage of.

Can this tire handle the snow?  

No way. This performance track choice is a summer tire and under cold temperatures it will struggle. Avoid the winter with this tire choice.

Kumho Spare Tire T121 - Best Temporary Spare

The Kumho Spare Tire T121 is a reliable spare that gives a driver more flexible car storage with reduced weight on the vehicle. This is the perfect spare to get your Toyota 86 back on the road quickly.

The Kumho Spare Tire T121 allows a driver to regain mobility in a flash with a lightweight design that comes in handy for any emergency.

Some features include compact sizing for improved spare handling, narrower treads, shallower tread depth and a durable lightweight design.

Remember that a spare tire is only to be used temporarily. They can have restrictions on your vehicle. The temporary spare does not include a physical tire.

Some potential risk you could face from driving too far or too fast on a spare include suspension or transmission damage, tire failure, and steering troubles.

Specifications

Some specifications may vary based on the exact tire size selected.

• Warranty: None
• Max Load Capacity: 1,609 lbs
• Max Inflation Pressure: 60 PSI
• Tread Depth: 4/32’’
• Tire Weight: 9 lbs
• UTQG Treadwear: N/A
• UTQG Traction: N/A
• UTQG Temperature: N/A

FAQ

How many miles can this last?

The maximum distance you should drive on this or any spare is 70 miles. After 70 miles, you are putting your car and this spare tire at risk for damage or blow out. The car rides uneven and off balance because the spare does not align correctly with the other 3 tires and this can create internal problems for your vehicle.

There is always a risk of the spare popping or blowing out from driving too long too. It is best to get a new tire put on as quickly as possible.

What is the top speed I can drive?

The highest speed you should get to with this spare is 50 MPH.  Driving any faster than 50 MPH will put the driver at risk for another flat, car damage, a potential blow out, or an accident.

We also recommend avoiding a highway when possible on a temporary spare.

How do I install my spare?

We recommend contacting a professional in your local area to swap out your tire if you have no experience, especially in a busy or congested area.

Michelin Pilot Super Sport - Factory Tire

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Similar to other sporty cars by Toyota like the Supra, the Michelin Pilot Super Sport is the factory model tire by Toyota retailers when listing the new Toyota 86. This is a popular OEM tire and some of the best sport cars in the world utilize it like the Ferrari 599 GTO.

The Michelin Pilot Super Sport is a high performance summer tire providing top notch dry traction, durability, and steering responsiveness. This was a tire developed at first for racing vehicles with the purpose to be driven on the track. Racing tires need to have longevity and elite treadwear life along with a consistent and comfortable feel.

The Pilot Super Sport was designed with an asymmetric tread pattern for an elegant look and optimal road performance. Michelin also incorporated Bi-Compound treads into the tire for better track grip and cornering stability. Add in a pair of exterior outboards and you have some high end strength to support this performance.

On the interior, you will find a pair of twin steel belts and a center rib working together to give drivers the same level of cornering, security, and stability at higher speeds. The polyester casing on the interior is another layer of support to help with better cornering too. These stability features all add up to a near silent ride, even at highway speeds.  

The Michelin Acoustic Technology has been raved about in the industry. It was created to absorb road sounds for quiet rides. The reduced cabin noise makes a big difference, especially in a more compact sporty car like the Toyota 86.

This is a summer tire and should not be driven in cold temperatures. It is designed for summer usage and should be shelved in the winter.

Specifications

Some specifications may vary based on the exact tire size selected.

• Warranty: 30,000 miles
• Max Load Capacity: 1,235 lbs
• Max Inflation Pressure: 50 PSI
• Tread Depth: 10/32’’
• Tire Weight: 20 lbs
• UTQG Treadwear: 300
• UTQG Traction: AA
• UTQG Temperature: A
• Michelin Acoustic Technology

FAQ

What sizes does this tire come in?

This is a popular tire available in many sizes. Drivers can find this tire available in rim diameters between 17” and 22” with many options to choose from in every category.

What is the warranty on this tire?

The warranty on this tire is a 6 year / 35,000 mile warranty. Michelin also has a 60 day special warranty that gives drivers a refund if they are unsatisfied with their purchase. There is also a 3 year flat changing policy for drivers to take advantage of.

How does this tire handle the snow?  

This tire can’t drive in the snow. When a summer tire like this reaches freezing temperatures, it cracks. When it cracks, it wears down and needs to be replaced.

How does it drive on dry roads?

This tire was designed to drive on dry roads, handle on the track, turn tight corners with ease, and brake at any distance with full control. This racing tire is a perfect choice to drive on a dry road in the summertime.

Understanding Toyota 86 Tire Specifications

Please analyze the tire before buying. When reading the tire, you will notice important things such as size, specifications and other characters on the tire sidewall.

These letters and numbers tell you everything you need to know about your tire. They represent a lot of information.

The tire reads from left to right and includes the following information:

Tire type - “P’ or “LT”. P means passenger vehicles. LT means light trucks.

Tire width - Three digits that measure from wall to wall in millimeters.

Aspect ratio - The ratio of tire height to width. It is a 2 digit number representing a percentage. The number 55 means the height is 55% of the tire’s width.

Construction - There are three types: R, B, and D. Each one meaning Radial, Bias Belt, and Diagonal. Radial is the most common and the industry standard with better handling, fuel efficiency, and durability.

Wheel Diameter - This is a two digit number to measure the wheel from end to end in inches.

Load Index - A two or three digit number. This indicates the amount of weight the tire can support. An exact breakdown can be found here.

Speed Rating - This is one letter that informs the driver of the top speed a tire can handle. A common letter is H, meaning a speed of 130. This chart shows every speed rating.

Toyota 86 Tire Sizes

Now that you know the trick to reading a tire the right way, the tire sizes will make much more sense. The tire size is extremely important when tire shopping.

We tracked Toyota 86 data back to 2017. This includes all sizes available. The Toyota 86 has 2 different OEM tire sizes to consider for these recent models:

• ‍215/45R17
• 215/45R18

The Toyota 86 took the market in 2017 and has seen experimental models be released. Here is a list off all the Toyota 86 vehicles and their tire sizes since 2017: