Toyo Extensa Tire Review

{{tire-info-with-links="/tire/toyo-extensa-a-s"}}

‍About the Toyo Extensa

Most of the budget tires that you will find on the market tend to share one common problem. And this is short tread life. Their tread tends to wear out quite fast, meaning you will soon hit the market to purchase a replacement.

To counter this challenge, Toyo released a tire that’s not only budget-friendly but it delivers long tread wear. And this tire is the Toyo Extensa. The Toyo Extensa is an all-season tire, built for passenger cars, SUVs, light trucks, CUVs and minivans.

So, if you are a driver of any of the vehicles listed above and you are in the market for a durable and budget-friendly all-season tire, then you should check out the Toyo Extensa.

Design Features and Technologies

According to Toyo, the Extensa is built to deliver decent dry traction, excellent wet braking, top-notch handling as well as great fuel efficiency. It’s also designed to deliver a comfortable ride as well as a long tread life. To accomplish these objectives, Toyo has outfitted it with numerous key features and technologies such as:

Symmetric Tread Design

Toyo has provisioned the Extensa with a symmetric tread pattern. This symmetric tread pattern features an optimized center block design, which helps to deliver precise and fast steering response combined with enhanced high-speed stability.

This tire’s symmetric tread pattern also features, variable-pitch optimized tread blocks, which help to increase the tire’s contact patch with the road surface. Also, the variable-pitch optimized tread blocks enable the Toyo Extensa to deliver a quiet, smooth and comfortable ride, something you will appreciate especially over long distances.

Deep Longitudinal Grooves

Similar to other all-season touring tires, the Extensa also features deep and wide longitudinal grooves, featuring variable-pitch channels. So, what role do these grooves play in the tire’s performance?

Well, the four deep and wide longitudinal grooves help to evacuate water from the tire’s tread. And as they evacuate water from the tire’s tread when driving on wet surfaces, there will be a minimal risk of hydroplaning or skidding. And this results in safe and secure driving in wet conditions.

Extra Sipes

Toyo has also added some extra sipes on the tire’s tread blocks. These multi-wave sipes are designed to enhance the Extensa’s traction and grip in all types of conditions, even when you encounter light snow.

Also, these multi-wave sipes have been computer optimized. This feature is designed to reduce the tire’s road noise and vibrations, resulting in a refined ride. Also, the computer-optimized multi-wave sipes are designed to enhance its tread life.

Inside the Extensa are two steel belts, wrapped in a polyester cord body. This solid interior construction helps to enhance the tire’s strength and durability. It’s also designed to prevent the tire from deforming during high-speed driving or when a vehicle is hauling heavy loads, thus ensuring uniform tread wear as well as longer tread life.

Performance in Different Conditions and Terrains

The Extensa is marketed as an all-season touring tire, which will deliver outstanding wet and dry traction as well as reliable grip on light snowy roads. So, are these claims true? Do they translate to real-life performances?

Well, we outfitted a 2017 Honda Civic with a set of 17-inch Toyota Extensa tires and went for a test ride, to evaluate this tire’s performance. We evaluated its performance on dry tarmac, on wet surfaces, and light snowy roads. And, after extensive testing on these different surfaces, we made the following observations regarding this tire’s performance.

Dry Tarmac

We started our assessment tests on dry tarmac. And, the Toyo Extensa didn’t disappoint on the highway. The traction and grip on dry tarmac were more than adequate. Also, its straight-line tracking was decent while its steering response was stellar.

However, we noticed a slight issue with the tire during high-speed cornering. We noticed some slight loss of traction. But, considering that this tire comes with all-season touring rubber, then the slight loss of traction during high-speed cornering isn’t surprising.

At the end of the day, all-season touring tires are not built for sporty, high-speed driving. So, if you push your vehicle too hard with this tire, you can expect to experience a noticeable loss of grip. But, as long as you maintain average driving speeds, then you shouldn’t have any issues with the Toyo Extensa’s performance on dry tarmac.

As long as you will be using this tire on your touring vehicle for normal driving, then it will be more than capable. You simply can’t go wrong with it when driving in these conditions. On the other hand, if you are the type of driver that likes pushing their vehicle to the limits, then you should outfit your vehicle with a set of ultra-high performance or high-performance tires.

Wet Performance

After assessing the Extensa’s performance on dry surfaces, we then went a step further and decided to test how it can handle wet conditions. Again, this tire didn’t disappoint.

Its traction on wet surfaces was impressive. Also, handling was great, the steering response was on point, and the braking distances were admirably short. Overall, there’s nothing we can complain about regarding this tire’s wet handling.

But, just like its performance on dry surfaces, we also noticed a slight loss of grip when undertaking tight maneuvers at high speed. However, since the Toyo Extensa is not an ultra-high performance tire, its slight loss of grip during high-speed cornering on wet surfaces is something you can expect. So, it’s not a deal breaker in any way or something we can complain about.

As long as you maintain sane driving speeds, then you shouldn’t have any problems with this tire, even when you encounter a heavy downpour while driving. Its wide longitudinal grooves perform exceptionally when it comes to evacuating water from its surface and preventing aquaplaning.

Overall, its wet performance is great. In fact, it performed better than some of the more expensive tires in its class that we’ve tested.

Performance on Snowy Roads

We also conducted a series of tests with this tire on light snowy surfaces, to see how it can handle such conditions. And, we can say without any doubt that its performance on light snowy surfaces was beyond impressive.

With that said, this tire will only deliver reliable, usable traction when you are driving on light snowy roads. It’s simply not built for harsh winter conditions. So, if you live in an area where the winters are extremely harsh, cold and prolonged, then this tire will be almost useless. In such situations, you should simply install a set of proper winter tires on your vehicle.

Off-roading Performance

If you are someone that loves venturing off the beaten path with your truck or SUV, you may be probably wondering whether you can use this tire in such terrains. The truth is, the Toyo Extensa is not built for off-road driving.

First, it lacks the deep, aggressive tread, larger blocks and mud ejectors, which you will find in dedicated off-road tires. Consequently, it will struggle to pull your vehicle through, if you happen to encounter mud, sand, dirt, or gravel.

Second, it also lacks puncture-resistant tread walls. And as you may probably know, off-road terrains are characterized by abrasive, rugged elements. Therefore, if the tire brushes up or rolls over such elements, the chances of a puncture are very high.

With these, two key reasons in mind. We decided against testing this tire’s performance on rugged terrains. Simply put, if you are planning to go for an off-road adventure with your truck or SUV, you should swap out the Toyo Extensa with a dedicated off-road tire. It lacks the performance features and capabilities needed for driving in such conditions.

Ride Quality

Does the Toyo Extensa deliver a comfortable ride? Without a doubt, this is one of the most comfortable tires in its price range. During our test rides, the Extensa remained quiet.

The Civic remained smooth, even when driving on unpaved surfaces. There were no vibrations, noise or ride-related discomforts. We can confidently report that the Extensa is one of the most refined all-season touring tires that we’ve tested.

So, whether you are on the highway heading for a weekend road trip with your family or you are simply driving around the city, you will always enjoy a smooth and cozy ride with the Toyo Extensa.

Warranties and Guarantees

Toyo believes in the quality and reliability of its products. To this end, it stands behind its tires with strong warranties and guarantees. And this is also the case with the Toyo Extensa. It comes with a workmanship and materials warranty, uniformity warranty, a treadwear warranty as well as a customer satisfaction guarantee.

Workmanship and Materials warranty

Similar to other Toyo tires, the Extensa is also backed by the company’s workmanship and materials warranty. Under this warranty, Toyo commits to replace your Extensa, if it’s deemed unserviceable due to defects related to workmanship or the materials used to manufacture it.

As for the replacement, Toyo will either replace your Extensa tire with a comparable new one or do it on a prorated basis, depending on when the Extensa is removed from service.

If it’s removed from service due to defects caused by workmanship or materials when less than 25% of its original usable tread is worn, Toyo will replace it with a comparable new one, free of charge.

Toyo will also cover the tire’s mounting and balancing charges while you will be responsible for applicable state and federal taxes as well as other miscellaneous service charges.

Suppose your Extensa becomes unserviceable due to defects caused by workmanship or materials when more than 25% of its original usable tread is worn. In that case, Toyo will replace it on a prorated adjustment. In short, it will not replace the tire free of charge. Instead, you will share the tire’s replacement costs.

The amount you will pay for the Extensa’s replacement will depend on the level of service the tire has delivered, by the time of its removal from service.

Uniformity Warranty

The Toyo Extensa also comes with a uniformity warranty, covering the tire’s first 1/32-inch of tread. So, if your Extensa develops uniformity issues such as out-of-balance, out-of-round or pulling within its first 1/32-inch of original usable tread, you are eligible for a replacement. Toyo will also cover the Extensa’s mounting and balancing charges.

Limited Treadwear Warranty

The Toyo Extensa carries a 50,000-mile treadwear warranty on the H-speed rated version and a 65,000-mile treadwear warranty for the T-speed and S-speed rated versions.

So, if your tire wears out evenly across its tread surface without delivering the above-warranted mileages, Toyo will replace it. We should mention that Toyo doesn’t offer free tire replacement for the treadwear warranty. Instead, all the replacements for this warranty will be purely pro-rata.

Under the pro-rata arrangement, you will share the tire’s replacement costs with Toyo. The amount that you will contribute towards the Extensa’s replacement will depend on the percentage of the warranted mileage it has managed to deliver by the time it wears down to its maintenance indicators multiplied by its current selling price.

For example, if you buy the H-speed rated Extensa and it miles before it wears out completely after delivering 40,000 miles, then the percentage of the warranted mileage it has delivered is 80%.

Assuming an authorized Toyo dealer is currently selling this tire for $90, then the amount you will be charged for its replacement will be $72 while Toyo will cover the balance.

Customer Satisfaction Guarantee

The Extensa is also eligible for Toyo’s customer satisfaction guarantee or trial offer. With this offer or guarantee, Toyo gives you a chance to test this tire and return it, if you are not satisfied with its performance, as long as you do it within 45 days or have driven not more than 500 miles on it.

After returning the tire, the dealer will offer to replace the tire for you with a comparable set. You can also opt for a full refund, in case you don’t want a replacement set. You must purchase a set of four tires to qualify for this guarantee. Also, the set of tires has to be installed on the vehicle shown on the invoice, on the same day. You will also be required to produce the original sales invoice.

Sizes and Fitment

The Toyo Extensa is available in numerous sizes. The sizes you will find on the market run between 13 inches and 18 inches. It can fit several types of vehicles on the road such as:

• Honda Odyssey and Civic
• Dodge Neon, Avenger and Grand Caravan
• Nissan Quest, Altima, Versa and Sentra
• Buick Park Avenue, Century and LeSabre
• Ford Focus, Taurus, Contour, Fusion, and Crown Victoria
• Volkswagen Rabbit and Jetta
• Toyota Yaris, Camry, Sienna, Prius and Corolla
• Chrysler Country, Town and Sebring
• Hyundai Elantra and Accent

If you drive any of the following vehicles, then it’s likely that the Extensa will fit. However, we should mention that the above is not a complete list of every vehicle that the Extensa will fit.

Toyo Extensa Pros

• Exceptional wet and dry traction
• Superb handling and steering response
• Comfortable and smooth ride
• Long tread life

Toyo Extensa Cons

• Poor traction in deep snow

Verdict

The Toyo Extensa is one of the best budget tires for everyday use. It drives well on dry tarmac, delivers adequate traction on wet surfaces and the traction on light snowy surfaces is equally reliable. The ride is quiet, smooth and comfortable. If you are shopping for a dependable, affordable and durable all-season touring tire, then you can never go wrong with the Toyo Extensa.