Top 10 Best Tires for Toyota Camry: Buyer’s Guide & Reviews

LAST UPDATED: June 18, 2020

After loads of changes in the world of the tires, we decided to revise the Toyota Camry article to reflect these changes. We removed a few models and replaced by newer versions.

Some enthusiasts might call it boring, but there’s no denying that the Camry has all the ingredients for a perfect family car. It almost never breaks down, it is roomy and comfortable, and some versions are fuel-efficient as well. The newest Camry is also very good to drive, something that its predecessors couldn’t boast about.

Regardless of which generation of the Camry you own, you will still need a nice set of tires to go with it. The problem is, with so many different versions of the Camry, different drivers, and different climates, choosing a set of Toyota Camry tires becomes increasingly difficult. Today, you shouldn’t just ask what are the best tires for your vehicle, but also what are the best tires for your driving style, and what are the best tires for the climate in your area.

We’ll do the mathematics for you – that’s three different criteria that can’t always be satisfied by only one set of tires. In other words, there is no single tire in the world that will suit every driver, every car, and every climate. There will always be compromises.

Luckily, we can help you choose the best tires for Toyota Camry by examining your driving style and the climate in your area. Then, we will also choose 10 tires that we think are the best for Toyota Camry, divided into several key categories so every owner can be covered.

Update: In this list, Continental PureContact tires have been replaced with Continental PureContact LS

Touring All-Season Tires are the Best Tire Type for Most Camry Owners

If you ask the salesman at your local tire store what are the best tires for Toyota Camry, he will probably suggest a set of touring all-season tires. That’s because Toyota equips almost all versions of the Camry with touring tires from the factory, and because most Camry drivers are best-suited by these tires. Please note that grand-touring tires are a variation of touring tires with more emphasis on high-speed stability, while performance touring tires are designed with more emphasis on handling and responsiveness.

The reason why touring all-season tires and their derivatives are so popular with Camry owners is because they’re designed to offer good performance throughout every category. That starts with the driving experience. Touring tires are certainly not engaging, but the best of them still offer high levels of traction and grip and strong braking performance. In other words, they’re perfectly safe for everyday driving, even above the highway speed limit.

On top of that, almost every all-season touring tires work in a broad temperature range. This is important because not everybody wants to replace their tires every time the temperature drops. The best all-season touring tires work in warm and freezing weather. They also provide excellent traction, grip, and braking in wet conditions, while the best of them even provide enough traction and braking performance for driving in light snow. That said, if you live in areas with very harsh wintry conditions, you might still want to replace them with winter tires for a safer driving experience.

Touring and grand-touring tires are also the longest-lasting of any other tire type. They usually last about 50,000 to 60,000-miles, with the best of them reaching astonishing 90,000-miles. To cover that claim, the manufacturers will even give their buyers warranties that are just as long, which are a testament of how far tire technology has reached.

The last, but certainly not the least important thing about touring tires is how comfortable they are. These tires for Toyota Camry are absolutely the most comfortable and quiet of all other types. With a set of these Camry tires, your vehicles will glide over bumps and not produce almost any tire noise at speeds up to 70 mph.

But What if I Want Better Handling?

Then you might want to have a look at high-performance tires. These Toyota Camry tires are made for more powerful vehicles and drivers who want extra performance in the corners while accelerating and braking. In our opinion, high-performance tires are best-suited to Camry V6 models. With these tires, the front wheels of the Camry V6 will spin much less during hard acceleration, they will offer much better grip in the corners and much stronger braking performance. Even four-cylinder Camry models will benefit from the same things, but there’s a catch.

While high-performance tires really offer a much more engaging driving experience and are overall safer, they have several downsides that make them undesirable for the majority of Camry owners. First of all, their tread degrades much faster, and they don’t last nearly as long as touring or grand-touring tires. Then, they are also noisier at higher speeds and less comfortable over bumps. In the end, high-performance tires can be very expensive, especially for Camry owners.

What About the Climate?

Both touring and high-performance tires are available as all-season tires and summer tires. The difference between both is the working temperature range. Summer tires are made to work only in warmer weather, and overall, they give much better performance than all-season tires in those conditions. That’s why the best high-performance tires are also summer tires.

All-season tires work in a much broader temperature range. Sure, they aren’t as sticky as summer tires in warm conditions, but that’s why they work better in cold, near-freezing weather. Both touring and high-performance tires are available in the all-season variety. Some manufacturers also offer all-weather tires. These tires also work in a wide temperature range like all-season tires, but usually, that range is on the colder side. In other words, they are slightly better for winter and snow driving, and slightly worse for warm climates.

Can I Use All-Season or All-Weather Tires in the Winter?

You can, but we still think that winter tires are a much better option. All-season tires and all-weather tires (to a greater extent) work in the winter, but they still have a lot of compromises. This is especially true when it snows. In those conditions, winter tires will offer vastly better traction, grip, and braking performance when compared to all-season and all-weather tires. Suffice to say, if you live in areas with harsh wintry conditions, then winter tires are a must.

The 10 Best tires for Toyota Camry You Can Buy: Buyer’s Guide

1. Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack

Best Touring Tires for Toyota Camry

The newest addition in the grand touring comes from Bridgestone, and immediately it leaves a long-lasting impression. Right now, the Turanza QuietTrack offers the best combination of qualities that will benefit Camry drivers. The Bridgestone beats its competitors in almost every category when it comes to performance, and it is also the most comfortable of the bunch.

According to Bridgestone, this tire quietly impresses, and that’s really the case here. Right now, the Turanza QuietTrack is probably the quietest tires in the grand-touring category. Even at velocities far beyond 70mph, this tire is almost inaudible in the cabin of the Camry. On top of that, thanks to the ComfortCruise Technology Package, it simply glides over smaller and bigger road imperfections with ease, improving on the already good ride quality of the Japanese sedan.

What impresses, even more, is the performance on offer. The Turanza QuietTrack is very responsive for a grand-touring tire, bettering almost all of its competitors. Traction is also outstanding, even on the Camry V6, while the mid-corner grip is best-in-class. The Bridgestone is also excellent in the braking department. The asymmetric tread pattern, on the other hand, helps on wet pavement. Here the Bridgestone also beats almost every competitor – it resists hydroplaning like a champ. The tread pattern with a lot of sipes and biting edges also helps in light snow, where the Bridgestone is again at the top of its class.

Probably due to the advanced technologies on offer, the Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack is more expensive than its closest rivals, albeit not by much. Perhaps more importantly, it comes with an outstanding 80,000-mile treadwear warranty, which is unbeatable in the grand-touring category.

2. Continental PureContact with EcoPlus Technology

Best Touring Tires for Toyota Camry

The Continental PureContact with EcoPlus Technology is a tire that covers all the basics for Camry owners. It has shown very good driving characteristics throughout our tests, it is quiet and comfortable, and it even offers low-rolling resistance for better fuel economy. This tire will improve on all the advantages you Camry has, we’re sure of that.

All this is achieved thanks to the Tg-F Polymers and +Silane additives in the tread compound that are now ubiquitous in Continental’s range, aided by the asymmetric tread design. This combination improves several aspects of the tire, including dry and wet traction. We can confirm that this is the case in the real world – the PureContact EcoPlus is very responsive for a grand-touring tire, it offers high levels of grip and traction both on dry and wet conditions. That said, while the Continental is usable in light snow, some of its competitors are even better.

Interestingly, Continental built Tuned Performance Indicators into the tire which show the owner when the tire is ready for snow driving any more. These indicators are simply the letters DWS, which means Dry, Wet, and Snow. When the S is worn out, it means that the PureContact can’t be used on snow anymore, and when W is worn out, that means that it won’t be usable in wet conditions. Luckily, that won’t happen soon – the PureContact comes with 70,000-mile treadwear warranty, which is pretty good for the category. That said, some tires offer even higher warranties.

Last but certainly not the least – the PureContact is also very comfortable and quiet, even at higher speeds.

Continental PureContact tires have been replaced with Continental PureContact LS

Continental PureContact LS

Best Grand-Touring Tires for Toyota Camry

The Toyota Camry is all about safety, reliability, and comfort. When you transfer those qualities in a tire, you get the PureContact LS.

Continental’s new grand-touring tire is the best for driving on wet surfaces out of any other tire on the market right now. Thanks to the +Silane additives, the LS performs outstandingly well on damp surfaces, while the sweeping grooves combined with deep, circumferential channels take care of heavy rain.

And it’s not like the PureContact LS handles bad on dry tarmac. On the contrary, the tire is very responsive, has high levels of grip and traction, and excellent stability at higher speeds. Moreover, the PureContact LS is even good over snowy surfaces. Overall, one of the safest tires in most conditions.

On top of that, Continental managed to make the tire very comfortable over bumps, and very quiet on the highway.

With that said, the 70,000-mile treadwear warranty is fine for the category, but still short of the best.

3. Michelin Premier A/S

Best Touring Tires for Toyota Camry

If you don’t know what tire to buy, opting for a Michelin is always a safe bet. The French company is known for its excellence, and that is shown with the Premier A/S. This is one of the best tires when it comes to handling and braking in the grand-touring category. It is extremely responsive and grips the road almost like a high-performance tire, while also offering outstanding wet traction and grip thanks to the Expanding Rain Grooves.

Whatever the surface, the Michelin also offers the shortest braking distances in its category. It also comes with Michelin’s EverGrip Technology which keeps the wet and snow performance of the tire intact, even when the tread is worn down. The Premier A/S is also very comfortable and quiet, again competing with the best in this category, and it works in light snow.

That said, the Premier A/S has one glaring disadvantage, and that’s the 60,000-mile treadwear warranty, which is lower than most of its competitors.

4. General AltiMAX RT43

Best Touring Tires for Toyota Camry

The General AltiMAX RT43 is one of the most popular grand-touring tires, mainly due to its excellent value. Despite its lower price than the premium competitors, the AltiMAX RT43 still offers a compelling set of characteristics for Camry owners. First of all, it comes with excellent 75,000-mile treadwear warranty for T-Rated models and 65,000-miles for H and V-rated models. This is pretty high in the grand-touring category, even when compared to premium tires from Bridgestone, Michelin, and Continental.

Then, the General also offers very good traction and grip on dry surfaces. It is also very responsive and can be a great companion to the Camry V6. In the wet, the AltiMAX RT43 is close to the best when it comes to resistance to hydroplaning, as well as grip and traction on damp surfaces. This tire is also usable in light snow thanks to the Anti-Slip Sipe Design Technology that improves traction on slippery surfaces. On top of that, the General is also very quiet and comfortable thanks to the Twin Cushion Silica compound.

Overall, the General AltiMAX RT43 might not beat the premium competitors in any category, but it offers the best qualities for the price.

5. Cooper CS5 Ultra Touring

Best Touring Tires for Toyota Camry

The CS5 Ultra Touring is the latest tire in Cooper’s lineup in the grand-touring category. It also has a sister tire, the CS5 Grand Touring, which is more focused towards leisurely driving and doesn’t offer the same handling and braking performance but is better in the comfort and durability department. In our opinion, the CS5 Ultra Touring is better for Camry drivers precisely because it offers much better driving characteristics and is overall safer in every condition.

Thanks to the Stabiledge Performance technology that interlocks the tread elements, the CS5 Ultra Touring is surprisingly responsive in and reacts to steering inputs almost instantly. It also grips the road very well and has excellent traction, even on Camry V6 models. The Cooper is also outstanding in wet conditions and resists hydroplaning really well. That said, while it is usable, the Cooper trails the best when it comes to light snow traction.

In the comfort department, the Ultra Touring is pretty good, but not on the level of its premium competitors. It is good in the ride quality department, but it might be a tad louder at highway speeds. Also, the Cooper comes with 50,000 miles treadwear warranty for W-rated models (168 mph) and 70,000 miles for V-rated (149 mph) and H-rated (130 mph) models, which trails the best in the category.

Still, for the price it’s offered, potential buyers might overlook the slightly worse treadlife, especially given the extremely low price of the tire.

6. Bridgestone Blizzak WS90

Best Winter Tires for Toyota Camry

Bridgestone’s newest addition to the award-winning Blizzak family of winter tires brings several improvements that launch it directly on the top of its class. Apart from some small blemishes, the Blizzak WS90 consistently beats the competition in harsh wintry conditions. And, this is not a surprise – the Blizzak WS80 was already one of our favorite winter tires.

The WS90 features the EdgePerformance Technology Package with full-depth interlocking sipes. Paired with the Multi-Cell compound with bite particles, it should give drivers unparalleled traction on slippery surfaces. And, indeed, it does.

Over snowy surfaces, I can’t think of a tire that performs better. The Blizzak WS90 accelerates on snow like it’s a joke and brakes with so much confidence that you’d forget it’s slippery down there. Moreover, the bite particles bring unmatched traction and braking on icy surfaces. Naturally, slush isn’t a big obstacle for the Japanese winter tire as well.

The Blizzak WS90 doesn’t beat the competition as hard when the surfaces are dry or wet. However, the tire is still able to provide the driver with outstanding handling, good traction, and short braking distances.

Sadly, though, nothing is perfect. Despite Bridgestone’s effort to improve the treadlife of the WS90, the company still doesn’t trust it enough to provide a treadwear warranty.

I know, most winter tires don’t come with treadwear warranties, but the main competitor, the Michelin X-Ice Xi3, does come with a 40,000-mile treadwear warranty. If Bridgestone somehow fixed this, the WS90 would’ve been a perfect winter tire.

7. Goodyear Ultra Grip Winter

Best Winter Tires for Toyota Camry

The Blizzak WS80 may be the best winter tire of the bunch, but it might be expensive for some buyers. If you own an older Camry or don’t want to spend a fortune on winter tires, the Goodyear Ultra Grip Winter is an excellent choice. When compared to the Bridgestone it does suffer slightly in most of the categories, but for the average driver, we think it’s absolutely usable in the winter.

Overall, the Goodyear is strong in dry and wet conditions in the winter. It has very good traction and grip, and it brakes like a champ. On top of that, it works both in light and deep snow, packed or unpacked. If you live in areas with constant snow, the fact that the Ultra Grip Winter is studdable is also great news.

That said, the Goodyear can be noisy on the highway, especially when compared to more expensive winter tires.

8. Michelin X-Ice Xi3

Best Winter Tires for Toyota Camry

The Michelin X-Ice Xi3 is the only winter tire for Camry that can compete with the Blizzak WS80 directly. They are so closely matched that the average driver will surely not notice the difference. This means that the Michelin offers outstanding traction, grip, and braking on packed and unpacked snow and that it offers excellent handling and braking on dry and freezing surfaces.

The X-Ice Xi3 is also very comfortable and quiet for a winter tire, neck to neck with the Bridgestone Blizzak WS80. It even beats its Japanese competitors in terms of durability – it comes with 40,000-mile treadwear warranty, while the Blizzak WS80 has none. With all that said, the Michelin is also much more expensive, which is why the Blizzak WS80 is still out first choice.

9. Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS

Best High-Performance Tires for Toyota Camry

Bridgestone’s latest entry into the ultra-high-performance all-season category brings enough improvements to compete with the tires on top directly. The Potenza RE980AS is one of my favorite all-season performance tires, and it definitely deserves the place on your Toyota Camry.

Behind the wheel, the Potenza RE980AS might not be as responsive as competitors from Michelin or Pirelli, but the tire still responds to the driver’s input well. More importantly, the tire is easily controllable at the limit.

Traction and grip levels are outstanding, though. In terms of dry handling, the Potenza RE980AS is arguably the best ultra-high-performance all-season tire right now. High-speed stability is exceptional as well, while the braking distances are very short.

The Potenza RE980AS continues to impress in the rain. Handling is predictable; traction is sufficient for the engines offered in the Camry, while the braking distances are very short. The hydroplaning resistance in very heavy rain is great as well.

Bridgestone even managed to make the Potenza RE980AS quiet on the highway, an unexpected quality for a performance tire. That said, they still didn’t manage to make this tire ride well – harshness is increased on rough patches on the road.

Still, with a 50,000-mile treadwear warranty, the Potenza RE980AS is one of the most durable and longest-lasting all-season performance tires.

10. Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06

Best High-Performance Tires for Toyota Camry

The Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 is a great alternative to the Bridgestone Potenza RE970AS in the ultra-high-performance all-season category. While it doesn’t offer the same handling precision as the Bridgestone, it gains slightly in the comfort department and comes at a lower price point. Overall, it will be hard to find any disadvantage in how this tire drives – even the enthusiast community loves it on their sports coupes.

Also, Continental offers the ExtremeContact DWS 06 in more sizes than Bridgestone offers their tire, and it is cheaper as well. The 50,000-mile treadwear warranty is only icing on the cake here.

Final Thoughts

The Toyota Camry is a vehicle that’s very popular across the world and thanks to that, there is no shortage of tire options. However, not all tires are created equally. A good set of high-quality tires can give you a much safer and reliable driving experience. And trust us, the difference between cheap and expensive tires is not that small, especially when it comes to grip, traction, braking, and durability. In other words, always buy tires for Toyota Camry from reputable manufacturers with a long history of research and development.

Going with that thought, the Toyota tires that you’ll find in this article may be expensive (even the budget options), but they are also extremely durable and often cheaper in the long run than very cheap tires.