Yokohama Tornante Review: Does this tire fit your vehicle?

The Yokohama Tornante is a hybrid all-season tire. It combines high-performance capabilities with the benefits of a touring tire. In this review of the Yokohama Tornante, I’ll discuss the various features of the tire so you can make an informed decision.

Similar to other Yokohama tires, the Tornante has a conservative and rather plain-looking asymmetric tread design. It may not look like a high-performance tire upon first glance, but a closer inspection will reveal the characteristics that makes it stand out from similar tires. 

What are the features of the Yokohama Tornante?

The Yokohama Tornante is constructed using a blend of silica and orange oil compound. Yokohama is happy to say this is their most durable high-performance tire compound. Orange oil will increase the pliability of the rubber material to deliver outstanding traction. But it is also a low-rolling resistance compound. This means excellent wear characteristics even if the tire is capable of relentless grip.

The asymmetrical tread design consists of wider blocks on the outside of the tread. This design is responsible for enhancing the dry performance of the tire. The tire also comes with 3D adaptive sipes. The sipes are designed to maintain the biting edges as the tire wears out. This is also responsible for the sterling winter and wet traction of the tire.

But it’s not enough to have high amounts of traction. The tire must also respond accurately to steering inputs. The Yokohama Tornante is equipped with cross-supporting tread blocks to constantly maintain excellent grip. The middle part of the tire comes with constant contact ribs that increase the tire’s contact to the road.

How does it perform on dry and wet pavements?

The dry performance of the Yokohama Tornante is fantastic. It offers tremendous amounts of traction while giving your vehicle a better sense of stability. The steering also felt more accurate while high-speed stability is what you would expect from a more expensive performance-oriented tire. Like I said, the tire may look plebian unlike the aggressive tread designs of other sporty tires. But looks can be deceiving.

Even though the Yokohama Tornante is an excellent sporty tire, there are limitations to what this tire can bring. If you have a really fast car, however, you might find the grip levels to be lacking. The same goes if you want a tire for track days.

But with that being said, it’s not easy to make the tires misbehave. Unless you’re driving stupidly fast in a tuned machine, the Yokohama Tornante is more than up to the task.

Wet performance is equally impressive. There is no hint of slip or slide on those wet and slippery corners. The tire will give your vehicle a better sense of stability or control even if you drive in the wet at higher-than-average speeds. This is high praise for a sporty all-season performance tire. Braking power and steering feel is also admirable as the tires are capable of intense traction in true all-season driving.

What vehicles will benefit the most from the Yokohama Tornante?

The Yokohama Tornante is sold in 15” to 18” diameters. This means the tire is a solid choice for compact cars, sporty sedans, sports coupes, and crossover vehicles. If you have a Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Mazda 3, Honda Accord, Mazda 6, Subaru Impreza, Honda CR-V, or Mazda CX-5, the Yokohama Tornante is an excellent choice. And since this tire is in the high-performance category, it is also applicable to bigger-engine versions of the BMW 3-Series, Mercedes C-Class, and Audi A4. It will also fit minivans such as the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, Kia Sedona, and Chrysler Pacifica. If performance and touring comfort is your top priority in a new set of tires, the Yokohama Tornante deserves a second look.

Is the tire comfortable?

It is surprisingly comfortable. It’s not easy to combine all-season traction with ride comfort and longer wear, but Yokohama was able to pull it off with the Tornante. The tires will glide smoothly over minor road undulations and will take bigger and nastier hits with more poise and confidence. If there’s one thing that stands out, it’s the refinement. I wasn’t expecting a performance tire to be as refined as the Yokohama Tornante, but that’s a fact.

How about road noise?

The Yokohama Tornante is a silent operator, but only at slow to medium speeds. Tire roar will manifest at higher speeds, although this will also depend on the NVH tuning of your vehicle. But in my experience, the tires are noisier over rougher patches of tarmac. At slow to medium speeds on smooth roads, the tires will enable you to enjoy a calming and peaceful driving environment.

Can it handle driving in the snow?

Only on roads with very light snow and ice. If you’re planning to drive over deep snow, the tires may not behave to your liking. The tire will also have trouble gripping over sleet and ice. But for moderately snowy or icy surfaces, the grip levels of the Yokohama Tornante will negate the need for snow tires.

Is the Yokohama Tornante an economical choice?

Considering the fact Yokohama is offering the Tornante with a brilliant 85,000-mile limited treadwear warranty, I will have to say yes. The Tornante also comes with a competitive price, but it’s more expensive than conventional all-season general purpose rubber. But as with all Yokohama tires, you ultimately get what you pay for.

You can see more Yokohama Tornante Review here: videos created by Ryan Cook

Should I buy the Yokohama Tornante?

Yes! This tire is one of the most impressive in terms of all-season handling and ride comfort. As long as you’re not demanding a stickier set of rubber for your fast car, this tire is more than capable of living up to the Yokohama heritage.