Toyo Extensa A/S II Review [2023 Updated]

By Tire Expert, Joe Steffen

Are you looking for your next set of tires? Can’t seem to find unbiased reviews from someone just trying to push products?

Look no further! I have seen and heard it all with over nine-plus years in the tire industry. All of my reviews come from personal experience and my experience with customers just like yourself!

Buckle up because you’ll hear everything this tire offers; I don’t hold back when giving my honest opinion, so you’re going to get the good and the bad.

Today I will review the Toyo Extensa AS II, a touring all-season tire manufactured by Toyo Tires. It was designed to offer value to consumers by having a lower price point with a high mile treadwear warranty.

Offered in a wide range of sizes that will fit passenger cars, minivans, SUVs, and crossovers, Toyo states that it will deliver a quality, comfortable ride; well, let’s see how true that is!

Feel free to jump to any sections below if you want a specific review of this tire.

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Pros

Cons

Ratings

2.5

3.0

2.0

3.5

3.0

2.5

Wet Traction:

★★★★★ 2.5/5

Dry Traction:

★★★★★ 2.5/5

Snow Traction:

★★★★★ 3.0/5

Ride Comfort:

★★★★★ 2.5/5

Ride Handling:

★★★★★ 3.5/5

Ride Noise:

★★★★★ 3.0/5

Hydroplaning:

★★★★★ 2.5/5

Tread Life:

★★★★★ 3.0/5

Value For $$$:

★★★★★ 2.0/5

Traction - Toyo Extensa A/S II

This Toyo Extensa AS II has a “special” silica compound to deliver better-wet weather traction and increased fuel efficiency. I find nothing “special” about it as the wet weather traction is sub-par, and all comments about this tire’s fuel efficiency are that it decreased when installed.

You will notice that when trying to accelerate from a stop in the wet weather, your tires will spin as if you were trying to do a burnout, especially if you drive with a lead foot.

I have to give credit where it’s due; touring tires do not excel in snow traction even though they are all-season. Touring tires are designed for high mileage longevity, but I was impressed to find out that they hold up in light snow, but anything more than an inch of snow on the ground, and you will be riding on skates.

These Toyos would be better suited as a Spring/Summer set for snow-heavy regions and going with a winter tire like the Bridgestone Blizzaak WS90 for the winter.

Toyo also states this tire has an “improved” rib design from its predecessor (Toyo Extensa A/S) to provide a bigger contact patch to increase dry traction braking. There’s an old saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and I think they tried too much.

They somehow made it worse by improving it, and you will particularly notice this when trying to slam on the brakes on dry roads. If you go with this tire, give yourself some extra room from the vehicle in front of you.

In my opinion, they did minor upgrades with the tread compound and design, which cost them performance in traction.

Traction Rating: 2.5/5

★★★★★ 2.5/5

Ride Comfort - Toyo Extensa A/S II

When looking at a value tire, you can’t expect it to ride like a Michelin, but I would at least expect to get my money’s worth.

Don’t be surprised when you drive these off for the first time, and it feels like you’re flying over a speed bump at fifty miles an hour when in reality, you only ran over a pothole the size of your fist.

Yes, they are that rigid. Due to the lower quality construction, it has fewer belt packages to absorb all the road cracks and holes.

This is a perfect example of why you shouldn’t always trust a manufacturer’s review on their tires, Toyo gave this a 4.5 on ride comfort, and I had to give it a 2.5. That’s a huge difference!

It’s very different when you talk to people with these tires on their cars, rather than just sticking a number up and hoping people buy it.

I recommend the Sumitomo LS for a more comfortable ride at an affordable price. However, it does not come close in treadwear rating, so decide what is most important to you!

Ride Comfort Rating: 2.5/5

★★★★★ 2.5/5

Ride Handling - Toyo Extensa A/S II

Finally, I can say something good, when it comes to handling, this is a bright spot.

Getting behind the wheel of your vehicle on these tires will give you confidence that they will go in the direction you command. Not everyone drives like a bat out of hell, but for those spirited drivers that like to weave in and out of traffic, you will appreciate the steering response and maneuverability this offers.

I guess that optimized center block rib gave this tire a more pleasurable driving experience after all.

Now when I say it gets good handling, I don’t mean it’s comparable to a high-performance tire, I just believe that it offers stable cornering, steering, and confident maneuvering for a touring tire.

A high-performance tire like the Toyo Extensa HP II or Toyo Proxes 4 Plus will offer better ride handling because they have a thicker bead packaging and stiffer sidewall.

The overall handling on this tire is tied for highest out of all the categories based on what I have heard consumers tell me, as I mentioned above, it is the high point.

Ride Handling Rating: 3.5/5

★★★★★ 3.5/5

Ride Noise - Toyo Extensa A/S II

While the ride noise on the Toyo Extensa A/S II is decently quiet, the only complaint I have on this tire is that when traveling over the rough pavement at high speeds, they seem to generate a lot of road noise.

The multi-wave sipes used in this symmetric tread design help the tire prevent irregular wear and offer a quiet ride.

A common issue I found while doing Toyo tire reviews is that they are very prone to cupping mainly because of their tread designs. However, I did not find that to be the case with the Toyo Extensa A/S tire.

Tire cupping is not only the tires’ fault, but their tread designs factor into whether it can be prone to irregular wear patterns. Several factors can lead to cupping, such as improper balancing, worn-out suspension components, and a bad alignment.

With everything being said, This Toyo will offer an overall quiet ride experience except for when driving on torn-up, cracked roads. They seem to howl on these kinds of roads.

If you are looking for an ultra-quiet riding tire, I recommend the Michelin Primacy Tour A/S, but it does come with the Michelin price tag.

Ride Noise Rating: 3.0/5

★★★★★ 3.0/5

Hydroplaning - Toyo Extensa A/S II

It can be a terrifying ride for anyone who has ever been in a car that has hydroplaned, and that is precisely why I cover hydroplaning resistance in these tire reviews.

When taking these Toyo Extensa’s out into a drizzle, you might say, “these tires arent so bad.”, but if that drizzle turns into a down poor, you will be sorry you didn’t read this review before purchasing them.

Toyo uses four wide circumferential grooves (vertical channels go around the tread of the tire) and variable pitch channels for “improved wet weather traction.”

By the way, this is a standard technology used in all-season tires, so don’t feel like this makes them unique.

How much water evacuates the tire matters more for hydroplaning resistance. Full-depth siping and an open tread pattern that allows water to navigate out of the tread channels will have better-hydroplaning resistance.

I gave this tire a low rating in this category because if you can’t make an emergency stop in the rain without sliding, how can this tire possibly prevent you from hydroplaning. For me, safety is paramount regarding tires because you can’t put a price on your family’s or your life.

For these reasons, I cannot recommend this tire to anyone looking for a safe tire to drive in heavy rainfall.

Hydroplaning Rating: 2.5/5

★★★★★ 2.5/5

Tread Life - Toyo Extensa A/S II

While offering a very high treadwear warranty, you can find other touring tires that provide similar or better treadwear guarantees.

This tire is rated for sixty-five to seventy-five thousand miles(depending on speed rating), and you could reasonably expect to receive about sixty thousand miles from them if they don’t dry rot before you wear them out.

I don’t know what it is about these tires, but about fifty percent of the Toyo Extensa AS tires I see already show signs of dry rot or sun damage, typically within the first two years! I can’t say it should be a recalled tire, but it is a common occurrence I see with them.

The manufacturer has a limited warranty to cover things such as premature cracking and dry rot, but dealing with a warranty is a pain and always costs you more money at the end of the day.

Trust me, I would know after handling tire warranties for over nine years.

So if you purchase this tire, buy plenty of gel-based shine to help protect the rubber compound from harmful UV rays.

Given that these tires don’t suffer from dry rot, you could see excellent tread life and longevity. However, I’m not a gambling man, so I would recommend the Falken SN250 AS for a tire that offers long treadwear and has a track record for the solid rubber compound.

Tread Life Rating: 3.0/5

★★★★★ 3.0/5

Value For Money - Toyo Extensa A/S II

While you can find this tire for relatively cheap and has the potential to provide good mileage longevity, I believe you can find other tire options in the same price range that will provide safer traction, quieter ride, and similar miles.

When I did a cost analysis across the Toyo Extensa AS II, Falken Sincera SN250 AS, and the General Altimax RT 43, I found that you can get a better bang for your buck with the Falken. I compared prices from Amazon, TireRack, Simpletire, and other tire retailers.

The tires mentioned above offer better traction, but the Falken tires had some of the lowest prices. The tire size I used for this comparison was a 225/65R17, a fitment size made for Honda CRVs, Nissan Rogues, and Toyota Rav4s.

Overall I would recommend looking at some of the tire reviews I have done on these mentioned tires before deciding if it’s a good value for you.

Value For Money Rating: 2.0/5

★★★★★ 2.0/5

Final Verdict - Toyo Extensa A/S II

Based on my research and experience with this Toyo Extensa AS II, my final thought is that you will find safer tires that offer you better mileage at comparable prices.

The tires I used in this review for a side-by-side comparison were the Sumitomo LS, General Altimax RT43, and the Falken Sincera SN250, and I would recommend any of these tires over the Toyo.

A significant basis for the ratings I gave this tire was the competition in the market; In contrast, some of these tires in the value touring all-season category won’t offer a drastic difference in ratings, instead improved over this Toyo tire, especially in traction and hydroplaning.

As I wrap up this review, I want to reiterate that all my thoughts come from my experience in the tire industry. It includes my knowledge of current technology, how tires are designed, first-hand consumer feedback, first-hand driving experience on tires, and my ability to call it like it is.

Feel free to check out my other in-depth tire reviews done by me, a true trusted expert!

Meet Your Tire Expert

Joe Steffen

Joseph Steffen is a trusted expert in the tire industry, with nine-plus years of experience. He has worked as a tire installer, tire salesman, and more recently a writer for various companies, providing honest feedback and advice to those who need it.

Tire Recall Information

While I found no current recalls on the Toyo Extensa AS II, I did find that its predecessor did have a recall. The Toyo Extensa AS was recalled in size 225/60R16, only manufactured in the USA, with a date range of September 29, 2009, to November 6, 2010.

The recall was for a manufacturing defect causing the tire’s bead to have a kink. A bead is the part that seals the tire onto the rim.

Having a kinked bead can lead to tire failure and blowouts while driving.

This recall does not affect the current Toyo Extensa AS II, but if any of you are driving on these recalled tires, head to your local authorized Toyo Tire retailer to get the situation remedied.

Toyo Tire does not frequently have recalls as with most manufacturers, but I want to do the research so you have the most transparent understanding of what you are buying.

Warranty & Tire Sizes

Warranty Details

Tire Sizes

Warranty Details

Tire Sizes

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Toyo Extensa AS’s directional tires?

No, the Toyo Extensa AS uses a symmetrical tread design with better wear tendencies and quieter road noise.

Are Toyo tires made in the USA?

While Toyo Tires originally started in Japan, they have opened headquarters and manufacturing plants in the USA, where most of their tires are made.

Why does my tire say left and right?

If your tires say left and right, you have directional tires. To ensure they were correctly installed, the tires on your driver’s side should day left and right on the passenger side. If this is not the case, take them to your local tire installer to have them fixed.