![]() While I don’t race, I do my fair share of spirited driving. I am looking forward to the higher versatility of Toyo’s Proxes Sport A/S during the volatile changeover months – I’ll be able to wait longer for the winter switch and take winters off earlier for the summer switch. I have either found myself burning up the soft rubber on my winters or getting caught unexpectedly with summers on (aka hockey pucks below 40º). With that said, we have a very long transitional period in which the temperatures fluctuate wildly. Pair the uncertainty of storms with trips down to ski country, I opt for the full-on winter tire switch each year. Here in Western New York, we see rapidly changing conditions from lake effect snow to freezing rain. I’ve heard every argument against that claim, but nothing beats the acceleration, braking, and cornering of a true winter tire in winter conditions. I am a pretty firm believer that all-season tires are really only three-season tires. The water evacuation is efficient on these tires, and I do not feel the white-knuckle floating or hydroplaning sensation that is more common with summer tires. What does that mean for consumers? Simply that Toyo has precision control over its rubber compounds to deliver specific performance attributes, like wet road performance in the case of the Proxes Sport A/S tires. I have not been afraid to corner hard in wet conditions, whether I am taking a right at a green light or taking an exit. Launched in 2018, this technology has allowed Toyo to develop new rubber compounds by researching and developing rubber compound blends at the nano-level. The Proxes Sport A/S tires have all of those water-control features paired with Toyo’s very own Nano Balance Technology. The tread pattern of summer tires is fairly unforgiving when the roads get wet, usually equipped with fewer sipes and lateral grooves to help with water evacuation. Wet PerformanceĬoming from summer-specific tires, I had high expectations for the wet performance of Toyo’s Proxes Sport A/S tires – they didn’t disappoint. ![]() The tires dance around almost as if they’re trying to line up a pavement groove with the negative space in the tread. Specifically, if the pavement runs parallel to the side of the vehicle. Unfortunately, I have noticed these tires act squirrelly on grooved pavement. Apart from mixed-surface secondary roads, I’ve had a hard time getting these tires to loosen up, let go, or chirp when hitting a straight hard from standstill. Under heavy acceleration load, the Sport A/S tires provide ample grip and can lay down the power. ![]() All in all, the steering in my WRX feels “lighter” equipped to the factory 18-inch rims. The inner tread blocks are optimized for acceleration and braking, while the outer tread blocks are optimized for cornering. Despite a slightly softer sidewall compared to the stock summers, these tires are eager to change direction and react nicely to driver input. On dry pavement, the Proxes Sport A/S tires inspire confidence. Toyo Proxes Sport A/S UHP Review Breakdown Dry Performance Multiwave sips to help quiet the tire through tread wear.Improved rib design for braking, handling, and cornering.Specialized silica compound for better wet traction.A new set of 4 checked all the boxes listed above, without sacrificing performance as much as a standard A/S sedan tire. With those considerations in mind, I jumped at the opportunity to test out and review Toyo’s new Proxes Sport A/S Ultra-High Performance (UHP) tire. I don’t track it, autocross it, you name it, so I was willing to forego some performance in exchange for a more forgiving, quieter ride – to the joy of my girlfriend – and longer tread life. While I loved the performance aspect of the stock tires, my WRX is daily driven. In my search to replace those stock summers, I decided to explore the performance and ultra-high performance segments within the all-season tire category. While the sticky compound and stiff sidewalls were great for cornering and overall handling, they were loud, unforgiving, and saw short tread life. Purchased new, my 2017 WRX was delivered with stock performance summer tires.
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