Toyo and Yokohama
Although Japanese brands Toyo and Yokohama are less high-profile, they produce quality winter tires for cars, including the Observe GSi-6, which was covered here when it was introduced almost two years ago. The successors to the popular GSi-5 series, the GSi-6 boasts good grip in snow and ice thanks to the manufacturer's Microbit technology, which involves including walnut shell dust in the tread rubber. And no, it's not true that squirrels try to chew on them!
The most important flaw of these tires has often been talked about is their noisiness, but we can say that Toyo's engineers have succeeded in mitigating that. I've heard from more than one motorist satisfied with the results delivered by Toyo winter tires. So we can easily recommend them.
The same goes for Yokohama, another Japanese brand that has a very good reputation but whose influence is perhaps a little less celebrated. Its IG53 model has finally made its mark on the market, and it has distinguished itself with good grip and a certain silence on the road. Some of the press cars we had were equipped with it and each time we were satisfied with their performance.
Incidentally, Yokohama also offers a light-duty truck tire that will be discussed in the next installment of our winter tire guide. It's the Geolandar, another good choice.
