Daily driving
Touring & eco
With economy-tier power and daily driving, your tyres have an easy life. Spend on wet braking and longevity, not outright grip.
The Toyota HiLux 2.8 Double Cab is a all-wheel drive ute with 150 kW and a kerb weight of 2,100 kg. That’s 71 kW per tonne, in the economy tier. City cars, small hatches, workhorse utes and big 4x4s. The tyres have an easy life.
71kW/t
Likely under the P-plate limit. Under 130 kW/t on kerb weight. Legal eligibility uses tare mass, and engine modifications or a banned listing can still rule a car out. Check eligibility →
SR5/Rogue 18in
265/60 R18 110HBest in this size →
Factory sizes. Wheels get changed: your tyre placard, in the driver’s door jamb, is the authority on size, load index and speed rating.
For a mild, wet climate. Cold and snowy climates are further down.
Daily driving
With economy-tier power and daily driving, your tyres have an easy life. Spend on wet braking and longevity, not outright grip.
Gravel & off-road
For gravel and dirt, an all-terrain's tougher carcass matters more than outright grip.
Also consider: if you rarely leave the bitumen, touring.
Estimates from power and weight. The tyre placard on the driver’s door jamb is the legal minimum.
Touring & eco: character
Cold winters, little snow
Your tyre: All-season / all-weather
Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 · Continental AllSeasonContact 2 · Michelin CrossClimate 2
If you'd rather run summer tyres: Touring & eco
Michelin Primacy SUV+ · Continental EcoContact 7 · Michelin Energy XM2+
Snow and ice
Summer set: Touring & eco
Michelin Primacy SUV+ · Continental EcoContact 7 · Michelin Energy XM2+
Winter set: Winter
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 · Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 · Continental WinterContact TS 870 P
If you want one set: All-season / all-weather
Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 · Continental AllSeasonContact 2 · Michelin CrossClimate 2
All-wheel drive: replace all four
Keep all four tyres the same make, model and near-identical tread depth. Many AWD systems tolerate only 2–3 mm of difference before the centre coupling or diff is strained, so a single damaged tyre can mean replacing the set, or shaving a new one to match.
Ute
If you tow or carry heavy loads, Light Truck (LT) construction gives stronger sidewalls and a higher load rating. Check pressures laden versus unladen: most utes list both on the placard.
Buying only two?
On AWD, avoid it. On other cars, put the new pair on the rear axle: grippy rears keep the car stable when braking or cornering in the wet.
From the factory: 265/60 R18 110H (SR5/Rogue 18in). Wheels get changed, so check your car's tyre placard, in the driver's door jamb, before buying.
71 kW per tonne (96 hp per tonne), from 150 kW and a 2,100 kg kerb weight. That puts it in ratio's Economy tier.
For everyday driving, touring & eco tyres. Good options include the Michelin Primacy SUV+, Continental EcoContact 7, Michelin Energy XM2+. Always match or exceed the load index and speed rating on the car's tyre placard.
Likely, on power-to-weight: at 71 kW per tonne on kerb weight it is under the 130 kW/t limit for P-platers in NSW, Victoria and Queensland. Legal eligibility uses tare mass, and engine modifications can still make a car off-limits.
Cars in the Economy tier typically run T or H-rated tyres. The legal minimum is whatever your placard, on the driver's door jamb, specifies.