Toyo Proxes T1 Sport tyre review

A step behind the top performers in most of our assessments. A new design can’t come soon enough.

Toyo returns to our tyre tests after an absence of several years, and the Proxes T1 Sport found it hard going, particularly when faced with products made specifically to meet the demands of tyre labelling.

While there have undoubtedly been refinements, this tyre has been around for a number of years now, and it shows with disappointing fuel efficiency ratings of E and F for the entire range. So it was no surprise to see the T1 Sport finish at the bottom of the pack in the rolling resistance test – it would get through about seven per cent more fuel than the best, and Toyo will be well aware how similar this is to Chinese rival GT Radial.

Just like the Champiro UHP1, this tyre was at home on the dry handling track: it felt lively and encouraged you to push. Keen turn-in was backed by good grip on the throttle – often past the point where you’d have to lift off with some rivals.

Yet this only translated into an eighth-place finish in the dry braking test, as the Toyo took nearly two metres further to stop than the winner. It was close to the pace in wet handling and cornering. On the former it had good balance and required less lock than some rivals. The rear was also stable, giving a secure feel when approaching the limit. It fared less well in our wet braking test, taking a metre longer to stop than the best.

It dropped away from the leaders in the deeper water of the aquaplaning tests, but the margins were unusually tight. So while the T1 Sport finished ninth, it was by no means disgraced.