Tire Dillema Continues...

SW03ES · June 6, 2004

Well now I have a nail and slow leak in one of the sorry Bridgestone Potenza RE92's on my ES so I'm back shopping for tires.

I was seriously considering the Continental ContiPremierContacts until I read that Horta over at CL was very dissapointed in their ride on his LS so they're off the list. I was looking at the Dunlop SP Sport A2 until steviej said he found them to have higher noise than his Bridgestones. So, I'm quite overwhelmed by this decision as what I am most concerned about it maximizing the smooth and quiet ride, handling and treadwear are secondary.

So I have it narrowed down to the following tires:

Michelin MXV4+ The old standby. Problem with these is their cost, at $123 a peice for the H rated (Almost $140 for the V's that also come on the ES). I'm sure being Michelins they are a good tire, but are they really worth at least $35 more a peice than the next comparable tires?

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?ti...romCompare1=yes

Dunlop SP Sport 5000. I have firsthand experience with these tires and know them to be smooth and quiet but they wore fast and cupped, although they were Z rated... $80 a peice

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?ti...romCompare1=yes

Toyo Proxes TPT. These are also somewhat expensive tires but I've heard good things and supposedly Toyo has a 45 day return policy which sounds great.

http://www.1010tires.com/tire.asp?tirebran...odel=Proxes+TPT

There are a few others that seem interesting like the Bridgestone Turanza LS-H (also expensive and I've heard some bad things about ride harshness) The Kumho Ectsa HP4 (which are incredibly cheap but I had one tire place say he would sell them too me but not mount them because of the liability) and the Falken Ziex ZE-512 which gets great reviews and is also real cheap...

Any advice is appreciated...

amf1932 · June 6, 2004

SW03ES-

How much mileage do you have on the Potenza's, and why would you like to change brands if you were happy with the quietness and smoothness of these tires?

On my '94ES it came from the factory with Dunlop's. I don't remember the exact model, but when I changed them to Pirelli P6000 Sportveloce's I liked them much more then the Dunlops......much quieter and the car seemed to handle better all around.

SW03ES · June 6, 2004

It has about 24,000 miles. I'm not at all happy with the Bridgestones they're coarse and unrefined not to mention they've worn prematurely.

amf1932 · June 6, 2004

Could you please elaborate on, "coarse and unrefined ".

I know that I have only about 8500 miles on my Bridgestones, but I have found them to be satisfactory all around so far......very quiet and smooth. The tires are inflated to 30psi. As far as premature wear, that I don't know yet, but upon inspection they seem to be wearing very evenly. They have been rotated once since new. :rolleyes:

fattyprice · June 6, 2004

You own a lexus. Step up and buy what you know you should. Michelin.

gbhrps · June 6, 2004

I'm very pleased with the Michelin MXV4's on our 97.

amf1932 · June 7, 2004

I didn't have the opportunity to pick and choose the tires when I bought my new ES. How many new owners of a new car would have them change tires? Not too many I would guess. ;)

Bigrick · June 7, 2004

I had Michelin MXV4's on my '97. Never again. They were terrible on wet surfaces and very noisy. Switched to Bridgestone Turanza LS-V and love them so far.

DobieG · June 7, 2004

I have the Michelin MXV4s on my 99 and love them. I had used Michelin's on all of my past cars and they've been great! My 2 cents worth! :)

SW03ES · June 7, 2004

You own a lexus. Step up and buy what you know you should. Michelin.

If I had been raised to automatically assume something is the best just because it costs the most then I would be driving a Mercedes. I was raised to know better than that which is why I own a Lexus. Please don't assume I am cheap or that I can't afford good tires simply because I am concerned about getting a good value for my money. I'm certain the Michelins are good tires but before I fork over 20% more than all other comparable tires I need to be assured that they are far superior in all pertinent aspects. The more I look around and get people's opinions it seems that as good or better tires can be had for less. Thats simply how people that know the value of money shop. There are many other tires from quality manufacturers like Dunlop that sell for far less. If I may remind you, Lexus ships their cars with Goodyears, Toyos, Bridgestones, Dunlops, AND Michelins. Lexus seems to think these tires are comparable.

You can do as you please, but unless you can give me some advice other than a statement like that, don't post in my thread.

Anyways...

Alan- The Bridgestones are fairly quiet on smooth pavement but they groan loudly on bad roads and are harsh over bumps. They also have a tendency to get flat spots and vibrate depending on the outside temperature. Wet traction has been subpar also. I've driven ES' with the Michelin tires (they come with the Bridgies or the Michelins) and they ride significantly better, at least IMHO. Check out the Tire Rack's reviews of the Bridgestones, they are one of the lowest rated tires they sell.

It seems to me like the MXV4's are a good tire, but not so great as to be worth the cash. I'm tempted to do the Toyos since they have that 45 day money back guarantee but they're still $20 more a peice than the Dunlops and I can't find anywhere legitimate to order them online (which I prefer to do from a cost standpoint and I like to have my guy install them)...

Also those of you that have gone from V to H rated tires, any adverse effects to the handling of the car?

blake918 · June 7, 2004

I've got the MXV4's on my Lexi. I think they are great tires. They always align, balance, and wear perfectly straight and even(respectively). My only complaint is that on some of the really old roads(it looks like aggregate paving to me! lol) down here they get noisey, but they aren't loud enough for me to not recommend them. I find wet traction to be great with these tires. I've hit some large puddles on the highway doing 70(I had to pull over to change my pants afterwards! lol...I didn't realize how big the puddles were), and the Michelins simply disperse the water without ever thinking twice! Also, with the rwd LS(I know you don't have to worry about this, but it's just another rave for the Michelins), the rear end is always very secure in the rain. :D I've read on tirerack that snow traction is less than stellar-living in DC this is probably something to look into. I'll buy them again, but next time I want V ratings(have H now). It seems like the unanimous vote is for the Michelins! :D

Best of luck with your delima. :D

:cheers:

steviej · June 7, 2004

Interesting thread.

lexusk8 and Lexusfreak rave about the Toyo's.

I am ok with the Dunlop A2's but as you recollect, I did say they were louder than the RE92's. The noise is very road surface dependent (old pavement is loud, new pavement is noiseless). They were superb in rain (any amount) and very grippy in snow. They are H rated and I found no difference in driving compaired to a V rated tire.

Had Michelin made the Hydroedge in an H rating, I would be on them. Same for Goodyear Aguatreds. They only come in T rating.

I am very interested in the Goodyear Eagle HS and the new Assurance. Both two very new tires.

I have heard mixed rating on the michies. Terrible in slightly wet surfaces and too costly to overlook the differences in price. However, they do run true and have incredible tread life.

good luck SW.

steviej

juan01 · June 7, 2004

Hey, you can't just fix the tire to save you some bucks?

jragosta · June 7, 2004

I'm still on the original tires on my Lexus, but I have used Toyo tires on my last car (2000 Acura TL). I was very impressed with the ride and sound level - noticeably better than the stock tires.

I can't say for sure if the same would apply on a Lexus, but my Toyo experience was positive. Since you get a trial period, you have little to lose (if you have to pay for having the old tires remounted, you will be out some money, of course. You would probably be better off if you buy from someone who carries both Toyo and Michelin so that you can replace the Toyos with Michelins at no charge if you don't like them).

SW03ES · June 7, 2004

Juan- Naa the tires on the car are sorry anyways, they're not worth the $20 to patch them. Its simply an excuse to buy better tires lol.

I just got off the phone with NTB and they said the Toyos were crap (not surprising as they don't sell them heh) and they actually reccomended the...Kumhos.....the same Kumhos Merchants tire said were unsafe :rolleyes: so much for talking to tire dealers and trying to get a fair shake sheesh.

I'm definately leaning towards the Toyort TPT I just need to find a store that sells Toyos, Michelins, and Dunlops to make sure I can trade if I'm unhappy.

SW03ES · June 7, 2004

Called Merchants back and they don't sell the Toyos either and have plenty of bad things to say about them (which is to be expected since they don't sell them).

Complicated, I wish TireRack sold them.

SW03ES · June 7, 2004

Alright, found a place and put a deposit on his last 4 Toyos in stock. They better be good cause they're way more than I wanted to spend , $135.99 a peice installed. Thats about $40 more each than the Dunlops...

I've got an appointment Thursday but I'm going to shop it online I think...

tundra-lover · June 7, 2004

I know the feeling man! When I bought my car a few months ago, it had bald snow tires, and bald summer tires! So, I went on the tire search my self! Now just for a little background, I love tires probably as much as women like shoes! I know truck tires better than anything else, so car tires were a bit of a challenge for me. Anyway, my search consisted of great looks, performance, and tire wear without spending a fortune- as my ex is sucking the funds out of me!

Now, my results were from every tire maker under the sun! I limited my self to about $90 per tire, and 360 tread wear, and a non-z rated entry level performance tire in a 225/55/16. I really liked the Michelin line-up, and many others like the Toyo- but price was a big factor, along with not finding them in a good size. I ended up finding a great tire made by Falken (Ohtsu) called the Zexuis, for $88 and had them siped. They look great, ride very smooth, and look like a high performace tire with a lot better tread wear! Check them out, if you can find them out there? I found them at Les Schwab in Salt lake. Good luck!

SW03ES · June 8, 2004

Score! I found them online for $87 a peice so that'll save me about a hundred bucks...

Lexusfreak · June 8, 2004

Gents,

I have driven on BOTH the Michelin & Toyo Proxes TPT's. The michelin is no where near the grip in wet & rainy weather as the Toyo's! Snow traction is more aggressive as well not to mention they are cheaper! What do you have to lose? I just came back from my honeymoon, drove from Toronto all the way to Key West Florida in my 01 ES and no tire noise, no loss of air pressure, handling & grip were awesome! Just did a rotation and if you read the forums here & in the ES threads......I have been praising the Toyo's up & down......I still am! My family runs on Toyo's & I will be putting a set of TPT's on my wife's 2003 Ford Focus ZX5 as well! Michelin is a fantastic tire no dought......but it depends on the model one get's! The Michelin comes a distant 3rd or 4th place behind the Toyo's & I'd purchase another set when these wear out, but probobly not for another 60,000 miles with proper maintenance Go with the Toyo's (V-Rated) & take the 30 day trial........you won't want to take them back afterwards. Good Luck! Any more questions you might have, feel free to PM me.

:cheers:

SW03ES · June 8, 2004

So the tire noise and ride are better with the Toyos than the MXV4s? I just found them for $74 each online and will probably order them tomorrow.

The Falken Ziex 512 looks great too but they look a little more aggressive.

Congrats on the marriage!

Lexusfreak · June 8, 2004

Thanks SW :D The tire noise is a non issue my friend.......Now I read earlier in this forum that one of the tire places you mentioned said bad things about the Toyo Proxes TPT's? OR Toyo in general? :unsure: All the tire companies make some garbage model tires such as for the Nissan Maxima back in 2000 & 2001 but having said that, the same can be said about Michelin, Bridgestone (the Ford Explorer fiasco!). The Proxes TPT's do not fall into this category.....I wouldn't be suggesting them to fellow Lexus members if I wasen't pleased with the performance, handling, price & overall value. You won't be disappointed......geez someone should forward this to Toyo USA & I should get paid for this stuff lol ;)

No worries SW, the Toyo's are a wise choice. B) The Falkin 512's I've heard both good & bad things depending on the ratio of the side wall........check out a canadian site: www.tiretrends.com on the right side of the screen you put the tire size & see what is available & the Toyo will be there along with the Falkin.....but big difference in the warranty for both tires so be carful & if memory serves, the Falkin's are an "ultra high performance tire" which in my own opinion is overkill for the ES.

:cheers:

NeiLtYmE · June 8, 2004

Sw03es,

the yokohama's i have, are really really quiet, the ride is real soft, and handling is great. much better than the dunlops i once had. The all season performance models by them are real good...

SW03ES · June 8, 2004

LF- Oh no I fully realize that the people who were badmouthing the Toyos were doing so because they don't sell them.

I found them for $75 a peice online so I'm going to order them!

Lexusfreak · June 9, 2004

Wise choice SW B) Once you get them on your ES, let me know how they are performing (send me a PM if you like). I'm very confident you will be very happy with your decision. Keep us posted.

:cheers: