Tires For Rx300

[camisia]

Michelin Cross Terrain. Period. I have a 2001 and they have made a world of difference. Ice...get chains.

[Lexusfreak]

Michelin Cross Terrain. Period. I have a 2001 and they have made a world of difference. Ice...get chains.

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Actually on tirerack, the Yoko's are rated higher than the Michelin's for winter & snow traction ;) & get chains for ice? How about not going out at all? B)

[lisag]

has anyone tried the Yoko's? A dealer said that he's putting them on all the police cruisers. I'm also tire shopping to replace the original Goodyear Integrities on the RX300. They are terriible in the snow and are worn out at 39,000 mi. I'm looking for a nice quiet luxury ride with safety (snow and ice) in mind. Actually - isn't this vehicle really an all wheel drive CAR, not a true SUV - meaning - should it have SUV tires or CAR tires? I'm going nuts trying to decide if I want to spend the $ for the michelin cross terraine's (remommended by BJ's and Sears) or the Yoko or Toyo - which I am just learning about. Running out of time though, next snow storm is coming!

Edited January 30, 2005 by lisag

[lisag]

I'm looking for recomendations for new tires for my 2001 RX300. I need tires that will preform well on snow and ice.

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wondering which tires you decided on - can't seem to decide. Are you happy with them?

[MingF]

Hi....I own a 99 RX300....and I purchased a four Continental tires. They were Continential SUV...that's the tire's model. I was going to purchase the LTX or the Cross-Terrain..but the Lexus service representative at the dealer said that the LTX and the Cross-Terrain are meant for more hard-core SUVs...like the Jeeps, Ford Explorer and Dodge Durango..which are heavier cars with heavier suspensions. The guy told me that thsoe tires would be much louder and not as smooth of a ride ...cuz those tires are not as refined as the Continental SUV tires. Plus he said the RX300 handles much like a car rather than a truck feel...like the Jeeps...so he said the LTX may not be as good. So I purchased the Continential SUV tires...n they have been really good in the snow, rain n summer driving. It's a quiet ride too. I've had them for 2 years now and I'm still very pleased. The service guy also told me that Continental tires are also found on some of the BMWs, MBs and Volvo's suvs. Not sure if they are the same tires i have on my RX, but they say continental tires make pretty good tires for luxury cars that run smooth and are quiet. Nonetheless....the LTX and Cross-Terrain are still good tires...but you may find a bit more road noise from the tires....I've seen some RXs on the road with the LTX...so I guess it's still a good choice. Good luck on shopping for tires!

[SW03ES]

I think that might be more of a dealership "let me talk down what I don't sell and talk up what I do sell" type of deal. Lexus dealers have unbelievable markups on tires. Almost breathtaking. They also have an annoying habit of having no idea what they're talking about. My dealer told me that the only tires that can be put on my car are Michelin MXV4s and any other tire would be dangerous, which is preposterous. For one thing the ES even comes with Bridgestone, Toyo, and Dunlop tires from the factory. It didnt take long to realize why they said that when I found out they charged $270 a tire for the Michelins, a $120 markup from most tire chains.

The LTX M/S, Pilot LTX and Cross Terrain are about as sedate as SUV tires go, certainly not any more rugged than the Continental SUV tires. I'd stay away from them because they had a recall on them a few years ago with tread seperation similar to what happened with Firestone, just not as publicised because it didn't effect as many people. As a result of that Mercedes Benz and Lincoln (who used them on the ML and Navigator SUVs) stopped selling them and switched to Michelins. I know Lincoln uses the Pilot LTX and I think Mercedes uses the Cross Terrains.

[lisag]

but - if this is really just a luxury AWD stationwagon (raised higher) wouldn't a car tire make more sense than a AWD light truck/ suv tire? Would AWD change the type of tire? Now if someone made (or marketed ) a tire designed for luxury AWD's they would get the market ...michelin is saying that their cross terraine was made for the luxury SUV in mind - is there one out there for ours?

[SW03ES]

Its getting so that the lines are really blurred though. You can certainly put a car tire on the RX, in fact they come with car tires. The Goodyear Integritys are the same tires that come on the Toyota Prius and Corolla for instance and they came standard on the RX. The problem is it can be difficult to find car tires that come in the RX' size. If you want better traction moving to a sedate SUV tire live the LTX, Pilot LTX, CrossTerrain will be easier to find in that size and shouldn't have any real degredation in the ride.

Trust me, I know where you're all coming from. Buying tires for these things is very traumatic, they ride so nice and unlike other good riding cars (Lincolns, Cadillacs) a lot of the ride is dependent on the tires. You can put Sears brand tires on a Lincoln and it'll ride the same, but the same tires make a Lexus ride like a brick.

[lisag]

Its getting so that the lines are really blurred though. You can certainly put a car tire on the RX, in fact they come with car tires. The Goodyear Integritys are the same tires that come on the Toyota Prius and Corolla for instance and they came standard on the RX. The problem is it can be difficult to find car tires that come in the RX' size. If you want better traction moving to a sedate SUV tire live the LTX, Pilot LTX, CrossTerrain will be easier to find in that size and shouldn't have any real degredation in the ride.

Trust me, I know where you're all coming from. Buying tires for these things is very traumatic, they ride so nice and unlike other good riding cars (Lincolns, Cadillacs) a lot of the ride is dependent on the tires. You can put Sears brand tires on a Lincoln and it'll ride the same, but the same tires make a Lexus ride like a brick.

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Thanks - my mechanic (not a lexus dealer) was recommended the OE tires - asking me if I liked them when they were new (well - I really don't have anything to compare them to - of course I did - I bought the car because I liked the ride!) Anyway - an owner of a tire store was leading me toward the same tires used for OE stating that OE tires are often inferior - they are after market ones sometiimes and that buying them as a replacement many times gives you a bettter product.

Anyway - based on this forum and my research I plan on purchasing Michelin CT's or LTX (if I can get them for a decent price), Yokohama Geolanders or Bridgestone Dueler H/L's(suppossed to be similiar to the Michelins). Cooper also makes an all terrain but I think that may be a little too aggressive.and my mechanic doesn't like Cooper's (he did suggest a Mastercraft though which is made by ccoper) The Michelin's are so darn expensive and I've heard they wear out faster and the sides damage easily and something about aluminum rims and rim leaks......but hands down ...I wish didn't start this research - I'm learning more that I want to!

[SW03ES]

I can't speak for the Cross Terrains or the Pilot LTX's but the Michelin LTX M/S are the longest wearing tires I've ever had, I replaced my last set on my Explorer after 100k miles and they could have gone another 15k or so. I'd never put any other tire on an SUV. Never any loss of air or any problems with the sidewalls.

Your mechanic is right about the OEM, a lot of times the same model tire purchased aftermarket will be higher quality than OEM.

[lisag]

i guess what I am afraid of with with the suv tires is losing that beautiful luxury Lexus feel! are the Michelin LTX's for luxury vehicles - a Ford Explorer is more of a rugged, real 4WD SUV. And which are more "sedate" - the CT's or LTX's?

[SW03ES]

You won't, the LTX is a very soft tire. Michelin should have a 30 day test ride don't they? You could try them out.

As for which are more sedate the Michelin website has "ratings" of each tire that at least tells you how they feel.

[lisag]

Thanks - I finally made a decision - called around and put aside 4 of the Michelin Cross terrains at BJ's - best price and included road hazard (which I wasn't going to purchase but their price was still lower) and I have time to get them installed tomorrow. I think I may need an alignment, but I will have that done elsewhere (based on my mechanic's recommendation - and he doesn't do alignments). Obsessed over the fact that these tires are so much more expensive than many other brand but.......this is a really nice car!

By the way - I think that it is interesting that my mechanic was unable to get a good price on these tires - he basically told me to go for it at BJ's if I wanted Michelins's - he was able to get a good price on almost every other brand!

[SW03ES]

COngrats! My guess is you'll be happy with them.

BJs+Costco etc usually have the best prices on tires, DEFINATELY get the alignment done, you should always have an alignment done when you have new tires put on.

[Lexusfreak]

Thanks - I finally made a decision - called around and put aside 4 of the Michelin Cross terrains at BJ's - best price and included road hazard (which I wasn't going to purchase but their price was still lower) and I have time to get them installed tomorrow.  I think I may need an alignment, but  I will have that done elsewhere (based on my mechanic's recommendation - and he doesn't do alignments).  Obsessed over the fact that these tires are so much more expensive than many other brand but.......this is a really nice car!

By the way - I think that it is interesting that my mechanic was unable to get a good price on these tires - he basically told me to go for it at BJ's if I wanted Michelins's - he was able to get a good price on almost every other brand!

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Good Luck! They should perform quite well. B)

[RX in NC]

Since you're still troubled by the significant expense of the Michelins, I recommend you check out the Yokohama Geolander HT-S G051 at tirerack.com. You'll spend significantly less money and that choice is a better bang-for-your buck as well. The G051 is rated higher than both the Cross Terrain and the LTX M/S. I think the G051 is the best overall tire deal in the small-to-medium SUV category at the current time. Nothing wrong with Michelin if you want to spend top dollar - but like many of us, it sounds as if you prefer not to....

[SW03ES]

Yeah nothing wrong with that, Yokohama makes an excellent tire. I can only speak about the Michelins because of my experience.

[dal]

Thanks - I finally made a decision - called around and put aside 4 of the Michelin Cross terrains at BJ's -

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You will not be disappointed with the Cross Terrains - initially and for a long time. Mine still going strong with 50k on them and never a regret on the premium price.

[lisag]

shooot - would you believe that the order never arrived at BJ's - told me to try again next week.....and did anyone ever hear that huge chains llike wholesale clubs get "inferior" tires??? And does it really matter who puts them on and balances them? Wouldn't any reputable shop give staff training and have proper equipment or is there also art and skill involved?

[Lexusfreak]

Since you're still troubled by the significant expense of the Michelins, I recommend you check out the Yokohama Geolander HT-S G051 at tirerack.com.  You'll spend significantly less money and that choice is a better bang-for-your buck as well.  The G051 is rated higher than both the Cross Terrain and the LTX M/S.  I think the G051 is the best overall tire deal in the small-to-medium SUV category at the current time.  Nothing wrong with Michelin if you want to spend top dollar  -  but like many of us, it sounds as if you prefer not to....

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I beleive I have already suggested these tires in this thread. ;) B)

[dal]

and did anyone ever hear that huge chains llike wholesale clubs get "inferior" tires???  And does it really matter who puts them on and balances them?  Wouldn't any reputable shop give staff training and have proper equipment or is there also art and skill involved?

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not likely - to the best of my knowledge Michelin does not distribute seconds. Your chances of getting a fake are equal anywhere, but I haven't heard of this issue with Michelins.

And does it really matter who puts them on and balances them?  Wouldn't any reputable shop give staff training and have proper equipment or is there also art and skill involved?

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The machines that balance and align provide significant precision which minimizes art and skill. However, if the person using the machines isn't qualified or doesn't follow what the machine says, then you could have a problem. Could be the case at any shop. I recommend that when you bring it in, a friendly question asked innocently with the shop manager 'is the guy working on this a pro on RX300s - a long timer with your shop - any special issues with mounting/alignment on the RX' will give him the impression you are intent on a getting a good result. And then, if something does go wrong, you can go back and refer to your original question. Ask friendly. Remember to get the white letters mounted on the inside - some of the CTs have white letters without a black wall option.

Your ride should be smooth as silk - take it back if there is any wobble or shudder on the wheel. Sometimes things do go wrong.

[SW03ES]

In my experience these things are a PITA to balance properly. Mine had to be balanced twice and my dad had problems on both his 98 and 04 LS's. That doesn't mean BJs can't do it, it just may mean they need a couple of cracks at it.

[lisag]

So....now that I want the darn tires I have to wait -not in stock locally - took too long to decide and slipped and sllided in the New England snow today. However, continued doing research and may go with the Toyo Open Country M410's. - but can't find thoses in stock either - over $200 difference in price!!! I can't believe the time I have spent (and wasted) on this project - in the past I never paid any attention to tires. Thanks for the education.

[SW03ES]

Ehhh I'd stick with the Michelins over the Toyos. Can you get them from Tire Rack?

[dal]

So....now that I want the darn tires I have to wait -not in stock locally - took too long to decide and slipped and sllided in the New England snow today.   However, continued doing research and may go with the Toyo Open Country M410's. - but can't find thoses in stock either - over $200 difference in price!!!  I can't believe the time I have spent (and wasted) on this project - in the past I never paid any attention to tires.  Thanks for the education.

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Regarding tire rack, I purchased the Cross Terrains there, as well as two other sets of tires for other vehicles and can only report outstanding service. Ordered online Tuesday noon and they arrived at my house (DC) Thursday noon- regular delivery. For east coast they come from Delaware. Can also have delivered to dealer or installer if you like - they have a list of installers you can use. Dealer installed for $15 per tire - very reasonable. A few dollars more than BJs, but can avoid the hassle you've encountered. No sales tax, add delivery and it comes out pretty close in my recent comparisons. Tire Rack defined online tire market and forced change in the retail tire business - much to the buyer's benefit. A quality outfit.