Winter Tires...

[Jim Nazium]

I run separate factory rims, with a set of Blizzak DM-Z3 for winter use.

Cheers,

MadloR

[mrc88dal]

I run four Blizzak DM-Z3's on a separate set of alloys.

Mark

[dadcat]

I use Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 in size 225/60HR18 on factory OEM wheels.

[Jim Nazium]

I use Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 in size 225/60HR18 on factory OEM wheels.

Hmm, interesting choice. I read the spec's on the Blizzak LM-25 and like the fact that this tire, like most other winter tires available from other winter tire manufacturers, use a constant tread compound throughtout.

The Blizzak DM-Z3's use the original concept 55% Link Multicell Compound while the remaining 45% features a standard winter tire compound.

How many miles have you driven on them?

Have you noticed any irregular tread wear?

Does it feel like the weight of the vehicle and the undersizing (225 instead of 235 mm) of the contact patch, overwhelms the tire any?

I know as a rule it is preferred to drop one size in width, and up one ratio in sidewall height, to give the same rolling diameter for winter tires, but I do find that the massive weight and the factory tire size chosen by Lexus to be too little. I wouldn't oversize the contact patch for winter, but I did for my summer tire and find the ride and handling much improved.

Cheers,

MadloR

[Jim Clark]

You guys in the great white north really do need winter tires. In VA we rarely get significant snowfall and it usually warms up fairly quickly and melts. We'll leave the stock Michelin A/S tires on for the winter. I'll take the 400 out and test it the first time we get some slippery stuff this year. With AWD and traction control, it should be just fine. Although, our cars are "primarily" FWD. The Lexus AWD system can not compare to the likes of the Audi Quattro (traded for the 400) or my Jeep Grand Cherokee. If we get some serious stuff, my Jeep with "real" AWD and excellent Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo's can go through anything.

[SOMEONE ELSE'S GOT MY NAME]

Spare rims, Big 'O' tires with snow studs. Don't know what brand they sold us, we just told the guy to 'Put whatever size will match the existing Michelins'.

[Jim Nazium]

Spare rims, Big 'O' tires with snow studs. Don't know they sold us, we just told the guy to 'Put whatever size will match the existing Michelins'.

I remember a long while ago, when I purchased my first ever Mercedes 1990 C260 (had it for only one year, proved to be the worst new car I ever owned, a real lemon) it was rear wheel drive and INCREDIBLY had no "limited slip differential".

In winter it was a real handful, especially accelerating even at slow speed, the vehicle would accelerate forward like a sand crab (ever see one of those cars driving down the road that has had its frame repaired, though not quite true).

I had no choice but to invest in full blown winter tires that were studdable. It was HORRIBLE, in terms of driveability in anything other than snowstorms. Any dry weather condition or speed proved to be like a cat standing on all fours. Oh and the noise, I couldn't stand it.

Anyhoot soon after the car made me sick whenever driving it for extended periods of time. It was discovered, but never repaired (to my knowledge), that fuel vapors were entering the cabin, ever so faintly that you would never realize it at first and after becoming accustomed to it you still couldn't notice it until getting out of the vehicle.

Cheers,

MadloR

[wwest]

My '01 AWD RX300 remains shod year 'round with nice and quiet and comfortably riding summer use Bridgestone Turanzas.

I have a set of tire chains on board all year around for the rear and add the second set for the front before thanksgiving each year in preparation for being inadvertently "caught out" in adverse weather. MY RX doesn't leave its nice and warm garage in KNOWN adverse conditions, our '94 AWD Ford Aerostar has that duty.

[Jim Clark]

My '01 AWD RX300 remains shod year 'round with nice and quiet and comfortably riding summer use Bridgestone Turanzas.

I have a set of tire chains on board all year around for the rear and add the second set for the front before thanksgiving each year in preparation for being inadvertently "caught out" in adverse weather. MY RX doesn't leave its nice and warm garage in KNOWN adverse conditions, our '94 AWD Ford Aerostar has that duty.

If your Turanzas are truly a "summer" tire, their rubber compounds are not designed for cold weather. Handling and ride, even in dry conditions, will suffer in the cold, could be dangerous in cold/wet combination. If you want to run the same tires all year, there are excellent all-season options which will probably be as good as the Turanzas all year and much better in the winter. Also, probably no need for the chains. Which Turanza do you have? They make A/S models.

[SOMEONE ELSE'S GOT MY NAME]

I remember a long while ago, when I purchased my first ever Mercedes 1990 C260 (had it for only one year, proved to be the worst new car I ever owned, a real lemon) it was rear wheel drive and INCREDIBLY had no "limited slip differential".

In winter it was a real handful, especially accelerating even at slow speed, the vehicle would accelerate forward like a sand crab (ever see one of those cars driving down the road that has had its frame repaired, though not quite true).

I had no choice but to invest in full blown winter tires that were studdable. It was HORRIBLE, in terms of driveability in anything other than snowstorms. Any dry weather condition or speed proved to be like a cat standing on all fours. Oh and the noise, I couldn't stand it.

Anyhoot soon after the car made me sick whenever driving it for extended periods of time. It was discovered, but never repaired (to my knowledge), that fuel vapors were entering the cabin, ever so faintly that you would never realize it at first and after becoming accustomed to it you still couldn't notice it until getting out of the vehicle.

Cheers,

MadloR

So, if I hear you correctly, you're saying the Benz handled like crud, regardless of whether it had studs (on clean roads) in the winter, or whether it didn't. It must have been particular to that Benz. The 400h runs true & straight with studs. I had to bring the 400h down from MT to So. Cal. last winter. It was snowy all accross MT, ID, and UT before the snow stopped. So entering Arizona, the stud 'grinding' noise began. Yep, the noise gets anoying (plus, they'e illegal in many states ... but I got lucky and didn't get caught ... and that was 2,500 miles round trip !! )

[Jim Nazium]

No, what I was saying was the benz was not driveable in the winter, period. I had trouble pulling away from a stop light, busses were literally blowing me away. The only recourse was studded winter tires. They are truelly the ultimate in winter ice traction. Nothing can compare to it, but the 95% of the time you are driving on ashpalt and the noise is very tiresome and the handling is rather precarious. And, like you said many states no longer tolerate studded tires, they are very hard on the roads for obvoius reason.

Cheers,

MadloR

[dadcat]

I use Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 in size 225/60HR18 on factory OEM wheels.

Hmm, interesting choice. I read the spec's on the Blizzak LM-25 and like the fact that this tire, like most other winter tires available from other winter tire manufacturers, use a constant tread compound throughtout.

The Blizzak DM-Z3's use the original concept 55% Link Multicell Compound while the remaining 45% features a standard winter tire compound.

How many miles have you driven on them?

Have you noticed any irregular tread wear?

Does it feel like the weight of the vehicle and the undersizing (225 instead of 235 mm) of the contact patch, overwhelms the tire any?

I know as a rule it is preferred to drop one size in width, and up one ratio in sidewall height, to give the same rolling diameter for winter tires, but I do find that the massive weight and the factory tire size chosen by Lexus to be too little. I wouldn't oversize the contact patch for winter, but I did for my summer tire and find the ride and handling much improved.

Cheers,

MadloR

To answer your questions, I only drove about 2K miles on the Blizzak LM-25's last winter and the wear seems to be negligible. The tires seem to handle nearly as well as the OEM Michelins, in spite of the smaller footprint. The LM-25 is considered to be a performance winter tire (H rated) and had a high rating from Consumer Reports last year.