Tires For Handling

[ladytigress]

I have an 01 es300 and want to know if Michelin is my best option? I just didn't like how they handle...i like to Drive...

[gbhrps]

lady tigress,

Its unusual for the female owners to ask this kind of a question, but since no one has jumped on this thread to answer you , I can off er the following.

Everyone will have a different answer for you, just like the argument of Ford versus Chevy versus Ram, as to who makes the best pickup.

Then again, an ES is not sprung or designed for slapping around on the road, as a Toyota Supra for instance. This only complicates your question.

To get a close to best answer for you, would be to go online to TireRack.com, fill out your vehicle's year, make and model, and driving patterns and see what they suggest. They pretty much sell tires made by all the tire manufacturers out there, and will be about as unbiased and knowledgeable as any source you could find. Good Luck in your search!

[Antony13]

Tigress...What he said...

I just picked up some Michelin Premier A/S, I got the H rated, But for You, and for "driving" and for speed, I would spend 4 dollars more per tire and go with the "V" rated, they should balance out better, already have a better speed rating, while still being very smooth and have excellent wet traction. For sporty days, 36-38 lbs makes a difference. Get the best 4 wheel alignment in town. leoman57

[VBdenny]

It about comes down to this. H rated tires are probably your best bet. They'll handle up to a sustained buck thirty and have a decent ride, handling and wear. V rated tires will handle a buck and a half, give better very aggressive handling and give a harsher ride. V tires also wear out faster. As far as brands go, that is a very personal choice which people develop over years. As previously suggested, read the reviews and advice on Tirerack as you will learn. I'm pretty particular about tread designs and I almost always upsize. Ex. 215/65-16 to 225/60-16.

[lenore]

Look at the Yokohama Parada X tire, incredible handling....sticks like glue....from my experience and lasted 44k miles.

[ppine]

I just bought a 2005 Es 330 that came with 18 inch rims and 45 series tires. They are Michelins and V rated. The car will go around curves pretty well for a luxury car, because there is little squirm in the tires. On crummy pavement there is a more bumpy ride. This reminds me of a conversation I had with my Dad who has owned some great cars. At 90 he still drives a Lexus SC 430. His question is "what are you trying to do with the car?"

[mpohio]

I am about to pick up some Pirelli Cinturato P7s for mine. Great reviews and they can be had for $524 installed and you get a $60 visa card.

Wondering if anybody has a reason not to get the P7s??

Thanks, Mark>

[drivingmissdaisy]

I have an ES330 and had Michelin Primacy twice on past 330s, however the folks at Costco today said these are phasing out and they could offer me Michelin's replacement which is the Premier. My new 16 inch 215/60s performed well for responsiveness and handling, however, I really think that there is a little more tire resistance with these. My reason for thinking this is that I felt like when I let off the accelerator, it slowed much faster, as well as my mileage was 5-10% worse on today's 200 mile highway drive right after having them installed, compared to the previous Primacy tires. Aside from mileage, they were quite responsive and smooth/straight driving.