Quiet tires for 340 18"

[Jaunty]

Hello

I'm a relatively new owner of a pearl white 340 with 110,000 miles and new member of this site.  In 6 months or so I'll be in the market for a new set of tires.  My priimary

objective is Smooth and QUIET.  Here in western Oregon we have lots of rain and almost no snow, and if we have a rare snow fall neither I nor my wonderful 340 will be out in it.

I guess that means a summer tire, 18" wheels, good in wet conditions, and complimentary with the legendary Lexus smooth quiet ride.  I have left behind the practice of rubbing the chrome off the door handles while negotiating corners.

Earlier posts of some years back had recommended Michelin Premier A/S but they didn't turn up on a Tire Rack search which did recommend Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S. Any comments or other suggestions?

Current tires are Cooper GSS Ultra touring, which seem noisy and sensitive to longitudinal pavement seams or ridges.  The noise comes at 50mph+ speeds and it sounds like wind noise from around the top of front doors and sunroof area.  (Yes, I checked for the obvious)  

Thank you for sharing any of your collective experience with these wonderful cars.  I'm thoroughly enjoying this website and the forums.

John T

 

[1990LS400]

You might want to look at the model on your trunk lid.  I don't think you have an LS340!

I see the Michelin A/S on Tire Rack as of today when I use both my Kansas zip code and Portland OR zip code.  I use 18" Michelin A/S on my Toyota van except during winter but don't know if I will buy another set.  They are, as advertised, very good on wet roads but they start out with only 8.5/32 inch of tread.  They seem quite and have worn very well for the low beginning tread depth. 

If you sort the Tire Rack results list for your 2004 LS430 by consumer rating, one of the tires that comes out at the top is the Bridgestone Turanza QuietTrack assuming you are looking for an all-season tire and not a summer tire.  Probably any highly rated tire with low noise ratings will fill the bill.

Costco is a great place to buy tires if you catch them during one of their frequent promotions but brands are limited to Michelin, Bridgestone and Goodrich.  I used to buy all my tires from Tire Rack but Costco has been far less expensive on the past bunch of sets I've bought.  

If you want a smoother ride than your 18" wheels provide, you could downsize to 17" or even 16" wheels.  The LS430 originally came with 16" wheels when it was introduced for the 2001 model year.

Door and window seals wear over the years and increased wind noise is inevitable.  If your windshield has been replaced, which would be likely on a 16 year old car, replacement windshields are sometimes not as quiet due to the glass qualities or installation.  The original replacement windshield on the LS430 was acoustic noise reducing glass.  If your windshield isn't labeled Toyota or Lexus, then you have an aftermarket windshield.  If so and if it's acoustic it should have the the word acoustic or a image of an human ear at one of the lower corners of the windshield.  If you have the Ultra Luxury or Custom Luxury option package, the side windows will be double pane.