RX in NC

If any of you guys check out as a VW Cabriolet or Mazda Miata, be sure to let us know. We'll all pitch in and buy your new spring sundress for you....

I've seen the new CX9 only in print and TV commercials. I'm sure it's every bit if not more impressive than the CX7. But the CX9 would be too big for my wife. She's grown accustomed to those shoebox-sized SUVs now and probably will never drive anything bigger than a Grand Cherokee again....

This trend of larger and larger wheels with smaller and smaller tires is the dumbest thing the automotive world has come up with over the past five years. It makes absolutely no sense to have to spend significantly more money for a set of tires that lasts half as long and rides twice as hard. Maybe I can start a trend of selling stagecoach and covered wagon wheels to gullible kids who'll put any wheel/tire package on their cars as long as it delivers a larger diameter and a harsher ride....

Glad to hear that you had such a great experience at Capital Mazda. Considering our experience there, I'm not surprised. They appear to be a great dealership. Keep us posted on your impression of their service as your new vehicle proceeds through its warranty period. Keep Madsen Motors in your head for future reference. Trust me, Wayne Madsen will do you right. For those who choose to sell their vehicle as opposed to trading it in, Wayne is definitely the best way to go for an almost-perfect luxury-class vehicle usually just off lease with the bulk of the warranty remaining at the fairest price you'll find in the area. We found my wife's previous 2000 RX300 there as well as her current 2004 RX330. I don't believe that Wayne can help me with the "Big Iron" pick-ups that I prefer to drive, but as long as my wife prefers to stay with her vastly overrated RX series, I'm sure I'll go to Wayne for every one of them that we decide to acquire.... Oh, and on some weekday that you know you'll be in the RTP area during lunchtime, let's get together for a bite to eat. All I usually need is one day's notice. If you've never been to the Park Diner down Highway 55 a mile or so southeast towards Apex from the 54/55 intersection in RTP, that's a great place to grab some good food and conversation. It's in a little strip shopping center called Greenwood Commons....

Congrats on the new vehicle. As others have already said, that's a lot of car for the money. I'm curious - did you purchase it from Capital Mazda in Cary? My wife test-drove a CX7 there back in January and we were treated royally by the very respectful sales guy as well as by his female sales manager. We walked in off the street carrying a then-5-month-old puppy on a Saturday morning and after the test-drive they offered to let us take a CX7 demo home for a couple of days. My wife really liked the CX7 and if she had not found her current RX330 on-line later that weekend, she'd probably be driving a new CX7 now....

The Yokohamas get a majority of good reviews at tirerack.com. So do the Alenzas, but they are considerably pricier as you'll find out. I have the Alenzas on my wife's 2004 RX330 AWD with 18-inch rims. I believe that they are the best tire of the very limited choices in the 18-inch size requirement. If we still had my wife's 2000 RX300 AWD with 16-inch rims, I would go with another set of the Firestone Destination LE tires. Her first set was pushing 53,000 miles and still had a few thousand miles left when I sold the vehicle back in January. Great wet weather performance, good snow performance, a good riding tire, and obviously great treadwear capability. The Destination LE tires never hydroplaned on her RX300 and she drives in some pretty nasty summer thunderstorms between here and Tampa, Florida. They are usually priced a little less than the Yokohamas at tirerack.com. My second choice would be the Yokohamas. Good luck to you.

If you're looking for quality and not concerned about status, then just do the research and make your best choice. Last April I began looking for a pair of outdoor deck speakers to replace my 1989 vintage Bose pair that I've already had re-coned once and were starting to sound a bit fuzzy again. Naturally I started with Bose because that's what I've had for so long (in 1989 there were only a handful of companies building outdoor hi-fi quality speakers and Bose was the most prevalent). The $300-per-pair Bose units sounded good, but the $150-per-pair Yamaha units sounded better, were more compact, and came with the exact mounting hardware that I would need in my particular application. The warranties were comparable. So I went back home, got on-line, and checked out the many outfits who sell discounted stereo equipment over the net. The best discounted price I found for the Bose units was $275 per pair. But I found the better-sounding Yamaha units for $115 per pair at one site, then $85 per pair at another site, and then I finally found them for $65 per pair at etronics.com out of Brooklyn, NY. And their DHL ground shipping was free! I jumped on this deal and have been delighted with the quality and performance of these outdoor speakers. During the spring, summer, and autumn months, they are on almost every evening. If you're looking for new outdoor speakers for your deck, I highly recommend the Yamaha NS-AW150. I also recommend etronics.com - they had the best price and delivered on every single promise they made. Even my friends who are Bose owners have admitted that these Yamahas deliver a better sound for far less money. A classic case of a company (Bose) selling on reputation, not product quality or value....

Sounds as if the Marketing folks aren't communicating with the Technical Support folks and perhaps the Engineering folks as well. Throw in two different sub-companies (Bridgestone and Firestone), add the typical corporate red tape and roadblocks, and you get a recipe for the preliminary release of what is certainly mis-information at this point. Thanks for reporting this. It will be interesting to see how the situation finally shakes out. If Firestone would decide to build the Destination LE in a 235/55/R18 configuration, the problem would be solved at just over half the cost of a set of comparable Alenzas. I'm hoping that this will be the case by the time my wife's vehicle needs another set of tires....

Sorry - I should have been more specific in my reference to the Goodyear Wrangler. I was referring to the P-metric RT/S model as well as to the P-metric AP model. I've had two sets of RT/S tires on two different SUVs. Both sets were shot within 25,000 miles and their rain performance was dangerous from day one. I've also had two sets of AP tires, one set on an SUV and one set on a pick-up. They were marginally better than the RT/S, but still woefully lacking given what they cost at the time. I'm well aware of the expertise at Tire Rack and consult with them whenever I'm researching an upcoming tire purchase. I also peruse the reviews on their website, as well as contribute to them on occasion. But Tire Rack is not the only source that one should check with. Call the tire companies. Request their tech support toll-free numbers. Obtain the technical literature available on the tires you are considering. Talk with the folks who must support the tires, not sell them. You'll find their information to be far more trustworthy than anything you obtain from the marketing people. And speaking of Tire Rack reviews, spend some time reading the reviews of the RT/S tire and check to see where it falls within the top-to-bottom charts. You'll quickly learn that I am far from alone in my opinion of this being an essentially lousy tire....

I believe the Alenzas have been on the market in the 18-inch sizes for about 18 months. I do not know if any manufacturers use them as factory-equipped tires, but keep in mind that more and more car companies are factory-equipping their vehicles with average-to-poor tires, not best-in-class tires (which is a true crime in my book - who wants to purchase a $50,000 vehicle fitted with lousy tires?). But the car companies can save tons of money by purchasing lousy tires in massive bulk so they do it. Look at all of the new SUVs and trucks that come from the factory with Goodyear Wranglers or plain Bridgestone Duelers. Both are horrible tires that should never have seen the light of day. If my wife's RX330 had a 16-inch or 17-inch rim (like her old RX300 did), I wouldn't have gone with the Alenzas. I would have put a set of Firestone Destination LE tires on it. 60,000 mile treadwear warranty, built with the same UNI-T technology as the Alenza, almost as good a tire as the Alenza, all for almost half the price as a set of Alenzas. I had a set of 225/70/R16 Destination LE tires on her RX300 when I sold it back in January. Those tires were pushing 53,000 miles and still had another 4,000 to 5,000 miles left in them. If the Destination LE tires are offered in the 235/55/R18 application that her RX330 needs, I'll go with them in a heartbeat when the current Alenzas are done. With her RX300, I did find that the Destination LE tires performed better at about 37 psi compared to the 33 to 34 psi that I would typically run. I'm running her Alenzas right now at 34 psi. They are comfortable, quiet, and track perfectly. I may decide to bump them up to 36 psi to see if they deliver better fuel economy without harshening the ride. But I want the tires to be well-broken in first. Right now they have less than 3,000 miles on them. Hope this answers your questions and provides some info for your future tire research requirements.

I agree. A million dollars these days is unfortunately just a drop in the bucket. A catastrophic injury or illness can run through a million dollars in a heartbeat if your insurance situation isn't properly tuned for your particular circumstances....

No, I don't work for Bridgestone. Other than the Alenza, I've tried to avoid Bridgestone because my previous experiences with them proved that their treadwear life and wet traction was no better than average even when frequently rotated and properly inflated. And no, you're not messing with my livelihood. I make my living via the stock and options markets around the world. I just hate to see folks waste their hard-earned money when they buy into the Michelin hype with a very costly, very mediocre tire like the MXV4 S8....

You just don't get it. If you'll take the time to do and understand the research, you may finally be able to comprehend what I've been trying to convey in this thread. For warranty, new tread depth, wet handling, and longevity, the MXV4 S8 is a far inferior tire when compared to the Alenza. You may know cars, but you obviously don't know tires. As a result, you wind up doing people a disservice here with your rambling tire recommendations.

Just talked with Bridgestone Tech Support in Nashville (800-847-3272) and they confirmed that there are absolutely no plans to discontinue the Alenza - it is their flagship SUV tire and they cannot build enough of them right now to satisfy worldwide consumer demand. That is the only reason why the 18-inch Alenzas are currently on backorder at most of the retailers and tire discounters who sell them. Bridgestone is attempting to ramp up production to increase their Alenza output. Hopefully they can accomplish that without diminishing the quality and performance of the tire. Newtoncd, your contacts at Discount Tire probably fibbed to you in order to avoid losing your business. You may want to approach them with this information after you call Bridgestone Tech Support yourself to confirm what I've posted here. Sounds to me as if they owe you something for steering you into a tire that you may not have purchased otherwise....

I would be very surprised if Bridgestone does indeed discontinue the Alenza tire. It is the only decent tire that Bridgestone offers in its Dueler SUV series. Perhaps they are doing so only in the 18-inch size. Newtoncd, if you obtain a reason why from your Discount Tire contacts, please post it here. I'll try to reach Bridgestone tech support in Nashville and pose the question to them. If they confirm, I'll post it here. In response to the previous poster's comment about a tire looking too "butch", you would be foolish to decide a tire purchase based on "looks". In a high-speed accident your tires may be the only component of your vehicle that determines whether you and your passengers live or die. Don't be so superficial to reject a great tire because of how you think it looks. Do your research and make the best tire decision you can....

What is happening at Bridgestone is that more and more customers are realizing that the Alenza is the best all-around choice for SUVs with 18-inch rims and as that initial batch of 2004/2005 vehicles are now beginning to need their first set of replacement tires, the Alenzas are outselling Bridgestone's projections to this point so the dealers and tire warehouses cannot keep them in stock. The tirerack.com ratings and survey comments have really helped to sell this tire, as has the pricing structure. Plus, Michelin is shooting themselves in the foot by not offering a tire in this particular application range with a mileage warranty. As more tire buyers get savvy and informed, they will quit purchasing tires that don't offer mileage warranties, particularly when those tires cost a small fortune (as they do in the 18-inch low profile sizes). So much of Michelin's business plan these days is hype and marketing. Some of their tire products have really declined over the past five years or so. They still make some great tires, but they now make far too many average tires that are way overpriced and in certain applications have been overtaken by their competition. This 18-inch SUV tire arena is a perfect example of that....

Yep, you were very fortunate indeed. The way things are these days with drunk drivers out there at all times during the day and night, illegal aliens who drive without knowing how, kids who drive while phoning/gaming/watching TV, and my favorite Allstate insurance TV commercial talking about "Mr. Change-Your-Pants-While-Driving", none of us can ever afford to have anything less than 110% of our attention focused on what's going on around us whenever we drive. I always assume that the guy heading towards me is going to lose control and I plan accordingly.....

Unfortunately for those of us who despise being ripped off for $225 by dealership parts departments for sensors that are typically available elsewhere for less than half that amount, oxygen sensor quality and actual correct application fluctuates wildly out there on the open market. Bosch sensors seem to suffer the most from this problem, as reported over the last couple of years by the members here who have tried them. I'm all for finding excellent parts sources outside of the dealerships, but you really have to be careful with these Lexus/Toyota oxygen sensors. So before you purchase or order, be sure to ask about the terms and exchange policies up front in the event that your new sensor doesn't work for you. It appears to be somewhat of a crap shoot....

The Alenza is a far better tire than the Michelin Energy MXV4 S8. The Alenza has a 65,000-mile treadwear warranty while the Michelin has no treadwear warranty. The Alenza has a new tread depth of 12/32 while the Michelin new tread depth is only 9/32. The Alenza is rated much better in rain and snow conditions than the Michelin. Both tires are priced about the same, but with the Firestone sale noted by newtoncd, it becomes an even better deal. I've had the Alenzas on my wife's 2004 RX330 AWD for about 2,000 miles now and they blow the Michelins away. Keep in mind that the Alenza is a true SUV tire while the Michelin is designed for sedans and coupes. This is a no-brainer - if you want the far better tire for an SUV application, go with the Alenza....

Increased neighborhood patrols by the local law enforcement is great, and security lights should help, but your best bet to solve this problem once and for all is to scare those punks. Maybe you do that with your dog, maybe you do it by firing some blanks into the air, or maybe you do it similar to the way my buddy and I did years ago. Whatever way you choose, just have a well-conceived plan and ensure that you understand what the law does and does not allow you to do in your neck of the woods. I feel your pain - this is a major hassle and a constant source of worry for you. I've always told the law enforcement folks in our area that if they would just suspend all rules and regulations for me for only five minutes when I catch these punks, I would be happy to make their jobs that night a bit easier.... Keep us posted on what you decide to do and make sure you keep yourself and your family safe....

Your course of action probably depends upon the cooperation (or lack of cooperation) you receive from your local law enforcement folks. Call them now and report these incidents. Write down as much as you can recall about the situations before you call so you won't forget any details. Ask for increased nighttime drive-by patrols in your neighborhood using clearly marked law enforcement vehicles. Also ask about what particular courses of action you can take to protect your own property without overstepping your bounds. About ten summers ago our neighborhood had a problem with what we assumed to be teenage punk vandalism on some Friday and Saturday nights. Streetlights and landscaping lights would get broken, and in one case, a neighbor's motorcycle was taken from his garage, used in a joyride, and then returned and dumped on his lawn. All of this activity was reported to the local sheriff's department and we asked them to send a representative to a quickly-scheduled neighborhood watch meeting so we could voice our concerns in person and find out just exactly what we could do. A deputy came to the meeting, provided some common-sense neighborhood watch-type advice, and we let him know that we were forming a couple of two-person neighborhood teams that would patrol the neighborhood in the shadows and the woods all night long on Friday and Saturday nights. He advised us that if we spotted this activity again, we should immediately call his office to request a patrol unit. I told him that we would, but if my team happened to be on duty when these punks showed up, it might be a few minutes before we called because we might want to utilize a few scare tactics first. He advised us to stay within the concept of the local laws and we said that we would do so. But he clearly understood that a little neighborhood justice was going to take place before we called the sheriff's office. Two Saturday nights later, my buddy and I were on watch about 2:30 am, hiding in the neighborhood entrance landscaping, when a dark sedan with no lights on pulled into the neighborhood, cut the engine, and coasted over to the side of the road. A couple of kids who looked to be about 18 hopped out and headed for our entrance lights with what looked to be an old golf club to bash them in. They had no idea they were headed right for us, hiding just behind the treeline about 20 feet away, ready to pounce. When they started laughing and joking with each other about tearing up our lights for the third time, my buddy and I came flying out of the woods before they even had a chance to turn around. We scared the living sh*t out of both of them and they tried to get back to their car but we had them tackled from behind and duct tape wrapped around their bare legs before they knew what hit them. We dragged them up against the back of their car and told them if they tried to get up or even scream, we would duct tape their mouths as well. They sat there whimpering and begging us not to kill them while we just stared at them with our best Clint Eastwood faces. I'm 6'7", 250 pounds and my buddy is 6'4", 230 pounds. Those punks literally thought that their days on this earth were over, and that is exactly the effect that we wanted. We never threatened them verbally, never told them what we were going to do with them, we just stared and glared and "debated" between ourselves whether to "call the law or handle this ourselves", well within earshot of those two punks. Finally after about five minutes (which had to seem more like an hour to the punks) we dialed the sheriff's office on my buddy's cell phone and a patrol car showed up with lights flashing within ten minutes. Turns out those "kids" were 20 and 22 and had been breaking into houses for years to steal money and small electronics to sell to get money for their coke habits. It took several months but they eventually went through the court system here and were sentenced to active time, each one getting two or three years if I remember correctly. We've had a couple of thefts in the neighborhood since then, but no more of this routine vandalism that went on for weeks before we put a stop to it that summer night. So call the authorities in, start a neighborhood watch program if you don't already have one, and if you decide to take action yourself, be sure you find out exactly what your local laws will and will not allow you to do yourself. You have the right to protect your property, but you don't want to put yourself in a position to lose a lawsuit based upon the actions you took while doing so....

When we were upgrading the kitchen back in autumn 2004, my wife replaced her 1992 GE range/oven with a 2004 Bosch range/convection oven in stainless steel. It's been a fantastic unit with absolutely no problems thus far and it gets a tremendous amount of usage since she loves to cook for family and friends. I'm sure that Bosch top-line refrigerators are just as good as their convection ovens. I'd have no qualms about buying one. What I remember most about buying the Bosch range/convection oven was how heavy that sucker is. It took only the two of us to remove the old GE unit, but I had to go round up three more of my neighborhood buddies when I brought the Bosch unit home from Lowe's in my Ram pickup. It took four of us to get it off the truck, into the house, and installed in its place. But that just shows you how solid these Bosch units are built....

Routinely getting only 20,000 to 30,000 miles out of original brake pads and rotors is inexcusable in this day and age. I agree that the excessive weight of the vehicle combined with a set of brakes that appears to be underengineered for the job is probably the main culprit here. Newtoncd's point of being sure to utilize the updated components per the TSB is a good one. Like him, I prefer utilizing an independent shop for brakes - my experience has always been that they do a far better job.

My wife has had her current 2004 RX330 AWD for only about six weeks, but I can tell you that her previous 2000 RX300 AWD went over 80,000 miles before I put new brake pads on it. The rotors were fine and I decided that it would be foolish to turn them. I sold the vehicle at 128,300 miles - the current brake pads still had plenty of life left in them and the original rotors still looked good. No brake noise whatsoever. Are you constantly driving in stop-and-go city traffic and are you perhaps harder on the brakes than you originally thought?

The words "RX" and "performance" are mutually exclusive. Sorry, but you'd be wasting your money....