SW17LS

8.3 is not a particularly good rating, at least I wouldn't view it as such. If you look at the Pirellis we've been talking about their rating has remained over 9.

Those GrandTrek's are an SUV tire. What sort of vehicle was this for?

I've personally not had issues with Dunlops and noise. Our LS400 came on a set of Dunlop SP Sport 4000 A/S and they were very quiet and nice riding, we had a few sets of them and the SP Sport 5000 A/S and we're happy with both, very short tread wear though. I know the OEM Dunlops that come on the GS aren't well regarded.

geko29

Please explain the method by which you determine that a tire will wear out after 15k miles during a 6-mile test drive. Or that they cost $50 more apiece than any of the far-superior replacement options?

And as others have mentioned, tires are a replaceable thing. In fact, they're a wear item. So I'm not exactly sure why I should choose not to buy a $50k car because the crappy rubber on them will cost $800 to replace. I bought the 2nd BMW knowing that I didn't like the Goodyear RFTs, but the car itself was awesome, and I got a wicked deal on it. I replaced them a bit sooner than anticipated (they were even worse than expected on rough roads and at low temperatures), but getting rid of them was always part of the plan.

One car I test drove when shopping that time actually came with pretty great tires--VW Golf R, with Pirelli P-Zero Neros. Not the very first ones I would have picked if I was choosing myself--would have gone with Michelin Pilot Super Sport, which is what my car currently wears in the summer months--but quite good nonetheless. Obviously I didn't go with the R, but by your logic I should have since it was the best-shod car that I test drove, by a wide margin.

mmarshall

I think Jill's point (and I tend to agree) is that, on a 50K car, one should not have to spend an additional $800 to get good rubber. Notice, for example, that the Lexus ES350....a car that, in most cases, will even give you back some change when you spend 50K, now comes from the factory with good Michelin tires.

SW17LS

SOME ES350s come with good Michelin tires. Some come with really awful Bridgetsone tires. It's luck of the draw.

Most people wouldn't even see an issue...tires are tires but to those of us who know better $800-$1000 investment in good tires brings out the best in the car.

The difference with my LS was night and day. I've had the new tires 4 months and it still surprises me.

chikoo

The Pirelli & Grandtrek for the ML350. The MXM4 for the BMW.

SW17LS

Gotcha. For an SUV the best tires I've had are the Michelin LTX M/S

mmarshall

Well, even more so, an LS (which, on the average, costs almost twice what an ES does) should not force its owner to spend extra on tires. Your point is well-taken, of course, that anyone who can afford a 70-80K new car can afford an extra $1000 or so for tires....but IMO it should not have to be that way. Plus, IMO (though this may not necessarily be the case at at a reputable Lexus service-shop, where advanced training is required)........over the years, I've seen a lot of bozos working at places like NTB, Merchants, Just Tires, etc.....that had little or no idea what they were doing with balancers, tire-mount machines, 90/180 turns on the rim, tire/wheel runout, proper calibration on the machines. On a Mazda Protege I once owned, when I went to get a new set of Michelin all-seasons for it, I had to take it to SIX different NTW shops in the D.C. area before I finally got a shimmy-proof mount with no steering-wheel shake. The NTB shop right next to Lexus of Rockville (you probably know where that location is) finally got it right. Forunately, there now seems to be fewer problems with the machines and store-technicians than back then.

(BTW, one of those six NTB shops I was in had a huge black, dark-tinted, long-wheelbase BMW 760iL up on the rack (probably cost at least 150K), frantically working on all four tires and wheels to try and get it ready. When I asked about it, they told me that Patrick Ewing, a star NBA player from the NY Knicks, was in town negotiating for a contract here, and that in the meantime he had left his car there for new tires. Some bozo in the shop, while trying to change the tires, ****ed-up the factory alloy wheels on Ewing's car, and they were rushing to give him a free set of the most expensive wheels they had in the shop that would fit his car LOL).

SW17LS

Whether or not it should be that way is beside the point, thats the way it is. That issue is not unique to Lexus, lots of manufacturers put crummy tires on their cars OEM. When I had the Jeeps people on the Jeep forums HATED the road biased tires that came on them that really hampered their ability in snow, etc. I'm not going to choose not to buy a car because I don't like the tires that come on it.

Yeah I don't take cars to places like NTB, Merchants, etc. I either get my tires at Radial Tire in Silver Spring, who does a great job, or I order them on TireRack or Tread Depot and have them installed at a great little shop in Germantown. The shop in Germantown has a road force balancer, Radial Tire does not but they still do a good job too.

Only two places I've ever had tires mounted and balanced right the first time, and with no damage to my wheels.

mmsharma

These are supposed to be SUV/Crossover tires. That likely means that they have stiffer sidewalls.

Any reason I should not put these tires on my 2007 LS460 ?

This is the only Michelin Premier A/S tire in my size. It shows up as compatible/fit with LS460 on tire web sites.

Will it make the ride rougher ? I like a quiet but not too soft ride. Current tires are Michelin MXM4 and I have like them.

thanks,
MMS

SW17LS

I assume you mean the Premier LTX? I would not put a crossover/SUV tire on the LS.

The Premier doesn't come in the LS' size

Johnhw2

My 2014 LS 460 L AWD has Michelin OEM tires which are basically out of tread at 24k miles. Is that normal and reasonable for this vehicle? The tires ride and handle fine. I have a slow leak in one and am considering changing all five in the next few months, as there is some useful but not much tread left. So for a spare I put the slow leaker in the trunk and the spare new tire on the ground. Need to get another tire so my spare is not a leaker but wanted some advice on better mileage alternatives to go to next across the board. If I am going that way, why not get a spare in that tire? Sure they wont be identical until I make the change in a few months but what is the issue with that? If I change brands and / or tires why not either get a "used" Michelin to cover the gap in time or the new tire even if its a different brand/motel than the new ones going on the ground? Any good sources of a used tire for the spare? Was going to try salvage yards. Someone recommended putting some tire flat fix product in the leaker others cautioned against doing that due to damage to wheel or unbalanced behavior even if it stops the leak?

geko29

Do you normally include the spare in your rotation? If not, it has plenty of tread left and can remain a spare, you don't need to replace it just because the other ones are worn out.

Johnhw2

It is basically new with lots of tread. To put it back in the spare service I need a replacement for the leaker which can not be repaired. Id rather not replace it with the same tires I have now unless that is the direction to go in a few months when I replace the rest of the tires due to wear. So looking to make the decision of which tire to go with no and make that the spare for now. The other option is to find a used tire matching the other four to run on until I decide which tire to go to in a few months. If I do this I will keep the new spare just put on the ground as my long term spare.

SW17LS

I would get 4 new tires and put the spare back in as the spare.

Johnhw2

I agree, the question is what tire to get, to find a better mileage but good riding tire as an alternative to the Michelin OEMs. Got 24k miles is all out of them thus far. Recommendations? Its a 19 inch since my car is AWD and long wheel base.