lvdrumn

Hi All

I'm new here, and just registered today.

I had to chime in regarding the diferences between various rated tires. Yes, ther is a major difference between an H and V rated tire. It's basically the rubber compound. V-rated tires are much softer and much more quiet. Typically, the don't last as long as an H-rated tire, due to the softer rubber.

As for what manufacturer, that depends on your preference. The best all-around performance touring tire is the Michelin Pilot Sport. However, there are others like the Bridgestone Potenza line that are a close second. Also, there are many Japanese brands that are pretty good, especially when you consider the lower ticket price.

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask. I work for a large tire distributor as the marketing director.

Regards,

Stephan

bill.rock

I am not an authority on tires, but I do work for Michelin and have been around them for a while. I don't know if you know this, but Michelin owns BF Goodrich tire brands. So, a lot of the technology that Michelin has been known for is now in brands like BFG... as well as Uniroyal (Which Michelin also owns).

Personally, I have always ran Michelin MXV4 - H rated. Unless you plan on being on a test track or are an extremely demanding driver... on the track, you probably don't need V rated tires. However, if your vehicle was orginally fitted with V rated tires, the dealer is required to offer original speed rated tires.

As for the MXV4s - I think they handle great, they're quiet, and the last a long time - if you take care of them and rotate them.

I have a Lexus ES300 and I run MXV4s. If you want to go with a little more boldness in the tread pattern, try looking at the Michelin Hydroedge. It has very high ratings and has a bold look. I any case.... if you're driving a LEXUS - spend the money on some great tires! Buy Michelins.

miltonlin

I found the following info on Michelin web site:

Category Warranty Treadwear UTQG Traction Temperature Speed
Hydroedge Traditional Luxury 90K 800 A B T
MXV4+ Performance Luxury None? 400 A A H/V

Understand that these are entirely two different tires. Here is what tirerack folks had to say in the surveys:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....droEdge#Survey

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....gy+MXV4-A+Plus

I'm not saying tirerack is what you should go by, but at least you are getting an opinion (mostly they are honest ones) of the tires.

If you get 90K out of tires, that's close to 4 times around the world.
Remember those (stupid) SAT questions....
Question: If you travel at a continously at a speed of 60 miles per hour (just imagine your car had unlimited fuel or better mpg than what any hybrid could do), how many days would it take you to travel 90,000 miles?

Answer: 62.5 days!

Try to shop wisely for your tires as you might be spending a long time with them. GOOD LUCK

lexusk8

I need your help guys in selecting the right tire for replacement on my '01 ES. Here's a brief rundown of my criteria: I do combined city/highway driving on a daily basis, mostly highways on weekends, I don't take the car to extreme speeds like 100+ mph, and I plan to be driving in mostly hot temperatures. Currently I have Toyo Proxes TPT w/ over 45K miles put into them, and one of the front tires is almost nearing its end (tread thickness worn down close to 2/32").

Here are the 2 choices I've come up with from Tire Rack:

Bridgestone Turanza LS-V



Goodyear Assurance TripleTred



The main difference between the 2 tires is the speed rating. Bridgestone is V-rated, while the Goodyear is H-rated. I've read thru a couple past threads regarding the issue of the V vs. H-rated controversy, and I'm still unclear of which tire and speed rating I should pick. The OEM speed rating for my ES is V-rated, so I know most people would say go with the V, but since I'll be moving to a hotter climate in a couple months, I want my tires to last and sustain through hotter temps. In that case, wouldn't a H-rated tire be a better choice, even though I'm going to sacrifice on the quietness of the tire?

Help me out folks, I really need to make this decision

miltonlin

It is funny that you mention those two tires as I run the Turanza LS-Vs on my ES300, my older brother runs Turanza LS-Hs on his Avalon, and my brother in-law runs the Goodyear Tripletread on his Accord EX V6.

I don't think you could go wrong with either choice , and I think based on what your criteria, you will be served well with an H-rated tire. A better comparison might between a Bridgestone LS-H (rated at 60K) and the Goodyear Tripletread?

Neither of us have had any problems but the LS-Vs and Tripetreads have only gone 3K and are like new, the LS-Hs about 22K on them.

I love the Turanza LS-V so far as it has provided me very competent handling and smooth ride. Did you know that the Turaza is rated AA for Traction? Very few tires (about 3% are rated AA). My brother with the LS-H measured his treadwear and he is projected to get the rated 60K out of the tire, and that was a big plus to know since my Ziexs lasted well under the mileage warranty. Since I wasn sticking with the stock sizeand I had an H or better requirement, the Tripletread was not a consideration for me because in 205/65/15, it is T rated.


Good luck!

lexusk8

Thanks for the response milton

I continued to research more behind Bridgestone and Goodyear tires, and after much thought, I decided to settle with Bridgestone Turanza LS-H. Tire Rack's set of tires comes out to roughly $470, including shipping. My local Midas also sells the same tires, but at a higher price ($147 per tire). After I told them of Tire Rack's price, they were able to compete with it and gave me a terrific price for the tire package. It's $571, and includes a set of Bridgestones, mounting, balancing, road hazard package and tax. Not many shops around here can compete with that price, so this is definitely an opportunity to take advantage of

The tires will arrive tomorrow, and I plan to go to Midas after work to get the new tires installed. Haha, I mind as well do some burnouts tonight as a way of saying good-bye to the Toyos

miltonlin

lexus8k, you welcome. I think you will be very pleased.

Also don't forget that Bridgestone carries 30 day guarantee. If you feel, that the LS-H not performing you have 30 days to return it for a full refund, assuming Midas is an authorized Bridgestone dealer, and a few other conditions. Or you could upgrade to V.

I tried to drive my Ziexs agressively when I knew I was getting rid of them. I was amazed at at how well they gripped the road. Never dangerous, always controlled fun.

kreativ

How did you like the Toyo Proxes TPT?
Those seem to be a popular choice here.

lexusk8

kreativ, the Proxes TPT are a recommended choice for the ES. I even had them when I had my '96 ES. Just a superb, outstanding all-season tire w/ excellent traction for dry and wet weather conditions (although I've heard the Michelin Pilot or Energy MXV4 are slightly better on the traction side). The Toyo's come with a 60K mile treadwear warranty, and they're priced reasonably with other tire brands out there. Lexusfreak, another CL member and ES owner here, can vouch for how good these tires are. Keep in mind that Tire Rack does not stock Toyo tires; you'll have to go on http://www.toyo.com and search for stores around your area.

Do a search for "toyo proxes" in this forum and in the Tires/Wheels forum; you'll find a lot of threads w/ praises towards these tires

kreativ

Thanks for the feedback.
Any particular reason you're switching away from the Toyos to the Bridgestones? Is it just to try something different?

lexusk8

Well, after about 1-1/2 days of driving with the new tires, these Bridgestone Turanza's are very darned quiet compared to my previous Toyo's. I drove my car on a highway, pretty smooth road w/ not many bumps and cracks, and the car honestly felt like it was riding on clouds. It was THAT smooth, and the driving itself felt pretty solid. This is going to be a welcoming change from the Toyo's, although I still love them for its performance and all-season characteristics. I wanted to switch to Bridgestones just because I've heard some rave reviews about the Turanza's, and like almost everything else in life, I needed a change

BTW, these particular H-rated Turanza's come with a 50,000 mile treadwear warranty, and free replacement within the first 3 years if any happens to the tire(s) before reaching the 2/32" tread thickness mark

kreativ

lexusk8 - Glad to hear you're enjoying your new tires.

gcrim21

How about trying a set of TOYO tires? Proxes J33 came on my wife's 2003 ES300. It has a set of Goodyear Invicta on it now and no one could give me another set of the things. Toyo's and Michelin MXV4's are much better. Falken's I haven't tried. Appears to be reasonably priced but don't know how they compare to Michelin MXV4's and TOYO Proxes.

GCrim21

Pheonix

Digging for gold.

satiger

iTrader: (1)

I own 2000 ES (Platinum) and replaced original tires at about 55K miles with GY Assurance TripleTred and very happy with it. It is very quiet, comfortable and very resposive in dry/wet weather. I choose Sears to buy them and they did price match with online store.

If any one is in the market for set of new tires, please read through the technology they use for this tires which performs extremely well in dry/wet and snow conditions.