lesz

The tires on the GX are Michelin Cross Terrains.

I know that deeper treads can change handling behavior. However, with whatever tread depth tires start out with, they aren't going to be at that depth for long. And if, for example, Michelin engineers think that 9/32 is the best design for tread depth, if I start with 12/32, about 15,000 mile later, I'll have the "ideal" 9/32, and, in the mean time, I'll have gotten 15,000 miles of extra wear. Considering that the performance and handling that I got with the Goodyears was virtually the same as what I got with the Michelins and that I got better wear out of the Goodyears that was pretty much proportional to the additional tread depth, I'd guess that the tread compound on the Goodyears was pretty similar to the tread compound on the Michelins.

SW17LS

Yeah I don't know why Michelin stopped making the Cross Terrains. If you ever do need to replace those tires, get the LTX M/S2...

Yeah I'm not saying the Comfortreads aren't as good a tire as the Primacy, I've never had them on a car (my cousin has a newer set on his Mazda 3 and loves them). My experience with the Primacy MXV4 has just been so consistently good I'd be hard pressed to try something else.

As for the tires being "ideal" at 15k miles with deeper tread, issue there is people rate and test tires and cars with the tires new.

lesz

From reading on the GX forum, it looks like a lot of GX owners, when they've needed replacement tires, have gone to the LTX M/S2.

The Cross Terrains have impressed me as being a very good match for the GX. While they wouldn't be the tire of choice for serious off-roading, for a vehicle that is designed to be somewhat rugged but that is still supposed to make its occupants feel pampered, the Cross Terrains seem to fit the bill. My GX is every bit as quiet as is my ES, and besides the isolation of the cabin from wind and engine noise, there is virtually no road noise, and I'd guess that the Cross Terrains play a significant role in that regard.

With regard to ideal tread depth, regardless of what tires we put on a vehicle, unless we are prepared to replace tires every 5000 miles or so, we are going to be driving at the ideal tread depth for only a very limited amount of time. The good news is, however, unless we are participating in some form of auto racing, most of us aren't going to notice the difference between tires with the ideal amount of tread depth and ones with a couple of 32nds more or less of tread depth.

Finally, while I'm sure that there are many who will have a preference for the Michelin MXV4 as replacement tires for the ES, my purpose in talking about the Goodyear Assurance Touring tires is merely to let people know that there is a viable alternative to the Michelins that is likely to give longer tread wear and at lower cost and that is likely to be a much better tire than the Bridgestones, which is the tire that I almost always see compared here to the Michelins.

KennyLexus

Get a set of Michelin Primacy MXV4. My '13 came with the Bridgestone Turanza tires. I waited 4 months for my fully loaded ES300h and it came with the Bridgestones. While my '11 ES 350 had Michelin Primacy, an incredibly smooth and super quiet tire. I put them back on the '11 shortly before I sold it; I almost hated to sell it...it floated on air.

Now, I have got 20" Pirelli P Zero Nero. I've put a few miles on them and they are by far the best upsized tires I've ever had. Consider them the Michelin Primacy of 20" tires

CarPauper

Thanks to all the helpful posts - great comments and suggestions. I spoke with my local Michelin man today and he wasn't interested in my Turanzas at any price. He said there just wasn't a market for them in the rural area I live in. He did give me a great price for a set of Michelin MXM4s. However, after reading helpful comments here, I may re-think those and consider MXV4s or the newer Michelin Premier. I may be able to find a tire dealer in a larger nearby city that I can unload the Bridgestones on for a few bucks to offset the price of the Michelins. If not, I can buy a cheap set of earplugs or turn up the music a little louder.

Max707

Try your selling dealer, complain about ride comfort. Tell them you don't expect them for free but would like some help on them. They might even have a used ES with Michelins, do a swap.