sleepybobcat

Need advice... about to get Michelin Cross Terrain tires

(1) Should I spend the extra $1.50 and go from 225 to 235?
What's the benefit for going 235? Wouldn't that affect
the speedometer and my navigation system's speed sensor?

(2) Cross Terrains come with white letters on the sidewalls.
Does anyone have a photo showing them mounted on
a silver '02 RX300? (also a picture showing the tires
mouted in reverse, so only the black wall is showing)

(3) The local Merchant's Tire wants $630 for a set of 4,
which includes moungint/balancing/everything.
Is this a good deal?

(4) Should I still consider the Bridgeston H/Ls? (not the H/Ts
that came from the factory with my RX) My only
prime directive is QUIET ride. Period...

(5) If I do go with 235s, should I also replace the never-used
spare tire?(the factory Bridgeston H/T 225s)

(6) Michelin is currently offering a free Samsonite carry-on
for purchasing a set of 4 tires. What's the street price of
that carry-on?



Thank you very, very much for all replies!

Daddy-O

Have you looked at the Bridgestone Dueler H/P with UNI-T AQ ?

I've purchased Firestone/Bridgestone for years for my sedans.

UNI-T is unbeatable for wet pavement and wet/dry braking.

These are fairly new and I am really interested in these.

They only come in 235/70R16 (No 225). H rated!(130 MPH)
Folks here who've installed 235's report no problems.

Great looking tread. No OWL.

Save money. Keep your spare tire...It's just a spare. Take it out and rub some 303 Aerospace protectant on it. Buff it off. Remove 15lbs of air and refill it to the proper pressure. Look for any major cracking of the sidewalls. Small ones are OK. If the tire is tight and passes visual inspection and then drop it back in the RX.

(Get 303 at a boat store. It's great on your rubber door seals.)
http://www.303products.com

Quote:
"The Dueler H/P with UNI-T AQ delivers sports car-like handling that allows you to unleash the performance potential of your light truck or SUV. The Dueler H/P offers you exceptional handling in wet or dry driving conditions. With UNI-T AQ technology, you can count on wet performance excellence even as the tires wear. Wet braking, wet handling, and noise minimization are all exceptional features of our Dueler H/P, engineered to please drivers with an active lifestyle."

sleepybobcat

Thanks for your reply!

I just spoke to a sales advisor at the TireRack. He said these Bridgestone H/Ps are noisy tires...(when compared to the factory-equipped Bridgestone H/Ts) In fact, he said the H/Ps are louder than the Michelin Cross Terrains. The reason is that the H/P is geared towards those drivers who want very sporty performance from their trucks/SUVs...


I'll probably get the CTs and try them out for a few days.(30-day
money back guarantee, minus $25 for re-mounting the old tires)

Daddy-O

Wow, Noisy, eh? I'll bet if I ask my Firestone dealer
the same question, I'll get a different answer.

Cool...You can't beat that 30 day guarantee.
Folks seem to love their CTs. I've seen the
OWL on a black RX. Very sharp.

I look at OWL and sometimes think
"One more thing I have to take care of".

Good luck.

mooretorque

OK, sleepy, here we go:

I've had CTXs for two years on wifey's RX. I replaced the Goodyears which were ALL that came on the '99 model year and found no real increase in noise to my aged ears, but wifey isn't complaining either, and it's her car. If I had it to do over, I would go with the 235s, but mostly for appearance sake. While the larger contact patch will give a little more traction, the RX isn't designed to be a sports sedan so I think that point is largely moot. And since you've got the Bridgestones already, I'd not worry about replacing the spare. They have a bit stouter construction than the wussy Integritys, so I'd have fewer qualms about having the spare on for short periods.

As far as OWL, mount it on the inside if you prefer. The CTXs aren't unidirectional, so it don't matter. And $630 doesn't seem to be a bad price at all for 4 mounted and balanced. You'd save $30 or $40 if TireRack drop shipped, but I don't think that outweighs the convenience of a good local dealer.

As far as luggage, who cares?? For that matter, Bridgestone is having a promo also, according to my latest Road&Track. Forget the junk and buy what you want to drive on for the next 4 years.

And Paddy's advice re 303 is dead solid perfect!!

I've had no experience with the Bridgestones, but by all accounts you'd be pleased with their performance. However, I'd believe TireRack if they said they were noisy. After all, they sell a buttload of both plus they solicit buyer reviews and feedback so I'd have to consider their info relatively unbiased.

Hope this all helps......

RX300wannabeIS300

- I'd stick to 225/70-16, can't go wrong with OEM size

- 6 months ago I bought the Dueler H/L and very happy with tires. Super quiet and comfy ride as far as I'm concerned, plus the tires look good on. Tread and sidewall look more aggressive than the original Goodyears, but provide a car like ride.

- You mentioned white letter markings... most tires (including Dueler H/L) will have one wall with white letters and the other one with black ones. Just have the shop mount them with the black side out - personally I think white letters look cheap and take away from the classy look.

gsenthil

I am surprised you guys ignore the spare tire. I include the spare tire while rotating every 7k miles and intend to replace all 5 tires when I am due for it.

I think the market value of a good quality samsonite carryon (is it like a small suitcase with wheels?) would be about $75-100

Daddy-O

I didn't ignore it...I said "Save money. Keep your spare tire...It's just a spare." I check it annually. It's clean, smell free and locked down tight under the stuff I carry in the rear of my RX. Just personal preference, I guess. I've never included the spare in my tire rotation .

wwest

Paddy: I totally agree with you on spare tires, I find that somewhere in the life of a vehicle I often need to replace ONE tire. Having the spare available keeps me from having to buy two to keep things, traction, balanced, and I rotate the worn, but good, tire into "spare" service.

BUT. Dealer noise opinions.

What dealer would really have enough experience base to know? That's why I find the folks at Tirerack an invaluble resource in this regard.

I put Michellin CTs (17x8 wheels) on my 01 AWD RX very soon after I purchased it (20k miles now) and am very pleased with the performance and the quiet operation.

sleepybobcat

Thanks for all the replies.

My original factory-equipped Bridgestone H/Ts are wearing pretty thin now. I think I will go with the crowd and try the Michelin CrossTerrain 225/60/16s. I'll leave the never-used spare tire alone.

toyo

I had those on my Tundra and only got 30 k miles out of them. The tire dealer said they are not lasting very long on anybodys. I have the LTX M/S on my RX and I have 60k on them, they are gonna last at least another 25k. Great tire!

Lil4X

I have slightly over 25,000 miles on a set of 235/70-16 CTs, with little if any observable wear. Mounted with the OWL to the inside, they look great and perform well.

billyboy

Put them on mine last year, best thing I could have done. Mine is FWD and what a difference it made in traction, and I don't have any complaints about the noise or ride. They mounted mine with the letters on the outside, I never thought to tell them either way. I like it. The white letters add something to the look.