Lexmex

For me, the 235s are just outstanding though I plan to move to a 235-50-18 Pilot Sport A/S in the future. I could not see going back to 225s, but I agree wit you that CR needs to try the 225s.

If memory serves me correct, the 235-70-16 is also used on the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

HarrierAWD

If you think CT 225 is a great tire because 235 is a lousy one, I fail to understand your logic. If you think it's really great, feel free to start a thread to brag about the CT.

This thread is for D687 owners, so I would like to hear from people's experience who have/had the Bridgestone Dueler H/T D687 tires, either as OEM or replacement. Any premature wear issues? How long did your D687 last? Thanks.

mikey00

Sorry, no where in the first post starting the thead did it say it was reserved for D687 owners. In fact the next 2 posters talked about Cross Terrains which was followed by mine. In the future you may want to mention some of your restrictions before the thread gets to the second page.
You may have trouble finding other 687 owners on a Lexus site. It's not a very good tire and not the type that most Lexus owners would buy unless they just wanted new rubber to sell the car. But I can see by your first post you already found this out. You may want to try some of the economy SUV sites for 687 owners. Good luck.

TunedRX300

I have Dueler comes as the OEM tire. These tires are meant to get you out of Lexus' dealer's doors. Spent two winters in upstate NY and they are horrible in snow, even with Snow ECT on and AWD. About 43K they are bald. BTW Lexus does not buy mileage warranty on OEM tires, I the only things that is good on the Dueler is light weight.
Currently I have Yoko Geolander and plan to upgrade to Pirelli Scorpion Zero when I upgrade to 18" SSR Competition forged rims.

HarrierAWD

In light of your continuing harassment the last several months and not sticking to the facts, I have no choice but to place you in my ignore list. So long.

HarrierAWD

Thanks for your input. I'd be OK if my Dueler can last 40K (to 4/32".) The Dueler seems good in the snow and ice here in Colorado, at least better than the Goodyear Integrity. And it does everything else very well, except the fast wear issue. I'll give it another 6K miles and see how it wears.

TunedRX300

I am sure you know new tires always grib better in snow because of taller beads/thread, perhaps next winter you will see Dueler's true performance in snow.

Lexwang07

Stock 16" wheels and tires wore out faster than 18" on RX330! I am sure upgrade wheels and tires! I had two times flat tires during four years I drove. Dueler H/T D687 inexpensive tires; cost each tire $90!

HarrierAWD

I drive 2,500 miles a month, so we will see if my Dueler can last until next winter.

jfelbab

When I look through the tire rack info I noticed that the Alenza also gets great marks for snow traction. Much better than the D687 or the others. It is also the quietest of the bunch. In fact it exceed all the others in every category.

The OEM Goodyear has a treadwear rating of 260-460*. Snow Traction Rating of 4.2
The OEM Michelin has rating of 300-500*. Snow Traction Rating of 5.8
The Bridgestone Dueler H/T D687 has a rating of 300. Snow Traction Rating of 4.7
The Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza has a treadwear rating of 600. Snow Traction Rating of 8.2
(* varies depending on tire size.)

Got to love that Tire Rack web site for comparative data.

SilverSprt

I plan on getting the Alenzas when my current D687's wear out. The D687s just wear out too fast and they don't give me the traction I need in rain. The Alenzas have had great reviews, and should last much longer. Additionally they are made for premium SUVs and the pricing isn't too shabby either.

HarrierAWD

That's nice. However, note that those are not actual test date nor results on Tire Rack's website. They are simply the opinions of those who visited the Tire Rack website. Tire Rack does test some tires, but the "scores" are so close, they are a wash. Obviously Tire Rack does not want to bite the hands that feed it.

Consumer Reports actually test the tire performance under scientifically controlled condition. It is an independent organisation that accepts no advertising. When a product performs poorly, C/R gives it Poor or Not Acceptable rating without mercy.

Choose either Tire Rack or Consumer Reports, or whatever that floats your boat. I choose Consumer Reports.

jfelbab

FWIW

While you are correct that it's the Tire Rack consumers that are giving the tires many of their ratings this is not the case for the treadwear rating. This rating comes from government controlled testing (UTQG) Uniform Tire Quality Grading. The treadwear rating of the Alenza is significantly better than the others.

I'd not dispel the consumer ratings however. In fact the magazine you mention draws it's frequency of repair information from a consumer survey. In the case of the Tire Rack you can read many of the individual reviews and see what vehicles the tires were on and how and under what conditions they were driven. The Tire Rack also has performed tests and their results are informative. The survey information is statistically significant. More information makes the choice less prone to surprises.

Bridgestone Alenza data based on 280 submissions covering 1,113,577 miles.
Goodyear Eagle RS-A data based on 1913 submissions covering 54,858,746 miles.
Michelin Energy MXV4 S8 data based on 84 submissions covering 1,665,899 miles.

Last time I checked CU they reviewed only a handful of the thousands of tires available. This makes the Tire Rack info so much more helpful.

RX in NC

I concur that Tire Rack does a far better job than Consumer Reports in educating the public about tires, as long as you're willing to spend some time doing the necessary research.

We had the OEM Duelers on the vehicle when we bought it. Just like the Tire Rack reviews show, it was a mediocre tire with a short treadlife, average handling, less-than-desired rain performance, and lousy snow performance. My wife got about 42,000 miles out of these tires, a lot better than many drivers, but she is as cautious and conservative a driver as you'll ever encounter.

After spending some time researching Tire Rack options at the time (December 2004), the best overall choices for us came down to either the Yokohama Geolander HT/S G051 or the Firestone Destination LE. Both are treadwear-warrantied at 60,000 miles. Important factors included price, wet handling, treadwear life, snow handling, and ride comfort, although not necessarily in that order. Since Tire Rack was sold out of the Yokos in our size at the time, I took a chance on the Firestones after believing that I would never put a set of Firestones on any of our vehicles given the Ford Explorer rollover fiasco a few years back.

Guess what? These Firestones have been a fantastic value. They were purchased, shipped, mounted, and aligned for less than $400. She has over 32,000 miles on them right now and last weekend they measured between 7/32 and 8/32 remaining treadwear. They've been great in the snow during the few times here in North Carolina she's had to drive in it, and they stick like glue in the rain - she's never had even a hint of hydroplaning. Ride has been just fine. They're just a bit noisy on rough roads, but what tire isn't? They use the same UNI-T tread technology as the more expensive Bridgestone Alenzas, and at Tire Rack they were priced less than the lousy OEM Duelers! These tires may not go 60,000 miles for us, but at the current treadwear rate they are going to get at least 50,000 to 55,000 miles. For less than $400 in total investment in a set of SUV tires, I'll take that every time I can get it.

One recommendation, though. These tires need more pressure than you're probably used to running. I typically run our SUVs and pick-ups at 32 to 33 psi year-round, but these Firestone tires do better for us at 36 to 37 year-round. I rotate every 7,500 miles or so, and I always check our pressures every week - that's the key. Most people are lucky if they think to check their pressures every month or two. That isn't nearly often enough. Season temperature changes and nails in your tires can and will ruin them if you don't check those pressures weekly.

Hope this has been helpful to you and good luck in your tire search. But you should put these Destination LE tires on your short list. They beat the pants off the OEM Duelers for sure....