Gomer1

I've been monitoring prices for the Michelin Cross Terrains in the Tire Rack website. The 225/70-16 went up from $144 to $155, however, the 235/70-16 now lists 4 different prices ranging from $130 to $144 ($144 is what it was always listed under) and the only difference seems to be the sidewall lettering (white vs. black)

After comparing the 225/70-16 at $155 to the 235/70-16 at $130, I saw no difference other than the size, so I went ahead and bought me a set of the 235's for $130.

$235's is what I wanted from day one, but I just don't understand the discrepancy in price.

Can someone else take a look and see if they really are the same? They had the same speed rate, raviews, etc, etc.

Thank you.

cobravap

Not sure if i am right but a quick check here showed that the 225's have a higher Tread rating versus the 235's (700 vs 420 respectively) which can help explain the price difference.

mikey00

The 235 CT is not the same tire as the 225 CT. This is because the 235 was designed to be an OEM tire on some new SUVs. What this really means is the 235 was designed with a lower cost in mind to compete with other tire manufactures which auto manufactures select for their new vehicles. Some things they do to cheapen up a tire can be seen in the specs. Others remain hidden. If you click on the tire specs link on the tire rack site for the CT, you will see that the 225 has a wear rating of 700, while the 235 only has a wear rating of 420. This means the 225 will last 1.7 times as long as the 235. When you do the math the more expensive 225 is actually cheaper for the life of the tire. When Consumer Reports tested SUV tires a while back they tested the 235 CT and it did not do very well.
Do you have a Costco near you? They have a $60 off sale for a set of 4 Michelins through 7/1. Their price includes mounting and balancing, nitrogen fill, road hazzard warranty and not only do they rotate the tires for free but they balance them each time and add nitrogen if necessary. Back when I purchased mine Costco came out cheaper than Tire Rack when I figured in shipping plus m&b and road hazzard. I would get the 225s. They are a better tire plus the 235s will throw off your speedometer a little. An online tire size calculator will give you the exact amount if you are interested.
I am on my second set of CTs from Costco and will soon be buying my third set of CTs from them. I really like the CTs and plan on sticking with them but I must admit a lot of new interesting tires are becoming available like Goodyear Tripletred and Bridgestone Alenza.

Gomer1

Good info Mikey, order canceled. I don't have a Costco card. I'll keep an eye open for a sale on the 225's.

Lexmex

One tire I am keeping my eye on is the Micheln Energy LX4 in 235-60-16,

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Spec.j...e1=yes&place=3

Impressive specs for that type of sidewall.

Toyota Harriers I saw in Jamaica were using 215-70-16 stock.

LexRexBlue

Here is the price from Costco. You also get a rebate of $60 in addition if you buy 4 tires. I bought mine 3 years ago and they still look brand new! They don't show wear at all!
Michelin® Cross Terrain P225/70R16 Light Truck/SUV All Terrain $172.99
I just purchased the Alenzas for my RX 400h. They seem to ride in a similar way and handle well. I haven't had them long enough to compare the 2. Also the cars are 7 years apart!

HarrierAWD

Sorry, but you get what you pay for. The 235 is a cheapened version of the Michelin CT made for Ford Exploder. Unfortunately, many RX300 owners have fallen for the "wider is better" marketing scam.

That said, the 225 isn't all that better, either. Long wearing is about all it's good for. Michelin just isn't competent at making SUV tires, though it makes outstanding car tires. Check November issues of Consumer Reports in the past years to find a set of tires that suits your need.

I recommend the OEM Bridgestone Dueler D687 for summer driving, and the Goodyear Fortera TripleTred for winter.

fantom

I second your excellent recommendation, and have been saying so since 2001, when I purchased my RX-300 and put Bridgestone Dueler H/L's on it the first week we had the SUV.

40,000 miles, and six years, later they still look good, have lots of thread to go, are quiet, grip well, and ride great.

The supposed superiority of Michelin CT is a French marketing Old Wives tale.

Meetya

Dude, you need FOUR tires. One tire does not make sense.
Hahaha ;-)

Lexmex

Actually I remember some show when I was a kid that had this guy who put this enormous airplane tire underneath his car that he could place into position to raise the car while it was moving so he could change a flat tire. So it is possible.

mikey00

You guys are talking about 2 totally different tires. The H/L's fantom is talking about are excellent tires with very high ratings from Tire Rack along with Cross Terrains and Goodyear Triple Treads. The D687's harrier is talking are not even close. Take a look at the ratings. These are inferior tires that are very far behind in every category. Tread wear rating is only 300. That's less than half of most of the common tires used on the RX. I don't know why I would want to use these as a summer tire when the all season tires have better summer performance ratings and I don't have the added hassle of seasonal changes. I am going to stick with CTs but if they stopped making them tomorrow I would be looking at H/L Alenzas and GoodYear Triple Treads and may even end up with a better tire. At least all 3 are in the same class.

Meetya

Man you have no idea how ridiculous terms like "seasonal changes" and "summer tires" sound down here ;-) We just want BIG tires. Am I right, Lexmex?

Lexmex

Well, I like wide tires, I guess that is a start.

For me, I want something that is lightweight and spins faster along with being able to support the weight of my RX. 235 CrossTerrains have done it, but I want to move along to something else next time.

For some seasonal changes are quite common. I know in Mexico, the concept wouldn't exist, but for others it can. Thank god I will go home to Florida one day, no snow, no hills, no nutty traffic.

HarrierAWD

The Tire Rack rating is based on the opinions of the people who visited its website, not based on scientific testing.

Read CR's RX300 reviews ('98 and '01) with the Bridgestone Dueler 687 tires. Here are some of the editor's comments relevant to the tires:

"Overall braking performance was very good"
"Soaks up most pavement flaws well"
"Highway ride is serene"
"...avoidance maneuver... commendable for an SUV"
"Handling is secure though not agile" (This ain't sports car)

When in doubt, I'd trust experts who've done their research and testing. Also note that higher rating in tire wear does not make it a better tire.

HarrierAWD

You might want to try the Goodyear Integrity (yikes.) Its paper-thin sidewall gives it super light weight. Though its cornering suffers. Not a big deal for drag racing.

I remember that you mentioned Mexican CT 235 has extra layers, so it's better for bad roads.