Neil64

All,

I need to replace my wife's tires on her RX300 soon. Currently, the factory Bridgestones are on the truck and they are OK except for their lousy performance in the snow. We do, however, like the ride and handling. Has anyone upgraded their tires to something else that offers better wet weather performance (snow) but maintains the excellent ride quality and handling of the RX300? It seems that choices are limited in 225/70/16 but are more in 23/70/16. Is handling improved with a slightly wider tire?

Thanks for the responses,

Neil

engin_ear

iTrader: (1)

Most awesome tire I've found for the RX300 is the Michelin Cross Terrain. Way way way better than the factory Bridgestones, handles very well but not too stiff, great in wet and snow. Michelins usually cost a bit more. I got mine at BJ's Wholesale, believe it or not. (If you're not familiar with BJ's, it's like Sam's Club or other wholesale membership stores). Excellent wear factor so far, prob have about 15K on them.
I wanted a tire that, when I got out of my GS and had to drive my wife's car, I wouldn't get too upset with handling.

parula

Am loving the Goodyear Integ's, but I'd take a GX with Cross Terrains if they are quiet.

Lexusfreak

I personally would stick with the original tire size that came with the RX. The Michelins are a good choice but are very pricy......I would give serious consideration to the Yokohama Geolandar HT-S G051, Toyo Open Country which should be quite a bit less expensive than the Michelin, offer as good traction (if not better which open to opinion) & treadwear for less money. Try about $30 or there abouts PER tire. Let us know what you decide & good luck!

Neil64

Thanks all for the recommendations. None of the recommendations came in higher than 10th in Consumer Reports test conducted in 11/04. Still, based on TireRack's customer reviews, it seems like the Michelin Cross Terrain is at least a popular choice. I haven't been able to find the Toyo locally but am considering it as well as the Dunlop Radial Rover AT and the Goodyear Fortera, although I am not a Goodyear fan.

Any other recommendations?

Thanks..

Neil

Lil4X

Another vote for the Cross Terrains here! After one trip to the Pacific Northwest, I couldn't get those GY no-Integritys off my 300 fast enough. Maybe I'm just not a fan of coming down a mountain pass on a cold, wet evening and watching the scenery pass my windshield sideways . . .

Like many others, I up-sized to 235's (having to replace the unused spare too, because it was an AWD) and was delighted with the improved handling and all-round performance in rain and snow. The tires were no noisier than the very quiet passenger-car GY's despite the more aggressive tread. I can't imagine how CR tested their CT's, but for me it throws their entire testing program into question. I don't believe I've heard a single complaint about the Michlein product on this forum . . . unless it was about price.

TireRack has some excellent prices, but if you have access to a local discount club (Sam's, Costco), by the time you add in installation, you may be able to make a better deal locally.

Good luck!

mikey00

I have been a firm believer in Consumer Reports over the years, but like others I do question their rating of Cross Terrains. I have found CTs to be the best both from my own use and research. It is hard to beat the Costco price when they have their $60 off sale. This also includes free lifetime rotation, balancing and flat repair. A word of caution on upsizing to 235s. First you have the additional cost of also purchasing a spare or having an oddball size spare. The speedometer will be off with the larger tires, not much about 2%. Also, the 235 CTs only have a wear rating of 420, where the 225s have a wear rating of 700. That means a 225 should last 1.6 times as long as a 235.

HarrierAWD

The CR tested the 235 size CT. Given the drastic different wear rating (420 vs 700,) perhaps Michelin has changed the CT compound that may result in different rating. A friend of mine happens to be a Michelin corp. sales rep covering Colorado, he told me that they do change production from time to time without changing tire name.

Another example is the Toyo Open Country M410. CR tested it well a few years back with very good rating on ice. I saw the tire in person and found the compound hard as plastic. I was scratching my head until CR's new tire test came out. The Toyo was tested poor on ice this time.

Did you buy the 225 size? If so, when did you get the Michelin CT?

Neil64

Very interesting facts here. I would have never guessed that the tire wear from the 225s to the 235 would change from 700 to 420? That, to me, indicates a change in compound, which probably chnages the whole tire's character. Wow. A completely different tire? I wonder whcih ones CR tested?

Based on this new info, would the 700 be a better tire than the 420? I would think the 420 would be grippyer and the 700 would wear better.

Which ones do you folks have?

Sam's club can get the 225s for $138..00 each special order. I won't know the tire specs until they arrive, which will also be after they are paid for. What is a good price for these things? Also, how much are they at Costco when they are having their sale? Is it worth the price of a membership +?

Thanks..

Neil

mikey00

Interesting that CR tested the 235s. That may be why I am questioning their results when I compare with my own experience being that I have 225s. I don't think the different wear ratings have anything to do with updating the compound. The 235s always did have the lower wear rating. The reason being that they are an OE tire for Ford. All the OE tires have a lower wear rating. Not sure why but my guess is the price a major manufacturer like Ford is willing to pay. To meet the price they cheapen up the tire a little. Another interesting fact the 225s do have slightly greater tread depth.
I am not sure what Costco is charging currently, but 2 years ago I paid 114.99 per tire for the 225s. This price is including their $60 off for 4 tires sale. They then charged $1 per tire disposal, $9 per tire mount & Balance, and sales tax. Some of the things I liked about Costco are: They not only offer free lifetime rotation but they also balance the tires each time. They also fill the tires with nitrogen. The free flat repair also comes in handy. So far I used it once. We shop at Costco weekly so it's not a special trip to get the tires rotated, they just do it while we shop.

Rx900

2 things

1. Keep the same tire size
2. Go for Michelin Cross-Terrain SUV tires.

that should do it

Neil64

Tire Rack has an interesting comparison of the Cross Terrains, Goodyear Fortera and the Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza. Seems like the Alenza might warrant investigation. Right now, Bridgestone is offering a $75.00 rebate on 4 tires.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/..._hl_alenza.jsp

Thoughts?

Lexusfreak

I agree with number 1.

While the Michelin's are a good choice, I'd either go with the Yoko's I mentioned earlier or there is a brand new Toyo tire on the market now called the Open Country H/T. Here is the link & it does come in your factory original size of 225 70 16.

http://www.toyocanada.com/products/OpenCountryHTEN.html

steevr

My '02 RX came with the Bridgestones. They were quiet but were awful in the snow. At 31K I replaced them with the same sized Cross Terrains. We had the Cross Terrains on our '97 Expedition and they came standard on our new GX470.

There are as quiet as the Bridgestones and they are awsome in the snow. I highly recommend them. Bought them at Costco.

Lexmex

CrossTerrains all the way. I live in worse conditions for tires than any other CL member I have talked to. Mexico City is the pits or potholes along with all its elevation differences, not too mention when my truck goes off-road. 235 width CTXs have held up MUCH BETTER than my old Integritys.