prowler97

I bought a CPO 2006 Lexus RX400h back in 2010 and it had brand new Michelin Energy (OEM) low roll resistance tires on it. I only got ~24k miles out of the tires and I was able to replace the tires under warranty (Michele gave me 55% credit) in 2012. I rotated the tires every 5k miles and drive the vehicle very lightly since it is a hybrid. The Tire store said sometimes the dealer tires are cheaper version, so with that said I had a 2nd set of Michelin Energy tires installed for $400 (Michelin paid the remaining bill)
Now I am on the 2nd set of Michelin Energy tires and noticing after 15K miles the tires are not going to make the 50K; I'll be lucky if I get 25K. Clearly the tires are not ideal.

Any recommendations on tires? I have have good experience with BFG's or Cooper tires on other vehicles. Or I can have Michelin's covered under warranty again and new set installed for $400?

maseace

Have you had an alignment performed on the wheels? If it's out of spec it can cause premature tire wear.

These are the tires I'm looking at getting on my 400h next. They have a treadwear rating of 700 which is very high:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....lus+Technology

RX330inFL

Brian, what PSI are you running your tires at? Will also have an affect on the life of your tires.

FWIW, the Michelin Energy tire does not have a great treadwear rating at only 440 (according to Tire Rack). As for whether you would get another break on a set of Michelin tires, that is something you will want to take up with your shop. If you want to stay or need to stay with Michelin you might have a look at the Michelin Latitude Tour. There are also a host of other tires to select from in this size. The main concern with you have the RX400h is that if you do not select a low rolling resistance tire it may have a big impact on your MPG. However, there are plenty of these to pick from as well. Go to tirerack.com, enter your vehicle information and tire size, and spend some time looking at what is available along the specs and survey information.

Finally, much of what you would be looking for in a tire has been discussed in the following thread in the main 2nd Generation RX forum. Would start at the end and work your way forward.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...e-choices.html

prowler97

I make sure my tire pressure is 30-32 psi and the RX400h is in alignment. The tires wear evening so I know there is not alignment issue.

smassey321

Last year I switched from the Michelin Energy to the Michelin Latitude Tour and they are great. 15k miles so far and they still look great with very little wear and no additional noise. The only difference is they are not VR speed rated so I can't go 149 mph.

prowler97

Did you give up any mpg with non-hybrid tire?

RX330inFL

The Michelin Latitude Tour is listed at Tire Rack as a "Green X" tire for low rolling resistance.

smassey321

It is hard to tell because of a bunch of variables. Most notably being in CA and using the crap gas they sell here . If I took a hit it was less than 1 mpg.

spacecraft

Let me guess, after 15k miles the tread is already worn on the external sides?
That's in fact the best indicator of tires used at too low pressure for the car weight.
I know that's the Lexus suggested pressure, but their reasons for doing so are a mistery.
Even a friend of mine who is a Pirelli engineer confirmed me that my tire shop was absolutely correct when they suggested to keep them at 36 psi, after I installed the Scorpion Verde (which btw are great for the RX).

defo

iTrader: (6)

I recently put on some 20's with Firestone Firehawk GT (non-hybrid tire, and I believe they have a tread wear of 400 AA or 460 AA, not certain of which).

I lost 1 MPG, but I think it has more to do with the wheels than the tires. The wheels are heavy at 38 lbs each.

Lexi011

Sick looking rims!! Congrats

myw

i could not agree more. i normally fill 5 psi more then factory recommended. always better milage and imo and the ride quality is still nice and smooth. if you go 8-10 psi and beyond (or some people go to max tire pressure rating to get better milage) the car starts to ride noticeably stiffer.

i've actually gotten very good milage out of the oem mx4v; but do use them for summer season only.

smassey321

The RX is back in FL now and I can confirm that the Michelin Latitude Tour gets the same MPG as the Energy S8. I will NEVER buy the S8s again. The Michelin Latitude Tour is a much better tire in every way. With 20k miles so far I estimate that these will last twice as long as the S8s.

When my current set wears out I have a set of 2010 RX 19" wheels which I plan to put Michelin Latitude Tour's on. The 19" size I want is even VR rated.

sands12

I bought a used 2006 RX400h with 26,000 miles on and had to replace the tires at about 27,000. I put on Michelin MXV4's and with another 28,000 miles on the tires had to replace them with another set. That set went at around 28,000 miles and this time, instead of Michelin's, I put on 65,000 mile warranty Bridgestone Alenzas figuring that it must be the rubber on the Michelin's wears out faster. Suffice to say, the Bridgestone's also have worn out at 28,500 miles.
The car has an alignment every 10K, and the tires are rotated every 6 to 7,000 miles.
I use the "B" braking function to slow the car down but reversing the electric motors shouldn't have any effect on the tires. Or at least, I don't think it should.
Any ideas?

takeshi74

How are the tires wearing? Is the wear even? At what tread depth are you considering them worn out?