GMONEY......you pulled the trigger! Glad you are happy with the P7s.....I certainly wouldnt back them if I wasnt sure they were a great tire. If you like them now u will be blown away after about 500 miles they are as smooth and quiet as silk. Check your psi.....mine were over inflated from the tire shop.......keep them at suggested psi in your manual. I cruise mine at 32psi. Dress the tire with some Maguires tire black and they will make your Lexus look like a sporty sedan.

Congrats!

Now we gotta get Boca on board. Boca....I would just avoid Pep Boys at all costs. If a local dealer will price match I would take that bait. Road hazard is nice to have....you get the p7s for so cheap u can afford the road hazard as well. Of course by the time they add in mount, balance, disposal, tax, labor, etc......it gets pricey.....but worth it.

 

My local Costco has a big sign stating that they will install tires purchased elsewhere. I believe the charge is about 15 to 18 a tire. So, buy the tires at Costco, Discount Tire Direct, or Tire Rack, etc. and have them installed at Costco.

 

Depends on what you buy and the time of year. Last spring I was comparing prices for a set of Michelin Premier A/S tires between TireRack and Costco. At that time, I could get a significant savings buying them from TireRack due to the fact that the $70 rebate was good at TR but not at Costco. The guy at Costco said that they get their own deals with Michelin at other times of the year.

Moral of the story, it pays to check all of the options if you want the best deal because it is always changing...

 

I got a slightly better price from Tire Kingdom of $663 out the door. Wants $100 deposit to order them. Started me out at over $900 until I told them about the price at Pep Boys. They are down the block from me and also a crappy install shop. They have an even lower rating than Pep Boys but I should be able to watch the install. I have 2 more options left. A member above mentioned Costco installs tires purchased elsewhere, and I have a good relationship with a local Infiniti dealership. I'll see if Infiniti could get the tires for me and match the price. The sale ends on the 29th of October so I need to move my ***. Worse scenario I'll go with Tire Kingdom and tell them they need to match the lifetime rotation and balance as Pep Boys does.

 

Thanks!

I drove the car to work this morning, mixture of city and highway and I'm really happy with the P7s. The car really does glide, and the combination of low road noise and increased handling are just terrific.

I want to thank the group for turning me on to the P7 and for educating me about tires in general, especially in regards to how they affect the LS430.

 

Gmoney. Glad you got the P7s and are enjoying the ride! Congrats! Would you mind me asking where you purchased your tires and what it cost you? Right now, I am having a problem finding a tire retailer in my area that is able to even get the 225/55/17 P7 A/S Plus in the 97V rating (for a reasonable price...not paying over $900+) I've gone to 3 different installers. The only one that still insists on getting them is Pep Boys with a wait after ordering them. . I found out I do have the option to get them installed at Costco for the reasonable price of $15 a tire plus tax. Tire rack is over $100 more than Discount Tire direct for 4 tires shipped, but I'm a little nervous that Discount tire might be selling old tires as I've read on line and that they have an F rating with better business bureau. Tire Rack has an A rating. Still have a few days to decide. Would love to get the tires on line and give them to Costco to install. Just need to know the manufacturer's date of production. I don't want a tire that close to a year old or older. The fresher the tire the better. After speaking with Tire Rack the rep told me the last P7 that was sent out had a Sept production date. Tha'ts fresh. I'll need to ask Discount Tire to give me the dates on the 4 tires from his warehouse before I place the order. Better to be cautious these days than screwed.

 

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...&autoModel=LS4

If it was me I would wait for the 60 dollar rebate, they come out all the time, pay 60 bucks for shipping and my Toyota dealer will rotate em when I get oil changes at tire rack prices. I can hop in and out of new cars while I wait, have a cup of Joe, harrass the sales guys and even get a 30 mile ride toand pickup from work if I need it. Just me same master techs been doing my LS for 8 years. I bet the tires are as relatively fresh as the donuts I bring em. Cheers

 

Checked 3 retailers today. Tires Plus, Tire Kingdom, and now Pep Boys....All of them are unable to find any 225/55/VR17 Pirelli P7 Plus with load rating of 97V Only Tire rack seems to have them but at a premium of $100 over other on line tire vendors. All 3 tire installers told me that they could not get them for me as every warehouse has zero in stock. May have to go Tire Rack and have Costco install them. Price won't be as attractive but I'll have them on my car.

 

Boca I commend your detailed research. I would obsess over decisions like this as well. In the end getting a good tire for your ride is a big decision and cost a nice chunk of change. The good news is that most of the work has already been done for you. Just a couple of good tires to choose from.....and now where to get them installed. Ehhh 100 bucks here of there doesnt bug me so much as the relationship with the shop.....I want to be able to get my rotations and road hazard stuff done at a decent shop.....so if u find a decent price...maybe not the best.....but at a shop that serves donuts and fresh coffee......with master techs.....thats the ticket.

PS......Not sure how u drive your car.....but if your just looking for smooth and quiet tires and dont plan on drifting....consider the H rated P7s.....You might find them easier to locate....maybe even cheaper.......but they have I believe...a softer ride....and handle great. I have had mine for a couple of years now.....and wouldnt even consider moving to the V rated for fear of losing the ride I am accustomed to now.. That being said for all I know the ride between the 2 is exactly the same......but just sayin......yes the V rated got the great reviews.......but the H is pretty much the same tire.....maybe smoother.....softer.........

GMONEY....did u get H rated or V rated??????

 

Just remember those UTQG ratings are self-reported....to me that's like a fox in the henhouse, or a 25 y.o. girl asking a single 40 y.o. man what's your income and height?

To illustrate, my 2007 BMW came from the factory with Bridgestone RE050A rated 140 A A, 88W on the front, 90W on the rear. That's a terrible treadwear, if I had to take a wild guess, I'd say those must last < 15k? They lasted 41k and could not be rotated, with the rears being shot to the wear indicators, and the fronts still good at 6/32 (just imagine a Premier starts at 8.5). They were replaced with Michelin Pilot Super Sports which cost 1/2 the price of the OE Bridgestones, 300 AA A, 92Y on the front, 94Y in the rear. How much do you want to wager, that these Pilot Super Sports will NOT last 41k, despite the treadwear of 300 vs. 140? I estimate 25k, using common sense. They are sticky under normal temps, and likely to be useless at 40F, like driving with hockey pucks on ice. my .02 as far as the obsession goes with these specs...

I would not read too much into those numbers, just get a speed rating that exceeds or meets what came from the factory. I suppose folks are avoiding Costco for some reason (the only one I can think of is now the membership is $60 or $120?), but imho that's the only retailer that stands out. All the rest are much of the same. My buddy in Tampa said every chain was willing to match Costco, just not willing to match the lifetime warranty stuff...

 

The H rated tire over the V rated one may be better for the LS. Remember this is not a sports car but a luxury ride vehicle. LOL. If you plan on drifting the car, lol then try and find a V rated tire for the slightly stiffer sidewall. I think most of us are OVER thinking which rated tire to purchase. Trying to figure out which one is best will drive you nuts. LOL. Good luck.

 

Even on the LS the V rated helps make for a more stable ride with more precise steering. Ride is mushy enough as it is V rated has a crisper ride on 17 s. I feel the difference for the same priced tires.

 

Sure, I paid a little over $900 for everything. I could have saved a bit by driving all over town, but I decided to go with my local shop and hope for some goodwill down the line. They were great - and the mounting and balancing took just over an hour, and the car rides straight and true.

Mr. Tire / Leesburg, VA

 

Moral of the story: You can have all the information in the world at your fingertips, and still make a dummkopf mistake. I bought Michelin Xice Xi3's.. Why in the world did I not get the Continental Wintercontacts made in Germany? Cheaper, better, nah, didn't want that lol

Meanwhile, I've been driving on Rydanz Roadster 02's for 13 mos. now, as they were put on the car by the selling dealership. "Made in China, Engineered in Europe."

http://www.mavistire.com/tire-review...l=Roadster+R02

I remember joining the forum last year and hearing the, "I wouldn't risk the lives of my family...." etc.

After 15,000, I have more tread on the tires than a Michelin Premier has new. No problems in wet. And these tires are imho much better than the Michelin Xice Xi3's which are made in Thailand, not the best decision on my part to get them, as I went with the overall rating, not bothering to read the ones which slammed the tire (yep, I wanted one number to represent the overall goodness, lazy). Yes, I want today Pilot Sport AS3+'s to replace them, but by the time that happens, it might be AS5++. Yes the valet noticed at the country club and I was a little embarrassed, I just told them the au pair made a mistake and for some reason didn't get the Michelins as I had instructed.

I must say I agree with the overthinking, what's the worst thing that can happen if one buys name brand tires, a review comes out saying something else is better?

edit Thailand

 

Lexus didn't make the H tire the OEM for no reason.