Hi, I have three questions please, regarding my stock Goodyear Eagle RS-A (22K miles):

1) My two rear tires need replacement now, while the fronts still have a "good amount" of tread. I never rotated except on recommmended services. What would be the reason the rears wore out so much faster than the fronts? The rears seem to have worn slightly more on the outside edge too.

2) Should I replace only the two rears, or go with a complete set of four, perhaps a different tire brand? I am no expert, but I think the fronts can go another 10-15K.

3) My wife drives this car. What is the cheapest longest lasting tire out there? We dont care too much about performance, maybe a little about noise but that's it.

Thank you very much!!!

 

(1) on FWD cars, the fronts wear out faster than the rears. if you rotate consistently at regular intervals, the front and rear should wear pretty evenly over time. maybe it is possible you left 1 scheduled maintenance out for a little longer than usual and the tires started to get uneven... there are a number of other possibilities, but generally, yes, they should wear evenly with consistent rotations. oh, and the outside edge wear usually means you had some kind of alignment issue. this stuff you have to keep close tabs on, any pulling you should get fixed when you notice it. b/c uneven side wear can happen quick and end up costing you prematurely.

(2) it's always better to change all 4 IMO, it keeps the 4 tires in check as it goes along. of course it is not completely necessary, you can do 2 at a time also, but then from the get-go you are already starting with uneven thickness. which is fine, but you will get in the pattern of always replacing two at a time more frequently than if you did 4 at a time. (i.e., going to the tire store every two years instead of four)

(3) the 18" OEM michelins that come with the AWD RX are excellent IMO. i have had them since i bought the car in march 03. i have 43k miles on them, and there's at least 10k more to go. they have worn evenly and look and ride great. the # is Michelin® Energy MXV4 S8 P235/55R18 and i guess they are not the cheapest, but reasonable considering what you get. they are about $175 a piece.

 

Another excellent option to consider is the Yokohama Geolandar H/T-S G051 for less than half of Michellin. I used to be a Michellin guy that is until recently when I replaced my wife's 00-RX300 with a set of Yoko Geo HTS G51. Quieter on highway & better wet traction for less than half the price of my previous set of Michellin Cross Terrain SUV ... go figure . I've been running these Yoko tires for over 5K miles with no problem.

Anyhoo, tirerack.com seems to have the best online price, make a print out and take it to your local Discount Tire for price matching (minus the shipping charge).

HTH

 

Thanks guys for the helpful info. Tirerack doesn't have those Yokos in 235/55/18. So I think I'll go with a set of four Michelins, and get an alignment. I wish I would have done this a month ago, Costco had that sale. Oh well. But thanks again for the help!!!

 

Folks on tirerack seem to be pretty happy with these overall, as they are the only actual 'SUV' all season tire available in that size currently...

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....e1=yes&place=0

 

235/55/18'S

Goodyear Eagle RSA 240 Treadwear
Michelin MXV4 S8 400 Treadwear
Bridgestone Alenza 600 Treadwear

all for more or less the same money; Alenza wins !!

comments on Tire rack all show Alenza as the superior tire, too.

we've seen RSA's be bald at as few as 18k miles. 25k is quite normal for needed replacement

 

Hmmm...those Bridgestones do look interesting. Will they have an acceptable ride and noise? Right now, they are giving $100 rebate. And they have 65K wear warranty. What do you guys think?

 

Which tires did you get?

I am going to check out the Alenza's now. My RX 300 came with Bridgstone Dueler HT 687's on it. They were good, except they wore a little early. I am not sure if it was an allignment, or rotation issus, as both were conducted regularly.

The Alenza's are supposed to be superior in every way to the OEM tires.

Good Luck.

 

I decided on the Michelins. Got them yesterday at Discount Tire (because my rears are bald and couldn't wait), they matched Costco, and currently have a $50 rebate. I think Costco has their $60 sale starting next week, but the guy there who told me may be mistaken.

Yeah, I tried to research the Alenza's as much as I could, but went with OEM. Thanks everyone again for the help

 

Has anyone been able to compare through real experience the Eagles, the Alenzas, and the Michelins on their RX330? My OEM Eagles are about worn out, at only 11K. What about comfort, quiet? Thanks.

 

How much miles did your factory OEM tires before replacing it?

 

I had the Goodyear’s on my 05 RX, lasted 18k and had tread wear indicators showing on all 4, and I do not drive that aggressively. Spent a good deal of time researching replacement rubber and finally had to buy Michelin’s, wanted to get the Bridgestone’s but couldn’t get them locally (within 100 miles). So far the Michelin’s have been quite good. Went over Stevens Pass (4061 feet) here in Washington in a virtual blizzard, no traction problems – just idiot problems - other drivers with street tires, no chains, no 4 wheel drive, and no sense. We’re experiencing a rather unique early winter here, temps at 14 degrees (F) and winds howling at 30+ MPH so chill factor is –11, this on top of about 2 feet of snow, and the Michelins have gotten me to my office just fine. We did however note that my wife’s IS 250 AWD doesn’t do worth a crap in 2 feet of snow, the air dam, and front end become snow plows for a very short ways!