larryp

Time to replace the Goodyear 18"s on my RX330. I have 30K on my car and this is the second set. The dealer replaced the first set at 11K saying that the original wear was due to two faulty cambers. Needless to say every 5K, I take my car to the dealership and explain that my tire wear seems excessive and they tell me nothing is wrong. Now after my 30K service they tell me they would recommend replacement next service. 19K-22K seems pitiful for tire wear.

Anyone have any luck with other brands?

lexuslover

i have the oem 18" michelins on my RX. they have been there since March 2003 when i bought the car. they still have some tread left and i'm at 48k miles. i rotate at every 5k service and so far the wear is pretty even.

NeverSatisfied

totally agree w/ the michelins. though i have the sexy 17's , i'd say i have about 45% wear w/ 38K miles, fwd.

jfelbab

Go to Tirerack.com and compare tires. There are not a lot to choose from in this category but the clear winner in this size is the Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza.

larryp

Thanks for the feedback... I've had success with both Bridgestone and Michelins in the past on my other cars. Our 5 series BMW has Bridgestones and our Expedition has Michelins and we are getting great longevity from both.

It was nice to hear some feedback that my Goodyear tire wear is an anomaly and not a bigger problem inherent in the RX 330.

LophatRX

I bought the Michelin MXV4 tires for our 330. I like them more than the Goodyears. Factory spec sizes.
I got them from Discount tire. Cheaper than anywear and all the warranties included.
That is my 2 cents worth.
So good luck shopping.

joako

I just bought 235 / 50 / 18 sport tires, which are slightly smaller than OEM (235/55/18) for better handling, and heck they were $100 less than OEM size. I will report back how it goes.

I always buy from edgeracing.com, they are local so no need to pay shipping, and the prices blow away the local tire shops.

jfelbab

Mind telling us what brand and model you chose?

Keep in mind that your speedometer will be reading about 3.3% slower than you are actually traveling. Wouldn't want to get a ticket. Also, remember that for every 100 miles on your odometer you actually only traveled 97 miles.

I trust you examined the new tires load range and weight when choosing. Also be aware that the treadwear of sport tires is typically much less than the OEM tires. Sport tires use a softer, stickier compound. The OEM tires only live for about 25,000 miles so your new sports tires might not be saving you as much money as you thought. Keep us posted.

docfnky

there's only one choice on there...it's
Toyo Proxes St
255/50R1834Lbs.420 TreadwearHIGH PERFORMANCEV Rated

cantsleepnk

I thought about getting that same tire and size a while back but my local Toyo dealer said the tire would be too wide for the rim size. Did anyone actually try this on the stock rims with no problems?

Thanks in advance .

docfnky

i was thinking of getting the yokohama in the stock tire size. It's the one listed on tirerack.com. From the reviews so far, it seemed like the yokos are the best bang for the buck

joako

I actually didn't think of that, but the speedometer on the RX330 shows the actual speed, no? I am used to German cars that display approx 7% less.

And I get almost 500 free miles/year on my lease.

rxdriver

The speedometer is not truly accurate on most cars, including the RX. That's because the manufacturer has to allow for the different tire size options available without needing to reprogram the computer on every car.

Every Toyota/Lexus I've had has read high - it says you're going a little faster than you really are. Not by much - maybe 5%.

My incredibly simplistic way to test the speedometer is to get on the highway and set the cruise at exactly 60 mph. Then, when you get to a milepost, start a stopwatch. Stop it at the next milepost. If the trip took 60 seconds, you're right on. If it took less than 60 seconds, the speedometer is reading low, and more than 60 seconds, it's reading high.

Obviously you could do this at any speed with any known distance, but that involves too much math!

joako

I am way happier with the new tires. It feels like I am driving a car, not sliding down a bowling alley.

texasnark

I used this when I replaced my Goodyears. It is the best site for reviewing tire options for all models of cars and trucks.

By the way, I decided on Michelin and I can tell you they are by far the quietest and the best traction tires I have ever had. I highly recommend getting some. Try the Sam's Club website where you can order them shipped to your nearest club. It's hard to beat their prices.