Bridgestone's Allenza's are on backorder nationwide, and have been for at least six weeks. A local Firestone/Bridgestone store told me they have been discontinued. Don't know if that's true, but look for another Bridgestone product to appear in the market soon. Meanwhile, I'm tippy-toe-ing around on my badly worn Michelins, what we used to call "Maypops".

 

I had a chat with my Lexus service manager when I dropped my vehicle off for it's 30k service. I told him the OEM Goodyear tires were getting worn and I'd soon be looking to replace them. He said they would be happy to take care of that when the time was right. I mentioned I was reading about the Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza tire and asked if he handled them. He said no but they could get them. He then said I'd be further ahead by ordering them from the TireRack and have them drop-shipped to them and he would be happy to install them. He also mentioned a Kumho Road Venture APT KL51 tire as being one I should investigate.

 

Thanks for the info on the Alenza's .... our Michelin's have at least 5-7K left on them, so I hope they come out with a new tire soon. If not, Discount Tire also offers the Yokohama YK520 ($171/per tire) with a 60K warranty that may also work.

 

the more important thing to me is:

which tire is better, the Goodyears or the michelines. THose are really my only choices, seeing how i think the alenzas are too butch looking and i really dont get any snow in san francisco.

i guess what im asking is which one is more quiet on the road...seeing how im not a sport oriented driver...just want the comfort and long lasting tire.

 

which ever tire has a lower speed rating and softer compound should be quieter. the stock goodyears suck though, they cost a lot and have a low treadwear.

 

I don't know what the Goodyears are like on the RX350, but the Michelins are really quiet, even at speed. Considering the Goodyears' lousy reputation, I'd go with the Michelins and be done with it.

 

The Alenza H/L seems the hands-down best idea - see the Tire Rack website, "Upgrade Garage" and compare Goodyear-Michelin-Bridgestone. Bridgestone has a 30 day ride satisfaction guarantee that could make it a no-brainer if you have a dealer near you.

My 4 day old (to me) '05 is on its 3rd set of new tires .. Arlington Lexus in Palatine, IL installed Bridgestone H/T 687 for a Lexus Certified sale, OE Michelin's smoked at 31K. I complained loudly (OE is V rated, H/T is H) and they put on the Michelin MXV4 which I immediately changed over to Bridgestone Alenza (I own a Goodyear/Gemini tire store - my tire wholesaler will either take in the new Michelin's for full credit or take back the Bridgestones if I don't like them). Normal (non-tire store owner) people not absolutely sure of what they want should consider doing their deal with a source that can fully support the product they choose. If you're happy you will soon forget the extra $100 or so, and if you're not happy those will be the longest 50,000 miles of your life.

 

I have the Goodyear tires on my car; at 13,800 they are nearly worn out. By all the reviews (not specifically for Lexus's) the Bridgestone Dueler Alenza is best, but my dealer says they are just awful and that I should get an OEM type. Obviously he has a "conflict of interest" here, but it also sounds like they may not install the Bridgestones--even if I ordered and had them delivered.

My brother ordered tires from TireRack, and the installers "scratched and dented" his wheels on his Honda S2000. I don't know what to do. HELP!!

 

What I really hate about the MXV4's is the 9/32 tread depth. Most tires of this style and price come with 11/32" tread depth. That is over 10% more life in the tire!

I am happy with the performance of these when new. I just do not think I will get that much mileage before needing a new set.

 

BlueBeauty, Dont listen to your dealer. The Bridgestone Dueler Alenza will last twice as long as the oem goodyear without giving up much handling wise. I like the Michelin Cross Terrain myself, but they dont make one in the RX's oem size.

 

I agree with the G Man. We have about 7,000 miles on the Alenza's and I am pleased. I was running 36psi, but lowered it to 32psi and it seems to handle the potholes/bumps much better. The ride is excellent and after getting 36K on two sets of Michelin's, I am happy to have an actual tire warranty.

Also, I got them at Discount Tire (they matched the buy 3 get 1 free sale at Firestone). Out the door for a bit over $700......excellent price.

BTW, there are two new tires out there for the RX330; one made by Hankook and one by Kumho, so there are other options.

 

They have insurance on those type of damage, they should pay you to get it re-done. There are shops for wheel refurbishment. Otherwise, they have to buy new wheels. File a claim. This is the only way we can protect our interests. This is damage to property.

 

Can you please tell me he details of this promo? I might decide to get them, too. Did you get OEM size? 235-55-18 V rated?

 

Yes, I got the standard size for the 18" tires. The tires are V-rated and carry a tread wear warranty for 60,000 miles.

Seems like Firestone offers the buy 3 get 1 free deal every so often (and they didn't raise their prices prior to doing the sale), so about the only advice I can give is to watch the ads for the next sale. At least when I looked, Firestone's everyday price was cheaper than Discount Tire ($205 vs $180 -- before the add-ons), so if nothing else, it is worthwhile to stop by and price them out.

Hope this helps.

 

FWIW, Tirerack has this Bridgestone Alenza (235/55VR18) selling for $152 a tire and $75 off on a set of 4. They show "in stock."

$152 x 4 = $608 - $75 = $533, Assume $30 for shipping and around $25 a tire for stems, mounting and balancing, and you drive away for under $700.