I have them on my car, they look great and have a wide tread width for more rubber on the road. After 20K miles though they are starting to ride pretty harsh, not as quiet as they used to be. I'm thinking about replacing them with the Yokohama V4S. They are a little bit wider (8.0 vs. 7.7) than the Alenza's and weigh 3 lbs. less per tire so hopefully I can save on gas.

 

If you are shopping price, you might want to try www.onlinetires.com.

 

Do you drive in the snow? Usually, fatter tires do not handle as well in snow when compared to skinnier tires.

However, you are correct in that for the wet and in places like sunny CA and FL that a wider contact patch on the road does help. There is also a different feel in the steering wheel.

 

I have seen a set of Yoko's V4S, they look sweet but do not know how it rides. I was happy with my Yoko AVS V4's on my Acura though.

 

True enough, but I might add our 400H is not exactly a dream in the snow regardless of tires. Under certain conditions it can get very confused, like going up a steep icy driveway. As there is no way to turn off all of the automatic stuff, it can be a small issue. I did not purchase the car for regular snow use. I would put Blizzaks on if I were to do so, and then be very careful.

But, in response to your statement - you are right. We live in a wet, mountainous area ( ~50 inches of rain annually) and otherwise it's CA weather. So the amount of tread on the ground is a real issue, and these have a very good feel on wet or dry mountain roads.

I can't quantify the issue, simply assert it feels so much more stable. Your 330X is inherently a better handling car. We have some pretty significant unsprung weight in the form of the batteries under the rear seat. I am sure these have been factored into the design. But I cannot fathom the skinny tires for what I presume is 80%+ of the use of the 400H - non snow use.

chmod

 

Just a note to correct the assumption that your batteries are "unsprung" weight. They are indeed sprung.

I was also interested in hearing your views of the hybrid's snow abilities compared to a conventional RX. I've a friend with a hybrid who emphatically doesn't like the hybrid in snow and ice conditions.

 

You are nit-picking. :-)

I am not claiming to be an expert, and my experience is limited to the AWD version (there is a FWD only and it might behave better?) but...the issue seems to be the potential for the ICE and the significantly powerful electric motors to fight each other under certain conditions. You cannot (on the 07 at least) defeat one or the other - you must rely upon the computer. I know of people who have been unable to move on steep, ICY, driveways. I know of a person who had to be towed out of a shallow, icy ditch because the computer was being presented with specific conditions with which it could not deal.

I found the car to behave OK, not unsafe. But my son's 96 4Runner 4WD can run circles around it, no surprise. I think if a person bought the car thinking it would handle snow and ice like an AUDI Quatro, for example, they are very sorry they bought the car. It DOES handle snow and some ice better than a non AWD car, and I have ridden in a 400H AWD with real snow tires (Blizzaks) and it was significantly better than All-Season tires, but not as good as a true 4WD. And like I said, the lack of ability to go either ALL electric or all gas in an effort to handle a specific set of circumstance, is somewhat of an issue.

chmod

 

Sorry, I didn't mean to offend.

 

I am running the Bridgestone Dueler H/L in a 255 width, I prefer the looks and the slightly more off road oriented tread pattern to the original Goodyears. It handles better in the rain as well.

 

First words of a problem with a set of Alenzas. Did you discover what the root cause of your problem was? You changed out the Alenzas, were they indeed bad?
I ask because all other reviews indicate Alenza as the preferred tire for the RX330. This little sentence causes me concern, since I am ready to purchase new tires.
Please follow up with more information as to what was causing your problem.

thanks
Chris

 

I have the 235/55R-18 Kumho Road Venture APT KL51 tire for about 4 months on a 2007 RX350 and they are fine. After installing yes there is more of a feel to the road, but the stock tires make the drive feel like [insert dead hooker analogy here.]

 

I too have the Kumho Road Venture APTKL51 tires for 3 yrs or so (24k miles on them). They are way better in the rain than the stock RS-A. In the snow, it did fine without any issue (also better the RS-A in this regard). I drove it to work when most folks in the Seattle area staid home during one of the few snow storms we have around here. Will probably buy it again when they wear out.

 

I'll be buying a set of tires in the next few weeks.I was going to go with Alenza's but these Kumho Road Venture APTKL51 at just over $500 delivered from Tire Rack have my interest.
The Kumho's on Tire Rack have some very good test results and consumer reviews.I've also read some very good reviews on forums.
Noise and ride opinions with the Kumho's from you guys here?
The Alenza's and Kumho's are 4 lb per tire heavier than the stock Michelins.

 

I have the Michelin Energy MXV4 S8 OE tires but I only have about 11K on them. I am not looking for replacing these tires anytime soon but those that have had these tires would you buy them again and if not why ? So far these tires have performed like a champ.



Cat

 

20K miles and the tread is just at the head of Lincoln on a penny.I probably can get another 5K but I want the best handling and traction for the wife.
Most tires at half or more wear lose traction,get noisy etc..
I can't see going for over $200 per for the OEM Michelins when other tires tested and in surveys have better results.
I've also found through the years that most OEM tires are average at best and there are many tires that perform better for same price or less.
IMO,Bridgestone Alenza's are better than OEM Michelins at $30 less per tire.
Great reviews on certain Kumho tire.One is Kumho Road Venture APTKL51 that I may try.