RX350 all season tire?
 

I have a 2008 RX350 AWD and am also looking for a new set of all-season tires. I've been doing a lot of research and I think I've narrowed my selection my selection to the following:

Michelin Latitude Tour
Continental Extreme Contact DWS
Bridgestone Alenza
Yokohama Parada

I have always been a fan of Goodyears, but I've heard they wear terribly on the RX so I've eliminated them as a choice. I'm looking for a tire that performs well and also looks great on the RX. Snow performance is very important as I live in Minnesota. Do any of you have any opinions on my search? It sounds like the Michelins and Continentals are pretty new, so there aren't many reviews out there. I know the Bridgestones are a great tire, but do they look ok on the RX? Even though I'd like to save money if I can, I'm not going to make my decision on price alone. Price doesn't matter in my opinion when it comes to safety. Any input on these tires would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I have just over 25k on a set of Alenzas and they are great in any weather including deep snow. If I were to repurchase tires today I might be tempted to try the Paradas based on their user reviews on Tirerack.com but it would be a tough choice. My OEM Goodyears were totally shot at 25k. The Alenzas hardly show any wear and measure 10/32nds now at 25k. The Alenzas are quiet and firm with a tread patch that is 1.2" wider than the Goodyears OEMs of the same size. The Paradas have a full 2" wider tread patch. The Alenzas have the best treadwear rating. Here is a pic of what the Alenzas look like on the RX.
http://gallery.mac.com/jfelbab/100127/PICT6870/web.jpg

The Parada is pretty new and I've not seen any users here that have reported on their use so far. The Alenzas, OTOH, have a lot of users here who seem to really like them.

Wow, those look really nice actually. I think thats the way I'm going to go. Is there any reason that you'd switch to the Paradas if you're having good luck with the Alenzas other than the user reviews? Just wondering.....is that a photo you took? If so, what treatment do you use on your tires? They look great. I usually use Meguires or Zaino.

The only reason I'd consider the Paradas is that the TireRack reviews are slightly better than the Alenzas. Yet, I'd still probably buy the Alenzas as they are a great tire in my view.

Yes, I took that photo. I use Meguiar's Hot Shine (trigger spray) tire dressing. I spray that on a foam tire applicator and wipe it on, let it dwell for a few minutes then wipe off the excess so there is never any sling.

I liked the Alenzas. They were decent in the snow and got me up and down some scary hills. I had to be careful in turns/passing stuck cars but I think that's the RX in general, not the tire. The Alenzas replaced the OE Goodyears at 16K and were considerably cheaper. I did replace the Alenzas a month ago because they were losing grip at 33-34K. The OE Michelins I have on now are nice. The tread is definitely not as substantial as the Alenzas. But I'm sure they'll be fine. I'll probably have my 450h before i can find out :D

Jim, nice shoes :thumbup: Do you use the Meguiars on the side skirts too?

I live at 8700 feet in Colorado. Some years, you can't even get to my house without all wheel drive from December to March. I run the Alenzas and am completely happy with them.

We switched to the Dueler H/L Alenza's after the RS-A's and these tires are great. They looks like snow tires, very aggressive, compared to the stock ones.

Thanks for all of the information and opinions. The Yokohamas are very tempting but I've only seen a couple reviews of them from RX owners. It sounds like the Alenzas are a sure bet. I've found that they're an extremely popular tire here in the Twin Cities. All of the Discount Tire locations are out of them. I talked to a salesperson there and he says they sell a ton of them to RX owners. Probably a good sign then.

MNRXguy, you can't go wrong with the Alenzas. I found they were at least $30-40 cheaper than the OE Goodyears and Michelins. They are true SUV tires. I should explain I went with the OE Michelins last month because I was at the dealer for service, had a coupon for free alignment with tire purchase, and Michelin had a $70 rebate.

Good luck finding the Alenzas :)

why not run snow tires in the winter and all seasons in the other 3 seasons??

this is a much safer choice, and in the long run till not cost you anymore money

+1 for the Alenza's! Go, go, go!

Well I just got the Alenzas installed last night. They look really nice. I have noticed today that they do throw a lot of rocks up into the wheel wells. As for the ride, I'll put 500-1000 miles on them before I make any judgements. I did notice this morning after they sat all night that there was a small vibration, as if they had flat spots on them. But I'm wondering if this was because they were just installed and they sat all night. We'll see.

MNRXguy, congrats. You might want to have the tire balancing checked - might be causing the vibration. Just my 2 cents. The Alenzas do kick up more stuff but I didn't have a problem with it. Enjoy them in the snow!

Well after putting some miles on the Alenzas, I am very happy with them. A great ride and great handling. We just got 6 inches of snow here and they do very well. Have a quick question though. For thsoe of you who have the Alenzas, what psi do you keep them at? 30psi? I ask because my tire pressure light has been on all day today. Thinking that the 10 degree weather was causing it, I put 40psi in and the light is still on, even after I restart the car. The tires have a 51 psi max. Discount Tire replaced the TPMS stems when they installed the new tires and everything was fine over the last week until today. Does the TPMS need to be reset? Its strange that the light came on a week after the installation. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys.

I typically run at 32psi. When I do cross country freeway driving for days at a time, I up it to 35 psi. They also ride very well at 30 psi. More of a luxury ride at 30psi but I like the slightly stiffer ride at 32psi. I see no mileage difference regardless of which pressure I have set.

For the TPMS, have you checked the pressure in the spare?