Your information looked interesting but when I checked the Bridgestone site the Serenity Plus does not come in a 19" wheel size. I only pass this on to others who may have an interest. I will be replacing tires in the next 2 months and I too am quite perplexed as to which or what tire to get. Tire Rack has misled me or led me astray with their recommendation so am not sure where to go? I see I can get the Pirelli tire at Sam's but have never bought tires from Walmart or Sam's so am not sure? I hear a lot of good reviews for Costco but they do not carry the tire I am more interested in. Costco does carry the Michelin's but I've seen too many reviews that are not positive for them? loss of mpg's. and not as quiet as what Tire Rack says it is or other 'official' sites; the actual users don't seem to be as impressed. I have 2 more months so hope I come across some 'newer' reviews on the 'newer' tires.

 

If Costco does not stock the tire you want, but sells other tires from the manufacturer, then they can special order the tire for you. I have done this before.

 

I did contact Costco about getting the tire and was told that their inventory's change and to keep checking to see if Pirelli gets offered. I have not seen in the past that they have carried the Pirelli line so will not hold my breath that they will any time soon do so. In my 'neck of the woods' they have been consistantly selling Michelin's, Bridgestone's, Goodyear's mostly. I will hope that this might change but am gathering feedback on how folks have faired buying from Sams Club.....which does carry the Pirelli line, and at a very good price.

 

I just got a 2015 RX 350 with 19" Dunlop tires set at 32 psi and was not happy with the ride for a luxury SUV. I traded them in for Bridgestone - Dueler H/L 422 Ecopia tires and now when I go over a bump or joint in the road its so much softer. I don't know yet how long they will last but really don't care I bought this car for the ride. Was going to go with Michelin tires but they didn't have good ratings in the snow and I live in Wisconsin. I just thought I would let everyone know what worked for me with 19' tires, I have them at 32 psi.

 

Shall I assume the Bridgestones are "H" rated? I ask/say this for I too was/is interested in the tire you bought. BUT I was told that tire stores/installers would not install a different rated tire than what came on the vehicle? Since my tires are OEM from the factory rated 'V' which is what Lexus puts on all their RX's I am wondering what your installer said, if anything, about putting a lower rated tire even tho it is an XL rated tire?

 

They didn't have a problem with that as long as it was the same as the tire spec. label on the door pillar which it was. Also Tire rack lists it as a replacement plus the treadwear rating is high with this tire. Time will tell on how they wear but I'm looking for ride comfort.

 

I checked on Tire rack the H is rated 130 mph V is 149 mph. I really don't know what they would be concerned about with a 130 mph tire I don't think it can go that fast and if it could how long would you be going at those speeds. The fact that they don't list the speed rating on the tire label means its not that important to Lexus. Did your tire store not carry the Bridgestone, or maybe he wanted to sell you what he had in stock.

 

I've yet to see an installer (here) refuse to accept money to install a tire you bring them for a vehicle. Especially with the explosion of aftermarket rim sales. They have to turn away an enormous amount of business Can't imagine it would be any different in Georgia where guys are putting 30 inch rims on Chevy's these days.

That's why I posted my previous comment about the RX topping out at 112mph. V vs U rating would make no difference to the RX speed capabilities as it has absolutely no chance of getting there unless you put it in N and run down the side of a mountain.with no brakes.

 

What tire brand/model did you get? Hankook Ventus AS RH07
Tire size? 235/55R19 105V UTQG 420 A A 65,000 mile warranty
Price paid and place of purchase? Mounted, Balanced, Lifetime Rotation - $782.52 Total at local Best One Tire
What tire did they replace and mileage? OEM Michelins with 47,000 miles
Other tires considered (if applicable)? Nexen, Bridgestone, Pirelli
What do you like most/least about your new tires? Smooth and Quiet
Updates? Eventually


Hankook Ventus AS RH07 235/55R19 105V

 

Speed ratings are somewhat a sticky subject. I hope to curb some things...

Lets start by saying that tires are a global product. The same tire you drive on in small town USA is also used in Stuttgart, Germany or Nagoya, Japan. In North America, we will likely never see the actual rating that tire is speed rated for. In other parts of the world, they do.

Of course you will never see 130mph, but why does your vehicle require a tire that is rated for such? As weird as it may seem, and for North America, it really isn't about the speed the tire will see on your vehicle. It is more about the stability of the tire at speed. If the vehicle requires at least a V rated tire, and you install a T rated tire, the tire can feel very lazy when driving at highway speed. The best way to describe it is that once you make a steering input, you need to wait for the tire to catch up as the vehicle makes its move. Making a lane change at 70mph can be quite uncomfortable feeling with a lesser speed rated tire.

Maybe I should try to describe this a different way. Think that a V rated tire needs to have a certain level of construction to maintain a 149mph/240kph speed so it doesn't destroy itself at that speed. The construction in a T speed rated tire (118mph/190kph) will be significantly lower because it is not rated to move that fast. If you use a lesser rated tire than the vehicle calls for, this difference will be felt in the vehicle. Also don't forget that the tire is the first part of a vehicles suspension system and the original equipment tire speed rating was taken into account when the vehicle was designed.

All of that said, speed rating variances will be different for every vehicle and sometimes some sub-models within the same model. Generally speaking, you can drop 1 speed rating without issue.

Here is some more information about speed ratings on our website

I hope that helps!

-AJ

 

AJ,
Excellent piece. I learned a great deal. A metaphor might be that a 300Watt stereo sounds a lot better at low volume, using only a ½ watt, than a 3 watt system using a ½ watt.
Ray A.

 

Help me to pick which one is better Michelin Primacy MXM4 or Michelin Latitude Tour HP for 2010 AWD or there would be a better suggestion??

 

AJ@TireRack.com did a very nice job of explaining the reality of the matter when it comes to speed ratings and your tires. Let me add to that. Perhaps the single most influential variable that drives a tire installer to only sell/install the same speed rated tire that came OEM boils down to one word → lawyers.

 

I will sell a tire of any speed rating, as long as the customer knows what they are getting, and is okay that I mark the invoice to reflect. Once the conversation is had (generally the same thing I wrote about above) the customer will switch to what is more proper for the vehicle.

Again, and generally speaking, you can go to a lower speed rated tire than OE for the North America market without issue. If the vehicle comes with a V rated tire, you can use an H rated tire most of the time.

It is a rare case that I hear from someone that the installer would not install a lesser speed rated tire on a vehicle. I have heard that the installer recommended they stay with it, but not refuse the install.

 

AJ, thanks again for the clarification. I've only gone with a higher speed rating myself. It was based on on the recommendation of a tire place and my requirements. There's plenty of solid options and reviews here and on your site. Shouldn't be a problem finding one with the proper speed rating.