Hi all,
New to group and this was something I wondered about. I just bought a 2013 RX 350 FWD (122,000 miles) with Pirelli Scorpion Verde, 235/55/R19 and very quiet tires but the car seems to wander a little. Talked to my local Lexus dealer in Santa Barbara and he said Pirellis tend to track on freeways. Anybody experience this?
Also, almost all the RX 350's I looked at had wood inlay steering wheels whereas mine is black. What does that mean as far as options or lack thereof? Thanks for a great site
Don Savard

 

How many miles on those Pirelli tires? Are their pressures correct? What is their remaining tread depth? And is the vehicle properly aligned? At that mileage, you have some worn suspension components unless they have already been replaced.

 

Var had 122,000 miles when I bought it with no previous history-Carfax has no info on when tires were replaced. Air press good and equal all around. About 10%-20% wear on them-look almost new, I have it scheduled with Lexus dealer in Santa Barbara ( which was also original selling dealer ) for complete 120K service and check all for "wandering". Thanks for heads up on this!
2013 RX350 FWD

 

Tires tend to track slightly when new, especially on the highway (grooves in the road to channel water from pooling). But after awhile I’ve had no issues with my Verde’s.

Couple of things to check: alignment and tire pressure and tread wear.

 

I would suggest finding a well-respected indie shop instead of taking a vehicle with 122,000 miles to a dealership. You will save considerable money with a good indie shop.

 

Someone slashed one of my tires (I need a ring doorbell )

Costco said all 4 need to be replaced anyway. I'd like to search and get the tires online (as they are much cheaper). My spouse thinks it's better to get them from Costco (free tire rotation, better warranty).

If you replaced your tires, did you get all season? Michelin? Bridgestone? Any suggestions appreciated.

 

Check out the Continental Crosscontact LX25 tires. I am really liking mine.
Most reputable tire dealers will rotate your tires for free if you buy from them.

 

How’s the road noise? I have seen elsewhere and here that the “Comfort Assurance” are among the quieter tires. Time for new on our 13

 

Hi all, new to the forum. I bought a 2011 with 100k miles in very good condition, Dealer replaced the worn out michelins for brand new ones. However, these are the Defender LTX M/S. Truck tires. They have the excellent grip Michelin is known for, but the sidewalls are stiff and car is bumpy.. I mean, I even feel the paint from the pedestrian crossings. Car came with premium wheels (19 inch) which probably do not help. I am looking for a more relaxed, comfy ride and quiet.
That said, I had a very good experience with Yokohama, but not sure how they do in the RX. Anyone has any suggestions? My other option is Bridgestone Comfort assurance. I could also get a different model Michelins, but they are too expensive.

 

Looking at Tire Rack The Michelin tire you have has a great rating for ride comfort https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires...nder+LTX+M%2FS

I do not see a Bridgestone Comfort Assurance tire. Here is a link, maybe if you see if there you could then read their test results and owners reviews and could then compare them to other tires:
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/bridgestone-tires.jsp

Also, did you check the air pressure as they often over inflate new tires during installation. The proper tire pressure is on the drivers door frame.
Also have the rear shocks been replaced? They are famous for leaking.

 

Don't know about the rear shocks, but they seem fine to me. Tires have 30psi, instead of 32. They are too hard for my taste. They, as all Michelins, have a degree of refinement in the ride, but I still feel too much. Noise level is very good though. they are not bad tires at all, but I find them hard -unless the problem is the 19 inch wheels.

 

It is more likely the 19-inch wheels and getting used to your new ride's ride.
If you decide to try 18 inch wheels:

You can find plenty of used Toyota or Lexus used 18-inch wheels on eBay or Craigslist or even the CL Marketplace etc. The 18-inch wheels from the RX, Highlander, Sienna, RAV4 would fit perfectly. I just scanned eBay and saw a set of RX 18 inch wheels with great looking Cooper Adventurer Tires for $800 including shipping. Plenty of other sets of 4 wheels were available.
You could then sell your 19 inch wheels with the almost new tires to recover much of your cost switching to 18s.

 

Do any of you have experience with the Michelin CrossClimate 2? I need to replace the LTX's on my wife's '13, and traction in the snow is very important to her. I'm concerned about road noise, though, as this is our "nice" car, and I want it to seem so to her.

Mark

 

Looking at this same tire as a replacement for my wife's "new to us" 2014.
We're in Utah, so definitely get to deal with snow, but also heat. Seems like a good compromise, and I think the tread pattern looks pretty cool.

 

I did a lot of research on Michelin tires (been using Michelins for nearly 20 years and very happy with their tires). This included talking to Michelin, Tire Rack and various other sites and YouTube for my 2014 RX with 19” wheels. Initial shortlist included Michelin Defender LTX, Premier LTX, Cross Climate 2, Primacy Tour and MXM4.

Cross Climate 2 is VERY new; made for wintery/ rainy weather & was told by Costco Tire store associates are 3 different locations that they will be comparatively noisier compared to others. So that was out.

The next was Defender LTX - given that they were primarily made as light truck tires and reading that the ride is bumpy for many reviewers, that was out.

It was down to the Premier LTX, Primacy MXM4 and Primacy Tour. Premier LTX can run out of tread faster than the others (already have them on my RX) & I wanted to try a different tire so the Premier LTX was out.

Of the Primacy Tour and Primacy MXM4, I found that, for my use, the MXM4 would give me the comfortable and quiet ride with excellent dry & wet traction as well as some snow traction (we seldom get snow here in Texas).

All initial 5 tires are very good tires, the remaining 3 came on top and it was down to personal preference, based on what one is looking for.

Reading previous posts on this thread made me research other brands but I found it was safer to stay with Michelins.

Hope you and other members find this helpful. Good luck and please let us know what you decide. Happy driving and be safe!