Update:
Called local tire shop said he has 2 used MXV4 93V but in great condition around 70% thread left , would charge a little over a $100 for both.
Am I better off going for those or buying new ones at around $220 each?
I wouldn't want to compromise the ride , being it's a lexus.

 

I believe that they are rated for wear up to 50,000 miles, but that means going to the the bare minimum of 2/32. Practically speaking, I think that most people are getting somewhere around 40,000 miles or just a little more out of a set of MXV4 tires if they are replacing them somewhere between 3/32 and 4/32.

If it was me, I'd want to know exactly how much tread I have left on the tires before making a decision.

If you spend the $100+ now for 2 used tires and if, I as suspect, you have less than 5/32 left on the the 2 tires that you would be keeping, in another 7 or 8 months, you will be spending another $350 to replace the two tires that you are keeping now. And, if the used tires that you would be buying now have "70% of their tread still left" when you buy them, that means that they have about 6/32 left right now. That means that, about a year from now, you will be spending more money to replace them.

To me, it would still make more sense just to replace all 4 times now. Again, sets of 4 tires often come with nice rebates, and, if you went the route of the Pirelli tires that I mentioned earlier, because they are less expensive than the Michelins, you will be buying a great set of tires for less than $500.

While spending $100 for the used tires sounds okay, I would only consider doing that if the two tires that I was keeping had at least 6/32 left on them, and, with 28,000 miles on them, I think that is unlikely. Again, before making a decision, I'd suggest that you buy a tread gauge and check to see just how much tread you have left on your tires, or, alternatively, stop at a tire store and have them check the tread depth for you. Knowing that is what would allow you to make a better informed decision about whether it makes more sense to buy the used tires or to buy a full set of 4 new tires now.

 

thanks posted a picture of the rear and front wheel in that order, can you tell how much thread is left?
Thanks!
Rear drivers side
Front drivers

 

You are talking about only 32nds of an inch between a tire that still has satisfactory tread left and one that needs to be replaced immediately. The only way to know for sure is actually to measure it with a gauge. If I had to guess from your pictures, with the shallow treads near the edges of the tires appearing to be completely worn away, I'd guess that you have about 5/32 left, but that is only a guess. Again, you need to have them measured with a gauge.

I know that my 2013 ES came with the MXV4 tires. When I traded it in with 25,000 miles on it, there was almost exactly 6/32 left on all 4 tires. At the same wear rate, I would have been planning to replace them at just a little over 40,000 miles and with between 3/32 and 4/32 of tread left.

 

So went to a tire shop, he said the fronts are about 7 1/2 and rear are around 9. He recommends just changing the damaged one.

Am i better now just getting one used tire then?
Thanks

 

I'm very skeptical about those tread depth measurements. The MXV4 tires have 9/32 when they are new. There is absolutely no way that they would still have 9/32 after 28,000 miles. And even the 7 1/2 on the front is about what I'd expect at around 10,000 miles.

Are you the original owner of the car, or did you just recently buy the car used? About the only explanation that I could think of for having that much tread left on a car with 28,000 miles would be that the tires had recently already been replaced, and there are only a few thousand miles on the replacement tires.

If, in fact, that is the case and if you have that much tread left, by all means, just buy one tire. Is the bad tire one of the rears with more tread left or one of the fronts with less tread left? It would be ideal if it was one of the ones with more tread left because that would allow you to pair it with a new tire with a similar amount of tread left. If the bad tire being replaced is one of the rears with more tread on it, I'd be inclined to buy one new tire. If it was one of the fronts and if the used tires have at least 7/32, I'd buy the used tire. If the used tire has less than 7/32, I think I'd buy a new tire to pair with the remaining front tire. In any case, if those tread depths are accurate, the tires are ready for a rotation, and the ones with more tread should be on the front.

 

The bad one is drivers side on front. The rear tires have more thread (about 9 according to a local shop that i showed it to)

A family member had it before. As far as i know the tires were never replaced, I know it was mostly highway miles so that can be possibly why. The tire shop said there are at least 20-30k miles left on them. I'm thinking just to buy the one used tire for a third of the price , as he said it's in pretty good condition and has most of thread left (her didn't say exaxt measurments but said about 70% left in good condition). Is there any benifit of buying a new one vs saving money and buying the used one?
Thanks

 

If the bad tire is a front one, that would lead me toward just buying the best of the two available used tires. But, first, get an actual measurement of its tread depth. If it is within about 1/32 of the tire that it will be matched up with, that should be fine. Just make sure of the actual tread depth, and also make sure that the wear on the tire is even. Again, if you go that way, make sure that the tires are rotated and that the ones with 9/32 are on the front until the next rotation.

Whether it is with highway driving or city driving, I can't image that those rear tires would still have 9/32, which is essentially the same depth as when new, after 28,000 miles. As I said earlier, the tires on my ES with 25,000 miles on them had 6/32 left when I traded the car, and my driving includes very little stop-and-go driving. The only explanation that I can think of is that, even if you weren't aware of it, the tires must have been replaced at some point in the last 5,000 to 10,000 miles.

 

Thanks what if they're not within 1/32, just in case, what are my options, buying both so they match?

 

If the used tire has at least about 6.5/32, I think I'd buy it. If it has less than that amount of tread left, I think I'd strongly consider buying 2 new tires. While that would cost you more, if those rear tires do, in fact, have 9/32 left, you would essentially have 4 new tires, and you wouldn't have to be thinking about buying new tires again for a long time.

What makes the choice tougher is that the amount of tread left on the one good front tire that you have is kind of in an in-between state. If you just buy one new tire, you have quite a bit of difference between that new tire and the old tire. Similarly, if you buy one used tire with, say, only 5/32 or 6/32 left on it, you have a similarly big difference between it and the old tire that it is matched up with. That is why I'd be inclined to go with two new tires and not have to worry about the tires for a while. Plus, if you do buy 2 tires, the tire dealer might give you something (probably not much) for that one good front tire that you still have.

 

Thanks i see... is it such a big deal that they don't match up exactly let's say it's a 5 or a 6 for example and this is a 7 1/2 is that such a big descripency? Do they need to match? Will ride quality be reduced?
Thanks

 

When you start to go much more than a difference of 1/32, it will start to have an effect on the handling of the car, and it could also start to lead to uneven tire wear. If it was my car, I wouldn't go with a bigger difference, but it's your car, and it likely wouldn't be the end of the world to go with a little bigger difference.

Also, if you have 1 tire that has, say, 2/32 less than the other 3, somewhere down the road, even if they all wear evenly, somewhere down the road, you are going to be faced with a situation where you have 3 tires with 5/32 left and one tire with 3/32 left, and you will have to decide how to deal with one tire that needs to be replaced immediately and 3 that still have a good amount of tread left.

 

Forsure but in my case with the thread being around 7 I'm stuck on the fence as you said earlier, as a new one won't match and used Might not match.
I see on ebay they have all types of thread for really good prices. You can basically customise your thread. I can just purchase a 7 32 thread for around 50 bucks..

 

When purchasing used tires (besides the amount of tread) check the date code shown on the sidewall. If the tire is over 4 or 5 years old I would pass it up. The Tire Rack web site shows how to read the date codes if you are not familiar with the system.

 

By the tire shop now he's saying to change both front so they match, his have around 75% and mine have he says 50% . Shpuld i go with his advise and change Both front?