gcrim21

A good while back, Lexusfreak had high praise for Toyo Tires over Michelin MXV4 Energy Plus tires. What I want to know is which series of Toyo Tires he was talking about. I am not familiar with Toyo Tires other than to know there is a Toyo brand of tire. I am going to replace the Goodyear Invicta Tires on my wife's ES300. I have a friend who has a 2002 RX300 that has Toyo Tires on it but that series is not for an ES. Going to Toyo's website will just recommend a tire size for the ES, but I don't know what series.

Thanks,
GCrim21

gcrim21

The Toyo only comes in a "V" rated tire for these tires......TPT & 800 Ultra or rather they come in "V" rating for size 215-60R16. I prefer a "H" rating for smoother ride.

GCrim21

Lexusfreak

The 800 ultra won't come in a V rating (not even sure about the H rating), only the Proxes TPT's.......check with the toyo.com website to look at the speed ratings. The V speed ratings will NOT give you a rougher ride.....the sidewalls are more reinforced however for better & sharper cornering & a higher speed should you ever want to go that fast. If I can get a tire that requires an H speed rating....in a V speed rating I would move up to the higher speed rating every time.......but never down. You won't hurt anything as the TPT stands for 'touring performance tire' Get the TPT's & you & your wife will think you just replaced the entire suspension system......for the better!

gcrim21

Lexusfreak,

So you recommend the "V" rating over the "T" rated ones? The Toyo website shows the Proxes TPT to be a "V" rated tire, same as ES comes from the factory with. The Ultra 800 shows a "T" rating. This is of course for the 215-60R16 size tire.
Not only the sidewall has an extra ply but the tread area is also an additional ply as well. The more plies, the more firm the tire which means you feel bumps more easily.
"V" rated tires is what I am trying to get away from. I prefer "H" rated tires over "T" rated ones because of speed rating.
Of course I realize that different brands of tires differ in smoothness.
I know Toyo's are not Michelin and vice versa, but Michelin "V" rated tires are more firm, therefore more 'road feel' than the Michelin "H" rated tires.
I assume that is true for other brands as well including Toyo.

And I am probably assuming too much. Just hate to pay the price for Michelin or Toyo and them not be what I expect. I do know the "H" rated Michelin MXV4 Energy Plus is a smooth tire but too pricey. I understand the Toyo is less expensive.

GCrim21

Lexusfreak

The Toyo 800 Ultra is a totally different tire & is not for the ES.......my dad has them (my entire family rides on one Toyo tire or another except my wife, I put Falken's on her Focus ZX5 because it's a lease) on his 1990 Buick Park Avenue if that give you some idea of what kind of tire the 800 ultra is.....excellent tire, just not made for the type of car the Lexus is. One other suggestion I do have if you want to stick with the "H" speed rating & they even might be a tad less expensive than the Toyo's are the Yokohama Avid H4S. It;'s a fairly new tire on the market & it comes in your size in H speed rating. I had them on my short list but decided to go for the Toyo's because I wanted to stick with the V speed rating. The Yoko's have received VERY good reviews & have a 500 treadwear, with a traction rating of AA (the best possible) & a temp rating of A. Something you might want to seriously consider. Keep us posted.