I always come back to CL for good advice. I am gettng two different stories about tires; one from the dealer; another from my long time tire supplier.

I have an 08 GS460 with 41,000 miles, live in hot Arizona and the orgiinal tires on the car were Bridgestone Turanza EL42, P245/40R18 Run Flats.
I have always hated the ride quality because of the run flats. They did manage to last 41,000 miles and now time for a change.
I am not putting on aftermarket wheels because $$ right now is an issue at home.
I have been suggested:
Falken PT-722 at $172 ea
Bridgestone Serenity at $290 ea
Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 at $310 ea

In arizona you drive a lot of highway miles, I am not looking for performance tires, I want a low noise touring tire that will get good wear.

Dealer tells me Falkens are crap; pushing for Michelin.
Tire dealer friend pushing for Falkens. (I have had Falkens on another car for two years no problems)

HERE IS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION I FORGOT TO MENTION!Because of some previous poor Lexus service problems, Lexus is picking up the price of two of the tires. I am stuck buying through the dealership!!

I very much appreciate your input.

Thanks from AZ!

 

MIchelin Pilots for the win. But why go to the dealership???? You got money to burn? Send some this way. Try Discount Tires

 

I agree with above. Dealerships DON"T have tire friendly prices. Go to Discount/America Tires to see how much you can save. You'd be surprised!

 

buy from tirerack, most likely cheaper as well

and yes, i saw michelin too. i am never fan of falken much

 

Michelin pilot a/s FTW 500 tread wear!

 

Kumho. Put on some Kumo Ecstas and very pleased. Have done three round trips L.A. -- Palm Springs and the tires are very quiet (FWIW...my hwy mileage is the same as the OEM Yokohams at 31-32MPH going 70MPH).

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....omCompare1=yes

 

Looks like he was at the dealership because they are paying for two of the tires.

Since the dealership is on the hook for two of the tires, I would take the best tire they have to offer, based on your criteria, and then buy the other two on your own from TireRack, Discount Tire, Treadepot, etc. Have the two you buy shipped directly to the dealership for them to install.

 

I made my post before the OP added the additional details.

I think your idea would be best if the OP has the option to do it.

 

NP. You are 100% correct about the dealerships extremely high prices for tires. That is a great source of profit for them if they can get the business. Unless it is an emergency or purely convenience, why would anyone buy tires at a dealership? Like you said, there are so many other cheaper options available.

 

I'm also in AZ and do mostly highway driving. I did the research at Tire Rack last spring when I had to replace the original Michelins, and, like Bushwack, decided on the Kumho's. I then researched the prices, and Discount was the winner. They even beat the local Military installation, where I could purchase sales-tax free. After 2000+ miles, I'm completely satisfied, and would make the same decision again.

 

The michelin MXM should be well under $200 at tire rack and at most michelin retail tire stores. I priced them in August at $167, but opted for the Michelin Pilot Sport Plus A/S for $197 a tire, however, my size is 225/50ZR/17," W"speed rated. Get away from any dealership when it comes to tires. The retail tire shops also should not charge anything for balancing and mounting when it comes to buying new tires. I bought two different sets of Michelin's one for my car and the other set for my SUV. My car is a 2010 and SUV a 2011. Could not deal with the RFT's anymore after 16,000 miles. SUV came with crappy handling Bridgestone Dueler from the factory. Went with the Michelin LTX MS 2's. Now it rides and handles like a luxury vehicle. Sold the Bridgestones for $400 to the tire dealer who sold me the michelin's. So things worked out pretty well.

 

I go for pilot sport a/s plus

 

Hankook Ventus 12

 

If you do nothing else, go to trerack.com to educate yourself on tires. That way you're not relying on the opinions of others and hoping they're correct. I'm a Michelin buyer almost exclusively, but that's based on learning about the pros and cons of various manufacturers through tirerack.

+1 on the Michelin Pilot A/S.

 

i got the Pilot A/S and they are not the run flats. THE ONE THING i noticed immediately was how much different the car felt, esp on the highway. Turning from side to side, the car felt really mushy and concerning. After about two months with them, I took my car to the dealer to have the suspension looked at. They told me all was okay and the issue that I am experiencing is due to the tires. The suspension is setup for the run flats, which have a MUCH STIFFER side wall. The dealer then recommended to replace stock suspension with coilovers or something stiffer.

What do you guys think. I HATE THE FEELING. I find myself drifting all over lanes on the highway.