thejefftom

Hi All,
I have a 2013 GS350 FSport RWD. It's time to replace the back tires, but the fronts have plenty of wear left on them. They are all the OEM Dunlops. I'd love to replace the rears with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. I hear great things.

The question is, will I have issues having the Dunlops on the front, and Michelins on the back? Do I need to replace all four?

Thanks for your help!
Jeff

bclexus

You should replace all four tires with the same tire. But, unless you drive aggressively (near the limits) you should be okay with the two different tire brands (carcass design, compound, tread design, etc.) as long as the different brands are not on the same axle.

IndyIS

^ agree with bclexus. All 4 should be the same so that you have the same tread wear and driving pattern, but most of us aren't race car drivers so you should be fine to get by with 2 different brands.

NVRLAND

iTrader: (4)

I disagree with the above. I prefer different tires in the front vs the back. I prefer tires in the back to grip more but the front to be smoother and quieter for daily driving. Im running hankooks in the rear and michelins in the front. As long as you have same 2 tires in the front and then the other set in the rear the same, youll be okay. Its all personal preference to be honest.

ShrinkDoc

^^^^ This

OP, the only thing that really matters in the end, is that the tire circumferences are the same all the way around (if you have an AWD), unless your car is RWD, which then allows you to have different sizes between front and back. NVRLAND is 100% correct. Conversely, a cheap tire can make everything feel and sound like crap, 2 different tires on the front or rear can sometimes affect driving experience.

For 4 decades I've driven RWD and have had different tires between front and back, with the back tires usually being between 2-4 sizes larger than the fronts. My other car, a RWD INFINITI G35 has tire sizes that are 4 times larger (i.e., taller and wider) than OEM on front and 6 times larger in the rear. Much better ride...smoother, better handling, no mpg changes, speedo is off by 3MPH at 60.

bclexus

The OP is asking about different tire brands (front & rear), not different tire sizes.

ShrinkDoc

And yet, somehow, you failed to see that his question was addressed altogether in my response. I hope you feel better.

np20412

To be fair to BC, it is not clear at all in your post of your intention of addressing both points. All of the context in both of your paragraphs refers to tire sizes and makes no mention of brands. Even your first sentence, after the highlight refers only to tire sizes. This frames your paragraph to refer to sizes only, and not brands. Your entire second paragraph is only about sizes.

Your post definitely could have been more clear.

ShrinkDoc

100% agree! Thank you

thejefftom

Great feedback all! Thank you!
I'm leaning at just replacing the backs with Michelin's, then waiting on the fronts. Worst case, if the ride is crap, I replace the fronts sooner rather than later.

Thanks again!
Jeff