thwang99

Hi,

I need new tires for my RX400h, and I'm considering the below two:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....n+Ice+%26+Snow

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....r+H%2FL+Alenza

I live in Southern California, so I wouldn't make use of the Pirelli's snow abilities (except when going skiing/snowboarding). Would that snow tire still work fine during the summer? It's rated quite highly, and my main concern is comfort/road noise.

- Tony

oldcajun

Tony,
The rubber compound that makes the winter tires work is not a good choice for summer tires. It tends to be very soft and would wear like crazy at high temperatures. The all season tire is supposed to combine a rubber that still stays soft in the cold but works well at high temperatures. Like most compromises, it doesn't excel at anything but adapts to most conditions. Of the two choices listed, the Bridgestones are by far the better choice.
Steve

clhug

I was just going ask a similar question. I just bought a 2006 400h a few months ago. My old vehicle was a 2003 RX300 all-wheel-drive. My RX300 came with "mud & snow" tires. Note, they were specifically categorized as "mud & snow" tires, not just "snow" or "winter" tires, and were intended to be used year round. (They were Michelin brand but I don't know the specific model.) I really loved those tires. They were great in the winter (I live in Iowa) and I didn't seem to have any trouble with them in the summer. I had the car about 3.5 years and they still had lots of tread left on them.

However, my 400h came with only all-season tires. So, when it comes time to buy new tires for my 400h, I'm seriously considering going back to the year-round mud & snow tires. Assuming I make sure I get a tire that is intended to be used year round and not just a winter-only tire, is there any other reason I should not go with the mud & snow tires?