One last consideration in my tire choice between the Premiers and the P7+ may be the installers. I definitely have more confidence in the Costco installers than Pep Boys. I remember Pep Boys putting a few of the stick on weights on the outside of my alloy rim rather than the inside behind the spokes. Also Pep Boys are sloppy with their work. Costco although time consuming, supposedly hand torques the lug nuts, has free road hazard warranty as well as free rotation/balancing. The reason I am getting my tires now is because the last nail in my tire was on the outside tread and only a plug would work. Now I'm not comfortable driving long distances. During the last 2 years I have had an additional 2 or 3 nails Tires are expensive these days. I remember getting my first nail the first year I purchased my Primacys. I'm sure either tire would be a good choice. My only reservation is that the Premiers better be super quiet as that is my main overall consideration. I'll decide later today.

 

I was recently told Pep Boys' business model does not any longer work, which is why they are now going after 2-4 bay service stations to open up what they call the Three Stooges Express, in. They cannot continue with 20+ bays in a location and operate with 1/2 of them idle. My pet peeve is they more than not refuse to accept used motor oil for recycling, because it is not required by law where I live. Three Stooges. The premiers are quiet, as mentioned, the only possible disadvantage is they start off at 8.5/32 so they look worn out of the gate, and they are super tacky. It's the compound.

 

Our '01 had the "upgraded" 17 inch wheels as the base models came with 16s. I had the front right tire lose air and thinking I may have had a nail or some other source took it back to Costco for repair. The tech found nothing wrong with the tire (MXV4) and pronounced his belief that the 2001 wheels had signs of rust on the inside and recommended that wheel replacements may soon be warranted. After rotation and wheel balance he also said the tires had at least another 30K on them. No air loss after remounting the tire.

Since this car now only goes 10-12K per year I have time to see what wheel and tire options I can plan for (pending another air loss event) . I agonized between 18, 19, and 20s for the SC and ended up on 19s knowing full well that it was a pricey decision. 18s would have been way more economical but that car is not what that is about... The LS430 is more a "daily" so 18s are the logical choice but the delta between 17 to 18 seem out of line until you add in the 245 width. Wheels are a whole other abyss so I am happy to have time to research options, drool over wheels I would never buy but dream about, and get input from all of the usual suspects on our forum.

 

My rule has always been never increase wheel diameter, if the tire width is not increased. My 2007 BMW had 225/45-17 square, or 225/40-18 front & 255/35-18 rear. I took the latter. Late that model year, 19's appeared as an option. Same 225 front, 255 rear. Only more expensive, 1" less rubber, 1" more rim. This is disadvantageous--cost, unsprung weight, potential wheel damage, more expensive tires.

But unless there are special reasons, imho, always take the larger diameter IF it gives you more width. When it comes from the mfg., it DOES NOT increase understeer. This rule to me is like playing blackjack, it is clear and certain when you should hit, or stand. Like a Kenny Rogers tune.

 

"The premiers are quiet, as mentioned, the only possible disadvantage is they start off at 8.5/32 so they look worn out of the gate, and they are super tacky. It's the compound"

I too am turned off by the 1.5/32 loss in the tire tread. Once again it's the trade off for the better wet traction, tire hazard warranty, better installation facility, and free rotation and balance I get with Costco. It's always a trade off.

 

I spoke with a Costco tire rep that has been working there for some time. He understands that I've purchased MXV4 Primacys at Costco in the past for a few cars I have owned. I asked a number of questions with regards to road noise and tread life compared to the Premiers. He said ...."to be honest with you, many owners of the original Primacys have been disappointed with the Premiers with regards to tread life. He also mentioned that he owned an LS430 and thought I would be disappointed with the noise level of the Premiers compared to the original Primacys. I've always had a good rapport with the Costco sales reps as I've been going there for so many years. My decision is made. Going with the P7s. For all those that have the Premiers, nothing to worry about as I'm quite particular and am over the top ****. I'm know both of these tires are great. I'm just going for the tire I believe might be the quietest. Of course I'll only know once it's on my car and then after some miles. Once again... to be continued.

 

Wow.....tough decisions.......I think we would all agree they are both very capable tires. Of the current reviews that I read it was apparent that the positive of the Premiers was their grip on the road...even in negative reviews they would praise the tires grip. Ironically the most positive feature of one tire is the negative of the opposing tire....in this case the P7s.

So for you.....just like me, you wanted quiet smooth tires which accented your luxury car. In order to get the most quiet tire you will have to give up some wet traction......

Or for some others...wet traction is more important then the road noise.......

Sounds like there is no perfect tire......I never had the chance to own MXV4s but by the way people talk about them....they seem like they were close to perfect..

I am personally wayyyyyy too picky to take my car to Pep Boys....at least in my area these garages are a mess...the stores are a mess......now way.

Costco has excellent management and structure in place. They would get my vote....yet I would still watch the car get worked on.

Couple thoughts.....if u get the P7s....make sure they are inflated correctly...should be around 32psi. They will have some road noise at brand new....but after about 500 miles they will me as smooth and quiet as you have been hoping for. They also have a low roll resistance....so u might get a little better gas mileage...

 

I went back and forth between these and the Primacy's (like everyone else on this thread). After talking with a few tire installers in my area, they all agreed that the P7 is 98%+ the equal of the Michelin in terms of real world performance and ride quality, and when considered alongside the price difference and mileage warranty, the decision is easy to make.

I'll report back after a few days of driving.

 

I like both tires but would go with the P7 +... Just nice to try something other then Michelin.

 

I agree, I would never take any car to Pep Boys (unless of course I had to limp in for some reason but unlikely with AAA Plus). Not just the lack of competence (how hard is it to install a battery in a car, as mentioned, tossed the vent tube on my wife's then said you don't need it we don't have it anyway), but the customer service. My buddy went to 2 of them who stated they could not install a battery on his wife's Q5. This is actually correct info. He found a 3rd who said of course we can do an Audi Q5. As a test, he asked can you align it if I get the battery? They said absolutely. No Pep Boys can install a Q5 battery, nor can they align a Q5. So this is the type of competence they have....my car, my choice.

#noThreeStooges

 

I agree 100% with the opinions above on Pep Boys. Unfortunately, I have no choice unless other shops will price match. Even if they do they are not going to be much better than Pep Boys. How badly can they f..k up the installation of a tire on a rim that doesn't even have a pressure sensor? If the weights on improperly placed I'll make them do it again. I'm not going to purchase on tire rack because the installer won't back up the tire if problematic so I'm not going there. I will just have to bite the bullet through Pep Boys and tell the manager I want his most careful installer. (laughable isn't it?) For what it's worth.... the November issue of consumer reports rates tire retailers. #1 no surprise here is Costco Third from the bottom at 33 is Pep Boys....No surprise there either!!!!!

 

I have a story when I used to do 235/40-18's on my Maxima. Had a Tire Rack installer mount/balance new tires, and they scratched up 2 rims. The mgr. said they were already like that. UM, try again, they were brand new. The job was to remount/bal 2 tires. To me, again, even if you are a tire installer, that's your job. I get that 40's are harder to dismount/mount than 70's, but that's no excuse, you're charging more (in this case no charge). Would you simply scratch up brand new rims and then say it was like that? The answer is yes, but do you hate your job that much? Boy was I upset but the TR made things right. I just wish their prices were lower, Costco kind of makes them not needed anymore except maybe with ultra ultra high performance....

 

One more option available. I can get the P7s online from Discount Tire Direct for $572 (free shipping) or $628 (with lifetime road hazard). I'm figuring an additional $100 to install and balance which would be about the same or $50 more than at Pep Boys minus lifetime balance and rotation (which I wouldn't use anyway because of Pep Boy's reputation). Anyone have any experience with Discount Tire Direct? They are way cheaper than tire rack.

 

Bought the P7s tonight.

Wow. What a difference over my OEM Dunlops. My marshmallowy ride is far more controlled now and the road noise, well it’s essentially gone.

Very happy - I’m sure the Primacys would have been excellent too, but it’s nice to be blown away while saving a few bucks in the process.

 

Bocatrip... Just take your car to JM Lexus. They offer price match guarantee on tires. Print out the ad you have and bring it to them to get the same price. They automatically include free road hazard protection when you buy from them and that is an add on at moth other places. Even though they do this they still will meet or beat printed prices. I always shop around for the lowest price and then just go to them.