LexiRX

Thanks - I think Primacy is discontinued - according to Michelin there are only 3 tires in the stock size available - Latitude, Energy and Pilot.

http://www.michelinman.com/tire-sele...35/55/18/tires

RX330inFL

It is still available, just not in stock sizes (225/65-17 and 235/55-18) for the RX. Now, if you want to get outside of the stock sizes you might find something which fits. For example, another person on a different thread talked about wanting to go with a 235/60-18 tire to change the ride characteristics for their RX. The Michelin Primacy MXV4 is available in that size.

Not a recommendation, just FWIW.

RX330inFL

If you go to the TireRack web site and pull up the tires available in 235/55-18 for the RX, you can look at the Survey results for each tire if there is sufficient data available for such.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSe...ting=S&tab=All

Within the Survey results you will see numerical values for Noise Comfort towards the end of that bar.

Though subjective, the Bridgestone Dueler H/L 422 Ecopia seems to have the highest rating for Noise Comfort. They are followed by the Yokohama Parada Spec-X, the Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Touring and then the Continental ExtremeContact DWS. There may be others which may be quieter that I missed or that do not have survey information available if the tire is too new or there is insufficient data to report.

FWIW. Have a look at the data yourself. To be honest, I think you would be quite happy with any of the first three I listed. Being that you are listed as in WV you might think about other characteristics for the tires you put on your vehicle. Perhaps how it does in snow or wet over how quiet the tire is.

storms71

I just put the new Yokohama Avid Ascend's (17") on my '08 RX 350 and really like them. Quiteness was a top priority for me also. Living in NY I also needed decent all weather performance. I drive a lot for my job so tire longevity and low rolling resistance for good fuel economy was also important. The Yokohama Avid Ascend seems to deliver on all fronts. I've put about a thousand miles on them so far an they are very impressive IHMO. I read a few reviews prior to my purchase written by RX owners and they all had positive comments which finalized my decision. I have attached the pdf info sheet on them for your review.

RX330inFL

One of those new tires where there is not a whole lot of feedback on at the moment. One additional positive note on this tire... it is made in the US.

pauljcl

What I have found is that many (most?) tires begin being a lot more noisy than originally once they reach, say, the 15K mile mark. So, anytime you change your tires, the new ones seem wonderfully 'quiet' compared to the old used ones. But the experience of people who have driven the 15K miles and then provide a comment is, in my opinion, much more valuable for that characteristic than teh people who send in a comment after one, two, five thousand miles....
The Michelin Energy (is it MXV8) that are/were original equipment on my 09Rx350 were quite quiet at the beginning, now, after 25K miles, I find them quite noisy.

RX330inFL

Somewhat to my point. You really want to see how people feel about their tires when they are getting ready to take them off. Unfortunately, quite a bit of time will have elapsed so their impressions are usually tainted a bit with their latest experience with the tire in the last year or so.

There are several reason why the tires will get louder over time. First, the tire rubber compound is not the same all the way through the tire. It is somewhat like a layer cake. Next, if the tires have not been rotated properly, they need to be crossed on the way to the front from the back, the way the tires wear will cause them to be noisier.

Discussed here:

http://www.motorweek.org/features/go...tire_rotation/

storms71

I couldn't agree more... proper rotation as shown in this video is key to long life and a quiet ride. Likewise, I make great use of my Torque Wrench (as also mentioned in the video) to prevent warped rotors. Whenever I get my car back from a shop, I always loosen and re-torque every lug nut. Unbelieveable how tight some places put them on! Lexus dealers are usually better about not over torqueing, but still I find a few lug nuts that are on a little too tight.

gt1209

I got the Nitto 850+ 235/55/18 a few days ago by using my local mechanic. Those tires replaced the OEM Michelin Energy MXV4, which had 2/32 left on the front and 4/32 on the rear. The vehicle has about 28,000 miles on it, so I guess the original owner never took time to rotate the OEM tires.

So far the ride comfort and noise are a little bit better than the MXV4. But I guess it isn't fair to compare new tires vs. old tires. I paid about $680 out the door (including tax) with free rotation and balance for the life of the tires. I see that MXV4 are $750 after mail-in rebate on tirerack, plus mounting fees... and later fees for rotation and balance.

garybuyit

Put 4 Alenza's on our 400h about 8 days ago. I like the ride better than the OEM Michelins that were on the car. More responsive, stiffer. My wife says they ride much "harder" and she feels every bump in the road now. That said, she was willing to live with them . . . BUT . . . now getting 5 mpg less than with the old tires, and she is not happy with that. We are considering returning the tires and getting something else.
Gary B.

RX330inFL

The stock Bridgestone Alenza sold at Costco is not a low rolling resistance tire.

Costco does sell the Bridgestone Dueler H/L 422 Ecopia which is a newer tire with low rolling resistance.

Rainbird

I had four Bridgestone H/L 422 Ecopia installed last week. Although I haven't put many miles on them, I am very impressed. I can tell they have low rolling resistance. The ride is smooth and quiet. I will post back on this thread again when I have more mileage on them.

jfelbab

Keep in mind that a new tire will always indicate lower MPG than a worn tire, as a worn tire is actually rotating more times per mile than when it was new, which gives a false impression that your are traveling further than you really are. LRR tires, in published tests, show a marked degradation in tire performance compared to non-LRR tires so there is a trade-off.

Add to that, the fact that the Michelins start out life with only 9/32nds of tread depth compared to the Alenzas 12/32nds, and you will see that the Alenza has a lot more usable tread life. When you consider that you need to replace the tires when you are down to 2-4 32nds remaining, the usable tread depth is only 5-7 32nds for the Michelin and around 9-11 32nds for the Alenza.

I too liked the firmer ride of the Alenzas, They seem to run best at 30-32 PSI. They ride rather hard at 35PSI unless you are on the highway.

RX330inFL

That sounds about right. I like the characteristics the Alenzas gave my RX. Have been quite happy with them and a definite improvement over the OEM Michelins I had. For normal highway driving I have mine at 35PSI all around. However, when I get to PA I drop them down to 32PSI due to the condition of the roads there. Just too hard a ride on those roads which are all chopped up all the time.

Mercutio

I have personally seen many Alenza wear fast on different types of vehicles. They may start with a deeper tread but that does not indicate that they will give you more life.
Alenza doesn't have a compound that is durable enough to get close to what you'd expect from it. The prices reflect what expensive components went into making the rubber such as .... well, Rubber!

In my real world experience I have seen thousands of Michelin tires last beyond the point that any other tire would have. Being worn comes with the job but performing up until the last day very well is a trait each Michelin has.

The Ecopia seem to be a very good tire and do very well (far better than previous attempts) in wet and snow conditions. People love this tire and it is on its way to becoming a winner for Bridgestone.

The Pirelli mentioned on the last page is a great alternative and is for sure manufactured to high standards. This will give you a very smooth ride and handling however the snow traction is not great.

My Disclaimer (There is no substitute for a safe winter season tire other than a tire that carries the winter symbol depicted with a mountain with a snowflake inside) Yes even if you do not get a lot of snow, simply driving in cold conditions will be improved with such a tire. They do make quiet ones too.

Chemical compounds give you the edge in snow and wet..... it is not really the stuff you see or feel that does it. Simply looking at a tread design will not indicate anything other than the basics and aesthetics.

Find a tire with the most Silica in the tread compound usually described as "Full Silica Compound" and you have your winner. Enter Michelin again. (Insider tip) They have technology not perfected by other manufacturers enabling the maximum Silica content of any rubber made today.
Like it or not. any Michelin will out perform the competition in wet or snowy conditions simply due to its DNA (chemical make up that you paid more for)

Longer lasting versions of any brand are available as well as low rolling resistance versions. Insider Tip (There will be a new rating required by the government to rate tires so consumers can compare brand to brand unlike the UTQG offered now that only depicts how the maker rates their own brand) It may be colors or numbers or a mix of each but you will be able to compare many attributes on an even playing field to help you make a better choice for yourself.

Warranty, Price and Free services such as road side assistance (for your tires) are all things to consider from sellers and manufacturers. One punctured tire that is non-reparable is all your savings down the drain plus some. AWD RX may mean you need all 4.... ouch!

Never compare the wear you got on an OE set to an aftermarket set even of the same type. There is a reason they wear fast and it is not to do with the Tire Makers but rather the client that requested the tire (Car companies). They Spec the tire and only want to pay pennies for them so what can you expect?

I digress .... Pleased to offer any advice possible.