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My RX came with the OEM size 18"s Cooper CS5 Ultra touring which are about $170 a tire at Discount Tire and they do have a huge selection for those on a budget up to the pricey Michelins.
The tires have been fine in the 4 months we've had the vehicle and no complaints for an all season and were even solid in deep snow.
Anyone have any experience with Sumimoto 235/55/19?
CarMax put a set of new Sumitomo 235/55/19 HTR A/S P02's on my 2013 RX when they sold it to me a couple of years ago. I've put about 20k miles on them. No issues with performance, but I'm not an aggressive driver. Tire wear seems good, down to about 6/32 all around. Tire noise on smooth pavement is good but seems like on rough surfaced pavement there's a bit of low-frequency noise. They seem a bit firm, but I know that the 3G RX has a bit of a rough ride, and I've never driven the vehicle with any other tires so I've nothing to compare them to. I previously had General Altimax RT43 tires on my 2004 RX (may she rest in peace) as well as on two Hondas in the family and was pretty happy with those.
I guess I'd say I don't have any real issues with them, but I wouldn't say they've particularly impressed me either.
Thanks for that info, LuckyPants. If I had known how harsh the ride is on the third-generation RX, I would never even have considered buying one. I thought better tires would help, but Michelin Latitudes haven't helped much at all. Between the totally inconvenient-to-tune radio and the harsh ride, I'm not particularly enamored of the thing. We made the mistake of buying a base model. Seems that everyday, we find another feature that we've taken for granted on our big Buicks for many years that Lexus doesn't see fit to put on a "luxury" car. My wife likes it, so we'll have it a while.
No, I haven't tried the Highlander size. Having enough woe just trying to find a decent Lexus-size tire. Switched from the sporty V-rated Michelin Latitude the dealer insisted was best (they were super-harsh) to Michelin Defender T+H, which is highly-rated on Consumer Reports and Tire Rack. They are indeed much smoother, but they are A VERY NOISY TIRE in the RX. So, my RX ride-quality nightmare continues. At this point, for my $1,000, I can have my choice of a ride so harsh it shakes the whole vehicle when you encounter a bump, or a softer ride that comes at the price of a roar anytime you're on anything less than a smooth-as-glass surface. Four months into RX ownership, and I've found few reasons to like the thing. If I could solve the ride/noise/harshness issues, I could begin to tolerate it. At this point, I wish my wife had never even heard about the RX.
Hankook Ventus S1 Evo2 update.
I'm now into my 4th summer with these and have over 20,000 km on them. They are noticeably, without question the best overall performing tire I've ever had. Quiet, extremely grippy in acceleration, turning & braking and reliable in heavy rain. I absolutely love them! They are also a soft ride without feeling squirmy.
The downside is their wear. I'm already at 4/32" remaining and while that's nowhere near some of the complete fiction that idiots have left in their bad reviews on Tire Rack, etc, it's certainly a quicker wearing tire. Which one should expect with an Extreme Performance, Summer tire.
I got these on a blowout at Tire Rack for only USD$99/each (before shipping, duty, etc etc. Total bill was $700 US) because they were already 2 years old, or something. I doubt that extra oxidation is accelerating their wear, but maybe there's an impact. I'd buy them again in a heartbeat, FOR THAT PRICE. When I see them for $343 CDN each... I am not sure I could pay that without a tread wear guarantee.
So based on today's abysmal exchange rate of about 1.334, I initially paid about $930 CDN and to replace today could be as high as $1540 CDN.
That a lot of money if I can't even squeeze 50,000km out of them!
Michelin Latitude Tour HP H or V speed rating for comfort?
We live in Southern Portugal and don't seem to have as many choices for Michelin tires as in the U.S. There are no Premieres or Defenders LTXs. Mostly they are pushing the Latitude Sport 3. The Sport 3 has a poor mileage warranty, where the Latitude Tour HP is almost twice the Sport 3.
The roads here are poor in places. Cobblestone uneven alleys, potholes here and there and generally rough poorly laid street surfaces. On the super highway, things are much more like in the U.S. It's those rough patches and the tuned suspension of my 2014 F Sport, that make things a wee bit....rough. Rougher than my old 98 LS 400.
The objective is to soften the ride but not sacrifice safety and a huge amount of performance. There is no real speed limit in places, so I can drive as fast as I want. Which BTW is what, limited by Lexus to 110mph?? So, I do drive fast and want security and comfort. Really, my only choice is the Latitude Tour HP. But which speed rating? The H rated tire is made for an Audi, where the V rated tire is made for Porsche. There are small differences in the ratings as shown on the screenshot. But, something tells me the H rated tire may be more comfortable...but will their be a loss of control, or handling?
Last edited by wallvestor; 07-06-19 at 10:52 AM.
Reason: spelling
We live in Southern Portugal and don't seem to have as many choices for Michelin tires as in the U.S. There are no Premieres or Defenders LTXs. Mostly they are pushing the Latitude Sport 3. The Sport 3 has a poor mileage warranty, where the Latitude Tour HP is almost twice the Sport 3.
The roads here are poor in places. Cobblestone uneven alleys, potholes here and there and generally rough poorly laid street surfaces. On the super highway, things are much more like in the U.S. It's those rough patches and the tuned suspension of my 2014 F Sport, that make things a wee bit....rough. Rougher than my old 98 LS 400.
The objective is to soften the ride but not sacrifice safety and a huge amount of performance. There is no real speed limit in places, so I can drive as fast as I want. Which BTW is what, limited by Lexus to 110mph?? So, I do drive fast and want security and comfort. Really, my only choice is the Latitude Tour HP. But which speed rating? The H rated tire is made for an Audi, where the V rated tire is made for Porsche. There are small differences in the ratings as shown on the screenshot. But, something tells me the H rated tire may be more comfortable...but will their be a loss of control, or handling?
H or V isn't "made for" Audi or Porsche. They're just saying that exact tire is the OEM installed on a particular Audi or Porsche.
Look up what your OEM tire was (inside door post) and match or exceed that speed rating. If yours came with an H, buy an H or higher. Also meet our exceed your load rating index.
Read up on these: https://m.tirerack.com/tires/tiretec....jsp?techid=35
Today i drove from the Chicago west burbs to Tire Rack near South Bend for my first replacement set of tires for the lousy Dunlops at 45,000 miles with 3/32s remaining on my 2015 RX350. After researching Tire Rack's tests, reviews and tire specs, i settled on 245/50-R19 Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 tires for better handling, better safety, and much lower risk of curb rash.
The OEM 235/55-R19 tires left a lot to be desired in many ways. The ride was too soft and noisy, and they'd bounce slightly on strips in concrete Interstate hwys at speed. They wore well, but the grip was not good, wet or dry. They slipped easily, and had a lot of sideways distortio during aggressive turns. And they were narrow enough that the rims were not protected from curb rash.
The new Zeon RS3-G1 has a UTQG rating of "500 AA A", better than OEM. Much better traction, without sacrificing mileage. It's an Ultra High Performance AS tire. It also has a higher load rating and higher speed rating than OEM, 105W versus 101H. Much safer! It is rated M+S. It can be driven in Winter, but it's strength is 3 seasons, top performance, and long tread wear.
I'm retired in FL and Summer up North, so after reading and the comparison to AS top competition AS tires, i liked the Cooper Zeon RS3-G1 best, overall.
My wife will be safer, and almost unable to scrape the rims on curbs when parking. And they inspired much more confidence on my spirited drive home today. And they are comfy and quiet, better grip, and well behaved during agressive turns and braking. When they have more mileage, ill give an update on them.
Total installed cost was $832, which I consider a bargain for the improved comfort, handling and safety they offer, compared to the OEM tires. They come with 2 year Road Hazard Warranty, and 45,000 mile/6 year warranty.
There currently is a $70 rebate for a set of 4, depending on your Zip code.
Bought the Goodyear weather ready and were quiet, 7000 miles on them and they very loud (road noise). Should have stayed with the Michelin.
Save your money and skip the Goodyear’s.
I have Yokohama on mine and I am surprised at how smooth and quiet they are but from the 3 above I would for sure take the Michelin’s, no questions asked.
picture is in post #755
Bought the Goodyear weather ready and were quiet, 7000 miles on them and they very loud (road noise). Should have stayed with the Michelin.
Save your money and skip the Goodyear’s.
I will be sure to remember to take the Goodyear’s off my list!
Research the General Altimax RT43 all-season tire. I have had an H-rated set of them on my 2013 Outback 3.6R since December 2016 and love them. Quiet, long-lasting, great in rain (they have never hydroplaned), and great in snow as well. I will install a set on my wife's 2015 RX350 when the mediocre-but-new Kumho Eco Solus KL21 tires that came on it wear out.
01-06-15, 03:07 PM
