Lexus: High Performance Tire Reviews
Performance tires have a very noticeable difference in the way the Lexus IS handles. Find out which tires are the best.
This article applies to the Lexus IS (2005-2013).
Performance tires will not only lower your racing time and allow you to get more power to the ground easier, but can also give you more peace of mind when throttling through that turn. The last thing you want is the tires to break free when you're about to come out of a turn, which can not only force you to lose the race, but lose your car as well.
 |
Michelin Pilot Super Sport |
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position |
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 |
Yokohama Advan Neova AD08 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $135 | $120 | $120 | $250 |
| Size |
225/45r17 |
225/45r17 |
225/45r17 |
225/45r17 |
| Performance | Max Wet/Dry | Max Wet/Dry | Max Wet/Dry | Extreme Dry |
| Lifespan | 15-35,000 miles | 10-30,000 miles | 15-45,000 miles | 7-20,000 miles |
| Warranty | 6 Year | 5 Year | 6 Year | 5 Year |
Best Value: Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position
Michelin Pilot Super Sport
Price: $135
Size: 225/45r17
Performance: Max Wet/Dry
Lifespan: 15-35,000 miles
Warranty: 6 Year
The Pilot Super Sports (PSS) tires beat out all the other tires on this list in Car and Driver's best grip challenge. You can be sure that these tires won't leave you disappointed whether your driving to work or trying to lower your lap time. These are summer tires so you'll want to swap them out when the roads get icy and snow covered, but the rest of the year they're ready to go. Whether the road is wet or dry, you'll get the traction you need to keep in a straight line without slipping. Braking is vastly improved over most factory tires as well as acceleration. The tires allow you to get more power to the ground to shave off more time which is one of the many reasons Ferrari chose these tires to go on their 458s. Recommended if you are looking for high performance summer tires.
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position
Price: $120
Size: 225/45r17
Performance: Max Wet/Dry
Lifespan: 10-30,000 miles
Warranty: 5 Year
The Potenza came in second to the Pilot Super Sport in car and driver's challenge, which means they'll perform amazing as well. If the best possible performance is your main concern, the PSSs might be a better choice for you. If you'd rather save a little money and have a quieter ride, these may be your next tire. In wet and dry conditions, these perform similarly to the PSSs; however, in lap time they were down by a more than a second. Even though the time difference on the quarter mile will be even smaller, it could make that final difference between first and last. Unfortunately, Bridgestone knows these are a popular track tire so the only warranty you'll receive is 5 years against the manufacturer's defects. Recommended if you are looking for performance tires without spending too much money.
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2
Price: $120
Size: 225/45r17
Performance: Max Wet/Dry
Lifespan: 15-45,000 miles
Warranty: 6 Year
If your main concern is your ride quality on your work commute, these may be a good tire for you. For daily driving, these will perform just as good as the rest of the tires on the list. But track performance will leave you wanting more. They'll handle well, just not as well as the Potenza's which fall right around the same price. On the track, dry braking and sharp cornering lead to some chattering and unsettling vibrations, but you'll still see a good improvement over what came from the factory. Even though this tire may not perform as well as some of the others, it's factory equipment on the Porsche 911s which means it meets their standards. Recommended if you are looking for performance tires that are good on the road as well.
Yokohama Advan Neova AD08
Price: $250
Size: 225/45r17
Performance: Extreme Dry
Lifespan: 7-20,000 miles
Warranty: 5 Year
I'd really recommend these tires if you mainly use your car for the track, and even then only when the track is dry. A lot of podium finishes have come from the dry performance of these tires, but a lot have also been missed from their wet performance. Due to their unique tread pattern, they don't handle water nearly as well as you'd want them to, but for a dry track or a day at the strip, they'll exceed expectations. These are probably the loudest tires on this list, but that's a small sacrifice to make for performance. Recommended if you are looking for great performance tires for dry track conditions.
Related Discussion and Reading
- Performance tires in cold weather - Clublexus.com
- Monsters of Grip - Caranddriver.com
