Michelin Tires

Lexus' mid-size SUV, the RX350, has been one of their best sellers for quite some time. It's very popular, stylish and reliable. Many have been on the road for a long time and are in need of new tires. If your RX350 is due for a new set, consider the following options.

Most RX350 vehicles came equipped with the 225/65R17 size. There are many great options in this size, but one of my favorites is the Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza. This tire has been a top seller for many years and is Bridgestone's premium SUV tire. It offers excellent all-season traction, a quiet and comfortable ride and comes with a 65,000-mile treadlife warranty.

Some RX350s came with 235/60R18 tires. If your vehicle has this size, I would suggest taking a look at the Michelin Primacy MXV4. This is a strong contender in the Grand Touring All-Season category. Like the Bridgestone, it also has a smooth ride, great all-season traction and is offered with a 55,000-mile tread life warranty.

There are a few versions of the vehicle that came with a 235/55R19 tire. Options in this size are a little more limited. However, based on what's available in this size, I'd recommend the Yokohama Parada Spec-X. The tire combines impressive looks and confident handling with year-round traction in a wide range of weather conditions, including in light snow.

Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza

Michelin Primacy MXV4

Yokohama Parada Spec-X

To view all options for your Lexus RX350, shop by vehicle.

Typically, you'll find the best riding tires in the Grand Touring All-Season category. Currently, the top-rated tire in this category is the Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus. This tire offers a quiet, premium ride combined with great handling and outstanding all-season traction. The tire is designed to provide Bridgestone's ultimate in luxury, elegance and comfort.

Another quiet tire to consider is the Michelin Primacy MXV4. This tire has been around for a few years and is a proven option for those insisting on a tire that has the least amount of noise. It is currently ranked second in the Grand Touring All-Season category and has received high marks in the following areas:

• Dry Traction
• Ride Comfort
• Noise Comfort
• Treadwear
• Cornering Stability

Finally, take a look at the Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Touring. This tire lives up to its name as it is an extremely comfortable and quiet riding tire. Like the other models mentioned above, it also has top-rated all-season traction to go along with long treadlife.

Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus

Michelin Primacy MXV4

Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Touring

If you're tired of driving noisy tires, you can't go wrong by selecting the Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus, Michelin Primacy MXV4 or Goodyear's Assurance ComforTred Touring.

The Honda Fit has proven to be very popular in the subcompact segment, providing economy, utility and an engaging driving experience. When it comes to replacing tires on a Fit, what are the best options?

Fits come in both a regular and Sport version. The base Fit comes standard with 175/65R15 tires mounted on 15" wheels. Its Original Equipment Dunlops are adequate, but other options are available for customers looking for increased comfort, fuel economy or sporty handling.

Fit owners who are installing custom wheels that are 15x6.5 or wider will find that the original tires are only recommended to fit on wheels up to 6" wide. Those with wider 15" wheels can use 195/60R15. This tire size will fit wheels up to 7" wide, which includes all the 15" wheels we currently offer for the Fit. They are slightly wider and any difference in height is negligible - keeping speedometer readings within 1.5% of factory.

The Fit Sport uses 16" wheels, mounted with unusually sized 185/55R16 tires. Drivers looking for a wider variety of options would do well to consider 205/50R16. Those looking to emphasize the "Sport" in Fit Sport could then choose popular all-season performance tires like the Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S or Continental ExtremeContact DWS. The 205/50R16 size is 20mm wider than the original tire and retains the stock diameter to within 0.1". 205/50R16 offers a wide variety of options.

Looking to customize your Fit with larger diameter wheels? Sizes up to 17" will fit comfortably. 18" options are available, but may require minor modification to work without rubbing. View our wheel selection to find the right option for your Fit.

When asked about which brand of tires are associated with quality, many think of Michelin. Their reputation is well deserved. For decades, Michelin has been an industry leader in tire technology, making some of the best tires that money can buy. While they make outstanding performance tires, like the Pilot Super Sport, Michelin may be best known for producing some of the smoothest and quietest riding all-season tires on the market.

Not everyone is looking for the best handling and steering response, instead many drivers simply want a tire that's quiet, safe and will last for a long time. For those who are looking for the best price on Michelin tires, check out a couple of the lowest priced options in two popular sizes.

205/65R15

This is a commonly used tire size for a mid-size sedan such as the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Hyundai Sonata, Nissan Altima, Ford Taurus and Chevy Malibu. The best priced Michelin tire in this size is the Defender. Michelin's Defender is an outstanding Standard Touring All-Season tire with long wear, great traction and a quiet ride. For more information on this tire, read "Michelin Defender Review and Test."

235/70R16 

Many SUVs, trucks and crossover vehicles use this common 16" tire size, including the Ford F-150, Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Santa Fe and various Jeep models. In this size, the lowest priced Michelin tire is the Latitude Tour. This tire, back in early 2012, was one of my top choices for vehicles being driven on the street only. It's still a top contender for those who don't take their vehicles off-road. 

Michelin Defender

Michelin Latitude Tour

Shop by size to see which Michelin tires are available for your vehicle.

Is it time to get your Honda Fit outfitted with new tires? Since 2007, the Fit has been a great choice for commuters, students and many drivers looking for dependable transportation while not breaking the bank. These fuel-efficient compact cars are very sporty, attractive and popular. Whether you've had your Honda for many years or just picked one up used, it may be time for some new tires.

The Fit is available with several tire size options. Unfortunately, there's not one great tire that will cover all four sizes available. For those of you with the 185/55R16 size, the best tire would be the Yokohama AVID Ascend. This is a Grand Touring All-Season tire with above average all-season traction and a 75,000-mile treadlife warranty. However, you may want to consider changing sizes, due to the limited tires available in this size.

Fit owners can also use 205/50R16 tires as an alternative. It's a little wider and you may see a slight drop in fuel economy, but you will experience better wet and dry traction, improved handling and a better selection of tire options. One of the better selections in this size includes the Continental ExtremeContact DWS. This best seller has great all-season traction, a 55,000-mile treadlife warranty and handles very well.

If your Honda fit is equipped with 195/55R15 tires, take a look at the Kumho Ecsta LX Platinum. This Grand Touring All-Season is very nice to drive on. It offers pleasant ride qualities and reasonable tread noise.

For Fits with the 175/65R14 tire, I would consider the Michelin Defender. This is a fantastic tire with superior all-season traction with a 90,000-mile treadlife warranty. It's designed to enhance fuel economy by meeting Michelin's Green-X low rolling resistance objectives.

Finally, in the 175/65R15 size, take a look at the General AltiMAX HP. The tire is designed to combine reliability, comfort and treadlife, as well as provide year-round traction, including in light snow.

Yokohama AVID Ascend

Kumho Ecsta LX Platinum

Michelin Defender

General AltiMAX HP

Regardless of the size of tire on your Honda Fit, shop by size to view all options available.

Michelin and Goodyear both make very good products and offer a large selection of tires for driver's cars, trucks and SUVs.

In the Grand Touring All-Season category, Goodyear offers the Assurance ComforTred Touring while Michelin provides customers with the Primacy MXM4. As you can see below, Michelin's offering performed better in our testing. "There's not much that needs improvement" sums up how much we liked this tire during our time with it.

Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Touring

• What We Liked: Responsive steering
• What We'd Improve: Wet traction
• Conclusion: A good choice for drivers wanting to blend responsive handling with good road manners
• Latest Test Rank: 3rd
• Previous Test Rank: Not previously tested

Michelin Primacy MXM4

• What We Liked: Excellent wet traction and good road manners
• What We'd Improve: There's not much that needs improvement
• Conclusion: A very capable Grand Touring All-Season tire
• Latest Test Rank: 1st
• Previous Test Rank: Not previously tested

When it comes to Max Performance Summer tires, Michelin has the Pilot Super Sport and Goodyear designed the Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2. Here again, the Michelin scored better in our tests. It is also the top-rated tire in its category. The Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 hasn't logged enough miles to be added to our Tire Survey Results. However, speaking to customers, many have provided a positive review of their experience with the tire. 

Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2

• What We Liked: Impressive traction, especially in the wet
• What We'd Improve: Sharpen steering response and handling predictability just a little bit
• Conclusion: A good option for drivers who emphasize wet traction
• Latest Test Rank: 3rd
• Previous Test Rank: Not previously tested

Michelin Pilot Super Sport

• What We Liked: Impressive ultimate handling blended with reasonable road manners
• What We'd Improve: A small improvement in ride comfort over the bigger impacts
• Conclusion: An impressive tire that continues as the performance benchmark for the category
• Latest Test Rank: 1st
• Previous Test Rank: 1st (June '11)

In the Passenger All-Season category, Goodyear's option, the Assurance TripleTred All-Season, is currently the top tire. Customers like it for its hydroplaning resistance, wet traction, dry traction and ride comfort. The tire will get a good run for its money from the newer Michelin Defender.

Both manufacturers offer great tires. Shop by vehicle to see all Goodyear and Michelin tires available for your application.

In a recent post, "Best Tire Brands for Long Treadwear", some of the longest wearing tires were discussed and how treadlife is one of the most important factors that consumers consider when deciding which tires to buy. In addition to treadlife, tire noise is a major factor to most drivers when selecting a new set of tires. Who wants to listen to the drone of a loud tire during a daily commute or road trip. Besides being a nuisance, loud tire noise can keep a driver from hearing other sounds that can affect vehicle maintenance and safety.

Tires that generally make the least amount of noise typically come from the following performance categories:

• Standard Touring All-Season
• Passenger All-Sean
• Grand Touring All-Season

Many years ago, summer tires were the quietest tires available while all-season tires were louder due to their more aggressive tread patterns. Tire technology has come a long way and the market has changed. Newer summer tires are now primarily focused on high levels of grip, handling and quick steering response, with less focus on road noise. All-season tires are now the best choice for those after a quiet ride. The following tires are some of the top picks for low road noise in three of the quietest categories:

Michelin Defender

Hankook Optimo H727

Goodyear Assurance ComforTred

Michelin Energy Saver A/S

Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus

Michelin Primacy MXV4

Tire Rack is proud to have continued our title sponsorship of this year's One Lap of America event. One Lap consists of 17 timed events over 8 days. In total, competitors traveled over 3,400 in just over a week. It is a true test of endurance and performance

For the third year in a row, the overall winner's vehicle was equipped with the Michelin Pilot Super Sport. The Super Sport has been on the winning vehicle since it was introduced to the market in the spring of 2011. As the 30th running of this extreme challenge for driving enthusiasts, this year's competition featured many of America's fastest street-legal cars. View results for the 2013 event here.

If you're in the market for the best of the best in wet and dry traction performance, check out the Pilot Super Sport. It has proven its worth not only in the One Lap competition, but also in our testing and feedback from customers. The tire is the top-ranked option in the Max Performance Summer category. After reading a few of our customers' comments, you'll understand why:

"Quite honestly the BEST tire I have ever had on my cars." -- Tire Rack Consumer Review, 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX.

"These tires have oooogles of mega grip, even wet. I am going to need a new seat with harness just to stay in the seat." -- Tire Rack Consumer Review, 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX STI

Also, when you buy a set of four Michelin Pilot Super Sports before June 18, 2013, you can receive a $70 MasterCard Reward Card.

Many tire buyers know Goodyear and Michelin as two nameplates synonymous with quality, but it can be difficult to compare these premium brands head to head. The Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Touring and Michelin Primacy MXV4 are one such case as both tires are considered benchmarks of being the smoothest, quietest and longest wearing Grand Touring All-Season tires on the market today. Choosing between the two can be a daunting task. Both the options have been perennial favorites among our customers.

Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Touring

Michelin Primacy MXV4

The Assurance ComforTred Touring features a mildly asymmetric tread design that combines independent shoulder blocks with notched intermediate and center ribs to blend dry and wet road traction and handling. Four wide circumferential grooves evacuate water from under the tread to enhance wet traction while the tread grooves, notches and sipes form biting edges that deliver all-season traction in light snow.

Its internal construction includes a super shock absorbent Comfort Layer of rubber sandwiched between the tread and steel belts (that provides on average, 20% more cushion than standard auto tires) to insulate vibration and impacts with expansion joints, potholes and bumps. The tire also features Goodyear's dual-layer ComfortEdge sidewall to provide a balance of ride comfort and handling.

Primacy MXV4 tires feature an all-season tread compound molded into a symmetric design that combines notched shoulders, independent intermediate tread blocks and continuous center ribs. Michelin's Active Sipes alternately lock together and open as needed to provide increased biting edges that grip the road to provide all-season handling, especially in rain and snow.

Advanced MaxTouch Construction results in a tuned footprint shape that allows for long-lasting, even treadwear while their Comfort Control Technology uses computer-optimized design and precision manufacturing to reduce vibrations and road noise to deliver a comfortable ride. The tire's internal structure includes twin steel belts reinforced with Michelin's BAZ Technology (spirally wrapped polyamide, Banded At Zero degrees) to reinforce the Primacy MXV4's twin steel belts and provide high-speed durability while enhancing ride comfort.

In our most recent Tire Test Results, we said the Assurance ComforTred Touring was, "A good choice for drivers wanting to blend responsive handling with good road manners" and the Primacy MXV4 was, "A Grand Touring All-Season tire that is a pleasure to drive every day." Before you decide between a Goodyear or Michelin tire, be sure to view our Tire Test Results, Tire Survey Results and Tire Reviews on both tires to see which one will best suit your driving needs.

Michelin, one of the most respected names in the business, has always been a brand that's associated with excellent wear and long treadlife. While the company previously offered the Harmony and HydroEdge with Green X with 80,000-mile or higher treadwear warranties, these products have been consolidated and replaced with the Defender. Like its predecessors, the Defender has been extremely well received in regards to excellent treadlife, low noise and a good ride.

The Defender is available in 38 sizes to fit many of today's passenger cars and light-duty crossover vehicles. It features a 90,000-mile treadlife warranty and has proven itself as a capable all-season option. Currently ranked as the top tire in the Standard Touring All-Season category, the Defender receives high marks in the following areas:

• Dry Traction
• Steering Response
• Ride Comfort
• Treadwear
• Hydroplaning Resistance
• Cornering Stability
• Wet Traction
• Noise Comfort

Take a look at what some of our customers are saying about their experience with the Michelin Defender:

"These are the best tires I have ever purchased. They run quiet and have a soft ride. There is no slipping or sliding on turns and they feel like they are glued to the road." -- Tire Rack Consumer Review, 2010 Toyota Prius IV

"Fantastic tire. Definitely the best tire I have ever had. Extremely quiet, stable and a great ride." -- Tire Rack Consumer Review, 2003 Pontiac Vibe

"The Defenders are quiet and have amazing traction in Oregon rain. No hydroplaning and I get 36 mpg on the freeway. They are on our 2009 Toyota Camry XLE. I'm now buying them for our Cadillac! I have never been more pleased with a tire purchase." -- Tire Rack Consumer Review, 2009 Toyota Camry XLE