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.
To view all options for your Lexus RX350, shop by vehicle.
Everyone has their own list of important attributes when it comes to selecting the right all-season tire. For example, some drivers prefer longer treadlife, while another thinks ride quality is the most important. Also, when talking to customers about all-season tires, most put extra emphasis on the winter season component.
If you prefer using one set of tires all year, the best tire can vary depending on where other tire characteristics rank. In some cases, the vehicle and tire size needed can also help direct us towards a particular performance category. For a look at the differences between performance categories, read "What Tire Performance Category Do I Need?"
Goodyear Assurance TripleTred All-Season (Passenger All-Season)
With three distinct tread zones targeting to provide traction in dry, wet and snowy conditions, Goodyear has a winning combination that earns top marks from our customers. Designed with Goodyear's Evolving Traction Grooves, the tire generates more rain, slush and snow traction longer into the tire's life compared to tires with conventional sipes. The tire is currently ranked number one in our tire survey results.
Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Touring (Grand Touring All-Season)
For the touring/performance car, the Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Touring is receiving high praise from drivers. With tread warranties in the 70,000 to 80,000-mile range, this tire is definitely worth a second look. With tread depth being a key component to snow traction, customers indicate this tire has strong performance throughout the life of the tire. This Goodyear tire currently has over four million miles reported, which includes over four winter seasons.
Firestone Destination LE 2 (Highway All-Season)
For your SUV or pick-up truck, the recently revised Firestone Destination LE 2 is king of the category. While there hasn't been many miles reported on this tire, the Destination family of tires has been providing great options to drivers for years.
Many customers often ask me if Kumho tires are good and worth considering. I tell them that Kumho makes good performing tires at a lower price level than some of its competitors. In many categories, Kumho offers a great option that many of our sales specialists recommend to drivers on a daily basis.
Standard Touring All-Season
The Solus KR21 is one of Kumho's Standard Touring All-Season options. Designed for the drivers of family coupes, sedans, minivans, crossovers and SUVs, it provides good traction and ride qualities to go along with an 85,000-mile treadlife warranty. Kumho offers a road hazard warranty for one year or the first 2/32" of treadwear.
Grand Touring All-Season
In the Grand Touring All-Seaon category, Kumho's best offering is the Ecsta LX Platinum. It is designed to blend responsive handling, long wear (60,000-mile treadlife warranty) and a quiet ride with year-round traction including in light snow.
Ultra High Performance All-Season
Kumho's Ecsta 4X is an Ultra High Performance All-Season tire that blends excellent steering response with great wet and dry traction. Currently ranked in the top ten in its category, the Ecsta 4X is a great tire at a good price.
On-/Off-Road All-Terrain
The Road Venture SAT KL61 is one of the top-rated all-terrain tires. Customers have given it praise in the following categories:
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Wet Traction
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Dry Traction
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Light Snow Traction
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Ride Comfort
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Noise Comfort
Highway All-Season
Finally, Kumho's Road Venture APT KL51 is developed for light truck and SUV owners who drive North America's streets and highways. It offers excellent dry and wet traction, good ride qualities and a quiet ride.
If you decide the Kumho Ecsta 4X or Ecsta LX Platinum is the right tire for your vehicle, you can receive a $50 Visa Prepaid Card when you purchase a set of four before June 30, 2013. View special offer details here.
Do you need 10 ply tires? What is Load Range E? If you're not familiar with these tire terms, don't worry, we can help. Most 3/4- and 1-ton trucks are going to require a Load Range E, also known as a 10 ply tire, for proper load carrying capacity. Many drivers of half-ton trucks also prefer them while towing due to their stiffer sidewall which helps prevent swaying.
One of our best sellers is the Firestone Transforce HT. This Highway All-Season tire has been around for awhile because of its all-season traction, long treadlife and dependability. The tire is available in many popular truck sizes and is offered with a 30 Day Buy & Try Guarantee.
Are you looking for a tire that's more suitable for off-road use. If so, one of my favorite options is the Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac. This tire features a rugged tread compound that helps resist tread block chipping, chunking and tearing, especially during heavy loading and towing applications. Wrangler DuraTrac tires are also branded with the mountain/snowflake symbol to identify they meet industry severe snow service standards. They are also designed to accept optional #16 metal studs to enhance ice traction.
Another great value option is Kumho's Road Venture APT KL51. The tire offers excellent all-season traction with a relatively smooth and quiet ride. When we tested the tire, we liked that it provided great traction in the dry and wet.
To gain a better understanding of load range, read "Load Range/Ply Range Identification."
Earlier this year, Bridgestone announced they would be releasing a revision to their popular Potenza RE-11 tire to make it more competitive in the dry among a stout group of competitors. The Potenza RE-11A will continue forward with the same exact tread pattern as the original Potenza RE-11 and will retain the same speed ratings as well. The main change in the design is a compound difference that allows for slightly higher grip limits. RE-11A tires will be released in ten sizes this summer and are branded with a UTQG rating of 200 - making them legal for most, if not all, street tire competition classes.
Like its predecessor, the Potenza RE-11A seems to be one of the most balanced Extreme Performance Summer tires, as well as one of the few that puts a high emphasis on good wet performance and hydroplaning resistance. Designed for serious sports car, sports coupe and performance sedan driving enthusiasts, the Potenza RE-11A enhances traction, handling and control while maintaining good noise and ride comfort. Bridgestone Potenza RE-11A tires are performance tuned for dry and wet conditions, but like all summer tires it is not intended to be driven in near-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice.
The Potenza RE-11A's biggest competitors in 2013 look to be the BFGoodrich g-Force Rival and Dunlop Direzza ZII. Stay tuned for results as we will be testing these tires later this summer!
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.
Regardless of the size of tire on your Honda Fit, shop by size to view all options available.
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.
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.
Doing your research before selecting the right tire can be a challenge at times. Here at Tire Rack, we make it simple by providing you helpful information when you're shopping for tires.
We provide expert, unbiased tire performance comparisons with our tire test results. Our Performance Test Track Drives and Real World Road Rides offer us the chance to experience the ride, noise and handling qualities of a tire across a variety of conditions that our customers will experience on a daily basis. Our team follows consistent procedures designed to minimize variables that could influence results. And because many of our customers live in the snowbelt region, we also test the wintertime traction of all-season and winter tires on the ice and in the snow.
In addition to our tire tests, we maintain independent consumer surveys to help drivers help each other by sharing their long term tire experiences. At the time of this post, we have information on 445 different tire models, as well as 2,783,445,686 miles reported on over 150,000 surveys. You can view tires based on their performance category and see how customers rank their tires in categories, such as hydroplaning resistance, cornering stability, dry traction, ride comfort and more.
Reviews are posted to give you insight into each responder's experience with the tire for better or worse. Just like movie reviews, different people have different opinions and reference points, so it's always important to read as many reviews as possible to gain a better perspective. You can look at reviews by vehicle or by tire brand. This is helpful because you can see what owners of your same vehicle are saying about tires!
With the help of our tire test results, tire survey results and tire reviews, you have the information you need to find the tire that's right for your vehicle and the way you drive it.
Starting with 2008 model year cars and light trucks, a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) has been required for all new vehicles sold in the United States. While some vehicles (Audi and BMW most recently) use the ABS system (or indirect system) to keep watch for a deflating tire, most use a battery powered sensor (based in the base of the valve stem assembly) to give the most accurate read of your tire pressure. When replacing tires or wheels and tires as a complete package, the presence of these remote sensors can require a few extra steps in the purchase and/or installation process.
Why does my installer charge a "TPMS" service fee for installing new tires?
Many of our Recommended Installers will charge a TPMS service fee as part of new tire installation. When the old tire is being removed from your existing wheel, it's best to remove the TPMS sensor (and the attached valve stem). This avoids any damage caused by breaking the tire bead loose from the wheel as well as seating the new tire onto the wheel. Once the sensor has been removed, it will require a new "O" ring and/or compression ring to seal the sensor properly.
What happens if I do not add new TPMS sensors to my Tire & Wheel Package?
When we sell a set of wheel and tires, we're happy to mount and Road Force balance the tires to the wheels at no cost prior to shipment. Given the TPMS sensors are located inside the wheel (opposite the valve stem hole), the sensors (if requested) need to go in the wheel before the tires are installed. Without the sensors installed, most vehicles will display a warning light and chime upon engine start up (the light will continue to blink as long as the engine is running). Some vehicles may also limit your ability to turn off traction control if you need to "rock" out of a snow drift in winter or even limit engine output. In many states, an active TPMS system is required as part of the state's safety inspection, and any illuminated warning lights may cause the vehicle to fail its annual safety inspection. With your purchase, you can elect to add the correct sensor (at an additional cost) or choose to have your existing sensors removed from your old wheels and installed on the new wheel. If run-flat tires are being purchased with new wheels, new sensors are required.
If I purchase new sensors as part of my Tire & Wheel Package, what else needs to be done before use?
Many vehicles require new TPMS sensors be activated or initialized at an authorized repair facility or dealership. This process normally involves connecting the vehicle to a service computer (via the ODB port under your dashboard) and having a technician load the new sensor's ID codes into the car's computer. Most cars will need to have this activation service performed each time wheels and tires are changed out (like when changing from dedicated winter wheels and tires back to your summer/all-season set). As always, consult your owner's manual or contact your dealer for more information.
1997 Pontiac Grand Prix GT Sedan
2004 Toyota Tacoma 2wd PreDblCab
