Tires for 2016 Lexus RX350

[Cropduster172]

Bought this 2016 RX 350 in November 2019 with 25K on it. I bought it from a large Toyota dealership. Two months prior, they put new pads and these Laufenn S Fit tires on it...so they were essentially new. They seem to be wearing ok and I believe they are a Hankook derivative. I don't like them in wet driving. Hydroplaned a little at about 55mph. I am thinking of General RT43s or Sumitomo Encounter HTs, which I had on my 2010 Ford Edge and the tread wear was outstanding.
The Generals are a bit cheaper though.
Anyone have experience with either on a relatively heavy SUV/X over?
Thanks

 

[JeffKeryk]

I think Bridgestone Ecopia came stock... With 25k miles I am surprised the original tires have been replaced.
Good luck.

 

[cb_13]

Not sure what your size is but the Encounter HT is more of a competitor to the General HTS60 than the Altimax RT43.

No experience with the Encounter HT but we have installed several sets of the the Altimax RT43 on Ford Flexs which absolutely eat tires. They have seemed to hold up better than most passenger tires.

 

[Jmlo96]

I'd your RX350 wears tires anything like our Sienna (same platform), I would stay away from the RT43s. While the RT43 is a great tire, the outside edges of the tread are being eaten alive by our Sienna. I suspect we will have to replace the RT43s long before they wear out for this reason. I would recommend going with a crossover tire such as the Continental CrossContact LX25.

 

[mosaud1998]

Costco's gotta sale going on for Michelin tires. $150 off instantly

My parents have Michelin Defender tires on their 2011 Sienna.

 

[RitcheyRch]

I like Continental tires.

 

[skyactiv]

If I owned your vehicle and needed new tires, I would get Continental PureConact LS.
The tire you choose can make a difference in fuel economy. Something that is $10 cheaper per tire but uses 4/10 of 1 MPG more fuel over a 45K lifespan isin't saving you money.

 

[UG_Passat]

If I owned your vehicle and needed new tires, I would get Continental PureConact LS.
The tire you choose can make a difference in fuel economy. Something that is $10 cheaper per tire but uses 4/10 of 1 MPG more fuel over a 45K lifespan isin't saving you money.

Not available in 235/65r18

But CrossContact LX25 is available in that size.

 

[UG_Passat]

I also see a lot of RX's rolling on Michelin Primacy Tour A/S

 

[CharBaby]

I just mentioned this exactly in another tire thread...
I've had the RT43 on a 1st gen 2001 RX300 AWD(~ 3900 lbs) and I like'em very much and recommend them. My SIL installed the RT43 in Apr 2020 on her 2014 GMC Terrain 4 cyl AWD(~ 4100 lbs) in 235-60-17 and they're doing fine. Also have the RT43 on the Civic in my sig.

However, your RX(I believe) is a heavier vehicle and may be deserving of a more refined tire than the ones you mentioned. A tire that is more befitting of the RX for its ride & quiet and hopefully help deliver better MPGs.

 

[Cropduster172]

I've had the RT43 on a 1st gen 2001 RX300 AWD(~ 3900 lbs) and I like'em very much and recommend them. My SIL installed the RT43 in Apr 2020 on her 2014 GMC Terrain 4 cyl AWD(~ 4100 lbs) in 235-60-17 and they're doing fine. However, your RX(I believe) is a heavier vehicle and may be deserving of a more refined tire than the ones you mentioned. A tire that is more befitting of the RX for its ride & quiet and hopefully help deliver better MPGs.

Good to know. Of all of the attributes of different tire designs and brands, MPG isn't significant to me. Tread wear, noise and wet handling are the most important. I figure if a tire handles well in wet conditions its got be be good in dry conditions

 

[CharBaby]

Absolutely! ^^^
Foul weather is very important and the most important features when I buy tires. Tops for me because safety is important. I already know that any tire that is black & round is fine on a sunny day in JULY. It's when the tides turn that tires show their true colors.

Other aspects that I consider is not tread life like so many buyers do but, comfortable ride and quiet riding while still having suitable cornering/handling abilities in emergency situations. Not that tread life doesn't matter, it's just down the list for me considering most tires that I even consider have very high mileage rating between 60K-90K miles. Not that I'd ever get those mileage ratings for tires before replacing them. I don't want to take my tires down to 2/32nds considering they're not suitable in my climate much below 4/32nds.

 

[supton]

I think Bridgestone Ecopia came stock... With 25k miles I am surprised the original tires have been replaced.
Good luck.

I'm not surprised, OEM tires seem to be low quality--with regards to lifespan. Wife's Camry took out a set of Energy's in 30k and then a set of OEM replacement Primacy's in 30k (at the time it was "buy a new car and get a new set of tires for free!").

I like RT43's but have not used on something larger. They are also not high mile champions, after 40k I'm down to 4/32's and wet traction is noticeably impacted.

 

[cb_13]

I'm not surprised, OEM tires seem to be low quality--with regards to lifespan. Wife's Camry took out a set of Energy's in 30k and then a set of OEM replacement Primacy's in 30k (at the time it was "buy a new car and get a new set of tires for free!").

I like RT43's but have not used on something larger. They are also not high mile champions, after 40k I'm down to 4/32's and wet traction is noticeably impacted.

On your Camry? If so I'm surprised they wore that fast. I've got a customer who really racks up the miles on his Focus and he is fixing to put on set number 3 of the RT43s. The first two sets have both went over 60k.

 

[wag123]

I'd your RX350 wears tires anything like our Sienna (same platform), I would stay away from the RT43s. While the RT43 is a great tire, the outside edges of the tread are being eaten alive by our Sienna. I suspect we will have to replace the RT43s long before they wear out for this reason. I would recommend going with a crossover tire such as the Continental CrossContact LX25.

The problem with your Sienna is not the tires, it is the Sienna. Specifically, with Toyota's 35 PSI recommended tire inflation pressure. The van is too heavy for the 35 PSI pressure that Toyota recommends, especially in the front. You need to bump your tire pressures to 40-42 PSI, rotate them every 6k miles or so, and your tire wear problem will go away. Contact patch tests by many Sienna owners prove it. I started at 40 PSI but ended-up going to 42 PSI in front (40 in the rear) on my FWD Sienna after carefully monitoring my tire wear over 20k miles. The ride suffers slightly when you do this, but that is the only downside, handling and braking actually improve because you are using the tire's entire contact patch. Furthermore, the higher inflation pressure improves the van's load carrying capacity and reduces the tire temperature build-up on the highway (further reducing wear).
The RX350 is lighter than the Sienna, but I would also recommend increasing the tire pressure a little, perhaps to 38-40 PSI. To find the optimum tire pressure one would need to do a contact patch test. https://www.intercotire.com/using_chalk_method_determining_psi
As for my tire recommendation for the RX350, I would personally go with Michelin passenger car tires to preserve the RX's silky smooth and quiet ride. My budget second choice would be Coopers (but they won't be as quiet or ride as good). I would NOT purchase an SUV tire for the RX.
Cooper was just bought out by Goodyear. BOOOOOO! I am a long-time fan of Cooper, but not Goodyear.

 

[supton]

On your Camry? If so I'm surprised they wore that fast. I've got a customer who really racks up the miles on his Focus and he is fixing to put on set number 3 of the RT43s. The first two sets have both went over 60k.

It's the area. I don't think of it as curvy but tires sure do. When I bought the much-vaunted LTX MS2's for my truck, the tire shop warned that they'd only last 40k. He was wrong: they had plenty of tread after 40k but dry cracked. Can't win...

Anyhow. I've gone through 4 or 5 sets of RT43's on my Camry's and 40k is it. My Jetta likewise did 40k on Conti Contact-something's and they were kaput. That was over several sets, and then I moved onto other tires, and none of them made it past 40k for me.

I recall years ago, I had a Saturn SL, but lived in a different spot in NH, and that did have have a set of tires that went 60k. At the time I did a lot of trips up into Maine and I guess their highways are straighter. Apparently over here the roads just curve more.

 

[Jmlo96]

The problem with your Sienna is not the tires, it is the Sienna. Specifically, with Toyota's 35 PSI recommended tire inflation pressure. The van is too heavy for the 35 PSI pressure that Toyota recommends, especially in the front. You need to bump your tire pressures to 40-42 PSI, rotate them every 6k miles or so, and your tire wear problem will go away. Contact patch tests by many Sienna owners prove it. I started at 40 PSI but ended-up going to 42 PSI in front (40 in the rear) on my FWD Sienna after carefully monitoring my tire wear over 20k miles. The ride suffers slightly when you do this, but that is the only downside, handling and braking actually improve because you are using the tire's entire contact patch. Furthermore, the higher inflation pressure improves the van's load carrying capacity and reduces the tire temperature build-up on the highway (further reducing wear).

Thanks for the tip! I will be sure to try that. I have noticed the Michelin Latitude xi2 winter tires have worn much better than the RT43s. I just assumed it is because the Latitudes are meant for SUVs/Crossovers. I usually rotate them every 3000 miles since that's about what the winter/all season tire change mileage is.

 

[meep]

Imma also put a vote in for continental like skyactive mentioned, but different. They have an all terrain, but its really much more of a highway tire. It’s the first tire in that class I’ve had that has kept its cold/wet properties longer than 10k miles. Conitrac AT I think is what it’s called. It rides more like a highway tire and its quiet, and Ive had no balance issues with them. They are wearing a bit faster than the competition, but it’s the soft rubber likely contributing to better cold/wet performance.

 

[Cropduster172]

I think I've settled on the General RT43s. They are a bit more refined than the Sumitomos there is a $50 rebate offer until the end of April. I can pick the tires up at a Tire Rack DC so that saves another $40 plus no sales tax in Delaware. Ill have my mechanic mount them and do a M1 oil change at the same time.

 

[Cropduster172]

I also see a lot of RX's rolling on Michelin Primacy Tour A/S

I'm generally underwhelmed by Michelin in my experience