ls400 Tyre Choice

lockeyboy · July 4, 2016

Hi All

Assuming I replace the standard tyres with new ones, 225/65/r16, does anyone have any recommendations around make/model?

On Blackcircles, Hankook Vantra RA18 seem good from a fuel/wet grip perspective. The Dunlop SP LT is more expensive by £15 per tyre

I remember when swapping some tyres on my Accord recently, the fitter mentioned the difference between the db levels was negligible, but looking at the fuel rating, the £savings seem pretty big

Tinonline · July 4, 2016

OOOfff this subject often kicks off a debate...

I had low profile Hankooks on my TR6 when they had just come into the UK and they were very £ reasonable - great too: probably a soft compound in the scheme of things with great grip. Now they are certainly a premium tyre.

I've got Continentals on the LS400 as fitted by local Reading Lexus dealer for the previous owner. The dealership insist they sell at cost to retain the business and compete with very nearby tyre fitters - I believe them, as the unit price is not bettered by the usual suspects or web prices. It might be worth exploring that option. I certainly have no complaints as to performance: wet or dry, cold or hot.

I had Yokohamas on a GS300 but found them too soft - did not return the mileage but that was a few years ago and quality does change.

Falkens are on my 4ltr S type and strange as it seems they are very good in the wet but I'm not going to fit them again - good for economic pottering..

I can't say any tyre has put me out of pocket on economy. I pay more attention to the wet grip and then noise.

The-Acre · July 4, 2016

Many recommend Falkens for the LS, I've had them and they don't seem better or worse than any other mid range tyre. I always use Black Circles and I bought some Goodyear tyres from them for my current LS, good wet grip and low noise, but opinions vary very widely!

Malc · July 4, 2016

I'm told the Falken 225/60/16s aren't made any more. They sell me Maxxis ( £80 each, everything included ) and they seem ok but cover about 1000 miles less per tyre than the Falkens they replace.

The fitter was telling me that it's pretty much the Ls400 being the last car to take these size tyres

Malc

lex - eleven · July 4, 2016

I've used this site before

Mytyres.com

They give you a review on a range of tyres.

Titch LS · July 4, 2016

After some 'research' I recently put two Goodyear Efficientgrip Performance on the front wheels. They are very quiet, grip really well in the wet but give a very soft 'squiggy' feel through the steering, which I actually like. It makes the car feel more like a big barge. If I wanted a sportier feel I'd run a BMW, (or maybe not)!

The-Acre · July 4, 2016

39 minutes ago, Titch LS said:

After some 'research' I recently put two Goodyear Efficientgrip Performance on the front wheels. They are very quiet, grip really well in the wet but give a very soft 'squiggy' feel through the steering, which I actually like. It makes the car feel more like a big barge. If I wanted a sportier feel I'd run a BMW, (or maybe not)!

The same tyres as mine but I haven't noticed squiggyness!

runsgrateasanut · July 4, 2016

I liked Maxxis on my W140. When I changed the wheels on the Lexus recently I got Maxxis for the front and Nexens for the rear. Happy with the arrangement so far. Will maybe switch depending on wear, at some time.

Titch LS · July 5, 2016

I deliberately run my Goodyears with lowish 29/30 p.s.i. for a comfortable ride. Plus, the cheap Chinese tyres they replaced had very hard sidewalls and were noisy. This is why I regard my new tyres as 'squishy'. A few extra p.s.i. less makes a substantial difference to the ride.

Tinonline · July 5, 2016

11 hours ago, Sunnybrae said:

I've got the Goodyear efficient grip as well on the LS and on my Yaris and likewise haven't noticed any squiggyness.

No one wants a squidgy Yaris...😀

The-Acre · July 5, 2016

30 minutes ago, Tinonline said:

No one wants a squidgy Yaris...😀

You'd be surprised where people would like squiggyness, why, some would even pay for it!

MHT · July 5, 2016

I think I'm going to go with 4 x Dunlop Sport BluResponse for my next set. They do a 225/60/16 102W XL fitting which is £112 fitted on Black Circles. A rated for fuel, A rated for wet grip and 68db noise levels.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accessories-tyres/88482/dunlop-sport-bluresponse-tyre-review

Tinonline · July 5, 2016

That's a great price for a premium tyre.

Chris Skelton · July 5, 2016

I recall posting on this subject a few years -oh, the years are rolling by.......back. Were the original tyres Dunlops? I forget. I DO recall that the ones from Japan had a slightly different tread than the German-made ones, so I got a set imported by tyre firm!

There must be more archived on here?

But.....don't go cheap! That few sq inches of rubber is all that is between you and heaven-if you're a believer in fairy tales- or extinction (if not).

Malc · July 5, 2016

Dunlop D8Zs ? made for the Lexus Ls400 specifically but Dunlop stopped making them very many years ago

Malc

The-Acre · July 5, 2016

1 hour ago, Chris Skelton said:

I recall posting on this subject a few years -oh, the years are rolling by.......back. Were the original tyres Dunlops? I forget. I DO recall that the ones from Japan had a slightly different tread than the German-made ones, so I got a set imported by tyre firm!

There must be more archived on here?

But.....don't go cheap! That few sq inches of rubber is all that is between you and heaven-if you're a believer in fairy tales- or extinction (if not).

Thankfully I'm a believer in the "fairy tale" but I still wouldn't go cheap.

MHT · July 5, 2016

Yes, they seem to be out of production. I did find one website listing them but at £181 each. At least the brand name ties up with the originals, that's good enough for me in terms of originality.