Budget tyre replacement

shahed26 · July 17, 2019

Hi

Recently i bought a 2008 rx400h (my first lexus) and its a bit noisy inside the cabin. The dealer pointed out its due to budget tyres fitted at the front.

Currently it has a 235/55/R18 Radar brand budget tyres at the fronts and rears Bridgestone patenza.

I intend to change all 4 tyres, to either michelin cross climate suv XL or michelin Primacy 4.

I was wondering if the XL would be any better compared to Primacy 4 not an XL.

I've read somewhere that a XL tyre is usually a bit noisy.

Anybody can recommend me tyres or their experience with cross climate suv XL.

The Michelin latitude tour also another tyre i am considering due to its lower noise db rating

Thanks

croxster · July 17, 2019

We have just changed our tyres on out rx300 same size tyre we changed from oem bridgstones to avon zx7 just under £100 a corner and very good noise rating and what a transformation it has been very quite and the car sticks to the road now.
My only concern is they are A rated in the wet so may wear quickly only time will tell.

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shahed26 · July 17, 2019

Yes those tyres are very well rated, read positive reviews about them, its just I've never had them on any of my previous cars so not too sure about the ride quality, comfort and noise levels. Will definitely look into these.

Only had Michelin and Bridgestone on my previous car which was a Qashqai.

Am leaning towards the cross climate for my rx400h after reading many positive reviews, but am just waiting to hear what other members experience is with cross climate if they had them on

i-s · July 17, 2019

I had Crossclimate+ XLs on both my Volvo V70 and my Nissan Leaf (and if ever there was a car where tyre roar was critical, that was it).

In both cases they rode very nicely (softer than Pirelli P7 Cinturato Blue, itself a pretty comfy tyre), and supremely quiet inside the cabin.

I would have absolutely no hesitation in buying them again.

shahed26 · July 17, 2019

Thanks i-s, replacing all my tires with cross climate soon.

olliesgrandad · July 18, 2019

I don't think you will be disappointed with them. Keep an eye out for the Michelin preloaded debit card offer. I have saved £200 on my last 2,sets of tyres. Offer usually around October if you can wait.

PUKU · July 18, 2019

I am just about ready for a new set of tyres. I had some Yokohama tyres but they wore quickly and were screaming on cornering. I am not a boy racer and object to leaving tyre rubber on the road! so I shouldn't be accused of heavy fast cornering. I have used Enduro HT as well but although they performed OK some say I am taking a chance using them on an RX300!

In a past life I had BFG A/T'S ON early Range Rovers and a later P38 RR. always had great mileage from them 40-42k every time, never got stuck in the mud and they were very quiet..

I was pleased to learn that the BFG A/T is now available for the RX300 (early one), I just hope that there is not going to be a conflict with the Limited Slip Differential used for the four wheel drive if I have real grippers all round.

Am I worrying un-necessarily?

Out if interest will the ABS kick in on odd pattern/age/ware tyres on the front? I keep getting that ABS judder in normal conditions.

shahed26 · July 18, 2019

12 hours ago, olliesgrandad said:

I don't think you will be disappointed with them. Keep an eye out for the Michelin preloaded debit card offer. I have saved £200 on my last 2,sets of tyres. Offer usually around October if you can wait.

Thanks for the heads up, wasn't aware of this offer, but unfortunately i cant wait this long as i bought the car recently and those front budgets tyres are really ruining my whole ride experience due to excess cabin noise.

Edit

What psi would be recommended for these cross climate xl tyres. Its a 235/55/R18 v104

I prefer comfort over mpg

Teshoo Lama · July 18, 2019

Recently fitted the CrossClimates and very happy with the lack of road noise. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

It always slays me that people will borrow a fortune to acquire a car loaded with thousands of pounds of safety equipment, then whack four budget tyres on and hope for the best.

olliesgrandad · July 18, 2019

2 hours ago, shahed26 said:

What psi would be recommended for these cross climate xl tyres. Its a 235/55/R18 v104

I prefer comfort over mpg

I run mine at 2.5 bar when stone cold. Equates in current weather to 2.7 bar when warmed up.

darrude · July 20, 2019

Cross climates on both our cars, most impressed by the lack of road noise, but also a good all round tyre. I had primacy's on my last car and there were good, but terrible in snow.

olliesgrandad · July 20, 2019

3 hours ago, darrude said:

Cross climates on both our cars, most impressed by the lack of road noise, but also a good all round tyre. I had primacy's on my last car and there were good, but terrible in snow.

I had Primacy 4's on my 2015 GS 300h and was very impressed with them in the snow.

darrude · July 21, 2019

14 hours ago, olliesgrandad said:

I had Primacy 4's on my 2015 GS 300h and was very impressed with them in the snow.

To be honest mine were primacy 3's, so that could be a difference.... At the time I lived in a converted mill that sat in a little dip, everyone's cars was stuck and everyone was helping push out. I couldn't even get it out of the flat car park, and few people in disbelief had a go, and were like... Yep that cars s**t in the snow! Mazda 3. Switched to all season after that and it was fine, but wouldn't do traditional all season again, they were terrible in the rain.

olliesgrandad · July 21, 2019

I got the Primacy 4's on the advice of my local tyre centre Chris Mullins in Gloucester.

I think they had only recently been launched at that time.

shahed26 · July 24, 2019

Just a quick update, got my car fitted with 4 new michelin cross climate today. Car feels so much grippier and smooth. Definitely it has made my cabin noise less. Running them fronts 34psi and rears 36psi.

But still road noise is there when driving 40mph and above. Found the front passenger rubber in the lower frame has a small crack/tear, guess that is whats causing excess road noise. Going to get them replaced with new ones by lexus. Hopefully that should cure the cabin noise.

inchley313 · July 28, 2019

Just a quick one for anyone looking for a good "budget tyre" option, I am currently running my Lexus RX300 on 235/55R18 Jinyu YS82's and to say I've been impressed is an understatement!

Anyone who knows the Isle of Man, knows the mountain section of the TT course and also knows we have no speed restrictions on this stretch of road. A couple of weeks before TT this year I managed Ramsey hairpin to Creg Ny Baa in just under 6mins 30secs.

I pushed the car and the Jinyu tyres right to their limits and couldn't believe the grip levels!!

They're not only good for grip but also very quiet and are wearing very slowly and evenly.

Don't get me wrong, there are many better tyres out there but if you are working on a serious budget, you really won't go wrong with Jinyu.

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GrahamG · July 31, 2019

On 7/18/2019 at 7:12 AM, olliesgrandad said:

I don't think you will be disappointed with them. Keep an eye out for the Michelin preloaded debit card offer. I have saved £200 on my last 2,sets of tyres. Offer usually around October if you can wait.

Les, four new Cross Climates for me in October would be perfect. Can you tell us any more about the Michelin offer, which garage did you buy from?

Just phoned a local Michelin agent and they, 'nevererdofit, mate'.

That sort of saving would really be worth while.

PCM · August 16, 2019

I've just had 4 new Cross Climates fitted to my car ( as part of my annual service and MOT ).

Had to have a bit of welding done to. Well, it is 16 years old now...

The tyres feel great! A real bonus. Feel ready for the winter now!

❄️

Lost it · August 16, 2019

Well, when I bought my RX 300 it had a mixture of tyres on it, one of which was over 8 years old and was probably the spare at some time in it's life judging by the state of the rim so as I was a bit tight budget wise, I spoke to my "tyre guy". He mostly does motorcycle tyres but he knows others in the trade.

I wanted reasonable quality, good wet weather, a make I have heard of (not a chinese "Hooflungdung" special) and didn't really care about wear as I would be going onto 4 season Goodyear Vector's for the winter months anyway. The Goodyear Vector 4 season Mk1's worked very well on my AWD centre locking diff Jaguar X type, so the next gen version should be even better on something with a bit more ground clearance as I kept rubbing the undertray in the X type, never got stuck, but left some interesting furrows behind me.

He suggested these things:

https://tirereviewsandmore.com/nexen-cp521-reviews/

Have to say, they aren't the quietest tyres in the world, but the recent monsoon conditions on the M25 didn't phase them at all. And they were cheap, under £300 for all four fitted. I know they are basically light truck tyres, but I kind of like tyres to have stiff side walls anyway. They don't squeal anywhere as much as I expected them to, they are quite soft on the tread though. I won't be taking it off road unless I fall asleep at the wheel and dive into a field.

I've done over 5,000 miles on them, mostly motorway driving and the noise on the concrete bit of the M25 between the A3 junction and the M3 has to be heard to be believed..they have lost just over 1mm of tread depth. So they should last me until October when the winter rubber gets installed.

Might get someone out of a jam if they really are skint.

But I completely don't understand the thinking behind someone buying an expensive car and putting chinese ditch finders on it. Madness. My usual choice is Dunlop or Goodyear.

inchley313 · August 28, 2019

As a tyre guy myself, (see www.facebook.com/tyremanniom which is my own business) I would have the Jinyu YS82's that I'm running on my own RX over those Nexen's all day long!!

I have been really impressed by them as a tyre and not just as a cheap tyre but even against much more expensive brands!

I find that so many of the more expensive tyres are not as good as they state, I wouldn't touch Dunlop, Goodyear or Uniroyal as they are too soft and wear the edges off very fast! Plus the Dunlop and Goodyear tend to start perishing after only 6 months (as do the Nexen)

Continental & Bridgestone are OK and are better than the Jinyu but for how much more expensive they are, I couldn't justify the spend as they're not THAT much better a tyre. Which leaves Michelin!!

Again, a very expensive ordeal buying 4 of these for the motor but there is a very good reason Michelin have been market leaders for most of (if not all of) my life.

The Cross Climate is a very good all round option but beware as I have had a few of these go noisy and out of shape as they get beyond half worn!

All in all, I think that personal preference has a large part to play in tyre choice but although a lot of tyres from China are cheap and nasty, more expensive doesn't necessarily mean better! There are some good quality products also coming out of China for very reasonable prices!

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olliesgrandad · August 28, 2019

On 7/31/2019 at 11:28 AM, GrahamG said:

Les, four new Cross Climates for me in October would be perfect. Can you tell us any more about the Michelin offer, which garage did you buy from?

Just phoned a local Michelin agent and they, 'nevererdofit, mate'.

That sort of saving would really be worth while.

Chris Mullins Tyres, Bristol Road, Gloucester is where I normally go. Give them a ring ask for Chris and say that Les Abbott told you to talk about Cross Climate deals. Could be worth a trip out to the Cotswolds. He is price wise extremely competitive with the likes of Protyre(He used to work for them).

Lager shandy · August 28, 2019

Jingyu tyres £70 quid a tyre 235/55-19 - I'd love to do a blind test were you drive a rx not know what on it in the wet and dry .in real world conditions and not by a magazine idiot on a track . The reason I say this is I thought I had dunlops alround on mine and the road hold is great pushing into corners hard braking etc .then I looked at the fronts and they had windforce or something Chinese .

Lost it · September 2, 2019

I've kind of never took much notice of these "Track test" comparisons. I don't drive on a race track, or a test track, I drive on A and B roads that can have broken, worn, new, oil and derv, pea shingle, lots of rubber and repairs, concrete sections etc.

And none of us really drives in such a way that we simply must have that last couple of feet in a crash stop in the rain else there would be multiple car pile ups every time it rains. Or we would none of us have a licence...

No. I drive off Hayling Island, on an A road with any number of road surface changes and ages, I join the A27, turn onto the A3M, turn onto the M25, turn off at the A41 Watford junction and drive on the roads from that point to work, and those roads are shot. Even my Nexen's have never given me pause where grip is concerned, I have no real urge to discover the last nth of G force on these tyres,and I very much suspect not many Lexus users are like that either.

So, When I get my "winter rubber" on, I will stick with what I know, and install Goodyear Vectors.

Delphius1 · September 3, 2019

I've just fitted budget tyres to replace the Avon zx's on My RX300. Couldn't really justify spending over a quarter of the value of the car on tyres!

I fitted Three-A EcoSavers, never heard of them before, but they are Chinese (just like most budget tyres and even some premium tyres these days). C rated for economy and wet grip, 72Db on noise. I'm very happy. They are 104 load rated rather than the 100 of the Avons and I must say the car rides a bit better. I was originally offered Blacklions, but the noise, wet grip and economy ratings were a lot higher then the Three-As. I suspect they were just trying to sell them off.

Wet grip was tested on the M56 last weekend in a torrential downpour. No aquaplaning and no drama when hitting patches of standing water. They just ploughed through it. Being budget tyres, I'll see what the longevity is like and how they hold up on the ratings once they get a bit of wear on them.

Edited to add:

I was in Australia during the winter and was interesting to see the Chinese brands Like Jinyu and LingLong get advertised just like the major European brands. There doesn't appear to be the same badge issue. If they work just as good as the major brands, then the Australians buy them.

inchley313 · September 23, 2019

I've just fitted budget tyres to replace the Avon zx's on My RX300. Couldn't really justify spending over a quarter of the value of the car on tyres!
I fitted Three-A EcoSavers, never heard of them before, but they are Chinese (just like most budget tyres and even some premium tyres these days). C rated for economy and wet grip, 72Db on noise. I'm very happy. They are 104 load rated rather than the 100 of the Avons and I must say the car rides a bit better. I was originally offered Blacklions, but the noise, wet grip and economy ratings were a lot higher then the Three-As. I suspect they were just trying to sell them off.
Wet grip was tested on the M56 last weekend in a torrential downpour. No aquaplaning and no drama when hitting patches of standing water. They just ploughed through it. Being budget tyres, I'll see what the longevity is like and how they hold up on the ratings once they get a bit of wear on them.
Edited to add:
I was in Australia during the winter and was interesting to see the Chinese brands Like Jinyu and LingLong get advertised just like the major European brands. There doesn't appear to be the same badge issue. If they work just as good as the major brands, then the Australians buy them.

As a tyre dealer and a Blacklion agent, I would use Blacklion over Three-A all day long. That is purely due to them being a better all round tyre.

Also don't hold too much stock into the ratings as Chinese manufacturers are self regulated on these figures and they're not really chased and checked on.

As for the Three-A's, there a run of the mill tyre, nothing wrong with them and they have a fairly chunky tread pattern but if you want to get really good value for money, I have to shout from the hilltops once again just how good a tyre the Jinyu YS82 is!!

I have been using them for over a year now on my RX300 and they are phenomenal!!

I would use Jinyu over the likes of Dunlop and Goodyear all day long, I personally think they are a far superior tyre and not just because of the cost!!

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