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The noise and economy ratings are basically nonsense, grip does bare some resemblance to real life but there are many other factors to consider such as comfort, cornering ability, wear, rim protection and some people even make a choice based on how well the tread pattern looks.

ATS have them https://shop.atseuromaster.co.uk/tyres/michelin/latitude-tour-hp/235-55-18-V-100-1-2VXCBK?utm_source=Involve&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Catalog+Feed&gclid=CPO0kZ7Lp8gCFSsCwwodFSMJxQ Better be quick. They're all out of stock elsewhere

Hi Jim, Easy way to tell is if you have the "Hi" & "Lo" rocker switch between headlight washer and cigarette lighter socket by the gear stick. My first thoughts with your clunk/noises would be worn bushes for the anti-roll bar...

I love it. "come on love, there's room for you here on these boards when we visit your Mum...."

I have had the same thoughts since the move onwards from the LS400 The 430 was a step backwards and there have been issues with the 460s . In the defence of Lexus engineers they have not had the funding that went with the LS400 initial concept from new scenario and they did have ten years after the initial launch to perfect the LS400 . They will not ever get that again with a new model as their competitors and the market place move too fast in the modern age of car design. So to sum up I think that the LS400 Mark 4 was as near as you will get to perfection in a Luxury sedan in its class.

Like what exactly? Michelin is a premium brand so you'll pay more compared to something like Nexen for example regardless of whether the tyre is better or not. However, we're driving Lexus here so sticking a Nexen on is a sign of cheap-skating (and that's coming from a Yorkshireman!!). This is something I look for, especially on used cars as its likely a sign of "paahh - it'll do", which has consequences elsewhere e.g. scratches on paint, service intervals etc etc. I prefer to get a tyre rated C for economy. The reason is - that the higher the rating, the less grip the tyres have as they're running on harder compounds with low rolling resistance, I chose C as its a middle ground, good economy but good grip also. In terms of noise ratings, IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE! I was on original Dunlops rated at 71db from new. The Dunlops did roar a bit and got louder as they wore. The Michelin's are eerily quiet. In terms of wet grip, the previous Dunlops were rated an F or something and would spin out in the wet so still better to go for Michelins! :( Also, when you consider that they only cost £123 each for the 19" tyres and £50 for all 4 fitted by Lexus, its a no brainer. I was also aware that there werent many reviews on 235/55 r19 tyres and that's why I went for the Michelin's. They're a favourite in the US, they RAVE about them and Id rather listen to current owners (some of which who went from OEM dunlop to Pirelli Sc Verde and then to Michelin in the quest to find the best all round tyre) than pick a tyre out of the sky.

I think you are possibly given the major manufacturers too much credit. More likely is these larger companies have longer product cycles so they haven't redesigned all their range yet to achieve the best test results. The smaller companies are more agile and will quickly develop a new tyre to 'beat' the tests. We already know the manufacturers are designing tread patterns to deflect sound into the vehicle, away from the microphone on the kerb. This results in a better sound score but is more noisy inside the vehicle. It is also easy to design a tyre that is quite on the smooth testing surface but then performs horribly on normal UK road surfaces. These are two reason why the dB rating of tyres is no indication on how quite a tyre will be to the driver of the vehicle.

I have done some reading up on this to find out why some budget or mid-range tyres out score their premium rivals when it comes to the EU tyre ratings, and the answer is that the Tyre Manufacturer submits their own ratings to be printed on the label! Crazy but true! Bigger brands seem to be more honest than the cheaper brands (more "face" to lose should negative publicity from incidents comes to light, I assume?) The problem from independent reviews is that tyre brands and models vary broadly throughout the range, ie: a 18" Michelin Latitude may perform great, but a 19" version of the exact same tyre could be awful! Couple the above to the weird, not used widely, 235/55 profile on our RX's and it can be hard to find ANY reviews of a tyre you are interested in when tested on the same car as you intend to fit them to (trim and spec differences not of much relevance). So, all we can do is speak to our forum friends and post reviews of our own experiences to help each other out. One very interesting thing to note is that most of us seem to agree that the standard fit Bridgestone RE031's are pretty awful!, especially as they age!

Switched on the map this morning - and it read! Must have been a gremlin. Back to normal now. Jim

Much as I'd like updated CD's, I now find my phone (CoPilot) more up to date, and better ( safety cameras included ).

Most of the time while braking, the car will charge the traction battery from the wheels. So the discs and pads sit there doing nothing. Occasionally you'll notice it switch from regenerative to traditional braking, the car will seem to lose a bit of braking ability, it's a bit odd at first but you get used to it.