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Which Winter Tyres For Rx450H, If Any?


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Dear All

I have just joined the Lexus Owners Club so I hope that I'm posting this question in the correct place.

I am looking for some advice on winter tyres for my RX450h, so any help that members can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Last Friday I picked up a brand new RX450h from my local dealer, I think I got a good deal as it was the out going face and on a pre-reg, it saved me thousands on new and only had 4 miles on the clock!

So far I'm loving the car..... but I'm not sure what to do about winter tyres. At time of car collection I was told that it may be worth me ordering winter tyres as there was a shortage last year! If I'm honest I didn't think I'd need to change the tyres..... Is this really necessary? or is it just a dealers attempting to extract more money?

If I do need winter tyres, I think I'll probably be better off buying them online. I have found a few different brands currently being offered and I'm not sure which to go for. Please can you tell me, has anyone tried these brands, and if so which do you think offers the best performance and least increase in road noise?

Falken HS-439 235/55 R19 101V (with or without Rim flange protection) £154.00

Vredestein Wintrac 4 xtreme 235/55 R19 105V XL (with rim protection ridge) £175.00

Hankook W310 235/55 R19 105V XL VSB £195.00

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-80 235/55 R19 105V XL £203.00

Michelin Latitude Alpin 235/55 R19 105V XL GRNX £217.00

Yokohama W.drive 235/55 R19 101V RPB RBL £185.40

Once again any help that anyone can offer on this topic would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards

Allister

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I am a huge fan of winter tires. I have been using them for over 20 years as I normally go to the alps for Christmas. But even if I didn't I would probably keep on using them.

1. They stop quicker in temps under 10deg.

2. They are much better at coping with wet roads and won't aquaplane as readily.

3. They can cope with really extreme winter conditions ice and heavy snow.

4. I can't proove it but I think they wear better an normal road tires in the winter.

Negatives are

1. They are slightly noisier and have marginally less directional stability. Having said that I would be surprised if you noticed.

2. petrol consumption is marginally worse maybe 3-5%

3. You need to find an identical set of wheels unless you have a reasonable insurance company. I get a scrub set from eBay.

4. You can't wear them down too much before they loose their benefits. 4-5 mm is the min in my opinion. But provided you don't wear them in hot weather they wear ok. I have a set that have done 15000 and they have only worn abou 2mm.

5. You have to change them 2 a year and find somewhere to store them.

test here http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/2011-Auto-Express-Winter-Tyre-Test.htm

The costs aren't as high as you think as you can sell the alloys off and you will reduce wear on you summer tires.

Would stick to Michelin alpine, Continental (get great reviews but never managed to buy any). Vredestein or dunlops. Costco normally do 25% discounts on Michelin 2 or 3 times a year.

I do wonder that michelin cross 4x4 may not manage to cope with British conditions and can be used as an all year tyre.

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I lived in Germany for 10 years, and always used winter tyres and highly recommend them. However, note that they work better in the cold (obviously!) and will wear quicker in temperatures over 5-7 degrees.

Like most of the locals, I invested in a second set of (non alloy) wheels. It made wheel changing easier in the sense that I could swap them over myself, and also prolonged the life of the original alloys as they were not exposed to salt etc. Obviously, this is a more drastic solution that will to some extent spoil the looks of your car. It did not shock over there because most people do it, but it's a different story in the UK.

Going back to your original question, I cannot recommend one over the other, but would suggest that you contact an independent tyre supplier, and in particular Micheldever Tyres in Hampshire. They are a huge and reliable concern and they stock just about any tyre (including racing, motorbike and tractor tyres!). They know everything there is to know about tyres and always are full of good advice.

Try them on 01962 774437. I seem to recall them being recommended by Honest John in the Telegraph some while back...

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Firstly, thank you all for replying, and for taking the time to post your comments / help and advice.

I think I've decided to hang fire and keep looking for a set of original 19 inch alloys on e-bay and then add the tyres. I spoke to my local Lexus dealer today, and reading between the lines of what they said, as the car and tyres have only covered 300 miles from new and won't be doing a great deal more in the coming months, the impression I got was that they thought the car would still perform OK, although Winter Tyres would improve things.

As the car has just cost me £45K, spending a further £3k (total wheel and tyre cost if I buy new) right now is something I would rather avoid if I can....

For the information of Stephen who left his opinion above, I believe I have found a stockist of Continentals if you want some. It's a company called mytyres.co.uk who I believe ship from Holland, I have previously bought tyres from them for my Range Rover and found them to be great to deal with. Please see link below:

http://www.mytyres.co.uk/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?details=Ordern&cart_id=64818414.110.11944&kplz=&Cookie=froogle&typ=R-153821&dsco=110&ranzahl=4

Thank you all once again for you help and comments.

Kind regards

Allister

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