Best Tires for Lexus RX350
The Lexus RX350 is the mid-sized SUV to go to if comfort is your main interest and concern. It is the most sold luxury SUV in the United States for good reason, otherwise people wouldn’t even touch it. Off-roading isn’t its strong suit, not even by a long shot. The Lexus RX350 performs best as a comfortable long-distance driver, regardless of conditions. It being an SUV with a possible four-wheel drive layout means that it has the ability to tackle bad conditions without you ever having to notice them. Still, a capable SUV like the Lexus RX350 needs a good set of tires. Question is, which are the best ones?
Best All-Weather Tires for the Lexus RX350
1.Michelin Crossclimate2
Ride Quality: 9 Noise Comfort: 7 Handling: 8 Traction: 10
The Michelin Crossclimate2 is one of the tried-and-true all-weather tires out there. It features a V style tread pattern which grips the snow and mud really well, while also giving water plenty of routes to escape. Not only this, but the contact patch is substantial, which gives the Michelin Crossclimate2 plenty of grip in the hot summer days.
The rubber itself isn’t soft, so breaking hard on a hot summer day won’t leave a mark on the asphalt. Also, the rubber will not turning the tires into wooden planks on really cold days. Traction is permanent, whatever you’re driving on. Not only that, but you’re getting a 60,000 miles warranty to boot.
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2.Nokian WR G4 SUV
Ride Quality: 8 Noise Comfort: 6 Handling: 8 Traction: 9
The Nokian WR G4 SUV aims quite a bit higher in the snow department than many other all-weather tires. In heavy snow, they can plow through anything, even through snowstorms. This means that for a Lexus RX350 owner who has harsh winters and wet summers, the Nokian WR G4 SUV is an ideal choice.
Owners compare the winter characteristics sub-par to premium winter tires. As a summer tire, they’re a bit on the softer side, so hot summers topping 80 F and higher are to be avoided. However, they still get a 60,000 miles warranty.
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3.Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady
Ride Quality: 7 Noise Comfort: 7 Handling: 9 Traction: 9
The Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady are the, if you will, perfect midpoint between an all-season tire and a winter tire. They are better than a regular all-season tire in any condition but worse than dedicated seasonal tires. A tad worse in the summer compared to the Crossclimate2, a tad worse in the winter than the Nokian WR G4 X.
However, you’re getting decent treadwear to boot with a 60,000 miles warranty. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, comfort is decent, and the noise is a bit more apparent than the other options.
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Best All-Season tires for the Lexus RX350
1.Falken Pro G5 CSV
Ride Quality: 8 Noise Comfort: 7 Handling: 9 Traction: 7
These Falken tires are more in tune for a summer tire which work in light snows. Their handling is nippy and quite sticky. Ride quality isn’t bad and tread life is good and you are getting a 60,000 miles warranty. All of these are coupled with a pretty affordable tire for the price. Sure, they won’t be the best out of the bunch, but for such a low price you’re getting a pretty complete package.
The lackluster areas are, for one, its winter traction. The Falkens can only work fairly well in light snows and a bit of mush. Apart from that, winter traction is lackluster. They are also moderately noisy tires, so not everything is rosy.
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2.Goodyear Assurance ComfortDrive
Ride Quality: 9 Noise Comfort: 7 Handling: 8 Traction: 7
The Goodyear Assurance line-up tops most charts with different tires for slightly different uses, and the Assurance ComfortDrive makes no exception. The Goodyear Assurance ComfortDrive’s best trait is comfort, being very capable at absorbing all kinds of bumps. They’re also quite resistant to hydroplaning.
The downsides are split a bit. They are a tad harsh, letting a bit of noise inside the cabin regardless of what Goodyear tries telling you. Their winter traction is again, not great, decent for an all-season tire, not on par with an all-weather tire.
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3.Vredestein Quatrac Pro
Ride Quality: 9 Noise Comfort: 8 Handling: 8 Traction: 8
The Vredestein Quatrac Pro is the closest all-season tire to an all-weather tire. It preforms a bit worse than the Crossclimate2 and doesn’t reach that level of grip of protection regardless of the weather. Where the Vredestein Quatrac Pro shines is wet traction. During a wet fall with heavy rainfall, the Vredestein goes toe to toe to dedicated summer tires and can even beat them.
The downside is, however, a poor wear characteristic. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading says that the Vredestein Quatrac Pro has a 400 treadwear rating, which is low compared to the norm of 600. Also, the tire fares well in the snow, but just light snows, up to 2 inches thick. More than that and you’re asking for headaches.
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Best Winter Tires for the Lexus RX350
1.Nokian Hakkapeliitta R3 SUV
Ride Quality: 8 Noise Comfort: 7 Handling: 7 Traction: 9
Nokian is well-known for high performance winter tires, and the Hakkapeliitta R3 SUV make no exception of this norm. The snow performance is exemplary, the ice performance is one of the best you could get without driving studded tires. Rolling resistance is really good, but not everything is sunshine and rainbows.
The tire is quite noisy and feels a bit dull to drive around. The wear is also not great, good, but uninspiring.
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2.Continental VikingContact 7
Ride Quality: 8 Noise Comfort: 9 Handling: 8 Traction: 10
The Continental VikingContact 7 are a bit of a step-up from the Nokians as far as overall traction is concerned. Their snow traction is the best, their ice traction is better than the Nokian’s. Overall, the VikingContact 7s don’t have big issues, apart from price and how long they last.
Owners report that they wear quite fast, and you aren’t getting any mileage warranty to speak of. Not only that, but they are quite pricey for wearing out this fast. You could expect to get two winters out of them. Not great in the slightest.
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3.Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2
Ride Quality: 9 Noise Comfort: 8 Handling: 9 Traction: 10
The Bridgestones are again, exemplary tires, even more so than the others. They are built for the heaviest of winters, both dry ones and wet ones. Overall, the Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2s are best used for really low temps, because the compound is rather soft.
Bridgestone uses a special rubber compound for the first 55% of the tread depth, which aids to the general softness of the tire. As expected, a soft tire made for low temperatures will wear quite fast on warmer temperatures.
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Best Touring Tires for the Lexus RX350
1.Kumho Crugen KL33
Ride Quality: 9 Noise Comfort: 8 Handling: 9 Traction: 9
The Kumho Crugen KL33 is a summer tire, for the most part. They are very confident in warmer climates and on dry roads. Decent rolling resistances and overall comfort make them great highway cruisers. Even if the Uniform Tire Quality Grade suggests that the treadwear is marked at 440, they are backed by a 60,000 miles warranty and owners have confidently reached that target.
The issue with the Kumho is that’s uninspiring once colder weather arrives. Snow, even a light dust, makes the Kumho Crugen KL33 lose traction, so it’s advised for warm climates who won’t see snow.
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2.Pirelli Scorpion All Season Plus 3
Ride Quality: 9 Noise Comfort: 9 Handling: 10 Traction: 9
The Pirellis over here have one of the toughest treads around. They are marked with an 800 Uniform Tire Quality Grade for treadwear, and they are backed by a 70,000 miles warranty. They also perform their duty really well, being quite comfortable, quiet and confidence inspiring.
Snow performance isn’t there, just enough to get you out of a pinch. That’s only the major issue as far as they’re concerned, apart from the pretty hefty price tag that you’re paying for an overall performance summer tire.
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3.Michelin Primacy Tour A/S
Ride Quality: 9 Noise Comfort: 7 Handling: 9 Traction: 9
Michelin made a really good tire for highway driving, with fuel efficiency in mind. Its rolling resistances is the best in class. What you’re getting with this is tire is the capability of sprinted highway driving, while staying in comfort. It’s confident in the wet and quite resistant to hydroplaning.
Their mileage warranty sits at 55,000 miles, which is decent, but the tires wear quite somewhat fast because they have a soft compound. Winter performance is enough for what they are, but don’t expect a winter compound.
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Best Tires for the Lexus RX350: Buying Guide
All-Season and All-Weather tires suit most Lexus RX350 owners
This is mostly based on climate and where you precisely live. Getting the best tire for your climate is paramount to its success. Do not buy an all-season tire if your winters are generally quite rough. Buying an all-weather tire when you don’t get any winters is again, a waste of money and performance. Try to specialize the tire on what you need and solely that. If you must drive in the winter, and there’s that 1% chance that you will get a really rough one this year/next year, be cautious and get an all-weather tire.
All-Season tires are generally best between the temperatures of 90F and 25F, while All-Weather tires are best between 82F and 15F. Mismatching them asks for trouble, because an all-weather tire will surely slide in 100F+ temperatures, while an all-season tire will kind of manage. On the other side of the bargain, the all-weather will fare adequately enough in 10F temperatures, although poor, while an all-season one will surely get stuck or slide badly.
Also, try and think where you drive your car the most. If it’s in mixed conditions, try to get a tire which is good at everything but doesn’t shine anywhere for most versatility. If you drive mostly in the city, then getting a tire with good breaking characteristics and good snow grip is paramount to avoid sliding into cars or pedestrians. If highway driving is your thing, getting a tire with good rolling resistance could save you quite a few bucks over the course of the tire’s life.
There’s an all-season or all-weather tire built for exactly what you need, you just need to find it. Over here, you can find a diverse list of all kinds of tires, each one being best at something. If you find that your summers are really hot, and winters really cold, then it’s in your best interest to get two different sets of tires: one set for summer, one set for winter.
A Touring Tire coupled with a dedicated Winter Tire is the best Choice for a Lexus RX350 owner who lives in a harsher climate
Having 100+F summers and 0F winters means that there’s no way you could use an all-weather tire reliably, regardless of what kind your Lexus RX350 is. It doesn’t matter if it’s all-wheel drive or front-wheel drive. Such a difference in temperatures means that the already good all-weather tire just can’t keep up, and in the extremes you will find yourself in great danger.
As such, your best interest is to get a touring tire which suits your summer needs. You can keep that tire throughout mid spring up until mid fall. For winter and the other periods of time, your best bet is to get a dedicated winter tire and switch them around.
By doing this, you’re protected even from a 110 heatwave and even a -10F snow blizzard. You can also buy your tires to suit your needs even more. Maybe during the winter you like skiing so you go in a holiday each month of December. A proper winter tire won’t skip a beat climbing snowy mountainous roads, when an all-weather tire would struggle to climb when temperatures turn for the worst. Maybe in the summers you’re taking long trips to the beach. If that’s the case, a capable touring tire with good rolling resistances will do wonders for your wallet.
Also, there’s the added benefit of mileage. By buying two tires, you split your mileage across the two, so you won’t even have to replace them because the tread is gone. You’ll have to replace them due to age. Not only that, but you can also buy a softer more capable winter tire with lower tread life. If you aren’t using it all the time, the lower tread won’t affect you in the slightest. By the time the tread is gone, you would’ve to replace them due to age anyway.