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Comments
I drove my parent's Mazda CX-9 with the 20" Goodyear Eagles and those tires were junk on the same roads on the same day. They couldn't corner or accelerate without slipping even with AWD. Plus, those Goodyear's were so much louder than the Versado's.
With all the issues on the stock Toyo's that came on Highlander's, they at least make up for it with a fabulous tire. We got our's from tiresdirect.com (or .net, I can't remember) for like $175/each, which I think is warehouse price (I think it is Cassidy tire's wholesale business in which they sell to dealers).
We only have about 3K miles on the tires, so I can't peak for wear and tear. But you won't be dissapointed in all they can do.
- for the 19" wheels, there are other combinations that will put you within 1-3% of the specs of the OEM tires. For example, 255/50/19, 255/55/19 etc. Always make sure that the load index of the new tire is at least as high as the OEM tire load index.
- minimum tire tread effective in the snow is 6/32". Below that you lose control easily. AWD won't help.
- minimum tire tread effective in the rain is 4/32". Below that you hydroplane easily.
- for most people and snow driving conditions, snow tires are better than AWD. Snow tires allow you to corner and brake much better in snow/slush than all season tires. AWD does not help with braking and cornering. But if your driving involves lots of hills, AWD definitely helps.
- for snow, skinny tires are better than wide, since they dig in the snow better. If possible, go down 1-2 wheel sizes for winter, since a taller sidewall helps too. For example, go from 19" wheels to 17" wheels.
- another big advantage of snow tires is the special rubber they use, which stays relatively soft even at very low temperatures.
- having the 4 tires match each other on an AWD vehicle is much more important than matching the exact size specs of the OEM tire. Some manufacturers recommend to stay within 1/4" circumference difference for the 4 tires. In particular, if you have a flat, and it's not repairable, you either have to replace all 4 tires, or buy an identical tire and have it shaved to match the remaining 3. Not doing that may damage the AWD system.
- this is counterintuitive, but here it goes: if you have a FWD vehicle and need to replace 2 tires, the new tires should go in the back. It's important that the front stays in the front, and the back stays in the back, rather than being able to get traction/speed at the front.
-even if you never go above 80mph, try to buy tires speed rated H or better. Without going into details, their internal construction is much more robust than for lower rated tires, thus the risk of the tire exploding or dissintegrating is vastly reduced.
Daniel
Read back through this forum and the Hankooks have been found to be pretty good in the snow. Not the best on the market, but light years better than any of the OEM junk. The biggest problem you'll have with the Hankooks is finding them. I ordered thru Tire Rack for what was promised to be early-mid December delivery and now I'm told Feb 1 at the earliest. I have a lead on another source that supposedly has them in stock now.... I'll know for sure on Monday, then will tell Tire Rack to go stick it.
I'm in the Chicago area, and need the snow performance too. The Goodyears you mentioned seemed to get some decent reviews, too.
So... why the Toyo Versado CUV? 1) Exact OEM size (no Toyota warranty issues) 2) 50,000 mile warranty (I know the other two are a bit longer but I've found IMHO that extended tread life tires seem to use a tire compound that's very hard: ie: slick in wet, lower ride comfort, less 'sticky' - everything is a tradeoff ) 3) The other tires in the Versado CUV and LX line have great reviews, so I'm hoping these follow. 4) Good review by purchasers on this site 5) Other on-line reviews ar highly positive 6) they were immediately available at numerous online retailers for a great price (order quickly though, I understand the price is going up significantly on the Versados and the HTs) 7) I was looking for comfort and handling, not snow performance and these seem to fit the bill (although they have reasonable snow reviews). According to Toyo propaganda and reviews these are designed for quiet and handling and the reviews support that with top ratings in these categories. I will probably never find out how they perform in the winter, unless we get one of those odd October snowfalls, but that's not why I got them. 8) These are supposedly one of the highest fuel efficiency tires available.
So... Being the nice guy I am, I'll be be guinea pig and give these a shot for the be benefit of the group. I'll report back once I get them mounted.
If there are any other brave souls willing to take their chances and give these a shot, i would get them before the price goes up. I actually called Treaddepot.com because the price went from $168 per on 1/2/11 to $196 on 1/5/11 when I was ready to place my order. I called to biatch and they 'temporarily' lowered the price back so I could get them for the $168. But, for those interested, I noticed that they are still showing at the lowered $168 price. So they either were BS-ing me or forgot to raise the price back. In any case <$750 total to my door and they'll be here Monday. Good luck.
I ordered Hankook 245/55r19s from Tire Rack the first week of December with a 12/27 ETA. That date arrives and I'm told that it will be another 4-6 weeks, which puts us to now. Tire Rack contacts me today and says they haven't the foggiest idea when they could ever think of seeing these tires anytime soon and asks if I'd like to modify/change/cancel my order.
I saw my choices as 1) Stay with the Hankook's, but +1 them and go with 255/55r19s which can ship today, or 2) Try the Goodyear Assurance CS Fuel Max, also in stock now. Tire Rack was willing to honor the original price for the OEM size on whichever I chose.
The Hankook's have received very decent ratings anywhere I've looked, so they're on the way with delivery set for Monday 1/24. I'll update then. It's been a LONG Chicago winter so far on the now bald OEM Bridgestones.
Two A20's had 4-5mm of tread left and the other two had 5-6 mm left with 21,000 miles on the Highlander.
Happy to be rid of those A20's. Glad the manufacturer is assuming some financial responsibility for the mess they created.
Thanks to you for the good info here that pointed me to the $500 savings.
Hope there are more tire choices when it's time to get rid of the H/T's. Versado CUV was not an in-stock option.
As 17" all season tires are widely available, I tried to switch to 17" wheels -- which come standard on the Base and SE Highlander models. However, 17" wheels from those models will NOT work on the Limited edition -- brake calipers on front hit the wheel's spokes and the wheel will not turn. My local Toyota worked very hard to find a 17" wheel that would work -- he even tried Lexus wheels, but could not find any 17" wheel that would clear the calipers. Hope this info is useful to Highlander Limited ownersw who are considering switching wheels.
Very recently, Goodyear care out with a P245/55R19 version of its well-regarded Assurance Fuel Max all season tire for crossover/SUV models. These were delivered within 48 hours. My initial reaction -- excellent tread with low road noise, especially for an all-season tire, and good handling characteristics.
At least now there is a very good alternative to the hard-to-get Hankooks.
Please tell your mechanic that the shiny side of the wheel with the valve stem should point to the outside of the vehicle, perhaps YOUR mechanic is mounting the wheels improperly.
Fortunately live in Va. so little snow this year.Would not drive with Toyos in snow(could not visit daughter in Syracue this winter-100+")
255/55R19XL 111V SBL
I did adjust the size a bit, but they have handles well in rain & snow. I've had them about a year now.
I do have to add that I've ALWAYS driven on Michelin's until I bought this Toyota. NEVER had a problem with Mich's. I was very hesitant on the Hankooks, but so far so good!
This different size is only 10mm wider and WON'T cause any clearance, rubbing or warranty issues, despite what some will have you believe. Wet traction and light snow/ice handling have been supurb for me so far and even deep snow traction was above-average in Chicago's 22" blizzard about a month ago.
I can't help you on getting a credit from TOYO.
Be their worst nightmare !!!!
Is there any substantial difference in actual wear and traction between Japanese manufactured 19" Bridgestone OEM tires on the Highlander and US made tires?
I traded my 2008 Highlander Limited in December that had Japanese made Bridgestones with 23,000 miles on it. Tires had around 4/32" of tread left. My new 2011, which is assembled in the US, has US manufactured Bridgestones. Only have 2,100 miles so far, and don't have a handle on how they will do over the long haul.
Your comment on the alignment issue may not be as straightforward as it seems. The Highlander requires a four wheel wheel alignment on an infrequent basis to maximise tyre life.
I had a bad experience with the original Toyo tyres and switched to Yokohamas after 45,000km (abour 28,000 miles) the Yokohmas gave 90,000 km of god service and wore evenly with regular alignment. MY tyre shoip suggets a check every 10,000km but this seems excessive so I have them done at about 20,000 to 30,000km (say 12,000-20,000 miles). The cost of alignment is small compared to the saving in tyre replacment costs and handling is much improved.
As to the Yokohamas, I'd say that they are definitely worthwhile. Very good handling, braking and wear performance.
Cheers
Graham
every 3000 miles for oil changes/ tire rotations and do not race teenagers. There are no skid marks down my driveway!
I discussed with with the manager at my toyota service and they agreed to replace my tires for free with the Toyo HT tires as Toyota (the company,not the dealer) agreed to cover the cost. I had to pay $80 for the installation and $60 for the alignment.
I think you can get more satisfaction from your dealership than Toyo, assuming you have a good relationship with your service center.
I sense this is a common problem and perhaps Toyota is stepping up to the plate on this issue- they need some good PR!
Thanks for all your help
At present time, I have TOYO - H/T tires as replacement because at the time, this is only brand having OEM size for my vehicle. Now, there are other brands available as you can see in this thread. I've always have had good luck with Goodyear for quiet ride, lasting ok as long as you are faithful and rotate them for good wearing ability, and offer ok rolling resistance for fuel economy.
I've read good reviews on Hankook Ventus and others but do not have any advice because I have never had a set. Poster from Chicago area indicated they are doing ok on his vehicle in Chicago traffic and the snow. SNOW -- something you do not need to worry about any longer, you lucky devil.
Goodyear Assurance tires are the style I've had on regular cars and if this model is anything like those for passenger cars, you will be happy. Quiet ride without the truck tire "humm" and wore really good on my car. Although, they were a bit on the expensive side, they were good performing tires all around. If you plan to "keep" the vehicle awhile, would be another deciding factor on how much to "spend" on a set of quality tires.
I did not buy for that.Like 65000 mile warranty and an American company.Will check MPG on our next trip ,current MPG is local suburban driving.Would buy again.
Toyota’s Brandy deftly explained that her company has no responsibility for prematurely worn original-equipment Toyo tires (replaced at 17,000 miles). She was, however, very helpful in providing Toyo’s telephone number, a deft deflection by someone who’s done that before (hard to hide from Google) -- practice makes perfect.
Debbie at Toyo Tire answered the phone. Applying her company’s corporate policy, deft Debbie was able to explain that since the tires have been replaced, and therefore being unable to gauge the tread wear, Toyo would be unable to provide any assistance. She assured me that the dealer's measurements and recommendation of tire replacement would not, of course, be acceptable. Actually a moot point, as Debbie deftly explained, since the tires were “made to Toyota’s specs,” not Toyo’s, and are therefore Toyota’s responsibility.
Did I mention that I called Toyota?
So there you have it, a couple of skilled reps of two major Japanese companies explaining how to take a hike.
C_emptor ('07 Highlander)
Debbie at Toyo probably could have helped had you not already replaced the tires before calling her company. I can understand why they would prefer to analyze the tires in question rather than rely on a third party.
Do I think both of these responses suck? You bet, but I can understand why they are so.
Toyota decides what specs the tire has to meet - and then requires any tire supplier to meet those before they allow the first tire to be shipped - and those specs are rarely what the tire manufacturer would specify if left to their own deviices.
Obviously Toyota's targets would be different than Toyo's - and in particular, Toyota would be very interested in rolling resistance (fuel economy) and handling, and not so much treadwear. But Toyota doesn't offer a warranty on tires, so they would feel no responsibility if the tires do not perform up to the customer's expectations.
On the other hand, Toyo doesn't offer a treadwear warranty on tires supplied as Original Equipment. No tire manufacturer does. Since Toyo supplied tires to Toyota's spec, Toyo would not feel any responsibility if there was a wear problem.