Hi, I hate buying tires but need to shortly for a 2008 Highlander and would like some suggestions ,mostly hiway driving and would like something quieter than the OEM Dunlop and not to expensive.
Why do yu hate buying tires??? Is there a reason?....what is it? Learn about tires by researching the subject more.
Do a search to find out what your options are. Then when yu find out that yu don't have many options for an 08 HL get back to TS. This has been discussed elswhere on this forum.
Yu are not helping yourself enough!
Did yu put your vehicle in the TS garage? (no yu did not) Newbie mistake #1 !
Should I assume yu have the Limited/Sport or a Base 08 HL.( 19"or17" wheel ????????) Did yu know there are three Highlander models?
Ever heard of tirerack.com ??? Great place to start!
BTW I like buying tires. It's fun fun fun.............
LT
Last edited by LifeTech; 03-27-2009 at 10:02 AM.
Reason: spel
Buying tires can be a daunting task...yes. But it can also be fun.
In general one can look at a tread design of a potential purchase ...compare it to what yu currently have and determine with somewhat surety that the new tire will be quieter or noiser than the old tires. Large block treads with larger open "sipes" are usually noisier. Finer longitudinal treads that are tighter in design are generally quieter. Rubber softness is also a factor.
With tread wear... it is Very hard to compare tires. The treadwear ratings cannot be used from brand to brand or sometimes even from model to model within brand. Different Vehicles will also wear on tires differently. Road conditions from different climate/ regions and owner driving habits impact this treadwear rating. A Michelin LTX for instance may be superior in all aspects on a vehicle used in norther colder climates exclusively....yet the same tire on the same vehicle used in a Southern Hot regions will get a poor user rating.
But it is still a great aggressive tire nonetheless.
Tires can be very subjective when evaluated by the consumer. Everyone has different expectations. The environmental variables in actual use are numerous.
tirerack.com has the most comprehensive consumer ratings on the web (consumerrepots.com is a close second). By sheer number of respondents, reported miles driven, and the areas they have folks rate the tire, it's pretty easy to find the good ones and the great sleeper values. I bought Kumho KR21's for my '02 Highlander 15 months and 14k miles ago and love them. Quiet, nice ride, great wet and dry traction, and ZERO noticeable wear. Got them for $392 at a local tire place, out the door with new stems, balanced and old tire disposal.
Was so impressed by them, bought a set of 4 for my Pilot 4 months ago, and equally pleased.
FWIW,
My HL came with Dunlop A20s which were not very good, IMO.
Last year I used the Bush stimulus money and found Michelin Cross Terrains on sale.
Yes, they are expensive and for me, a bit noisey at low speeds, but they work very well in snow and winter conditions which is what I was looking for, they are wearing well, and they handle well.
I have a base model 4X4.
I'm looking for tires as well! The toyo's & dulers's seem to be all thats out there for us right now for OEM tires. Give the guy a break I'm sure he will post his results now since you 2 were so welcoming! If we all wanted search engines then whats the point of the posting! So he made a post, big deal. If admin doesnt want it they can delete it.
Just had to replace at 25,000 miles, but should have done it sooner with no tread left on Bridgestone Dueler OEM's.
Wanted to try the only other alternative in the same size, Toyo Open Country H/T 245/55/19's. This size kept on getting delayed. First time was 3 weeks ago. This week local dealer said another 3 weeks. I just couldn't see myself traveling 1200 mile trip on bald tires. And I just didn't have time to wait. So, yesterday I had the Toyo Open Country H/T 255/55/19 installed. Slightly bigger with minor speedo change, but it should be okay.
P.S. I hate buying tires also, and my wife hates it more than I do....
Highlander tires
Linear Mode
