A while back there was an article in the paper about this, how folks are being surprised by the short-lived expensive low profile tires now used on a number of sedans, especially luxury sedans. Find a good set of replacement tires, you’ll be fine.
IIRC a treadwear rating of 260 means if you drove on a smooth road without turning or braking you could go 26,000 miles to the wear limit.
I don’t think it’s that literal, it more like a tire with a 260 rating would last 2X what a tire rated 130 would on a standard test. In some cases that might be 26k, but that would be more of a coincidence.
You’ll be lucky to get more than 20k out of those tires.
Slightly OT I suppose but many years ago I bought a brand new BMW motorcycle and it came with Metzelers on it.
Those tires were outstanding and glued themselves to the road even at highway speeds in a driving rainstorm.
However, less than 15k miles later they were done; and not cheap to replace either. Like automotive tires, there’s always a trade-off.
My parents recently purchased a Mercedes and thought it was odd how the tires wear out so fast. These are performance tires so the rubber is softer for better grip and traction. Unfortunately a higher priced car takes higher prices tires but this doesn’t mean they will last longer. I find that they always comment on how much work costs on this car. There is nothing wrong with the ordinary American or Asian car that is economical and easy to fix. The Camry and Taurus aren’t a great selling because of their sexy looks.
“IIRC a treadwear rating of 260 means if you drove on a smooth road without turning or braking you could go 26,000 miles to the wear limit.”
There is no universal standard for the treadwear ratings, and these numbers represent each manufacturer’s characterization of an individual tire model’s tread wear, as compared to the manufacturer’s other tire models. Bridgestone makes many tire models, and this one is surely one of their shortest-lived in terms of tread wear, but it is not possible to attribute a specific number of miles to the tread wear.
That being said, 260 is a very low treadwear score, and–even under the best of circumstances–a very short tread life can be expected, no matter who the mfr might be. As I stated previously, treadwear ratings of 400-500 are much more common, and it shouldn’t be too difficult for the OP to find a tire model for his/her car that will be much more durable.
Thanks to all for the helpful comments. Upon further investigation with the dealer service management I have additional info. The alignment checked good, the wheels checked good, the suspension checked good with the following caveat: Lexus designed this car with “negative camber” (hope I got that right) on the wheels for handling performance, the wear pattern is “cupping” on the inside edges. Per the dealer the negative camber cannot be completely eliminated through adjustment. To the dealer’s and Lexus Corp. credit they gave me half off a set of new Michelins. Although I probably could have got a cheaper price per tire elsewhere it was a good gesture.
Sincere thanks for the followup post. Unfortunately, yours is not a unique situation. Nissan had designed the 350Z with a bit too much negative camber for handling purposes, and after enough complaints they eventually put out a TSB with a camber kit with eccentric hardware to correct it.
“Negative camber” simply means that they leaned the wheels a bit to imp[rove cornering. If you watch open wheeled racers, the wheels lean in and wear with a bias toward the inside of the tire, just as your has.
A TSB is “technical service bulletin” that tells the shop what to do.
“eccentric hardware” is a plate or bolt with a not-centered hole or shank that allows adjustment where a regular piece would not.
I would ask occasionally of they have a TSB on the problem. One may pop up.
Three reviewers at Tire Rack said they replaced their Bridgeston EL42 tires between 22,000 and 31,000 miles. Look on line at tire sites like tirerack.com and searth the tests, reviews, and surveys for a replacement tire. Places like Tire Rack will sell them and deliver them to an installer near you. You should also compare the price out the door (after installation and disposal costs) at local retailers to get the best deal. When I need tires, I find tires I loke and wait for them to go on sale. I got 4 good tires for the price of 3 last time at a local store.
If your tires were cupping on the inside, you have a problem and your dealers service department is wrong. A little negative camber does not cause cupping.
I have found that the V rated tires on newer cars last around 30,000 miles or less in many cases. When replacing them it is a good idea to find tires with the highest wear rating possible. You may have to compromise in other areas such as ride, noise, grip, snow traction, etc, but with proper research you can usually find a tire that meets your needs and will wear much longer.
keith said: "If your tires were cupping on the inside, you have a problem and your dealers service department is wrong. A little negative camber does not cause cupping. "
I’m going to disagree, but I am going to phrase it a little differently.
Camber CONTRIBUTES to irregular wear which is sometimes called cupping - incorrectly I might add, but that is the common usage.
The main driver to irregular wear is toe, but added camber increases the rate.
Negative camber does contribute to irregular tire wear, but by itself, it should not contribute to cupping (aka scalloping). I know that some tire designs are more prone to cupping than others. I have had this happen to me on two different vehicles in the past.
I put a set of Michelin XA4 tires on a 79 Dodge Colt that had never had this problem, they cupped badly. I replaced them with Michelin X (Christmas tree pattern) and no more cupping.
My wife bought a 93 Civic and the front tires cupped so badly that they had to be replaced in 5000 miles. The dealer aligned the front end and put on another set of the same tires and within 5000, they were no good either, same reason. I replaced the second set of tires myself with Bridgestone Turanza’s and had no more problems. Too bad that Bridgestone has ruined one of the best tires on the market.
But a negative camber should only cause excessive wear on the inside edges of the tires. This can be countered with a little more toe in which will even out the tire wear, but the tires will wear a lot faster, just more evenly.
If Toyota has a negative camber to improve handling, they really should rethink their designs. This is really a stupid way of designing a suspension for street use. Ultimate handling is not usually a top priority for luxury car owners. Thats what Porsches and Corvettes are made for.