Don't know much about wheels so maybe this is a dumb question..

Will these tires
Toyo 800 Ultra
Size: 215/60R16
Weight: 23lbs.

Go on the stock 225/55R16 rims for my 02 RL? I'm trying to avoid putting the overpriced OEM Michelin's back on the car.

 

No they wont.

And you dont want Toyo Ultra 800's. They're meant for a lighter car, are noisy and have bad grip. All of which are bad things for a 3950 pound FWD luxury car.

 

Ok thanks, so what would you recommend? Toyo Proxes? They seem to review fairly well. Something from yokohama?

 

Proxes are excellent! I recently test drove a 2004 RL with them and the handling and steering response was improved over stock.

 

Sweet, that may be what I get then. I know they're cheaper than the Michelin OEM tires. Thanks for the info Ken.

Now if I could just find a cold air intake for the RL, make it sound a little better and be a bit faster..

 

Hey Ken,

You would still recommend Michelin OEM's over the Yoko's right? I've had Yokohoma's on my other vehicles, preludes and accords and I thought they were great. (except i never paid attention to the smooth ridin, noise level, etc... which it never mattered before but now....)

 

Want a little trick?

Remove the front bumper and remove the resonator.

The engine will sound quite nice on acceleration.

 

Depends on the Yokos you have in mind, but yes. The stock Michelins arent very good.

 

which yoko's do you recommend?

 

Avid 4s

 

Ken, do you have these tires or know anyone who does? I'm in the market for 2 new front tires, but the OE Michelin's are about 160 bucks a tire and these yokos are 90. What are your thoughts on this (or anyone who has experience with this tire)? It's highly rated on tirerack.com.

 

I test drove a 2004 RL with Avid 4's, they were great

 

Sweeeet, I'm sold. The guy who owned my 2002 RL before me obviously didn't change all 4 tires at the same time. My front 2 are bare with thread showing, rear 2 are just fine. It's a shame to throw away 2 good tires, but if what you and the rest of tirerack says are true, I'll be pleased with these Yokos

 

Matthew,

Let us all know how those work out for ya, would you? I probably will be in the market for a new tires in the winter and your comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

Sure thing, I put the order in tonight. They rated 3rd in their category of high performance all season tires on tirerack.com. I thought about going for the number 1 tire in that class, but it was about $120 which is a bit pricey (the OE tires at $165, ridiculous). From what I can tell, they seem great for the price.

 

Where did the Michelin OEM's Rank???

do you have a link?

 

Here's a link to the OE michelin's

pilots

and a link to the yoko's I just bought

yoko's

 

Thanks...like i said my past experiences have been excellent with yokohamas....but i had more sporty car....My only major concen with these would be the noise level...can you keep your ears open and let me know if theres a huge noise level difference?

I saw the review on the michelins where the guy said that toward the end of the life, it gets louder, that is where i am with mine, getting noisier on my michelins but they were very quite in the beginning...but i'd imagine that is same for all tires, not just michelins.

 

My Michelin's are noisey as well, they were the same way on my CL, my dad's MDX and my mom's RL. There are certain stretches of road that produce this identical high pitched hum. Very annoying, people think there's something wrong with my car when it happens.

Here's to hoping the yokos are better

 

good luck bud and let us know.

 

Hey Matt, did you ever get the new Yoko's put on yet?

 

Not yet, I have it schedule to go to the dealership tomorrow. I have a 45,000 mile inspection for the dealer to do as well. I'll let you know tomorrow evening and Saturday how they do.

 

Ok, just got the tires put on and nitrogen filled instead of air. The yokohama's (avid v4s) are incredible. Much smoother than the pilots. Bumps in the road are minimized, I barely feel them. The sidewall feels stiffer and gives better handling going around curves. I feel like I slide around less in my seat. The road noise is dampened as well. The best way to describe these tires is that when I'm driving I feel like I'm on smooth rails.

I'd recommend them over the OE pilots anytime... at least so far.

 

Sweet! thanks for the update.....what is the difference between nitrogen filled vs. air?

 

The dealer claims it improves handling, doesn't leak out like air, and softens the ride. I'm not real sure since I had it put in with the new tires, but all I know is the ride is much improved.

 

I have the Goodyear Ultra's on mine and like the ride and the wet traction.

 

Hey Matt,

are you still sold on those yoko v4s?

 

Hey man, yep. Actually I bought the v4s on my RL last year and have been 100% satisfied. I sometimes hear a hum on certain stretches of road near my house, but I notice it's only on newly paved portions. Not sure if it's the tire since I hear it when I drive my mom's 99 RL as well with the Mich pilots. The yokos are smooth and wear really well. Would highly recommend them for the RL over the stock tire.

 

dude, i am waiting for my oem michelin energy MVX plus to die out, still...if you look at the tire, it looks bald as hell but it still rides very well....smooth and quite for the most part. i am thinking i might be able to squeeze out another 10k. I mean I like the oem's performance but that price tag has got to go! i won't pay $900 unless it says Prada or LV on them! :-)

 

I hear ya, to put 4 Yoko 4vs on my car (including shipping the tire and dealer install) was about $575. You're right, compare to that to the oem pilots, and add about $350-400 for the same (some say worse) ride.

The choice is clear, heh.

 

I just put Mich Exaltos on; main drawbacks are that speed rating is 135 mph and price. Ride, noise and perhaps handling are substantially better than the Michelin Pilot MX's.

I have 700 miles on them, so they're just broken in; we're still in our dry season, so I have no wet experience. Tire Rack reviews were very encouraging on all counts.

 

tire dimension is all you have to worry about, sure the more you pay the better tire you get but its all about how you drive the car. If you drive like luxury cars should be driven, most tires will work, provided the specs are the same.