New Tires on 2008 EX35

[sheath71]

I have to admit I've just been a lurker in the past and occasionally come on to see if there are any hot topics about the EX35. I bought a beautiful black 2008 EX35 RWD Journey about a year ago and have loved owning it. It's my first Infiniti and the experience has been positive so far.

So I have Dunlop 18" original tires on the car (does 225/55R18 97V sound right?) and the dealer today told me I need to start looking at replacements. I've only got 25K on these and that seems too soon to have to buy new tires so I'm not thrilled with the Dunlop idea.

The only options dealer gave me were either for more Dunlops at $880 for all four (they have a buy 3, get 1 free special in April) or Yokohamas at appoximately $1200. I went to Costco and they only had one option at $267 a tire. I guess I should have paid more attention to the tire size when I bought the vehicle. Firestone tried to hard sell me into some Bridgestones somewhere between $850-$900. They were going to have to order them for me though.

Anyways, I was wondering if anyone had suggestions on where to buy tires and if anyone else has found buying replacements for their EX difficult? Also, is it possible to change the tire size to have a larger selection to choose from?

I live in California - no snow - very little rain. Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks.

[txgcoupe]

I just put Michelin Primacy MXV4's on my 2010 at 22K miles.

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/findTi ... 4&sw=false

The ride is very nice.

John

[jmess]

The local Costco told me they could install the H rated MXV4 Michelins in place of the V rated Dunlops. They said they could on go down one speed rating using Michelin tires; couldn't do it with Bridgestones or BFGs (even if the right size was available). The total was $712, (no sales tax in Oregon).

[EXceptional]

Thats a good price!

There's lots of Threads about Tires on this Forum.

Start with this one >>> post6029766.html

You can punch "Tires" into the SEARCH Box for the EX35 Forum, and you'll get lots of results.

I too have 18's and there are few choices in the OEM Sizing.

I just recently bought some 18's for next Winter >>> tire-pressure-monitoring-system-tpms-t530406.html

[jmess]

Costco is running a $70 off deal on a set of Michelin tires starting tomorrow. So that would have taken my installed price for a set of 18" MXV4s down to $642. I say would have because when I went to order some 18s today they weren't available. The Costco tire dude called Michelin and was told there aren't any 225-55-18s in stock and they don't have any scheduled for production. The 225-55-18 is such an oddball size the demand is probably small to miniscule. The TireRack appears to have some 18" MVX4s in stock but I like to deal with somebody local for tires. So the Yoko Envigors have sort of moved to the top of my list now.

[EXceptional]

What is making you move over to the Yokohama's?

I just went on to TireRack and punched in 225/55/18... and it came up with a variety of choices.

In light of what you said about the MVX4's, I would still stick with Michelin and maybe try out the HydroEdge's.

In fact I might do this too, once my Duncraps wear out.

I can say this now, because I just finished buying some dedicated Winter Tires and I don't care how much the HydroEdge's suck in the Snow, cause I wouldn't use them for the Winter, anyways.

[fax1]

I ordered new tires today, Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Tourings! Can't stand the noise from those GD OE Dunlops any more. Only 16000 miles on them. Shame on Infiniti for putting them on the Journey AWD! I can hear my wife coming down our street a mile away, sounds like an old school bus with worn tires.

[EXceptional]

We all long for the day, when the Dunlops come off.

We have 20,000 Miles on ours... and the Wear-bars are coming close to the top.

They'll be OK for the Summer... and in Spring of 2012, I'll have to buy something, as mentioned before.

[fax1]

Had the Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Tourings installed yesterday. All I can say is What A Difference! The car has 0 road noise and or no tire sing. And theres no noise reverberation in the cabin, not to mention a very nice slight Boulevard ride now. Well worth the investment over the loser Dunlops

[Bashibazouk]

Had the Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Tourings installed yesterday. All I can say is What A Difference! The car has 0 road noise and or no tire sing. And theres no noise reverberation in the cabin, not to mention a very nice slight Boulevard ride now. Well worth the investment over the loser Dunlops

Please let us know what you think of the handling once you've had a chance to evaluate it.

[jmess]

I have been looking at TireRack test data for H or V rated tires with 18s that fit the EX. 50-0 braking in the wet was measured at 102.9 feet with the Envigors and 134.9 with Comfort Tread. Dry performance was comparable for the two tires. Once things get wet though the Envigors stand out. What sucks about the Envigors is they are directional so X rotation isn't an option. I continue to lean toward the Yoko Envigors since I live in the rain belt. A 32ft difference in a wet hard stop is huge.

[fax1]

My wife and I drove over 200 miles on the new Goodyear Assurance ComforTread tires on Sunday. Our EX35 is once again amazingly quiet and I didn't notice any difference in handling. We did most of the driving on I-95 at speeds of up to 80MPH. We also went through a few showers and notice no difference in braking or handling. Glad I decided to take the plunge and make the investment.

[sheath71]

Just to follow up - I ended up buying the Goodyear Assurance ComforTread tires from Discount Tires and so far (750 miles) have been really pleased with them. No problem with handling and much quieter ride.

[EXceptional]

You guys on the Goodyears... did you buy OEM size?

Please post your Numbers...

[sheath71]

My Goodyear Assurance ComforTreads are 225-55-18's H rated. I wasn't happy with the V-rated options and it's not like I race the car so H rated will be sufficient.

[TimGinCentralNJ]

My Goodyear Assurance ComforTreads are 225-55-18's H rated. I wasn't happy with the V-rated options and it's not like I race the car so H rated will be sufficient.

I've read some good things about the GY Assurance ComforTreads, too. For me, the problem is that I have owned too many different GY tires on various vehicles over the years and have had such poor experiences with them, I just can't bring myself to purchase another set. Maybe as a brand, they've changed for the better...I don't know.

Out of curiosity, other than "comfort" how are the H-rated GY's? I'm not a "racer" either but as a general rule I've noticed that higher speed rated tires **usually** offer better lateral control and stability, like when changing lanes at highway speeds, cross-winds, corners on back roads, etc. Sometimes they will do this at the expense of "comfort" (especially when you get into the ultra-high performance tire categories), but **most** V-rated tires aren't so rigid you wouldn't want to use them. Can't speak for the OEM Dunlops, but if they're like any other OEM tires I've ever had, I'm sure they suck.

Tim G.

[jmess]

Here is some test data. I haven't found/noticed any real downside from 245-50-18 MXM4s.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/tes ... p?ttid=138

[luvEX35]

Hi all, Just got back from NTB. Finally after 40,000 miles I got rid of my Duncraps So after much research and reading of the forum I decided on Sumitomo Touring LSH tires. They are not a well known tire, Sumitomo owns NTB. They were having a buy 2 get 2 free sale, so I couldn't resist. What a difference in ride, very quiet, I should have done this 10,000 miles ago. I did get the H rated tire, they did not have the LSV's in stock. I would have missed the sale for it ends today. The technician said OK to go down one speed rating, could not go down to a T speed rating. Honestly, I have never had the car over 80 mph, so should not be an issue. They did mention that the Sumitomo are better than Pirelli, but not as good as Michelin. I was out the door for a little over $700.00 for four tires, balance, alignement, tax, tire disposal, road side hazard, ect...blah, blah. My Dunlop's were getting so noisy, I could not take it anymore and the wear bars were starting to show. I love my ride now, I am agian in love with my 08' EX35.

I am trying to insert a picture, how do you do that? I clicked on the IMG button, but it does not lead you to import a picture

[EXceptional]

So you paid roughly $300.00-$350.00 +/- each, for 2 Tires... and then got 2 free?

Tell me you didn't fall for the "buy 2 - get 2 free" con?

I'm guessing the actual price is roughly $150.00-$160.00 per Tire... and then all the add-ons?

I have not noticed the higher levels of road noise... but maybe the observation will become clearer, once I get new Tires on.

Your Pictures need to be hosted by a Site such as a Photobucket.com, which in turn gives you a Code that needs to be framed by [img]***[/img]

[TimGinCentralNJ]

They did mention that the Sumitomo are better than Pirelli, but not as good as Michelin.

Now there's a generalization

Michelin produces some really great tires--as do Pirelli and Sumitomo (I've had Sumi's on my old M5...they were great); however, all three companies also produce their share of crap tires. It really comes down to the specific model of tire--and what you intend to use it for.

That sounds like an interesting "sale" you stumbled upon. I'll leave it at that

Glad to hear you like the new rubber. Keep us posted on them please.

Cheers,
Tim

[luvEX35]

So you paid roughly $300.00-$350.00 +/- each, for 2 Tires... and then got 2 free?

Tell me you didn't fall for the "buy 2 - get 2 free" con?

I'm guessing the actual price is roughly $150.00-$160.00 per Tire... and then all the add-ons?

I have not noticed the higher levels of road noise... but maybe the observation will become clearer, once I get new Tires on.

Your Pictures need to be hosted by a Site such as a Photobucket.com, which in turn gives you a Code that needs to be framed by

Thanks for the advice on the photo's.

I knew it would not take long for someone with higher math skills to figure out that it was not truly buy 2, get 2 free. Although I did actually buy 2 and get another 2, they just weren't free. I knew this going into it but figured what the hell, it still would of been more costly without the "sale".
Let me break it down for everyone as I have the invoice in front of me. So each tire costs $167.99, lets call it $168.00. So if you were to buy just four tires it would be $672.00. Not sure where everyone lives but in MA we pay 6.25% sales tax thanks to Cadillac Deval Patrick. So I paid an additional $37.07 in state taxes. I also paid a $27.26 shop fee I then paid a $12.00 tire disposal fee, a bargain at $3.00/old useless Duncrap. Here comes the rub....they charge you a $42.99 per tire fee ($171.96) for what they call "Specialty App Kings Tire pkg." This "package", which you have to buy in order to get the "buy 2, get 2", includes rubber valve stem, lifetime wheel balance, lifetime tire rotation, road side assist, road hazard warranty. Now how can you beat that! Wait, there is more...The other package you must buy is their 1 yr specialty alignment service. This one cost you $174.99 (yes, that is more than the cost of a single tire). With this package they do an alignment on your vehicle, then you can have as many alignments as you want/need for a year. So I plan on having no more alignments this year, so it was a $175.00 alignment, but the car did ride straight as an arrow. I also forgot to mention that I had them replace my air filters for a cost of $44.98. So the total bill was $1,076.89 which then they subtract the cost of two tires, $335.98 for a grand total of $805.24. So it was really like buy three, get one sort of free. What the hell, it is only money. I must go now that I feel like a total idiot Thanks NTB for four great tires and a little less money in my wallet



I added a photo at Snapfish, not sure this came out or not, in preview I could not see it. Any advice please

I went to Photobucket and opened an account, let try again:

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[EXceptional]

Boy, you were close... when you do a copy and paste of the coding off Photobucket, the coding comes with the already added to it... so no need to click on the Img Button above.

I took your coding and deleted one set of and it worked.

Also, you posted duplicate coding, so I only posted one picture, instead of two.

[TimGinCentralNJ]

Not sure where everyone lives but in MA we pay 6.25% sales tax thanks to Cadillac Deval Patrick. So I paid an additional $37.07 in state taxes.

Haha! You're complainin' to the wrong crowd, my friend Here in NJ we pay 7% sales tax. It's like when my mom (who lives in Sandwich, MA out on the Cape) complains about her property taxes being $2700 a year on their beautiful house whereas mine are over $7300 a year and--based upon the area and state averages--I've got it easy!

As for your buying experience, not knowing how much your tires retail for at any of the other buying sources I've used, I can't really say whether $168/each for those tires is a "good" or "not so good" deal. Bottom line is, you've bought and paid for them, and you seem to like them. 'Nuff said.

Please keep us posted how they fair in wet, handling, snow (when the time comes), etc.

Congrats!
Tim

[luvEX35]

Boy, you were close... when you do a copy and paste of the coding off Photobucket, the coding comes with the [img]*[/img] already added to it... so no need to click on the Img Button above.

I took your coding and deleted one set of [img]*[/img] and it worked.

Thank you EXceptional for getting my picture up. I think I get it now and will post more pic's in other subjects.

Just an update on my new tires. I drove on the highway today, up to about 75 mph. The car rides like new again. It is amazing what new tires can do for the ride. Earlier I had posted about my original tires being noisy. It seemed to start around 30,000 miles. I could hear a thump thump sound. Now this could of been a balance or alignment problem as well. But I also had this vibration that was causing a rattle in the dashboard. The rattle is gone, now that new tires are on.

[fax1]

Just completed a 2400 mile trip from the east coast to Green Bay, Wisconsin. Total mileage on the tires is now coming close to there 1st tire rotation on the Goodyear Assurance tires. They look, feel and sound as good as the day I purchased them back in May. I'm glad I got them.

[EXcitement]

The Dunlops on my 2008 EX started getting loud at about 35,000 miles. But because they had plenty of treadlife....I ran them for another 20,000 miles (despite all the noise). I do all highway driving...about 35,000 miles per year, so purchasing new tires every year was an unpleasant thought. On my previous vehicle, a Lexus RX, I could get a good 75,000 miles out of a set of tires. Like some of you, I replaced the Dunlops at 55,000 with Goodyear Assurance tires. The car was nice and quite for the next 35,000 miles and now at 90,000 miles the Goodyears sound as loud as the Dunlops. Perhaps it is the nature of the tire required or the speed rating...but I am back looking for new tires (although I may try to bear the noise for a while longer). Good luck.

[EXceptional]

Run-flat Tires are louder than the regular ones, too.

[jmess]

You are probably aware that as tires wear down they get noisier.

[sirnice]

Just replaced the factory Dunlop (@ 32k miles) with Goodyear Assurance ComforTred Tourings.
WOW!! night and day difference in ride quality. The Goodyear is so smooth and quiet. Feels like I'm riding in a fancy limo. Highly recommended.

question: At what mileage should I rotate the goodyear tires?

[EXceptional]

You guys are all making me jealous.

The Wear-bars are slowly creeping to the surface... and Winter is 2 Months away. I think they can make it to then.