Top 5 Best Tires For Lexus RX350 [2023 Review]

By Tire Expert, Ryan Nichols
By Tire Expert, Ryan Nichols

What are the best tires for Lexus RX350 crossovers? I‘ve found all the perfect Lexus RX350 tires selected for your specific wants and needs.

Yes, there are plenty of tire reviews out there floating around, but most of them are made by the tire companies themselves with the intention to sell you their product. Here’s our un-swayed opinion on which tires have the longest tread life, best performance, and best price.

The RX350 is a sporty crossover SUV that deserves some nice treads. Sporting a 295 horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 engine and rapid shifting 8-speed automatic transmission, you’re ideally going to want some high-performance tires for this car. So, without further ado, here are the best Lexus RX350 tires out there:

Our Top Pick
ge altimax
General Altimax RT43
4.5/5
4.5
Cheapest Option
solarus for tires for lexus rx350
Solarus HT All-Season
3.5/5
3.5
Best High-End
pi scorpion as plus 3 tires for lexus rx350
Pirelli Scorpion AS PLUS 3
4.5/5
4.5
Most Economical
Continental Crosscontact LX20 tires for lexus rx350
Crosscontact LX20
4.0/5
4.0
Best Tread Life
Michelin Defender LTX MS tire for lexus rx350
Michelin Defender LTX
4.5/5
4.5

Updated as of May 26, 2023

General Altimax RT43

ge altimax
Our rating:
4.5/5
4.5/5

Pros and Cons

Ratings

Wet Traction:
4/5
Ride Handling:
4/5
Dry Traction:
4/5
Ride Noise:
4/5
Snow Traction:
3/5
Ride Comfort:
4/5
Tread Life:
4.5/5
Value For Money:
5/5

General Altimax RT43 tires are some of the most sold tires in the USA due to their high quality and low price.

There are a few different features about these tires, like visual alignment indicators for replacement and treadwear, that make them great for the buyer. Not to mention the price is low and the mileage warranty is high (75-thousand mile warranty), so you can’t go wrong.

For example, on the treads of the Altimax RT43, there is an engrained label that says ‘tire replacement monitor’. Once the tire treads have worn down past the threads, some of the letters will disappear and your tires will say ‘replace tires’, making it super easy to know when it’s time to change them out.

There are also visual indicators on each side of the tread that help the owner see if they have alignment or suspension issues causing the tires to wear unevenly. These tires are made in the USA and provide great traction for both highway and light offroading driving–that’s why we give them two thumbs up for mounting them up on your Lexus RX350 wheels.

The only downside you might find about the General Altimax is that they’re not super high-performance tires, but regardless you’ll be safe for speeds of well up to 100 mph with these tires, no problem.

Solarus HT All-Season

solarus for tires for lexus rx350
Our rating:
3.5/5
3.5/5

Pros and Cons

Ratings

Wet Traction:
3.0/5
Ride Handling:
3.5/5
Dry Traction:
4.0/5
Ride Noise:
3.5/5
Snow Traction:
3.0/5
Ride Comfort:
3.5/5
Tread Life:
3.0/5
Value For Money:
4.0/5

A subbrand of Cooper tires, these Starfire Solarus HT All-Seasons are the best price you’re going to find for your Lexus RX350. These tires are rated for mud and snow with a T-speed rating that makes them safe for operation at speeds up to 118 mph.

The Starfire Solarus HT All-Seasons is a reliable and easy purchase because they’re some of the most bought on Amazon, so we’re trying to make it as easy as possible for you to get new treads without much hassle.

Disclaimer: this is a cheap tire. Don’t expect these to perform or last as long as Michelin or Continentals. Buy these if you drive slowly to your job every day, but be wary of tire blowouts and flats as they probably don’t have the quality control that more expensive brands have.

You might also want to check Cooper Discoverer tires if you like this brand and want to buy something a little less generic. The downside of these tires is their slower speed and weight ratings, plus they likely aren’t quality controlled as good as more reputable tire brands meaning they’ll require more balancing weights and won’t drive quite as smooth. Regardless, these tires are a go for a budget conscious shopper.

Pirelli Scorpion AS PLUS 3

pi scorpion as plus 3 tires for lexus rx350
Our rating:
4.5/5
4.5/5

Pros and Cons

Ratings

Wet Traction:
4.0/5
Ride Handling:
5.0/5
Dry Traction:
4.5/5
Ride Noise:
4.5/5
Snow Traction:
4.5/5
Ride Comfort:
4.0/5
Tread Life:
4.5/5
Value For Money:
4.5/5

I almost always recommend Pirelli as a high-end tire for any sedan or smaller SUV, and if you’ve ever driven on Pirelli’s, you know why: Pirellis provide flawless traction and performance.

Are you driving in the left express lane all day? These are the tires for you. Trust me, when I’m hauling ass, I want the good rubber underneath my toes for safety‘s sake. Just by touching these tires, you’ll notice that the tread compound is ultra high quality, and the sidewall edge is distinct and firm—they rarely blow out. The Scorpion AS Plus 3 tires have a ‘V’ speed rating making them safe for up to 150 mph.

You might not be able to find these if you drive a Lexus that has 18-inch wheels because they’re more available for the sportier RX350 models that have stock 20-inch bangers. Check Tire Rack first for Pirelli’s.

Pirelli Ice Zeros are unbeatable when it comes to winter traction. If you do decide to run Pirelli Ice Zero FR on your Lexus RX350 during the wintertime (a great choice), we recommend buying a separate new set of wheels for them. That helps make switching out your summer and winter tires a breeze (not to mention unmounting tires kind of messes them up).

Pirelli‘s usually have around a 75,000-mile tread warranty for their all-season tires like the Scorpion. That’s lower than Michelin’s 80,000-mile warranty, but just keep in mind that most people who buy Pirelli tires are driving fast and burning a lot of rubber.

Crosscontact LX20

Continental Crosscontact LX20 tires for lexus rx350
Our rating:
4.0/5
4.0/5

Pros and Cons

Ratings

Wet Traction:
4.0/5
Ride Handling:
4.0/5
Dry Traction:
4.0/5
Ride Noise:
4.5/5
Snow Traction:
3.5/5
Ride Comfort:
4.5/5
Tread Life:
4.0/5
Value For Money:
4.5/5

One thing I’ve noticed when mounting up Continental tires is how easy they are to balance, and how smooth they are when test driving the car after mounting up a new set. They’re the perfect compliment for a Lexus RX350.

These tires boast en EcoPlus technology designed to boost fuel economy, and performance, and they’re truck rated, so you can tow a trailer with these with no problem.

Continental Crosscontact LX20 provides great quality with a ‘T’ speed rating for speeds of up to 118 mph. Plus, they’re priced slightly below other high-end options which is why they’re my pick for the most economical choice for your Lexus.

If you look at the tread pattern on these Crosscontact, you’ll see that they have significantly more sipes (cross treads) than other tires, meaning they grip exceptionally well on water. So, if you’re looking for some solid left lane tires at a slightly lower price than the other ones, I highly recommend Continental Cross contact.

Picture these as the higher-end General Altimax tires; they’re made by the same company, and the only difference is that these provide a bit more support for your Lexus because they go faster and hold more weight. They won’t perform quite as well as Pirelli’s, but for the price—they’re pretty dang close.

Michelin Defender LTX

Michelin Defender LTX MS tire for lexus rx350
Our rating:
4.5/5
4.5/5

Pros and Cons

Ratings

Wet Traction:
4.5/5
Ride Handling:
4.5/5
Dry Traction:
4.5/5
Ride Noise:
4.5/5
Snow Traction:
4.0/5
Ride Comfort:
4.5/5
Tread Life:
5.0/5
Value For Money:
5.0/5

These light truck tires are a great investment for the intelligent buyer. Why? Because they come with an 80 thousand thousand-mile warranty and an H-speed rating that makes them safe for speeds of up to 130 mph. They’re also great for towing.

I love the Michelin Defenders because they just feel sturdier than other all-weather tires. All in all, you get what you pay for when it comes to tires, and that rings especially true with all-season tires like these because they’re made by an extremely reputable company that puts a ton of money into quality control and technology research.

For example, Michelin’s advanced ‘Evertread‘ tread compound makes for a quiet ride and enhanced grip, so you can guarantee you’ll get a high-quality ride when purchasing these online. Also, the Max touch construction distributes the weight evenly across the entire tire, so you won’t feel a massive weight shift when turning around corners as you might with a cheaper tire.

Okay, so you’re going to be paying more for Michelin Defenders than General Altimax, but since these are light truck tires they can handle a bit more weight. If you’re planning on pulling a boat or a trailer with your RX350 you’re going to want some tires like these to help you avoid a dangerous blowout on the freeway (just a heads up). You might also try Michelin Premier LTX.

Read our full review of the Michelin Defender LTX.

What To Look For When Buying The Best Tires For Lexus RX350?

Here are a few quick points to be aware of when switching out the tires on your RX350.

Warranty

Each tire comes with a different warranty, so be aware of what to expect before checking out by reading the warranty document carefully.

Tread pattern

Tread patterns vary for different types of driving. For example, all-season tires have deep treads and sipes that evacuate water faster when hydroplaning while summer tires have thicker and shallower treads designed for thriving at high speeds.

Runflat/Not run-flat

Runflat tires can be driven on at slower speeds (40 mph and below) while completely deflated. That means you can just drive the car to the shop when you get a flat tire instead of getting your hands dirty switching to the spare.

Price

Price is the first thing every driver looks at before buying tires. Some drivers like to know they purchased the most expensive and highest quality while other drivers are just want something that works for a lower price.

Speed Rating

Some tires have a higher speed rating that makes them suitable for faster highway speeds. For example, the Starfire Solarus tires have a ‘T‘ speed rating that makes them safe for speeds of up to 118 mph, while high-performance tires the Pirelli Scorpions have a ‘W‘ speed rating making them safe for speeds of up to 168 mph.

Tire size

Don’t mess up the tire size when ordering online. Match the exact tire size number to your purchase, and you’ll be all good.

Remember, the 18-inch RX350 wheel size is 235/65/R18 and the 20-inch RX350 size is 235/55/R20.

Responsiveness

The Lexus RX350 is quite a sporty crossover SUV mostly driven on the highway but reliable for dirt roads and gravel. We recommend buying the type of tire that accommodates the needs of sharp cornering and faster speeds.

Promos

It’s never bad to capitalize on a tire sale. Sometimes manufacturers want to get rid of a certain model, and that’s often a great time to buy.

How Much Do Tires For Lexus RX350 Cost?

Tires and installation costs heavily depend on where you buy and have them installed.

You’ll be spending more money at the stealership which is why I recommend you buy your tires from Amazon or Tire Rack, and then take them to your locally owned tire shop for installation.

Four New Tires

You’ll likely spend around $1,000 for four new tires including the installation and balancing costs. You can save money by taking tires you bought online to a less expensive shop, so keep in mind that the dealership usually charges more money for tire installation than your average mom-and-pop tire shop.

Two New Tires

Be prepared to spend around $500 for two new Lexus RX350 tires.

We recommend running all-season tires on your Lexus RX350, so go for tires like the Continental Crosscontact, General Altimax, or Starfire Solarus HT All-Seasons.

Single Tire

You’re looking at around $200 bucks for a new single tire +installation.

Since the Lexus RX350 is AWD or FWD, we don’t recommend replacing just one tire because it can mess with the four-wheel drive system.

The only time you might need a single tire is if you have a tire blowout within a year or so of purchasing a new set of tires (with practically new treads), and in that case, the tire is likely under warranty for replacement.

If you must buy a single tire, match the brands and sizes with what is already on the vehicle.

What Tire Size Is Best For A Lexus RX350?

When switching out your tires, the easiest way is to look at the tire size of the current tires mounted on the vehicle.

Keep in mind, that the first and last numbers (tire width and rim size) need to be exactly the same when buying new tires, and the middle number (tire height or aspect ratio) should be within 5 or 10 of the previous tire.

How Long Should Your Lexus RX350 Tires Last?

On an Lexus Rx350, I‘d expect that you should get at least 70 thousand miles out of a brand-new set of tires. Let’s clarify that summer tires and winter tires typically don’t last much longer than 50 thousand a pop, so you should be looking at buying two new sets of tires every ~100 thousand miles if you like to swap tires out when the season changes (granted the summer tires typically wear out faster).

When To Replace Tires On Your Lexus RX350?

Replace the tires when they get down to 2/32” (two-thirty seconds of an inch) or 1.6 mm. You can measure tire treads with a tread depth measurement tool or take your car for a quick inspection every oil change.

Another easy trick is to stick a penny inside the tread with Abe Lincoln’s head facing down. If you can see all of Abraham Lincoln’s head, then it’s time for new tires. Don’t forget to check tire pressures regularly to prevent premature tire wear.

Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, brand matters. Each brand of tires has its own specific warranty and mileage guarantees, and some brands simply perform better than others. Just as a side note, other tire manufacturers make decent tires for your Lexus RX350/Toyota, including Bridgestone tires (Bridgestone Ecopia or Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza), Yokohama, Goodyear Assurance Weatherready, etc.
The year shouldn’t matter as much with this particular model. Sometimes it does. Of course, if you’re buying a used RX350 that’s over six years old, then you’ll want to check the manufacturing date on the tires to make sure they aren’t too old (tires older than 6 years should be replaced for safety purposes).

The key is to match the previous tire size exactly.

Lexus RX350s come stock with either 18 or 20-inch wheels, and you can optionally mount 17 or 19-inch aftermarket wheels if you’d like (I hardly ever recommend after-market wheels).

The stock size for the 18-inch wheels is 235/65/R18, and the stock size for the 20-inch wheels is 235/55/R20. That means you don’t want the middle tire size number to be above 60 for 20-inch wheels or 70 for the 18-inch wheels without making modifications to the suspension or cutting out plastic panels.

Don’t get too crazy with your stock Lexus/Toyota/Honda tires. Just replace them with the original tire size to reduce hassle.

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