bamaxraydoc

I had the toyos for about 25 thousand miles. They were great until the last five thousand when they became very noisy. A tire dealer attributed this to cupping on the basis of infrequent rotation. However, they were half the cost of the Michelins which gave me about twelve thousand miles (20 inch) and seemed better in the rain. I now have the Hankooks.

davidbrondstetter

According to the Toyo website, if you don't like the Proxes S/T tires, you can return them for a full refund within 500 miles.

STATMAN

I recently went with 22" wheels and 285-35-22 Toyo Proxes S/T tires. My Pepper has never run smoother. I had factory N-rated Pirelli Scorpion Ice and Snows and had just about every problem imaginable--vibration at highway speed (rebalanced twice to no avail), cupping despite rotations, and very loud road noise. The reason I got the Proxes is because they are the only M+S rated 168 MPH W speed-rated tire I know of in a 22" size. Their load rating is 106, which is identical to the N-spec 20" Diamaris and Pirelli Scorpion Snow and Ice tires. In my experience, the performance is superior, ride is smooth (finally) with no vibration, the road noise is gone (finally), and they go through the snow--all in a 22" tire. I heartily recommend the Toyo Proxes S/T, end of story.

sigs

Statman,
Thanks for the information. How are those big, wide 22" Proxes in the Wisconsin snow and ice, as opposed to the Scorpion Ice and Snows?

STATMAN

You're welcome. We have had a couple of snows, and I have had no problem at all with the 22s. I am a bit shocked, to tell you the truth. At first I drove tentatively, but these tires really seem okay in the snow. I don't know if I would go off-roading in them and deeper snow could get interesting, but I still have the winter set to fall back on of things get bad. I am hoping to go all winter, because these wheels look too damn good to remove.

Sharptt

Aside from the "N" v. "Non-N" debate, has anyone tried the Bridgestone Dueler H/P Sport 275/40 x 20 on their Turbo Pepper? The TireRack has them listed (backordered) for only $183.00 per tire which is a savings of over $400 on a set of 4. Yeah, I know why put inferior tires on a $100K vehicle, yada yada... But in the real world I go through a set in around 10,000 miles and the Cayenne is being handed down to my wife who won't go over 100 mph in this vehicle and will not be using it to tow. Plus the racing season is upon us. I'll be spending enough $$ on tires so the thought of saving $400 for this and future sets is appealing.

charlieXS

in 275/40-20 size... try Hankook Ventus RH06 (106W XL rated) or Toyo Proxes S/T (106W XL) Both are avail online, the Hankook for $148 delivered and the Toyo for $168 delivered.

mlm0505

2nd that for the Hankook Ventus...Cant wait to get my snows off and get my sport technos with the Hankooks back on...

Sharptt

Thanks for the tip. Sounds like the Hankook Ventus is worth a try. Any idea why they didn't come up when I searched The TireRack for replacement shoes in 20"? Are you using another source?

yetis

This is good news, I thought it was just me. These tires are just terrible, never again!

capt601

I just had the Hankook Ventus installed today at America's tire Co. (($815 for all 4 installed with warranties) Also Discount tire co. sells them also. Tire Rack will push the "N" rated tires,(which Hankook's are not),. It was funny when I was at the America's tire co. to order the tires on monday, they tried to get me to buy the N rated tires, of course, at a price more than double of the Hankooks. They said I would be able to tell the difference right away.
Well, just driving it maybe 25 miles today, I almost felt the ride was a little better than the Pirellis that were on the vehicle. They were not any noisier than the Pirellis, maybe even quieter.

Go to http://www.hankooktireusa.com/
to find out a dealer for the tires. no reason to buy them online.

STATMAN

Never again indeed. I never had to put my 18" wheels with Pirelli Scorpion Snow and Ice back on this winter! My Toyo Proxes S/Ts on 22" wheels got me through the entire Wisconsin winter (and we had a lot of snow) with absolutely no problem...M+S rated, W speed-rated, with a load rating of 106, which is identical to the N-spec 20" Diamaris and Pirelli Scorpion Snow and Ice tires. N-spec tires? We don't need no stinking N-spec tires!

mlm0505

I got my Hankook Ventus at Discount Tire/America's Tire as well...(They are the same company with different names in different parts of the country). Their website lists them for $155 i think...
I had a good experience with the local America's Tire shop...Straightforward sales guy who had put a lot of different tires on a lot of cayennes over the past three years... THe folks there seemed to appreciate my CTT...while the old wheels were off and the new ones being mounted, the manager had his guys cleaning my red calipers til they sparkled while I watched them carefully mount balance the tires...THey welcomed me to hang out in the garage while they were working and were not pushy about buying the most expensive tire...The wear has been great, ride is smooth, and plenty of performance...that's what I needed without over-spending...

eugkim

I'm replacing my 20" Contis with Nokian NRVi SUVs. Not N-rated, but Nokians have always been great tires, especially all-seasons and snows. Haven't heard much about the NRVi, but I'm willing to give them a shot. It was down to them and the Diamaris. Actually, the NRVis may end up being more money. The local tire dealer had to order them - I don't even know if Nokian is importing them to the US anymore.

Sharptt

Thanks to everyone especially CharlieXS and mlm0505 for recommending alternative rubber for my CTT. I called my local dealer who sold me the Cayenne and was quoted "...for N-rated tires like the Michelin around $400 per tire plus $250 for mounting, road force balancing, new stems and tire disposal plus tax...expect the bill to be just under 2K..." I called my local tire chain and was quoted for a set of 275/40 x 20 Hankook Ventus $737 which includes mounting, balancing, new stems, tire disposal and road hazard warranty. Guess which option is going to get my vote?