You are going from 225/55R19 to 235/55R19?

 

Yes. My Venza won’t be seeing tire chains ever, so the slight loss of clearance won’t be a concern, neither will a minuscule drop in mpg if that happens. The reciprocating weight of CC2’s, an extra 5 lbs, would be of concern and would make a noticeable fuel mileage drop. Plus the chances of me driving in anything like a heavy snow is also moot. I just don’t venture out to work when that amt of snow is forecast. I err on the side of caution, as there are too many risky, uninsured, sloppy drivers to contend with on L. I. NY. It’s why we have the highest insurance rates, taxes, and I see car crashes every single day on the 495 highway. It’s an absolute sh*t show to navigate during crush hour ! 😬

Let me know how you like the Defender 2's. I put them on my 2015 Highlander XLS AWD a couple weeks ago and I do not like the ride. Noisy, rough. I'm about ready to trade them in. Had LTX M&S before and had no issues. Michelin changed the rubber compound for better mileage and I'm wondering if it affected the ride. Anybody else have the Defender 2's and love them or not? Thanks.

I will update my findings asap. Thanks for your input. I’m hoping the rubber compound and tread pattern design is as was tested and confirmed to be very smooth, quiet, excellent traction in wet weather. I’m confident I’ll be quite pleased with them.🤞

 

Well The Tire Rack comes thru again !
When Costco, Sam’s Club, Walmart had no physical stock of my requested model/size tires, Tire Rack was there, having an online presence and adequately stocked with only a few sizes listed for the 19” stock wheels made the decision to pull the trigger quite easy. I wound up calling the 888 # and spoke with a very sharp sales tech and gave him my wants and details, in 5 minutes the order was done and this was Thu afternoon around 1pm and said I would most likely get them delivered Fri morning. Sure as sh*t FEDEX pulled up to the house at 9:30am just as my wife was about to leave to do some food shopping.
The driver brought the 2 tire bundles inside the house, excellent service all around. I’m totally impressed with The Tire Rack experience and can recommend them wholeheartedly. I had scheduled a Toyota service appt to have the new tires road force balanced this Saturday even b4 getting the tires. I guess it was meant to be 😁, so the 235/55 R-19 D4’s will be a big change in the driving experience when I ditch those OEM Bridgestones.
The tires have a Michelin $70. rebate, 2yr road hazard protection and 80K mile tread life warranty. Total cost including tax, minus rebate is $1072.69
The installation w/road force bal. at Toyota $164. I Haven’t had to buy tires since early 2013 for my LS2 Saturn. Which was from Tire Rack w/new wheels road force bal delivered to my home. That was fun too.
I’ll update my feelings behind the wheel as I drive home Sat. Take a few pics to show off. If and when the ‘24’s arrive I’ll be swapping these too.

Let me know how you like the Defender 2's. I put them on my 2015 Highlander XLS AWD a couple weeks ago and I do not like the ride. Noisy, rough. I'm about ready to trade them in. Had LTX M&S before and had no issues. Michelin changed the rubber compound for better mileage and I'm wondering if it affected the ride. Anybody else have the Defender 2's and love them or not? Thanks.

 

Its done and I could sense the difference immediately as I pulled out of the service waiting area onto the street. The drive home was done w/o the entertainment system on. I wanted to enjoy the “sound of high quality new tires”. Leaving the dealers property which is adjacent to a major Hwy, I was doing 65 mph fairly soon and a couple of bursts to 90mph and everything was silky smooth, quiet with no vibrations at the steering wheel. I had the back seats down too for carrying the 4 tires, and that alone has a different “sound effect” inside the cabin. I stopped to close the back seats and drive another 7 miles towards home on secondary roads with 40mph speed limits and it was even more quiet then. Got to my new car wash on the way back home and the tires really have a nice look with the tire shine applied. Took B4 & after pix from the rear view of the tires for comparison.

 

Great thread, thank you. If you're able could you give us an update after going through winter driving season. We have precious few miles on our 3 year old Venza but I'm fed up with the Bridgestones that came with it. Will be getting rid of our beater (not really...a 2010 Venza loaded with the I4 and in great shape) next fall so we'll need some better tires on the 2021.

 

Sure thing, although I’m in no hurry to see the white stuff, lol. It’ll be inevitable that I will be driving on plowed, salted/sanded Hwy’s, another thing that Suffolk Cty, maybe even Nassau Cty does b4 a major snow event, they coat the roads with a “brine” to keep the snow from sticking as quick. But timing is everything with big storms, for me. I have a habit of driving home early if it starts getting dicey when at work. It’s a 20 mile ride, 2/3 of it is Hwy miles. The secondary back roads are not always plowed or treated right away, so it’s a crap shoot. Not being too much of a gambler, I really don’t trust “the other drivers” to be experienced and competent behind their wheel, so I take them out of the equation by leaving work and driving while the roads are still relatively clear. White knuckle driving isn’t for me anymore !
After the storm I’ll venture out in my gated community and drive the 2.5 mile radius to “test“ these D2’s in some measure.
I chose the D2’s primarily for touring comfort, a quieter ride, excellent wet weather traction and decent fuel economy. Tires are a trade off and variable, there’s no perfect tire that gives you all the attributes for your hard earned $. Tires are an important component in a vehicle, as are good brakes, and new wiper blades. (w/RAIN-X treated glass) Being safe out there and dealing with unknowns, it’s a reassuring feeling when the car your driving is competent and planted on the road surfaces during monsoon downpours. We see lots of ponding and hydroplaning is scary stuff when the tires siping, tread blocks and patterns to divert the water are not up to snuff. That’s all there is between the road and you, rubber. Keep the rubber side down, shiny side up while you try to avoid those other big iron things ! 😆
If I was planning on driving in snow storms bc of a job and had to be there be damned the weather, my first choice would be CC2’s. Thankfully I’m not in that do or die situation re work.
The various Excellent TN comments on this topic had me do more in depth research re the CC2 tires and if they would be a good fit for my driving style and habits. Weighing all the variables had me leaning towards the D2’s. It really depends on what your winter weather extremes are in your state. The last 2 winters it was fairly mild with maybe 1 big snow fall and a couple of smaller events that were not even snow thrower worthy ! Just pushed the shovel a bit for exercise. We have in our gated community people who are paid to come in and shovel out the 733 home driveways and walkways. They have small trucks w/plow blades doing the private roads and salt/sanding after. So my effective snow driving review will be limited in its scope. That’s where YT videos are helpful on comprehensive, specific make and model tires. The type of vehicle they’re mounted to are in my mind a big factor, I will watch as many as I can and listen to the testers comments as they put them thru their paces. Over the years tire compounds, technology have been incrementally improved. I recall buying Goodyear Eagle GT tires for my 15” steel wheel ‘78 Camaro Z/28, to replace the Goodyear Steelgard OEM‘s, barely making it 40K miles. Those were great tires for their time but today’s advanced tire tech can offer 80K mile warranty for $1K give or take. Time, ozone, heat and alignment will affect tires and may dry rot them b4 you get to that 80K mile marker.
I’m still gonna pray for another mild winter, even tho I still like the change of seasons.😉

 

Thank you for your thorough and thoughtful reply...much appreciated. My 2023 Venza Ltd. is my first Toyota and first hybrid...I have always purchased Michelin tires for my vehicles and this one will be no different...the OEM Ecopias are unimpressive...they make the Venza feel as if it is driving on marbles. As to MPG considerations...I am assumining there may be a slight decrease in MPGs which I plan to gladly give up in exchange for the benefits you have realized...and I totally agree that Rain-X is a must...again...thank you.

 

The ‘21 Venza is my first CUV, Hybrid, AWD on demand and actually my 3rd in a row lease. It all started w/Toyota and my wife’s long term relationship with the brand, since 1990. It was inevitable really, my foray into a defunct brand, a used transplanted high mileage yard motor installed but with a recent repaint had me buying that 2000 Saturn LS2 w/a V6 & loaded. My lesson learned is you can just tolerate a money pit only so long. Having reliable transportation with all the latest tech is hard to disagree with. Sports car sedans have fallen out of favor for me so practicality was my new plan.
Timing was everything, 2 Camry XSE’s prior and w/the Ruby Flare Pearl paint, now on my 3rd possibly going to a 4th, should prove interesting in the next Venza…. Have to wait and see what and when Toyota does in the coming weeks. 🤞

 

Understood...I traded a Jeep Grand Cherokee with a 5.7L V8 for the Venza....loved the Jeep when everything was working at the same time but it became "death by a thousand cuts" mechanically and electrically after a while...the Venza has so far been problem free (took delivery in Feb. 2023...now app. 7k miles on it)...may it continue...

 

I have 38,546 miles and 2 more payments , essentially problem free minus 2 recall issues satisfactorily dealt with under warranty of course. My only out of pocket expense was a tire puncture that necessitated a replacement.
I have the infamous sliding console lid that’s crapped out with the retractable pins malfunctioning, mostly when cold weather is around. But I’m not concerned at this point. That will be the dealers prep problem for the resale.
Stone chips galore, is the one unknown, I’m hoping it falls under the normal wear and tear allowed. 🤞The expected annual price increase for the ‘24’s, the MSRP will hopefully be not too steep.

 

I just returned from Discount Tire after installing a new set of D2's. Night and day. Much more smooth, much more quiet and overall just a nice feel. Feels like a new car! I came so close to replacing the GARBAGE Ecopias on the way home from the dealership when I first purchased the Venza and now I wish I had not cheaped out. 16 months was a long time (and many long road trips) to suffer though those terrible tires.

 

Those OEM Ecopias, ugh, I think any replacement tire would be better.
I didn’t think they would wear down so quick, but with all the recent rain, flooded roads, I’m glad I sprung for them. Either way with one month left on the lease those D2’s are coming with me if I go into a ’24.