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Lexus RC drivers enjoy the sporty and luxurious driving experience, making it even more important to pair it with the best available tires. We have the answers.  

The different RC styles may determine which types of tires are ideal for your vehicle. We are most confident in Bridgestone and Hankook as the top brands with the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS and Hankook Ventus S1 Noble2 being the best options we can recommend for you.

The variety of models available for the RC highlights the broad versatility of this vehicle. The factory tire is the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S. Unfortunately, a max performance summer tire is not the best option for all drivers, and this tire guide will provide better upgrades for you.

Having top-quality tires on your Lexus RC is very important. It is time to dive deeper into the tire types to understand which tire will suit your needs best. Our team of professionals is here to help unlock the secrets to various tire types’ performance features. Let’s get into it!

Table of Contents

8 Best Tires For Lexus RC

The Lexus RC is a highly customizable luxury sports car where buyers can choose from either all-wheel drive or rear-drive. Because all Lexus RC models are relatively similar, this guide applies to all RC models.

This tire guide aims to display the broad range of options available and provide the most accurate recommendations. Each tire has completed a thorough four-step field test to gauge performance on wet roads and dry pavement along with braking and real-world driving simulations.

The Hankook Ventus S1 Noble2 provides the most luxurious feel of these tires, while the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS emphasizes durability. Both options rank as our two favorites and the best in their respective categories.

Below you can find the rest of the list for the best tires:

Tire Type Tire
All-Season Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS
Touring Toyo Celsius
Summer Pirelli Cinturato P7 Run Flat
Winter Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D
Performance Street Michelin Primacy 3 ZP
Performance Track Toyo Proxes R888R
All-Purpose Hankook Ventus S1 Noble2
Temporary Spare Bridgestone TRR Spare Tire
Factory Tire Michelin Pilot Sport 4S

Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS - Best All-Season

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When looking for a superb all-season and ultra-high-performance tire, the Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS is a perfect choice. Designed for sports cars and sedans, these tires have the capability of year-round performance. Not to mention, Bridgestone is one of the most recognized high-performance tire brands.

This tire tread includes an asymmetric and noise-optimized pattern, resulting in reliable performance in dry and wet conditions. This tire can genuinely do it all.

The 3D sipes in the tread are built to interlock internally in the tire tread to create more stability. The sipes are also effective in slippery road conditions, offering protection from hydroplaning and a maintained performance from additional biting edges.

 The Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS includes a tread warranty of 50,000 miles to guarantee the safety and tread life on your tire.

Pros:

  • Elite handling features in wet & dry road conditions.
  • Excellent snow and ice traction.
  • Long-lasting tread life.
  • Reliable warranty coverage.

Cons:

  • Heavier snow can be a problem.

Toyo Celsius - Best Touring

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Touring tires provide better longevity and increased comfort for long-distance driving. The Toyo Celsius is the recommended option as our best touring tire because of the year-round traction capabilities and smooth-riding ability.

The tread design of this tire consists of channels that are deep enough to provide significant channels for expelling water. This creates a broader dry surface to contact the road for extra traction.  

The sharp edges and sipes allow for increased traction as well.

The asymmetrical design of the tread results in reduced noise from the tires, allowing you to enjoy your ride. The rubber compound uses technology to absorb road vibrations right at the contact point.

The design of these tires also allows for maintaining rubber flexibility with changing temperatures. As it gets colder, the rubber gets softer with an ability to expand. The expansion of the tread allows the tire to maintain all key traction features too.

These tires have a tread warranty of 50,000 miles and provide the ultimate solution to year-round driving.

Pros:

  • Advanced rubber tread compound.
  • Top touring option for durability.
  • Highway handling and responsiveness are stable.

Cons:

  • Short distance braking could be improved.

Pirelli Cinturato P7 Run Flat - Best Summer

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The Pirelli Cinturato P7 Run Flat is your best option for those summer months. With hotter temperatures, your tire needs to have a firmer tread compound to maintain optimal performance levels. Pirelli has mastered this design.

The Cinturato P7 provides plenty of traction and handling features to rave about, like fuel efficiency, low rolling resistance, and sharp handling.

Cinturato models are made from a low rolling resistance tread with advanced polymers. This allows for a comfortable ride with reduced road noise. Additionally, the high-tech polymers allow for excellent traction, acceleration, and braking.

The “Run Flat” feature means the driver has increased control over the car in conditions that are considered emergencies. For example, this tire allows you to keep driving safely, even when the tire pressure is low and has lost a significant level of inflation due to puncture or damage.

These tires do their job well for summer conditions. There is no limited treadwear warranty, but the uniformity of tires is guaranteed for a year or the first 2/32 inches of wear and tear.

Pros:

  • Significant levels of traction in dry and wet conditions.
  • Stable steering and stability.
  • A comfortable ride with little noise.

Cons:

  • Tread life is not as long-lasting as other competing tires.  

Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D - Best Winter

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Snow is here, have no fear! The Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D tires are a capable option to combat the harshest of winters. These tires are excellent and offer above-average traction on ice and snow.

Designed with silica, the tread can provide more flexibility despite the dropping temperatures. This is beneficial for performance in winter conditions.

For tackling slush, the tires include circular grooves and tread blocks to eliminate water and reduce the risk of hydroplaning. This tire is also excellent in accelerating and stopping.

The comfort ranks high in the winter tire category. You will almost forget you are driving in winter conditions.

There is no limited treadwear warranty on these tires. However, the uniformity is guaranteed for a year or the first 2/32 inches of wear and tear. Also, remember not to use winter tires year-round as the treads do not perform well in hot temperatures.

Pros:

  • Exceptional traction on ice and snow.
  • Tread life is long-lasting for multiple winter seasons.
  • Renowned for the ability to start and stop on slippery roads.

Cons:

  • Cornering traction is below average.

Michelin Primacy 3 ZP - Best Performance Street

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Michelin tires are associated with high quality in the tire market. The Michelin Primacy 3 ZP is our favorite pick as the best performance street tire.

The tread is made from a unique compound built from special Michelin technology to handle confidently on dry pavement. The tread can remain firm while managing to maintain wide enough contact patches for the best traction.  

The Primacy 3 ZP can do a little bit of everything. It comes equipped with auto-blocking sipes to aid in braking and additional traction on slippery roads.

This is also a popular pick by many brand-name vehicle manufacturers to use as the factory tire pick on brands like BMW and Audi. With new technology, these tires have been constructed to minimize vibration and noise levels, resulting in a smooth and relaxing ride. 

The warranty is 6-years or a tread warranty of 35,000 miles. Michelin is a reliable brand when offering warranty policies to customers.

Pros:

  • Eco-friendly technology for fuel-efficient driving.
  • Superior traction and braking on wet and dry surfaces.

Cons:

  • Ride comfort could be improved.
  • Not meant for the winter months.

Toyo Proxes R888R - Best Performance Track

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Performance track driving is a unique ability for luxury and sports sedans to display. The Lexus RC can put its power on display. Our favorite performance track tire to fit the RC is the Toyo Proxes R888R.

This tire can handle with the best of them and puts on an intense display of cornering, acceleration, and road grip when asked. Typically, a performance tire trades away traction for performance, but the Proxes R888R can do both.  

The design of this tire includes a V-shaped tread pattern for increased performance and fantastic traction. Steering response is also strong with a shoulder area that is somewhat slick but stable enough to maintain corners.

This tire can help provide the fastest lap times thanks to a new and improve time-efficient warm-up tread with excellent steering capabilities.

There is no tread life warranty for this type of tire, and it does include a speed rating of 270 km/hour.

Pros:

  • Suburb grip for speed and acceleration.
  • Decreased noise compared to competitors.
  • Handles high speeds better than competitor tire picks.

Cons:

  • Short tread life.
  • Not ideal for wet conditions.

Hankook Ventus S1 Noble2 - Best All-Purpose

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When choosing all-purpose tires for a vehicle like the Lexus RC, we like to consider the all-season capabilities along with durability and fuel efficiency. The Hankook Ventus S1 Noble2 tire is our pick because it checks all of these boxes while providing extra performance driving features.

The hybrid silica tread material is a unique compound from the Hankook development team to upgrade this model compared to its predecessors. In the past, Hankook tires have lacked balanced. But not this one.

The hybrid tread also decreases the rolling resistance and provides better fuel efficiency while driving. The eco-friendly materials play a significant role in the strides this tire has made with popularity and performance.

There are also circle-like grooves that provide a technology enhancing traction on wet surfaces and providing an aggressive edge for ice and snow. The outside of the tires contains straight supportive blocks to prevent excessive noise and increase the cornering grip simultaneously.

Pros:

  • Increased traction on wet and dry surfaces
  • High performance tire resulting in a comfortable ride
  • Reliable tread life warranty policy.

Cons:

  • Tread life is not outstanding and could be upgraded.

Bridgestone TRR Spare Tire - Best Temporary Spare

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In need of a spare tire? The Bridgestone TRR Spare Tire is your best bet. This tire allows the opportunity for users to make use of their trunk space, while also having the convenience of having a spare tire. Save space and weight with this temporary spare pick.

The compact-sized tires have the ability to save both space and weight—which is very practical. Although these tires are used for temporary purposes only, they are helpful in situations where a spare tire may be required to reach a destination for repair or service.

There is no tread life warranty on these tires, and it is essential to remember that a temporary spare must be inflated to 60 psi and used only at speeds 50 mph or below.

Pros:

  • Excellent in emergency situations where a spare tire is required
  • Saves space and limited weight

Cons:

  • Speed must be reduced with the use of these tires.

Michelin Pilot Sport 4S - Factory Tire

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You might be wondering if the tire on your vehicle at purchase is any good. Well, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S is an excellent option as the factory tire on your Lexus RC. However, it is a max performance summer tire and may not be the best choice for you.

It does offer excellent stability and precision steering features. Cornering and handling are as smooth as it gets, and you can feel the enhanced road grip with every turn. You can also expect above-average durability for these tire treads.

The tread pattern includes a silica enhanced design to increase traction and acceleration — both aspects that are expected in a high-performance tire. Dynamic Response Technology is another invention by Michelin to allow the tire to adapt to changing conditions while not losing any level of control on the road.

As a performance summer tire, we are confident in the ability of the Pilot Sport 4S. It does not rank near the top of our recommended options, though, because of a lack of versatility and the limitations it puts on you as a driver.

Pros:

  • Extremely reliable good traction on wet and dry surfaces.
  • Steering is precise and responsive.
  • Enhanced tread life for longevity.

Cons:

  • Not outstanding in snowy conditions.  
Best Tires For Lexus RC - Complete Guide

About The Author

Charles Redding

Charles Redding

I've spent many years selling cars, working with auto detailers, mechanics, dealership service teams, quoting and researching car insurance, modding my own cars, and much more.

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