Tires: Increasing tire size on 2005 Toyota Sienna, yokohama avid trz, michelin hydroedge

Question
I am in the market for a third set of tires for a 2005 Toyota Sienna LE FWD(the OEM Michelins and Yokohama Avid TRZ both only last 16,000 miles each).  In the course of my research a came across an article written by a "tire expert" that claimed he got better handling/performance using a tire size 235/60-16.  Do you agree with this advice or should I stay with my current choice of Michelin Hydroedge 215/65-16.

Answer
Craig,

There is no reason a size change should affect tire wear - except for a change in load carrying capacity - and even that is suspect.  I think there is another variable that isn't identiofied that is really changing the picture.

But you should make sure the basics are done before trying to experiment.

1)  Alignment:  Most rapid tire wear can be traced to misalignment.  My experience says that most factory alignment tolerances are too wide by half.  The actual value has to be within the inner half of the spec.I would use this as a criteria to determine if you have a good alignment tech.

2)  Inflation pressure:  Regular checks are a must.  Also, you may want touse more pressure.  I recommend 3 to 5 psi above the placard.

3)  Rotation:  Front tires on a FWD will wear 2 1/2 times more raidly than the rears, so regular rotation will even out the wear.