Researching New Wheels And Tires

[paradigm]

hey all-

i (unfortunately) had to put snow tires on my stock 18" wheels recently, due to an accident with my winter vehicle. i am strongly considering keeping the stock wheels for winter months only and getting something new for better weather.

disclaimer: i've tried searching on here and just general google searches for the following...not much came up. :)

so, with the IS350, is anyone running non-staggered 18" wheels/tires? for convenience and better tire wear, i would much prefer that...but if it's just not the way to go, then so be it. my previous fun car (350Z) was also staggered, but many people changed to non-staggered along the way without issue.

i'm not looking for tuner/high-end wheels, just something that looks decent and is quality. no drag strips, no autoX, etc...just better looking wheels than stock with new rubber.

thoughts on non-staggered? what type of fitment would be best for that with a stock IS? i don't plan on dropping it, so that may affect choices (larger gap in the rear wheels, etc).

thanks for any input-

[1990LS400]

I suggest doing a little "playing" with tire and wheel sizes on http://www.tirerack.com

I know you've already bought winter tires for your 18 inch wheels, but I think you would be happier and safer using your current 18 inch wheels with a staggered setup with summer tires and buying a set of 17" wheels and 17" non-staggered winter tires for winter use. Tire Rack has 17" wheels for your car for as little as $105 each. By the way, the standard size on the IS350 is "225/45VR17 all-season tires front, 245/45VR17 all-season tires rear". Your 18" wheels and tires were an extra cost option.

For one, you should be driving cautiously on winter tires anyway. It's not like you are going to be zooming around curves on snow tires -- or at least I would hope not. Also, a non-staggered winter tire setup would allow you to fully rotate your winter tires for maximum life. From my experience winter tires wear out about twice as fast as summer tires -- but you are further north so they may last longer if the roads are snow covered much of the time since there is virtually no tread wear when driving on snow.

Also, 17" inch wheels and slightly taller 45 profile 17" tires will likely give you a slightly cushier ride over rough winter roads. Oddly, I've found narrower tires also contribute to a cushier ride -- not as much width to pick up imperfections in the road.

I'll bet you could use 225/45-17 winter tires front and back. This might not be a great idea if the IS350 is prone to significant oversteer -- I've never driven one of the newer ISx50 cars ... only ridden in an IS250 ... in the back seat -- ARGH!

The IS350 has a fairly high "power to weight ratio" but it is a heavy car for its size and it doesn't weigh that much less or have that much more power than my 2000 LS400. Stick a couple of cheeseburger eating friends in your car and your car's curb weight will exceed mine.

2007 IS350 - curb weight 3,527 lbs; horsepower 306; Torque 277

2000 LS400 - curb weight 3,890 lbs; horsepower 290; Torque 300

My LS400 gets around just great in snow on its Blizzak winter tires with a 225 width. It uses 225/60-16 tires but that is beside the point. I've got a bit of experience with snow tires -- every RWD car I've owned and driven in winter for the past 42 years has had snow tires.

OK, that is my idea. Maybe someone with some real first hand experience with the IS350 will provide some ideas.

[Lexusfreak]

Might also want to ask your Lexus service manager what he/she would recommend.