Snow Tires

[reyoasian]

Got my new IS250 AWD (CANADIAN) just this summer in August. I am hearing that it does really bad in snow with the stock all-seasons (I got the Bridgestone ones)

I live in Toronto, and I will be driving a lot of highway back-and-forth to Waterloo for school (on weekends)

EDIT:

I've decided on the General Altimax Arctic as the price is much more acceptable for me.

Now I am stuck between using original 17" and only changing tires or buying new set of 16's.

I would most prefer to get the set of 16" rims and the tires for it, but what size is recommended for the IS250 AWD?

Would 205/55R16 fit fine?

Thanks all!

EDIT 2:

$840CAD for 4x 205/55R16 General Altimax Arctic + 4x Steel Rims including everything, even mounting/balancing.

How is this price?

[pauljcl]

Got my new IS250 AWD (CANADIAN) just this summer in August. I am hearing that it does really bad in snow with the stock all-seasons.

I live in Toronto, and I will be driving a lot of highway back-and-forth to Waterloo for school (on weekends)

I've been shopping around for decent snow tires and have come down to a few things that I would like some advices on:

**btw, I'm keeping my stock 17" rims because of the TPM's, so I'm only replacing snow tires of size 225/45/17**

**these prices do not include installation and are in CAD**

Michelin Primacy Alpin PA3:

these are "recommended" tires for my car by both Costco and Lexus, but it's very expensive

- $168.29 each ..... $999.33 for 4 including tax & shipping (from TireRack.com)

- $191.43 each ..... $946.62 for 4 including tax & shipping (from DiscountTireDirect.com)

- $295.00 each ..... $1333.40 for 4 including tax (from Lexus)

Michelin X-ICE:

Costco says this tire cannot handle the weight of my car, so it will wear out faster... is this true?

- $159.00 each ..... $718.68 for 4 including tax (from CAA Car Care Centre)

Michelin X-ICE Xi2:

these are supposed to be the "best" snow tires out there, but customer reviews on TireRack.com says otherwise

- $156.72 each ..... $943.38 for 4 including tax & shipping (from TireRack.com)

- $243.83 each ..... $1099.07 for 4 including tax (from Costco)

General Altimax Arctic:

these are a lot cheaper, and so far the reviews are all pretty good

- $110.44 each ..... $723.95 for 4 including tax & shipping (from TireRack.com)

- $122.01 each ..... $666.95 for 4 including tax & shipping (from DiscountTireDirect.com)

- $226.22 each ..... $1022.51 for 4 including tax (from Canadian Tire)

Right now I'm really liking the Altimax, but will it handle my car okay? (car too heavy, etc.)

Also, where should I buy my tires? Are TireRack.com and DiscountTireDeposit.com trusted? If I do end up buying online, I don't want to receive a wrong order, or tires that have problems since it's in the States and will be too time-consuming to send back and forth.

Thank you all so much in advance for your opinion and advices!

I have ordered/received tires from TireRack in the U.S. in the past and they were reliable.

[1990LS400]

Since they are available in 225/45-17, I suggest you consider the Bridgestone Blizzak WS-60.

Compare the snow performance and hydroplaning resistance ratings on Tire Rack for the WS-60 and the Michelin X-Ice Xi2. Also compare the "Would you buy this tire again?" numbers. It doesn't hurt that the WS-60 is lower priced either.

I'm not a fan of Bridgestone's LM series "Performance Winter/Snow" tires but I love their WS series "Studless Ice & Snow" tires.

I buy a LOT of stuff at Costco but down here in the states they don't seem to be very competitive on price with Tire Rack. Some of my friends and neighbors have bought tires from Costco and they have seemed happy with the service -- but heck, Costco is only a few blocks away from my house.

I have a hard time believing that a Michelin X-ICE tire can't handle the relatively light weight of a 3300 pound IS250 AWD -- you could check the tire specifications to verify the accuracy of the information you are getting at Costco.

I have bought almost all the tires I have purchased over the past 20 years from Tire Rack -- as many as 12 tires at a time. The aftermarket wheels I use with the Blizzaks on my LS are also from Tire Rack.

Actually, you probably can't go wrong with any winter tire that has the "mountain/snowflake" symbol on the side wall -- any of those will be far better in snow than all season tires.

[reyoasian]

Since they are available in 225/45-17, I suggest you consider the Bridgestone Blizzak WS-60.

Compare the snow performance and hydroplaning resistance ratings on Tire Rack for the WS-60 and the Michelin X-Ice Xi2. Also compare the "Would you buy this tire again?" numbers. It doesn't hurt that the WS-60 is lower priced either.

I'm not a fan of Bridgestone's LM series "Performance Winter/Snow" tires but I love their WS series "Studless Ice & Snow" tires.

I buy a LOT of stuff at Costco but down here in the states they don't seem to be very competitive on price with Tire Rack. Some of my friends and neighbors have bought tires from Costco and they have seemed happy with the service -- but heck, Costco is only a few blocks away from my house.

I have a hard time believing that a Michelin X-ICE tire can't handle the relatively light weight of a 3300 pound IS250 AWD -- you could check the tire specifications to verify the accuracy of the information you are getting at Costco.

I have bought almost all the tires I have purchased over the past 20 years from Tire Rack -- as many as 12 tires at a time. The aftermarket wheels I use with the Blizzaks on my LS are also from Tire Rack.

Actually, you probably can't go wrong with any winter tire that has the "mountain/snowflake" symbol on the side wall -- any of those will be far better in snow than all season tires.

Yeah I checked out the WS-60 as well they seem very nice. But I'm still having second thoughts about ordering online; I'm not a big fan of online shopping due to previous bad experiences.

I'm thinking whether I should just get the X-ICE Xi2 from Costco...they have cheap installation too and a $60 rebate for Michelin sets right now.

I don't need the best, and I'm sure with safe driving procedures any of these will be safe. So it all comes down to whether I should order online. If I'm to order online, I think the Altimax would be good enough, it's got pretty good ratings on Canadian Tire, and it's fairly cheap.

Installation will just be about $100 more, still cheaper than the Michelin's and Blizzak's after installation.

[Melnod]

Got my new IS250 AWD (CANADIAN) just this summer in August. I am hearing that it does really bad in snow with the stock all-seasons.

I live in Toronto, and I will be driving a lot of highway back-and-forth to Waterloo for school (on weekends)

I've been shopping around for decent snow tires and have come down to a few things that I would like some advices on:

**btw, I'm keeping my stock 17" rims because of the TPM's, so I'm only replacing snow tires of size 225/45/17**

**these prices do not include installation and are in CAD**

Michelin Primacy Alpin PA3:

these are "recommended" tires for my car by both Costco and Lexus, but it's very expensive

- $168.29 each ..... $999.33 for 4 including tax & shipping (from TireRack.com)

- $191.43 each ..... $946.62 for 4 including tax & shipping (from DiscountTireDirect.com)

- $295.00 each ..... $1333.40 for 4 including tax (from Lexus)

Michelin X-ICE:

Costco says this tire cannot handle the weight of my car, so it will wear out faster... is this true?

- $159.00 each ..... $718.68 for 4 including tax (from CAA Car Care Centre)

Michelin X-ICE Xi2:

these are supposed to be the "best" snow tires out there, but customer reviews on TireRack.com says otherwise

- $156.72 each ..... $943.38 for 4 including tax & shipping (from TireRack.com)

- $243.83 each ..... $1099.07 for 4 including tax (from Costco)

General Altimax Arctic:

these are a lot cheaper, and so far the reviews are all pretty good

- $110.44 each ..... $723.95 for 4 including tax & shipping (from TireRack.com)

- $122.01 each ..... $666.95 for 4 including tax & shipping (from DiscountTireDirect.com)

- $226.22 each ..... $1022.51 for 4 including tax (from Canadian Tire)

Right now I'm really liking the Altimax, but will it handle my car okay? (car too heavy, etc.)

Also, where should I buy my tires? Are TireRack.com and DiscountTireDeposit.com trusted? If I do end up buying online, I don't want to receive a wrong order, or tires that have problems since it's in the States and will be too time-consuming to send back and forth.

Thank you all so much in advance for your opinion and advices!

I have ordered/received tires from TireRack in the U.S. in the past and they were reliable.

I read that you want to keep your 17" rims because of the TPM's. But read the discussion regarding the bubbling on the rims. It sounds like Toronto is using a lot of salt causing the bubbling. I also have this bubbling issue so I went with both winter tires and steel rims for this winter. Something to seriously consider.

I ended up getting four steel 16" rims with winter tires for just over $720 plus taxes. No TPM system on the tires though. The tire size is quite popular so there were several tire manufacutures to choose from.

[reyoasian]

I read that you want to keep your 17" rims because of the TPM's. But read the discussion regarding the bubbling on the rims. It sounds like Toronto is using a lot of salt causing the bubbling. I also have this bubbling issue so I went with both winter tires and steel rims for this winter. Something to seriously consider.

I ended up getting four steel 16" rims with winter tires for just over $720 plus taxes. No TPM system on the tires though. The tire size is quite popular so there were several tire manufacutures to choose from.

I was thinking about the 205/55R16 but the guy at Lexus told me if I do that then I won't have the TPM's, else I have to get the whole set from Lexus for over $2000. So I decided to stick with my current stock rims so the TPM's won't be affected or taken out.

[Melnod]

I read that you want to keep your 17" rims because of the TPM's. But read the discussion regarding the bubbling on the rims. It sounds like Toronto is using a lot of salt causing the bubbling. I also have this bubbling issue so I went with both winter tires and steel rims for this winter. Something to seriously consider.

I ended up getting four steel 16" rims with winter tires for just over $720 plus taxes. No TPM system on the tires though. The tire size is quite popular so there were several tire manufacutures to choose from.

I was thinking about the 205/55R16 but the guy at Lexus told me if I do that then I won't have the TPM's, else I have to get the whole set from Lexus for over $2000. So I decided to stick with my current stock rims so the TPM's won't be affected or taken out.

That sounds a little steep. However the dealer does need to take his mark up. I was given a rough estimate of an additional $125 per tire to install TPMs for the new rims. I chose not to get them. I also wanted more flexibility changing the wheels out by myself if required.

There is some slight risk to the rims and tires every spring and fall when you re-mount your tires too.

[reyoasian]

I read that you want to keep your 17" rims because of the TPM's. But read the discussion regarding the bubbling on the rims. It sounds like Toronto is using a lot of salt causing the bubbling. I also have this bubbling issue so I went with both winter tires and steel rims for this winter. Something to seriously consider.

I ended up getting four steel 16" rims with winter tires for just over $720 plus taxes. No TPM system on the tires though. The tire size is quite popular so there were several tire manufacutures to choose from.

I was thinking about the 205/55R16 but the guy at Lexus told me if I do that then I won't have the TPM's, else I have to get the whole set from Lexus for over $2000. So I decided to stick with my current stock rims so the TPM's won't be affected or taken out.

That sounds a little steep. However the dealer does need to take his mark up. I was given a rough estimate of an additional $125 per tire to install TPMs for the new rims. I chose not to get them. I also wanted more flexibility changing the wheels out by myself if required.

There is some slight risk to the rims and tires every spring and fall when you re-mount your tires too.

Did you have the TPM warning lights on after changing to 16's without the TPM's? If so, did you have to take it to Lexus to get it reprogrammed? I'm just afraid of all the trouble of doing this way.

P.S. What kind of risk to the rims/tires from re-mounting?

[1990LS400]

Did you have the TPM warning lights on after changing to 16's without the TPM's? If so, did you have to take it to Lexus to get it reprogrammed? I'm just afraid of all the trouble of doing this way.

P.S. What kind of risk to the rims/tires from re-mounting?

Some people use a small piece of electrical tape to cover the TPMS warning light when using wheels/tires without TPMS sensors. People drove cars without TPMS for over 100 years so it's not like they are necessary. They are a convenience. Check your tire pressure every few weeks whether or not you have TPMS -- check your tires even more often if there are wide temperature swings.

Switching back and forth between snow tires and summer/all season tires on the same wheels can trash tire beads which can lead to air leaks. I have done that on only one car and will never do that again -- the worst part was the damage (scratches, gouges) to the wheels from switching back and forth. The very first thing I've done on the last few cars I've bought was to buy an extra set of wheels for snow tires.

Having an extra set of wheels is also convenient -- I don't have to depend on a business to switch the tires for me. This week is a good example ... snow is in the forecast and the high performance summer (not all season) tires I have on my LS definitely would be horrible in snow. If it does snow, I'll spend about 30 minutes putting on my snow wheels/tires out in my garage. If we have an extended stretch of warm weather, I may slap my summer wheels/tires back on ... only takes a few minutes.

If you plan to keep your car for only a couple of years, a second set of wheels for snow tires is not going to be cost effective. We aim to keep our cars for over 10 years so the economies of buying extra sets of wheels is a no-brainer.

[reyoasian]

Some people use a small piece of electrical tape to cover the TPMS warning light when using wheels/tires without TPMS sensors. People drove cars without TPMS for over 100 years so it's not like they are necessary. They are a convenience. Check your tire pressure every few weeks whether or not you have TPMS -- check your tires even more often if there are wide temperature swings.

What do you mean covering the TPM warning light with a piece of electrical tape?

Should I still get Lexus to reprogram it so I don't get any warnings, etc.?

[1990LS400]

What do you mean covering the TPM warning light with a piece of electrical tape?

Should I still get Lexus to reprogram it so I don't get any warnings, etc.?

Exactly what I said. Some people cover TPMS warning lights on the dashboard with a piece of tape so they don't have to see the warning. I'm not all that familar with 2 gen IS -- only ridden in one a few times ... don't know if it is practical to cover the warning light with tape on an IS.

Myself, I'd probably buy an extra set of TPM sensors to use with snow wheels if my car had TPM. For the past few decades, I've followed a routine where I check the fluid levels and tire pressures in our cars every Sunday morning so I guess I don't see TPM as being very important. Our cars have sensors and warning lights for the coolant and windshield washer fluid tanks but I still check them weekly and top up the fluids if necessary. I check the battery and oil levels weekly too ... just a part of regular and thorough car maintenance which takes less than 30 minutes weekly to check both cars.

[bartkat]

Some people use a small piece of electrical tape to cover the TPMS warning light when using wheels/tires without TPMS sensors. People drove cars without TPMS for over 100 years so it's not like they are necessary. They are a convenience. Check your tire pressure every few weeks whether or not you have TPMS -- check your tires even more often if there are wide temperature swings.

What do you mean covering the TPM warning light with a piece of electrical tape?

Should I still get Lexus to reprogram it so I don't get any warnings, etc.?

If you are using the original TPM then you shouldn't have to reprogram anything unless there is a difference or more than 4 PSI for the new tires. Even at that, you can use the 2 tire set feature on the IS and re initialize the PSI for your snow tires. It's all in the owners manual.

[reyoasian]

What do you mean covering the TPM warning light with a piece of electrical tape?

Should I still get Lexus to reprogram it so I don't get any warnings, etc.?

Exactly what I said. Some people cover TPMS warning lights on the dashboard with a piece of tape so they don't have to see the warning. I'm not all that familar with 2 gen IS -- only ridden in one a few times ... don't know if it is practical to cover the warning light with tape on an IS.

Myself, I'd probably buy an extra set of TPM sensors to use with snow wheels if my car had TPM. For the past few decades, I've followed a routine where I check the fluid levels and tire pressures in our cars every Sunday morning so I guess I don't see TPM as being very important. Our cars have sensors and warning lights for the coolant and windshield washer fluid tanks but I still check them weekly and top up the fluids if necessary. I check the battery and oil levels weekly too ... just a part of regular and thorough car maintenance which takes less than 30 minutes weekly to check both cars.

Oh, so you did mean it literally then. That's not gonna work for me because aside from the warning light, I get warning messages on the display screen :( sucks...I'm gonna call Lexus tomorrow to see what they can do because I think I'm going to go with 225/55R16 unless it really just won't work out; then it's back to original 17's again... Thanks a lot for your info though!

[smooth1]

You can also buy a 30 dollar mini trailor tire from Walmart. Throw the sensors in there and pump the tire up to 36 or so psi and put it in your trunk.

[reyoasian]

You can also buy a 30 dollar mini trailor tire from Walmart. Throw the sensors in there and pump the tire up to 36 or so psi and put it in your trunk.

that actually sounds like a really good idea, except my trunk is tiny and i won't have room for other things :(

i think i'm just going with the 16's and ignore the warnings....

[smooth1]

You can also buy a 30 dollar mini trailor tire from Walmart. Throw the sensors in there and pump the tire up to 36 or so psi and put it in your trunk.

that actually sounds like a really good idea, except my trunk is tiny and i won't have room for other things :(

i think i'm just going with the 16's and ignore the warnings....

It fits in the spare tire compartment right on top of the spare tire thats in there. I think the mini trailor tire is about 12 inches across total. I just deflated it, pushed the tire bead in and slid all the sensors inside it. Then reinflated the tire. I had to add air to the mini about 1 or 2 times a year, but it worked great. Then I got the TPMS elbow extenders for my rims and later was able to have them reinstalled so I don't need to do that anymore.

[reyoasian]

You can also buy a 30 dollar mini trailor tire from Walmart. Throw the sensors in there and pump the tire up to 36 or so psi and put it in your trunk.

that actually sounds like a really good idea, except my trunk is tiny and i won't have room for other things :(

i think i'm just going with the 16's and ignore the warnings....

It fits in the spare tire compartment right on top of the spare tire thats in there. I think the mini trailor tire is about 12 inches across total. I just deflated it, pushed the tire bead in and slid all the sensors inside it. Then reinflated the tire. I had to add air to the mini about 1 or 2 times a year, but it worked great. Then I got the TPMS elbow extenders for my rims and later was able to have them reinstalled so I don't need to do that anymore.

Thanks! I'll keep that in mind