jfz219

Bridgestone sent my Blizzak DM-Z3s. The snow and ice traction on the RX330 is far superior to the stock all-season tires. The tire dealer and I were surprised that the tires arrived in 2 weeks, as promised by Bridgestone. TireRack and others have not been as lucky.

eBay has had 18" OEM wheels available. Keep an eye on that site.

Both Tire Rack and my local Lexus dealer do not recommend sizing up to 235/65-17 Blizzaks for my 2005 RX330. I have not been able to locate anything except Nokian SUV5 winter tires in the OEM size of 225/65-17. Does anyone have any suggestions for an available winter tire that would excel on snow and ice?

CanadianDriver.com had a very large comparison of drive systems and snow/all-weather tires. Their conclusion is "it's the tires." They also observed the AWD systems of Mercedes and Toyota Highlander to be their favorite. The AXD Ford Five Hundred was a surprizingly good performer. Components such as ESC and ABS were much more important than coupling systems. To illustrate how our Canadian neighbors value snow tires over AWD systems, look at their review of the BMW325ix. The reviewer would take a 325i with snows over the added weight and complexity of the AWD 325ix.

Your attached pictures shows an RX330 without the roof rack and side rails. What parts are required for the drip molding after the removal? I have parts 75595 and 75596 but there is a mistery part to which they snap on.