prosgal73

I've seen those on the IS are they are on the ES' too?

SW17LS

Yeah, the ES either comes with Bridgestones or Michelins. Its luck of the draw.

ES350mark

I agree, not only on the ride quality but from durability as well. When my wife & I took our 1st test drive of the ES350 it was equipped with Michelins and the drive was much more quiet then the Bridgestone's that were on the Lexus that we eventually bought. There have been numerous threads on CL regarding the Bridgestone/Michelin comparison and a to the Bridgestone. Further, with 20K on the odometer it looks like we will be lucky to get another 5K-8K miles based on the tread. I can't wait to replace them with Pirellis P7 that I put on my Acura that drive wonderful with a tread life of 70K.


As for the 17" vs 18" rims I agree with the general consensus that it's pretty much an esthetic look and will not effect the handling one way or another. These are FWD large luxury cars and I doubt Lexus intended the larger rim to add to increased handling. Further, I think it is Lexus just getting in on another option that will bring in more profit to the bottom line. I wonder if Lexus has placed a warranty issue on not covering suspension, brake etc. problems due to rims that are not OE or recognized by them since GM and other manufactures do. JMHO, we were given a new 2016 ES350 UL with 18" rims on Bridgestone tires and the ride quality was a little harsher without any notice of additional road noise although I discovered they were overinflated. I did like the look of the larger rim size but my concern is what the cost would be to replace the tires when the time comes. I have not checked to see if the 18" rim tires have the same Aspect Ratio as the 17" so I can't really compare, but pretty sure the cost would be higher on the 18".

lesz

The Bridgestone tires that Lexus uses on the ES have a wear rating that is only about 2/3 of what the wear ratings are for the Michelin tires used on the ES. And that difference is even more remarkable when you consider that tread wear is not one of the strong points of the Michelin tires. Their wear rating is significantly lower than the wear ratings of most of the similar tire models from competitor tire manufacturers.

The tires used with the 18 inch wheels are a lower profile tire than the tires used with the 17 inch wheels. That is what allows both combinations to have the same diameter, and it is also what allows you to swap out 17 inch wheels for 18 inch wheels (or the other way around) without having it throw the speedometer or odometer off.

SW17LS

You'll like the P7s, I have them on my LS, great tires. HUGE improvement over the OEM Bridgestones

USALV

where do you go with find the wear ratings? Thank you

lesz

http://www.safercar.gov/Vehicle+Shoppers/Tires+Rating

ES350mark

Yep........


For the 17" OEM Rims..................215/55/-17

PIRELLI
CINTURATO P7 ALL SEASON PLUS $135.61 per tire




For the 18" OEM Rims..................225/45/-18


PIRELLI
CINTURATO P7 ALL SEASON PLUS $173.51 per tire


I actually thought they would be more. A great tire that I now have on my Acura TL. Will try to get thru the summer with the OE Bridgestone and replace with the Pirelli before winter.

crichnikov

I tested the 18" bridgestones and 17" michelins on a few different 2014 cpos and the 18" are much noiser. I drove on some very coarse roads so it was an easy decision for me.

Mike728

The Bridgstones are what's much nosier.

daveses350

I purchased a Lexus certified 2013 es350 with the upgraded 18" rims and Michellin mxm4 tires. Love the car, but ride was a bit harsh for what I expected in a Lexus ES. Drove it for about 5,000 miles with the 18's. Last week, I Purchased a set of 17" Lexus rims that were a takeoff from a new 2015 es300 hybrid, and had new 17" Michelin Premium A/S installed today. The ride is noticeably different, softer and a bit quieter but still enough to road feel to make the drive fun. I would NEVER buy a low profile tire again, because if Michellin tires are a little harsh with a low profile, then there is not much hope that any other manufacturer would make it a more compliant experience. The appearance is a bit better with the 18's, but I care more about the quality of the ride and quietness than what others think of the look. . Hope this review is helpful AND saves some $$ for those thinking of purchasing and more concerned about quality of ride than appearance. I just wish I would have know before I purchased and saved some $$s in not replacing rims and tires. Anyone interested in purchasing some really good looking perfect condition 18" Lexus rims and Michellan Primacy mxm4's with less than 5000 miles? I am in the Denver area and you can see them on Craigslist.

EJC

we just picked up a '16 White Pearl with the 18" wheels and panorama roof. We love it. The car even tells you when to get a cup of coffee

I agree with the other poster, handling is be a bit better with the 18" wheels but the rubber is a bit noisier. Not a big deal though. A different tire might run quieter, ours came with Bridgestones.

Zipit555

I am looking to purchase a '14-'15 ES350 and thanks to this forum I am very in tune to the tires and rim size. I agree with you that I think the 18's look better but I am at the point in my life where I would much rather have a better ride. (The Bridgestone tires would be a deal killer for me....sounds pretty much like a consensus in here......sounds like the 17 vs 18 issue isn't as unanimous.) I'm curious what you paid for the 17's? Did you have any luck getting rid of the 18's? I have driven a few CPO cars and they have all had 17's. However I found a '14 UL that is a 3rd party car but being a UL obviously has the 18's. It is about an hour away so I have not driven it yet. Any one have luck with a 3rd party wheel (something off tirerack or someplace like that). Even crazier, has anyone gone all the way down to a 16 inch? Wonder how bad it would look and/or if it would give you an even softer ride.

As a side note, did you notice any difference in the car's ability in the snow.......probably more a function of the tire versus the tire size.

Also, anyone with the pano roof had any problems with it? Rattles, etc?

Brent1944

My 2016 came with the optional 18" Michelins and is quiet as a whisper. dont even notice it

jollick

The same with my 2015 ES350 it came with 18" Michelin tires and is as quiet as the 17's on my 2013.