Sean2202

Hello new to the forum. My wife just purchased a very nice 13Rx350 f-sport and I was wondering what tire wheel combo would be best for winter. I know that some models came with 18" wheels and that some highlander wheels fit as well. Do the F Sport models require 19" wheels? I would prefer OEM rims. I was thinking bridgestone ws80 tires. Any recomondations are appreciated.

F250

First, welcome to CL!!

I believe you can run either 18's or 19's, depending on your preference. Also, I thought that all F-Sports came with 19's, but you could always downsize if you want. Generically speaking, though, from what I've read here in the forum, the 18's may give you softer cornering and softer ride, the cornering issue possibly not being a major concern in winter driving.

Now, take the above with a grain of salt since it's coming from someone in the nether warm lands of the Deep South. Even though it was 33°F this morning with a wind chill of 25°F, we so rarely get snow or ice that we don;t even have "winter tires" as part of our vocabulary (unless we're talking with someone like you).

vlad_a

I run Michelin XIce Xi2/3 as my winter tires for all my current vehicles. I have nothing but good things to say. Great snow and dry traction, low noise level and long wear.
My winter set for the RX is 18", running 255-55R18 tire on 8" wide rim, while the OEMs are 235-55R19 on 7.5" rim. Offset is 35mm.

I find that the best combo is aftermarket. I buy winter tires already mounted on rims from tirerack. Salt corrodes aluminum rims in a matter of a few seasons and aftermarket is cheap to replace.

You may also check out the tire thread in the sticky, before this one gets merged into it:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...re-thread.html

Sean2202

Thanks for your help. I have purchased from tire rack before and was considering that as an option. Do you run steel wheels or aftermarket aluminum? Any particular brand fit these vehicles better? How about those tpms sensors do they need programing each time you switch summer vs. Winter wheels?

vlad_a

Certainly! I don't do steel rims. They can only go so wide and have limited offset spec, never mind the looks.
For the RX, I picked the cheapest decent-looking wheels they had. They were Advanti 5-spoke rims, which have been discontinued now.
I've been a bit more selective for the set for my Audi. Got one that was a better match to overall styling of the car and looks like it could have been from the factory.

I forego TMPS sensors. TPMS light flashes on the dash, but it hasn't bothered me much. It's not worth the troubles dealing with extra cost involved and inability to program 2 sets of sensors into a Lexus.
They also do a number when it comes to balancing. Take a peek at your OEM wheels and where and how many weights there are. I can tell you exactly where they had to be placed.
I love the fact that Audi relies on ABS algorithm to calculate if a tire is under-inflated. One less headache to worry about with season changes.

FastFord

My old 3rx had 19"..for the winter I used a Toyota/Lexus wheel with 235/60x18 Toyo GSi5 tire. Got the package from the dealer. The wheel was a 7" with a 35 offset. A piece of electrical tape was used to block out the tpms light. Not having TPMS makes no difference in the performance of the car.

Sean2202

Somehow I posted this in the wrong section.Oops... @Fastford that is exactly what I was looking for. How much was that setup if you don't mind me asking. I am used to swapping wheels and my old car tpms had to be programmed each time. This time I will skip the tpms sensors for winter wheels. Are all years rx350 rims interchangeable on the 3rd gen RX? Are there any programs like tech stream or obdplug ins that you can program the tpms yourself?

lbzya

I am in the process of this as well. Interested in the programming of the sensors too.

ColAngus

Buy nice wheels and DEFINITELY buy Blizzaks. Steel wheels are hideous and make your vehicle look like garbage, all winter. You didn't buy a Lexus to look like a hobo and you didn't buy a Lexus because you're poor. "Splurge" a little.
The WS80's might not have the ideal weight capacity for an RX. I wanted them, too but got their SUV winters, instead. DMV-2 or something along those lines. They're FABULOUS, just like all Blizzaks (except their "performance" winters).
I bought another set of Lexus TPMS and was going to use Carista to program them but I never got around to it. If you buy Lexus TPMS, make sure to RECORD THE SERIAL NUMBERS BEFORE INSTALLING.
Summary: Blizzaks on stock wheels. Buy fancy wheels for summer.
Profit.

Sean2202

Thanks for the replies. After some research the I will probly go with the DMV-2 bridgestones as ColAngus suggested. I agree steel wheels do not work for this application because of the look. Found a nice set of OEM wheels just need to know if all RX wheels are interchangeable. I believe 35 offset 5x114.3 (4.5") Are all years the same pattern?
Thanks again

FastFord

I really don't remember what the setup cost, but it was around $2200. This did not include TPMS. There are probably cheaper ways to go but the dealer had them in stock ready to go and there was already snow on the ground. Didn't feel like shopping. I still have the rims and sold the tires three years later for $400. Had to get 235 65 18 for the new 4rx with 20" setup

ColAngus

So the basis of your question is: "Do I have to stick with 19" magic F-Sport wheels on an F-Sport, or, can I use any RX wheels from 18-inch to 19-inch?"

And I'm confident that the answer is any Lexus RX wheels will fit an F-Sport - further, I am confident Toyota Highlander wheels would also fit. I don't believe that the F-Sport has really beefy brake calipers or giant rotors that wouldn't work with an 18" RX wheel.
Here's what I did. I installed my winter tires (Blizzaks) on my stock Lexus wheels with the TPMS and then bought a fancier set of wheels with nice, performance, summer-only tires and new TPMS. Now, it looks good in winter and great in summer, plus, I got to get rid of those horrendous Michelin OEM shat that they wasted their time putting on in the first place.

Clutchless

Highlander and Venza wheels will both fit.

vfr700f2

Good info here. I put 18" Michelin xice2 on my wife's '15 F sport. Got the package from Tire Rack for $1200. Wheels are Tire Rack's "Sport Edition" brand. You can use various stock wheels as mentioned, but the price of a decent set and the hassle of finding a set that is as good as advertised may make the Tire Rack deal very worthwhile. Tire Rack's mount and balance price is cheaper than you will find at a local store, so you save some there. Shipping goes up for the package vs tires alone but not too much. I got mine without sensors and my wife isn't bothered by the light. Just tell tire rack you will get sensors locally. They dont ask why you're buying mounted and balanced tires if you're going to dismount and install sensors.

You cant use 17" on an F, they say, and from the caliper clearance with the 18s, I'd say that's pretty accurate.