john1968

I just checked out a different dealer and they had almost all of their SC 430's equipped with 5 spoke chrome wheels. Looked absolutely fantastic! What a difference from the dinner plates. The downside was the price: $5,995 for the wheels. Way too much.

Please forgive my ignorance as I ask a couple of questions:

1. Are there performance differences between wheels if they are the same size? Or is the difference entirely cosmetic?

2. I am planning on leasing so it doesn't make sense for me to buy new wheels aftermarket. Has anyone tried getting a dealer to install different wheels for say $1,500 - $2,500? At tirerack.com you can see a picture of the SC 430 in any color and see what different wheels look like on the car. They have good selection of 18 x 8 wheels for $300 - $700 each. I don't know about their quality, but they looked a lot better than the dinner plates.

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.

Deanski

I'd love to see what 5 Large looks like!

Geez, are they out of their mind? I mean, come on, it's only wheels!

Do you really care? Stay with the stock wheels, maybe get the new center caps instead of the "Dinner Plate" look and then look for aftermart wheels that will better match your taste.

I'm leasing my Red SC and there would be no way I'd part with that money while on lease!

I do not like my sstock wheels with the "dinner Plate" look, and I'll change to the new spoke kit to even it out.

Do yourself a favor, ask the dealer to replace your run-flats with the Mich Pilot Sport tires, you will be very happy and it's money well spent! Go to TireRack and get the set, have them drop-ship to the dealer and drive away happy!

I'm changing mine shortly to the Pilot Sports soon after all the reviews of before/after.

Please, post a pix of those wheels! DO they clean themselves? 5 large.... HAH!

Regards,
Deanski

Gojirra99

I would like to see how they look too. Some of the prices are crazy !!
I just saw a new SC430 a week or so ago in my dealer's showroom with a set of 5-spoke chrome wheels that cost CAD$11,000 (US$7,900) that the dealer ordered for a customer, but are ugly as hell, I didn't even bother to look at them closely or ask what they are.

ceboyd

They better be top of the line HREs or custom Fikse's for that price!!!!!

Larry

Dealers ALWAYS overcharge for aftermarket add-ons.

Here are some examples: (dealer price/cost if you buy it on your own)

Wind deflector for sunroof - $195/$35

Pin striping - $495/$195

Tinted windows - $395/$175

Wood Dash Kit - $1,100/$140~$225

Mud guards - $295/$95

Alloy Wheels - $3,000~$11,000/$1,000~$5,000

And that's just to name a few. Don't be fooled by "Genuine (insert mfgr. name here) Parts" for the above items. It's just a dealer rip-off.

babyboy

John
i had my dealer install the trds which completely changed the look of the car. I wasnt a big fan of the stock wheels either. I think I picked up the trds for about 2500$ if i am not mistaken well worth it in my opion plus you get to keep the run flats.

john1968

The salesman called to follow up on my visit. He said the wheels are Miglia 1000's and he admitted they are way way overpriced. They probably cost the dealer $500 - $700 each, but let's just say the dealer cost is $1,000 each. That's $4,000 cost and selling for $5,995. At that super conservative estimate the profit is quite high, but not beyond belief.

However, throw in the fact that you are already paying for the standard wheels in the purchase price and the transaction becomes Enron-like. To be fair they should charge the difference between list price of the standard wheels and list price of the new wheels. I am all for making a profit - I own a business myself - but this dealer must be related to PT Barnum.

BTW at the mercedes dealership, I asked what upgraded wheels would cost (for a clk; not in the class of the sc430 i know) and they quoted $700 total extra cost.

dseag2

John, my recommendation is that you go to "www.tirerack.com", take a look at the various wheel options, and give them a call. They are experts and should be able to recommend someone locally who can replace the wheels. They can even sell you the wheels and ship them to the local shop.

Personal experience... I replaced my runflats w/ Michelin Pilot Sports (non-runflats) last month. I started by contacting Lexus of Pembroke Pines (So. Florida) They quoted me $350 just to CHANGE the tires because, according to them, "it's a difficult job that takes 1 hour per tire." Since this didn't even include the cost of the tires, I thought it was outrageous.

Next, I called Tire Rack. Not only did they know exactly which tires were best for the SC430, they recommended a local Meineke dealer that had actually done the tire switch-out on an SC. They did an excellent job and were actually a lot more knowledgeable than the Lexus dealership. Plus, they only charged $120. I'll probably purchase new rims from them as well.

From all of my previous experiences, the Lexus dealerships are out to lunch when it comes to anything other than routine service. I'm sure the expertise varies from dealer to dealer, but it sounds like you have your own challenges with your dealer. Do yourself a favor... check out Tire Rack.

Larry

I too can "vouch" for Tire Rack. I had a set of MP Sports mounted on 18" Mille Miglia EVO 5's deliverd right to my garage door in two days. Total price was $2,029. They even included new lugs and locks !

They're also extremely knowledgable (sp ??) and have EXCELLENT customer service.

Doc C

I used Wheel Experts. Peter was very helpful. I put Lsportline chrome model IVs on. I think they were $2,200 with shipping. Had them sent to the dealer and the dealer installed them before i picked up car. The dealership charged me $100 for the change, but they also gave me $500 for the ugly *** OEM wheels, which made my new wheels cheaper still. They were going to have them chromed or something like that. Not that anyone wants to do this, but the L sportline Model IVs will work with run flat sensor which is a plus if the SC you're getting already has run flats. I think they look great. Good luck.