Void250

I want to buy an AWD Lexus IS250. 2006-2010.

After looking at reviews I am seeing a lot of people complaining about the low profile tires, rims bending etc. Are these people just driving like morons or are they really that bad? I feel like after reading what I have, I wouldn't be able to enjoy driving as I would be under constant stress about my tire going flat if I hit a little pothole on a city street or something.

I don't like the look of the 250 with 16' wheels but would do it for the winter. It just isn't suited for the size of body on the car. Summer I would probably have to stick with 17' if I was concerned with appearance.

Also, the money spent isn't a huge concern to me, I am more concerned with the inconvenience and annoyance of getting a flat. If I could spend a few thousand on indestructible tires I probably would.

To put the change into perspective for the last 5 years I have been driving on 215/70/15...hitting potholes and driving through brutal city construction sites with sharp edges on the road and never had a flat.

bagwell

as long as the roads are in decent shape you should have no issues....just don't expect tire/rim to withstand a 6 inch deep pothole.

had a 2006 IS350 with OEM 18s with no issues.....
wife's A5 is on OEM 19s with no issues
my TSX is on OEM 18s with no issues

now if you get something like this.....all bets are off

geko29

They can be a problem, depending on the roads and how low profile you're talking. I put 19s on my E90 a year and a half ago, with 235/35 up front and 265/30 in the rear. Though I'm relatively careful, I have had one cracked rim repaired already, and have a bent one I haven't bothered to repair yet. Never left me stranded, but the crack had me refilling the tire twice a day until I figured out what was wrong.

If you're talking about a 50 profile, don't worry, you'll be fine.

mmarshall

Welcome, Void250. Glad to have you as a new poster.

Unfortunately, virtually no regular cars have the 70-series tires you mention any more, except off-road SUVs and some heavy-duty pickups. For regular sedans, 45-60 series seems to be the going range.....even down to 25 or 30 for some extreme sport-oriented models. You seem to already more or less know the pros and cons of each.....so I don't have to go over that in detail.

I owned a 2001 IS300 with the 16" wheel/55-series all-season tire option, and I didn't think it looked bad at all.....and those tires rode noticeably better than the stiff 17" 45-series high-performance rubber that was standard. A lot of people think that large wheels and low-profile rubber band tires look "cool"....but, IMO, "cool" just means an unnecessarily stiff ride and minimal bump/pothole impact-damage.

Good chassis engineering, though, overcome some of the stiffness of rubber band tires. The last-generation BMW 3-series, for example, was a real standout in that area. The engineers did such a great job balancing steering/handling/ride-quality that even the Sport-Package BMW 335i, with 35-series tires, rode comfortable enough for me. I have to give credit where it is due.

chikoo

They do drive like morons. Or shop like morons.
I have been driving 45-55 profile tires for 15 years now, across 3 states in the USA and never had a bent rim. In fact, these low profile tires are as good as run flats because they have stiff sidewall. Couple of times I had a flat and the rim never even got damaged because of the firm sidewalls.

tex2670

I've had 3 blowouts on my OEM 17" on my IS250 AWD; 1 because I was driving like an idiot down a road that was milled down before repaving, and the other 2 (at one occurrence) from a giant pothole at night that I didn't see. But--my 2000 Acura TL had 60 series tires, and I had lost a tire also in a giant pothole I didn't see at night.

This past winter in the NE was devastating to tires and rims; not just low profile, but I'm sure low profile statistically were more victims.

Void250

Thanks for the input all.

Johnhav430

imho not a hassle, my BMW has 35's on the rear, and 40's in the front, from the factory. The only inconvenience is both parallel parking, and also curbing one side in a parking lot. Can't rub against the curb like to old days to feel where it is. I suppose many modern cars have top view cams which eliminate this issue. Are they mostly for looks? Sure. But not a problem imho...

mmarshall

I'm with the OP. Low-profile tires ARE a hassle, and, IMO, should only be mounted on dedicated, purpose-designed sports-oriented vehicles. Unfortunately, today, car buyers don't have much choice....they are mounted, in one form or another, on almost everything but some pickups, SUVs, and a few of the softer-riding sedans like the ES350 and Lacrosse. But, even then, you are still talking in the 50-55 series range, which, IMO, is borderline low-profile. Ideal profiles for most non-aggressive driving, IMO, especially on the rougher roads common in the U.S., run around 65/70 or so....but virtually no vehicles have them anymore except some SUVs and trucks.

mmarshall

BMW is one of the very few companies that, suspension-wise, can get a decently smooth ride out of tires in that rubber-band range. The Koreans, though, have been able to do it on a couple of their products.

SW17LS

I think it depends on what you're calling a "low profile" tire. I had my GS350 with 45 series tires on it for almost 3 years and never had any issues. I avoid potholes in any car I drive. My business partner has a 4GS F Sport on 35 series tires and he has had a couple issues, but they come from him not paying attention to potholes, etc.

I think if you're on 45+ series tires you're not going to have any issues.

I like a nice ride too, but there is no denying that lower profile tires look considerably better than higher profile tires. Its about balance. The ES mentioned above, the car rides better on 17s, but it looks considerably better on the 18s. My LS460, I have the 18s because I wanted the best ride, but the car looks way better on the 19s.

mmarshall

That's where higher-profiles come into play......they are more forgiving of potholes and other sharp impacts. .

The term is subjective, of course, but, in general, I'd consider low-profiles to be 45 and under (50 in some cases). However, some cars do manage to get a smooth ride with 45s or less....the last-generation BMW 335 and 2Gen Hyundai Genesis (more so than its replacement G80). The FWD 335 was amazing...it was smooth even with the 35-series Sport Package.

To me there is, but I respect other viewpoints, as that is subjective.

IMO, you were smart getting the 18s....your clients will probably also appreciate it. I did the same with my upcoming Lacrosse (18-inchers/50-series)......I noted a lot of customer-complaints in the Buick forums (and even among some reviewers) with the optional 20s and adaptive Hi-Per-strut suspension. I'm also not a junkie for how big wagon-wheels look.


BTW, one of the reasons I ultimately turned down the Lincoln MKZ (besides the all-or-nothing engine choices and so-so assembly quality) was the fact that Lincoln stubbornly equipps all of them with either 40s or 45s. It still didn't ride particularly firmly to my tastes, but would have definitely been nicer with something less-aggressive....and the NORMAL/COMFORT/SPORT control for the suspension was all but useless.

SW17LS

For the sake of accuracy, then 2 gen Hyundai Genesis was not replaced by the G80. They're exactly the same car, same suspension, and they ride the same way. All that changed was the badging.

I actually drove an LS460L the other day on the 19s, and really the ride is almost exactly the same. A little sharper over bumps perhaps, but if you weren't comparing them back to back you wouldn't find the ride on the 19s objectionable at all, my clients would never notice.

mmarshall

I know they are the same car, but, to the seat of my pants (and I sampled more than one, after checking for correct tire-pressures) the G80 is just a hair stiffer. I would not be surprised if they adjusted the spring/shock rates a little.

Warm tires, of course, can also make a difference, even on lower-profiles. This time of year, especially out in the sun, the tires soften up and the ride gets more compliant. The same tires, in winter, even with lower PSIs, can ride stiffer because the rubber itself is less flexible. I noticed that on my former Outback, but even more so on my Verano. I know, though, that you said, in a previous post from months ago, that you didn't notice it much on the LS.

SW17LS

Your perceptions are just different this time, nothing has changed. Just as your memory of the LS460 ridIng better than the G90, I own an LS and drove the G90 back to back with it on the same loop, that's really not the case.

As for for sun and heat, I drove the LS460L on 19s back to back with my LS460 on 18s. Driven on the same roads, my LS tires were hot from driving it. L's tires had been sitting out in the sun. It wasn't hot. Same conditions, some roads, great comparison...very little difference.