Hello,

I have a 2016 Lexus ES 350 with 18" rims, and wanted to downgrade to more comfortable 16" rims, as bumps on the road can be pretty jarring with my 18"'s.

1. Is it possible to downgrade from 18"'s to 16"'s (as the 2016 Lexus ES 300H uses 16"',s and I've been told that the ride on the 300H is the most comfortable)?

By "possible", I mean is it a simple conversion (i.e., simply buying new Lexus rims/wheels and tires), or do I need to make more modifications to my ES 350?

Note: I want to stick with Lexus rims/wheels, and don't wish to use any 3rd party rims/wheels.

2. If it is possible to downgrade to 16"'s on my ES 350, is it possible to also use 16" rims/wheels from other Lexus models (e.g., there are 16" rims/wheels for the Lexus LS 430 as well as the Lexus GS 300)?

I only ask, as the 16" rim offerings from Lexus for an ES 350/300 don't appeal to me very much, but some other Lexus rims do (I specifically was looking for gunmetal color/coated 16" rims - similar to my 18"s).

3. What tire (sold at Lexus dealers), would be the most comfortable with the least amount of road noise?

Or is it a better idea if I just find the most favorably reviewed Standard Touring All Season tire from Tire Rack (see link below) sold at a Lexus dealer:

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/surve...=3#ratingsSort

Though I'm doubtful they're sold at Lexus dealers, tires which caught my eye were the:

a. Continental TrueContact Tour
b. Goodyear Assurance MaxLife

Note: If someone can recommend highly comfortable tires for 16" rims, I would be quite grateful (as I'm not much of a tire aficionado).

Thank you,
BJ

You're probably going to have to experiment to really see, I don't think the hybrid in that generation ES had 16" rims, but I could be wrong.

You can definitely do 17" rims as that was a factory option for the ES 350, that would the easiest and no guess work.

I found a major difference between 18" and 17" wheels with respect to ride quality. I had basically dismissed the ES as I had one for a loaner car and found the ride to be incredibly loud and rough riding. Ended up getting a 17" model and find the ride to be smooth.

I like the Michelin Defender tires, smooth, comfortable, great warranty. Wouldn't recommend either Goodyear or Continental.

Had decent luck with Yokohoma.

Get the Pirelli P7 A+S or Michelin. Run 245/45/18. Problem solved. Other Tires suck for ride Quality.

Hello Brad,

Thank you for the response.

So, just to be certain; the 17" rims with Michelin Defender were very comfortable, correct?

If so, that's very good to know. Out of curiosity, how much of a difference did the 17" rims make (if you had to quantify it)?

Would you say it was 25% better, or 50%? I'm just trying to get an idea of how much better 17"'s should be, just in case I can't go down to 16"'s.

Thank you,
BJ

This is your best bet. I have 17's and went up to 225/55/17 with Michelins and the ride/noise is night and day. Going to 17's (215/55/17, stock size) will increase comfort but the 245/45/18 or 225/55/17 upsize is the best route. It will also fill the fender gap better.

16 inch wheels were not available for the 2016. You need to be mindful of brake caliper clearance. You will easily find someone to swap your 18's for 17's. I would if I were closer.

You are still going the wrong direction.

The larger the wheel/Tire the better handling, and comfort you will have with the right tires. I'll tell you again, those Goodyear's and Bridgestone Suck, Get the 245/45/18 Pirelli P7or Michelins. That's a big body heavy car. We tried to tell you from experience.

The 300h is a different drivetrain car, trans and all. Ratio's matched to the smaller wheels. 70 horsepower less? I think, to deal with the 16" wheels. What you want to do makes no sense at all.

Going down to 17 or 16 is just dumb. Someone could buy your 18" Rims put the 245/45/18 2 tires I told you and laugh at the downgraded ride quality and handling you just switched out to 16 or 17 on your car. lol!

I'd say closer to 25%+ better, but to be fair, I was comparing to a dealer loaner and who knows if the 18's were say over inflated. But I remember driving it and saying no way would I ever buy one of these (and I had owned an ES in the past I really liked). Loud booming over every bump, just felt like zero sound deadening, very unsettled over any road that wasn't perfect, etc. I had also rented a new-ish Camry around the same time and found the ride to be way smoother (and it had 16" rims). I was convinced Lexus had ruined the ES.

I came from a LS430 which just isn't a fair comparison, but this generation ES 350 with 17" rims I find to be a smooth and comfortable car, but it does take a little getting used to. The Micheline Defenders were an upgrade from the Yokohamas I had before in terms of ride quality.

It's unfortunate, but every car company has decided they want to be BMW and have removed the luxury car ride to placate car blogs that want a "sporty" ride. The ES 350 is probably the "smoothest" riding luxury car left without going to the flagships like a Mercedes S-Class. But they aren't as smooth as they used to be. I had an ES300 a while ago with 15" rims (yep) and that car rode like it was on a magic carpet. That's what sold me on Lexus. Wheel size is definitely a real factor, you put 20" rims on any car and its hard to smooth out. Something like 17" rims is considered unusually small these days. I remember Car and Driver actually did a detailed test and found car handling, acceleration and fuel economy all went down after about 17" rims. The weight becomes a problem. It's all about the "look" with big rims, but too many buy into the idea that big rims somehow aid handling.

I think the best thing for you to do is find an ES for sale with 17" rims and drive yourself to gauge if its worth it. Putting 16" rims will probably work, it looks like the calipers have enough room, but just couldn't say for sure unless it was mounted on there. You also have to then make sure the right size tire is mounted on the 16" rim to make it close in size to what it replaced. The 17" option just sounds way easier, but if the goal is maximum ride quality, the 16" would probably make an even bigger difference if you don't mind the extra work.

Its not the Rim size. Its the larger Tire sidewall size. 16,17,18 matters not. Go to 20" and you have a very, very low profile side wall. Go to 20" and use a tire with the same side wall height as the 16 you will have a better ride. More rubber, more air cushion.

Also the Tire Brand construction has a major impact too. People here ended up with Bridgestone's new on the cars. Took Bridgestone's off. Whole different cushy ride. Another example would be put 16"'s on the car. Run a very Low Profile performance Z Rated Run Flat hard side wall tire on the car, see what happens ride smoothness wise.

Please listen to him. It is the sidewall size of the tire that helps the ride. More sidewall equals more cushion and a smother ride.

Obviously, was anyone saying anything different?

A larger rim usually accompanies a lower profile rubber tire. If the same aspect ratio was with the larger rim, it would balance out. But that's just not the case, to fit a normal wheel well, a larger rim usually comes at the expense of the sidewall height.

I really dislike the trend, it's all to appeal to a certain demographic that thinks big "dubs" make a car look good.

lol! Dubs? 18"? The Stock Lexus factory equipped 18" Wheel Lexus manufactured the car with?


Have you driven the ES350 with Factory 18" Rims with a good set of 245/45/18 tires yet? I have, and driven the stock 17". Which rides softer and better?

We were discussing 20" rims when I called it "dubs". The new LS comes with 20" rims and is frequently criticized for a harsh ride.
ES350's came stock with 17" rims , the 18" were an available option. I have the standard 17" rim.

All things being equal, 17" rims on the same brand of tires (with the taller sidewall) is going to have a softer ride than an 18". I'm not really sure why you are even arguing that?

You are correct, but the tire he is talking about (245/45/18) is an upsize from stock and therefore has the same ride that the 17 inch offers. I have gone a step further and upsized my 17 inch tires to 225/55/17 and the ride is even better.

The aspect ratio of "45" on the 18" rim is the same for what came from the factory, so not sure how that helps.
And "55" on the 17" rim is also what came stock.

Yes you can feel the difference with a Taller sidewall if you understand putting on a taller side wall and tire calculations. Or you can do like the Thread and try and reinvent the wheel. LOL!