I just purchased my first lexus, Matador Red 2013 ES300h, after driving Acuras for 17 years. My wife hates the wheels and we want to swap them for the ES350 wheels, but the dealer was unable to do this.

Therefore, I am thinking to purchase 17in es350 oem wheels from allfactorywheels.com. Has anyone else done this? If so, what do you do with the stock hybrid wheels? The dealer would not offer credit for those either.

I saw the thread on custom wheels, but I am just interested in es350 stock wheels, not too flashy.

 

I see you're in NC...so probably not so beneficial to put snow tires on them. I don't suppose anyone would want to swap their 350 wheels for your 300h wheels? That would be very convenient.

I've just ordered a '14 300h. The stock 17" hybrid wheel is my absolute most un-liked feature of the car. Like you, I have no interest in "custom" wheels....I generally appreciate vehicles that look nice, well proportioned from the factory. The hybrid wheel really transforms the 300h into a rather "unbalanced", tall, frumpy looking car. It's a shame, because the new ES's body, I think, is very attractive otherwise. The 350 looks "buttoned down" by comparison, particularly with the 18" option, though even the standard 17's look much more settled and in harmony with the body shape. I do think the body-color rear lower valance adds to this "tall, unbalance" look as well (on the 350 it is black and contains the exhaust). I would be very interested in seeing a picture of an otherwise stock 300h with the 350's 17" or 18" wheel.

Sorry for my rant about the wheels...but I generally find Toyota's hybrid wheel styling very disappointing and uninspiring. In most cases, just offering as an accessory or port installed option the option to choose the model's gas wheel counterpart would solve this dilemma. Seems like such a simple solution...though I suppose there are EPA weight class categories that I'm not considering that may be at risk if a heavier wheel option were available...anyway I should probably stop now and go take my medication....

 

No worries on the rant. You provided an interesting analysis on the impact of the hybrid wheels, and I do agree they do change the character of the car. Hopefully someone reading this will want to swap in case the hybrid wheels are more desirable.

Otherwise, I will have to put old ones on Craigslist.

I assume the pictures of the 350 with stock wheels would be what the 300h will look like since the body styles are the same unless I overlooked something.

what are you planning to do with your 14 wheels?

 

Your dealer could be a little more flexible with you on the wheels if he wanted to. I special ordered my ES350 in part because I didn't want the $110 optional wheels that they order on every single car they get and I had a deal to exchange those wth the wheel supplier on the day of delivery for a set of 2012 chrome wheels which I liked. The cost was to be $815. Once I saw my car with the standard wheels - and I've never seen another with my wheels - I opted to keep them and my $815. The deal with the wheel supplier was to be my choice of 2012 or 2013 wheels chromed, mounted, road force balanced etc. When I picked up the car the dealer said they would match the wheel deal I was getting but when they went to check they no longer had any 2012 wheels in stock. Some days I have a little remorse about not getting the chrome wheels but that may just show my age.

Your dealer should have plenty of use for some ES300h wheels. In past deals I have always exchanged whatever wheel was on the car for what I wanted with the dealer - usually for $1,075 without any problem. And I too would rather stay with a factory wheel style. I had a little problem the only time I opted for a third party wheel - the offset was a little different and when I lost a wheel center cap a couple of years later getting a replacement was just about impossible.

It is probably too late for you to do much good with your dealer but maybe they would refer you to their wheel supplier.

Dave Mac

 

I agree that the 300h wheels are quite unsightly. They make it look like a Prius. I don't have any insight into what to do about it, but hopefully you can get the dealer to be more accommodating!

 

Aside from the "300h" badging and Lexus "L" emblems with the purple/blue hue (their hybrid emblem), the most significant exterior difference is the lower rear valence (under the bumper). It is painted body color on the 300h making the the butt look bigger than on the 350. The 350 has this portion containing, of course, the exhaust pipes, and it is a matte black surround. The matte black has a visually slimming effect, making the rear look more tapered, particularly on lighter colored ES's. The 350, too, has the panorama roof option which I think offers a very cool visual contrast on the lighter colored ES's as well (though, knowing me, I'd probably be disappointed with the higher cabin noise).

As for the wheels, I will probably endure them at first while I ponder a potential wheel upgrade. My guess would be that model year '15 will get a wheel refresh....maybe those will be more appealing. I live in MI, so the original wheels would probably get some winter shoes

 

I have asked multiple dealers on swapping wheels, but I have been told the problem is the hybrid has one choice where as the 350 has multiple choices making it hard for dealers to swap along hybrid and non.

Does anyone like the hybrid wheels out there? They must be for someone!

 

I might ask that company if they would be interested in your wheels on trade. Even if they only gave you $50 a wheel it would be something...

 

I have grown to like the wheels on my ES300h, heck, for $50 I would buy one as a spare. You never know when you might scrape a curb or hit an unseen deep pothole.

 

I don't mind them at all. They look easier to clean than the 350's 17's or 18's

but I would really like to see the tire to fender gap reduced. If I lived in a big city with snow and bad potholes, I can see the need... but its too much for Fla.. looks silly.

 

I also like the 300h wheels, and don't see that they make the car look like a Prius.

 

I don't have a problem with the wheels either.

 

My dealer had a set of 2013 wheels pulled off that we sent out to have treated with PVD, physical vapor deposition coating. Lighter than Chrome and apparently stronger. Took about a month to get them back (Chicago Wheel) and cost around $1000 with mount/balance/TPS etc.