Not to beat the winter tire/wheel topic to death, but I wanted to give a heads-up to others checking Tirerack's packages. They offer a 17" package with (only) 17x7 wheels and 225/45 front and 245/45 rear tires.

The problem is that 245/45 tires are only approved for rim widths 7.5-9", and Tirerack is using 7" wide rims. So, the set-up isn't approved by the tire manufacturers for their tires (Blizzak LM25, Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2, etc.).

Can someone please make sense of this? I'm ready to move to FL or TX with all this winter hassle!!

 

I've been going back and forth with Lexus aboput putting 17" winter tires/rims on my IS 350 (I have 18" performance tires currently). They actually refuse to do it. They will not put on Lexus OEM 17" rims with any combo of 17" tires. They fed me some line of BS that it makes the car "squirrely", whatever the hell that means.

I just said ***** it and decided to put 225/45/18 front and 245/45/18 rear and keep my 18" rims. Perhaps I'll purchase some 19's after winter, but I figure the difference between the 18's and the 17's should be about the same traction.