Why Different Sizes
There are mutiple reasons why the tires are staggered.
The first is that since the car is a RWD (rear wheel drive) car, then all the power goes to the back two wheels. Therefore, the back two wheels tend to break loose under hard acceleration more readily than the tires in front; having larger, wider tires in the back prevents losing of traction and allows you to utilizing the power effectively. However larger tires comes with increase weight, and since the front tires are only for steering, you don't really need to have the front tires being as wide as the back tires (saving you weight).
yes you can use the same size tires all around, but it gives you no real advantage other than you can rotate your tires
The first is that since the car is a RWD (rear wheel drive) car, then all the power goes to the back two wheels. Therefore, the back two wheels tend to break loose under hard acceleration more readily than the tires in front; having larger, wider tires in the back prevents losing of traction and allows you to utilizing the power effectively. However larger tires comes with increase weight, and since the front tires are only for steering, you don't really need to have the front tires being as wide as the back tires (saving you weight).
yes you can use the same size tires all around, but it gives you no real advantage other than you can rotate your tires
The IS250 actually does come with the same size all around on some models. All of the AWD models do, and some base model RWD models outside of the USA also do. They came with 205/55R16 all around on those RWD models. I am running 205/50R17 winter tires on my 2011 IS250 RWD which came with staggered 17's without any issues.
Jeff
Jeff
Last edited by Jeff Lange; Jan 3, 2011 at 11:41 AM.
The only problem i can see with running the same size tires front and rear, is that the wheels are different widths from and rear. 18x8 front and 18x9 rear... that is, if you have 18's. The 17's im pretty sure are different widths as well, as the 17 inch wheels had 225's and 245's...
The 17's are 17x8 all around, the 18's are 18x8 in the front and 18x8.5 in the rear.
16-inch RWD: 205/55R16 front & rear (16x7.0" - Not sold in the USA)
17-inch AWD: 225/45R17 front & rear (17x8.0")
17-inch RWD: 225/45R17 front, 245/45R17 rear (17x8.0")
18-inch RWD: 225/40R18 front, 255/40R18 rear (18x8.0" front/18x8.5" rear)
Jeff
16-inch RWD: 205/55R16 front & rear (16x7.0" - Not sold in the USA)
17-inch AWD: 225/45R17 front & rear (17x8.0")
17-inch RWD: 225/45R17 front, 245/45R17 rear (17x8.0")
18-inch RWD: 225/40R18 front, 255/40R18 rear (18x8.0" front/18x8.5" rear)
Jeff
Last edited by Jeff Lange; Jan 3, 2011 at 11:39 AM.
The 17's are 17x8 all around, the 18's are 18x8 in the front and 18x8.5 in the rear.
16-inch: 205/55R16 front & rear (RWD, 16x7.0")
17-inch: 225/45R17 front & rear (AWD, 17x8.0")
17-inch: 225/45R17 front, 245/45R17 rear (RWD, 17x8.0")
18-inch: 225/40R18 front, 255/40R18 rear (RWD, 18x8.0"/18x8.5")
Jeff
16-inch: 205/55R16 front & rear (RWD, 16x7.0")
17-inch: 225/45R17 front & rear (AWD, 17x8.0")
17-inch: 225/45R17 front, 245/45R17 rear (RWD, 17x8.0")
18-inch: 225/40R18 front, 255/40R18 rear (RWD, 18x8.0"/18x8.5")
Jeff
That's in Canada.
In the US 16" wheels don't exist, and the 17s are not the same tire front and back (on RWD models)
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Read my list again, I never said they were the same front and rear.
I know 16's weren't sold in the USA (They aren't sold in Canada anymore either), but that doesn't really affect anything, does it? My list is accurate. If your car came with 16's, that's the size they would be, haha.
Jeff
I know 16's weren't sold in the USA (They aren't sold in Canada anymore either), but that doesn't really affect anything, does it? My list is accurate. If your car came with 16's, that's the size they would be, haha.
Jeff
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That second quote is what I was talking bout... the "base model RWD" in the US is 17s... (which is why mentioning the lack of 16s is relevant) and which indeed even in your list shows they aren't the same size tires all around. ALL rwd models in the US have staggered wheels.
You are correct, if we are talking specifically about the USA, the RWD models never had the same size all around, and they never had 16's.
The original poster was asking if there would be any issue running the same size all around, and I was just saying base model RWD's came with the same size all around. Just because Lexus USA never sold them that way doesn't mean it's not true.
I wasn't trying to say what you could and couldn't get in the USA, just what was available on the IS. The car is the same either way. My posts were to show what sizes Lexus offered on the IS.
The list I posted is accurate globally, it is not US-specific. I didn't see the need, but I've edited my post anyways.
Jeff
The original poster was asking if there would be any issue running the same size all around, and I was just saying base model RWD's came with the same size all around. Just because Lexus USA never sold them that way doesn't mean it's not true.
I wasn't trying to say what you could and couldn't get in the USA, just what was available on the IS. The car is the same either way. My posts were to show what sizes Lexus offered on the IS.
The list I posted is accurate globally, it is not US-specific. I didn't see the need, but I've edited my post anyways.
Jeff
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