kingCUONG

Hey CL! Well yeah. I bought a used 2011 IS250 SFP at a Toyota dealership in Tallahassee called Legacy Toyota. It had 7,400 miles on her when I bought it. I was just wondering does anyone notice when they are driving, every little tiny bump and the white/yellow painted are felt? I drive around Tallahassee a lot and the roads here are terrible. What I am asking here is, does the IS250 just have really stiff suspension and that's the reason I can feel every little thing in the road? Or could it be that the driver that had owned this car before changed out some 2011 with some older model used parts and traded the car back in? Don't get me wrong. The car is very smooth but I can feel everything in the roads. For a newer IS with like 9K miles on it, still drive like new ? Thanks CL!

shadowman

iTrader: (2)

what size of wheels and tires?

Do you know if previous owner replaced the tires? Any suspension changes by previous owner? What package you have?

What are you comparing the stiffnesss against?

Certain packages will have slightly stiffer springs... if previous owner upgraded suspension with lower springs, you'll have a siffer ride.

Harder tires will have stiffer effect and you'll hear everything it touches...

I have a 2010 IS250 and it rides pretty smooth.

kingCUONG

Dunlop SP Sport 2050
Front: 225/40/18
Rear: 255/40/18

The tires looked pretty new when I got the car. And I don't think they changed the suspension but how can I be sure?

I'm comparing it to a 06 GX470 and a 98 Corolla. The GX is very smooth and I barely feel anything in the road that's what made me want to get another Lexus. And my corolla is a bit bouncy and I can feel some bumps in the road but it's not as bad as my IS. The IS drives really smooth but when I switch lanes and go over the intersection white paint I can feel the unevenness of it, similar to like a mini pot hole or dip in the road. I bought the steering damper for it and it made some what of a difference. I couldn't tell too much.

And I'm not sure if my tires are "hard" ? I understand hearing it but I'm talking about feeling it through the steering. Feels really clunky if that's a good way to describe it.

Dustin2011

I think what you are experiencing is a sports car type of ride. A sports car with 40 series side walls on the tires will not be anywhere near as smooth as a GX470, nor as mushy as your 98 Corolla. You will notice it more on poor roads. I have a stock 2011 IS250 and I do feel the white/yellow lines in the road (you know that paint is raised, right?)

MIA_LEX

iTrader: (4)

test drive before you buy....

p0lo8

I don't know if that is the case. My IS drives smoother than my previous Civic which has beefy tires.

kickin8

iTrader: (1)

the IS is more like a "Sports" car if you compare with your GX....

Sango

iTrader: (10)

GX and IS are two different cars and the feeling is different. I agree with the others, it is the sport feel which you are most likely not used to. It's a similar saying which my family used to have a RX and own a GS which have the smoother like feel.

Try test driving the Scion FR-S, and you get something similar as well. Well to me, felt like I was more like in a cockpit of a race car ha ha!

L3XOTIC

^^^^^^^

Scion FR-S is a very appealing car. Kudos to them.

Your IS is normal feeling the road. Its a sports sedan compact size vehicle. It wont be as smooth as a GX, GS, LS

kingCUONG

I see. Thanks guys. When I test drove it I guess I really wasn't paying too much attention to this. When I had my wrx it wasn't as smooth as the IS but it wasn't as clunky as this car that's for sure.

slimjimtel

The lack of power in the 250 compared to the weight can make the car feel clunky. The 350 helps in this respect, the weight to power ratio is MUCH better. Now that doesn't help your ride quality issue. My wife thinks the IS350 rides smoother than her RX350. Just like the GX, two different vehicles.

First: Check your tire pressures.
Second: have your wheels balanced

Toymota

Check your tire pressures. It can make a world of a difference. Also be aware that from cold inside a garage in the morning, to hot from driving, it can rise about 5psi, which is noticeable.

kingCUONG

That makes sense. Guess it's just something I have to deal with. I love the car though.

What do you have yours at? When I went to the dealership for an oil change they pumped them up to 42 psi for all tires. So I decided to lower them to about 35. Is that right?

Toymota

They should be 35 front/38 rear. But I have Dunlop SP Sport Maxx TT tires on my fronts which have really stiff sidewalls, so I have to run them all the way down at 30psi (cold) just to make the ride bearable They do reach 35psi when hot. Not something I would recommend though because you do lose load capacity, and lose grip or cause treadwear because the tread is not flat.

kingCUONG

Alright. Sounds good. That's what I have them at now. Thanks