SS1990

I recently purchased a used 2012 IS 250 RWD with approx 62k miles. The car has the upgraded 18 inch wheels and the previous owner put 4 Rydanz Roadster R02 (225/40ZR18 92W) tires (from China) on the car. I believe these tires are classified as low profile performance tires.

Since owning the car, the drive quality has been EXTREMELY harsh. I feel every bump, road noise is very noticeable, and the car is tramlining on the freeway. Keep in mind I’m in Michigan and the roads are known to be very poor.

The car has been in a previous accident, but I do not believe that i have a suspension problem. The Lexus dealer balanced and rotated my tires and also performed a 4-wheel alignment. The cars steering wheel is center aligned and the car drives straight down the road with no pulling on a straight and smooth street.

With the the above said, I’m wondering if other IS owners have experienced unbearably harsh rides with their IS? Do you recommend touring tires? All season? I’m not an aggressive driver. I prefer smooth and quiet over loud and noisy!

Thanks for for your help and tire recommendations!

Aspect

Try going down a size to 17" wheels with a 45 sidewall

sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

The RWD car comes with a staggered 18" setup. What size are your rear tires? In any event, cheap chinese tires will not ride nicely, especially 40 series. Get some decent tires (michelin, continental, pirelli) and the car will be transformed. Alternatively, get some stock 17" wheels from the AWD/base model car (same size all round) and get decent tires on those. Cheap tires never end up being a good deal (unless you own a truck or are just selling the car).

SS1990

I have the same Rydanz Roadster R02 (225/40ZR18 92W) tires on all 4 wheels. The staggered setup is not required on the vehicle. Having the same tires all the way around allows me to rotate the tires. I'm planning on getting new Michelin tires this weekend. Any specific recommendations? I'm looking for the most comfortable tire while also providing touring/all-season support. Most of my driving is in the city and the highway. Speeds rarely exceed 75 MPH.

I prefer to not have to spend even more money and downgrade to the 17" wheels...

SS1990

I'd like to keep the 18" wheels and upgrade the tires; perhaps 45 sidewall... Thoughts?

primavera

45 series on 18" will be too much tire, the fronts may rub against the inner fender liner when making full turn, it will also affect your speedometer.
If you want you can go with 235-40-18. Many members of CL use that size as the square set up. If you're looking for comfortable touring tires I would suggest to check out those tires

Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus
Pirelli P Zero All Season Plus
Pirelli P Zero Nero All Season
Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06
Continental ContiProContact
Continental PureContact with EcoPlus Technology
Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 Plus
Michelin Premier A/S
Michelin Primacy MXV4
Bridgestone Turanza Serenity Plus
Yokohama AVID Ascend
Hankook Ventus Evo V12

SS1990

Thanks for that info! What will provide more comfort, 235-40-18 or 225-40-18?

Would I experience that much improvement If I moved down to 17” wheels from the 18’s? I’m trying to avoid this cost.

SeanO

iTrader: (1)

I have Pilot Sport A/S 3+'s and I love them... great in the rain but still good and sticky in the summer.. I'm running 19's and they ride really nice

Running a 17" wheel will give you a lot more comfort - the increased sidewall being the obvious reason

SS1990

Is there a way to maximize the sidewall on my 18's? I'm really trying to avoid buying new 17" wheels... I'm definitely going to take a look at the Pilot Sport A/S 3+'s.

sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

If the car came with factory 18s then the front wheels are 8" and the rear wheels are 8.5" I wouldn't put a 225s on the 8.5" rear wheels - the factory came with 225s in front and 255s in rear.

I swapped out my 18s for 17s to get a smoother ride and to get the same tire size all round (all 4 wheels are 8"). I have 235/45R17 all round.

Aspect

I personally wouldn't suggest increasing the wheel diameter by running that setup, messing with the speedometer and possibly having clearance issues. If you want to stay with 18s, I'd try browsing tirerack for the best rated tires for comfort based on all season/summer/winter preference. I'd also try getting lighter weight wheels, IIRC from a /drive video on HRE wheels - heavier wheels transmits more force to the chassis when it hits bumps versus the lighter weight wheel that "skips" over it

SS1990

I have decided to keep the 18" wheels and buy 4 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 Plus tires. My question is, should I buy four 225/40/R18/92Y/XL/BSW tires or go with a staggered setup of two 225/40/R18/92Y/XL/BSW tires on the front wheels and two 255/40/R18/95Y/SL/BSW tires on the rear?

I really like the ability to rotate all 4 tires for longevity purposes, but again, my ultimate goal is to have the smoothest and most pleasant ride on the car.

What is the benefit of having a staggered setup compared to all 4 matching tires? I don't drive faster than 75 on the freeway and I do 50/50 city and freeway driving...

Thanks for the help!

flowrider

iTrader: (9)

^^^^As sktn77a stated above, the factory 18" wheel setup is staggered. Are your 18s staggered? If they are, I would suggest sticking with the factory staggered tire setup. If not, are they 8" or 8½" wide. If 8" wide you could run 225/40s front and rear, but your OD for the rear wheels would be off close to 1" from stock. 225/45/19 would be very close to the stock OD.

Lou

Zmon

iTrader: (2)

IIRC, rear wheels are 8.5 wide while the fronts are 8 wide. You'll have to run a staggered setup.

I've got the same tires on my car. Honestly, I have no uneven tire wear due to lack of rotating. As long as your alignment is good, it should wear relatively normally. You could always rotate side to side (I haven't even bothered doing this though). I've got about 26k miles on my fronts so far and they have plenty of tread left. I did have to replace my rears though due to them being worn down to the wear indicators (which is obviously because of driving with a lead foot).

SS1990

Appreciate the information! The members of the CL forum are absolutely amazing!