So I had a chance to check out the car over the weekend and I think it looks great. For all of those people bashing the car, what are your thoughts now that you've seen it in person? For the most part, I like the car but there are a couple of things that I would like Lexus to change/add/or update in mid-life cycle refresh.

One thing though that I think Lexus messed up on is the wheels. They're too small! If you look at the car from the side profile, it looks as if the car has on 17 or even 16 inch wheels and not 18 inch wheels and this is the IS350 F Sport I'm talking about. I know it comes with 18" wheels but I think they should have put 19" wheels on there because it makes the car look really bloated from the side profile.

 

You can buy smaller tires for the rims and stretch them, that might make the wheels look bigger, and car lower too!

 

It is actually an illusion created by the LFA-inspired wheel design. The wheels actually look smaller than they actually are because the dual spoke length is too short and the rim of the wheel is thick so the short spoke length always creates an illusion of smaller wheels.

Also, the wheels are way too dark for the spokes to be visible while the wheel is turning.

That is why I think the silver 5-spoke design found in the luxury package are the best. The spokes are way longer in this design and extend all the way to the tip of the rim and also they have a very 3-dimensional look. They fill the wheel very nicely and give an illusion of even 19 inch wheels in real life.

If I were to get the IS350 F-sport, I will ask them to give me the 5-spoke design wheels instead of the F-sport wheels since they look million times better.


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I agree with your assessment, thats why I am taking 17s and gonna throw 19s on after I wear out original tires

 

Well, I do agree that part of the illusion is because the car has grown in size but I just can't quite put my finger on why it looks like it has way under sized wheels. They're the same size as the BMW e90 which is their target car when developing the 3IS but for some reason, the wheels look way too small for the car. Look at an E90 and it looks like the wheels are a good size and the 19" on the e90 looks even better but the ride might be crap.

My thought is maybe the wheels aren't pushed out to the edges enough and so it kinda looks like they're being tucked into the wheel wells instead of looking like they're filling up the wheel wells and spilling out of the wheel wells.

Has anybody taken the chance to check the offset of the F-sport wheels and compared them to maybe the IS-F, 2IS, and the E90 18" wheels? My guess is, the offsets on the 3IS F Sport are not that aggressive.

 

in this thread, (also by Mike, thanks Mike!) there's a pic showing the rims (below) and my problem is not the rims but that the tires are simply too small. some extra side wall would improve the ride and fill the wheel well more.

 

The wheel gap is a problem with the GS F Sport as well, but the wheels do look large enough. I think the problem is that while the GS is sleeker overall the IS is "hefty" with all the cut lines and bulges. The Infiniti M suffers from the same problem. The 19" standard rims on that car look small and only the 20" sport rims properly fit the car. I can't wait to see what IS owners do with aftermarket rims.

 

I think its the wheel gap over anything as the main problem. I think if you did even a mild drop, the wheels look would look fine. That blue one has some 4x4 status going on lol

 

I actually think the 19" wheels on the GS F Sport look fine. The GS F Sport could use a little drop though but the wheels seem to fit the car well and the wheel offset seem to fit the car well too.

 

It's the tires, not the rims. Dinky front tires like on the 2IS look rediculous and don't fill out the wheel well at all. Then the opposite happens at the rear, where the lower bodywork cuts inward, exposing too much tire at the bottom. Looks unfinished or as if someone drove up a curb and folded the bodywork in. This effect is common on pickup trucks behind the back wheels, when the driver has a loaded bed and drops off a curb causing the lower body to scrape and bend in. I can't get my mind passed that when seeing the new IS.

 

Hmm....Would the GS F-Sport rims fit on the 3IS?

 

My observations for this picture and angle of the car as it relates to the wheels are as follows:

1. The front wheels appear to be pushed out far enough but probably could use a little more aggressive offset.
2. Either the wheels are too large for the size tire mounted because it looks like the front tire is being stretched to fit on the rim or the actually tire selected by Lexus doesn't fit quite right on the wheel rim. In my experience, it seems that Bridgestone tend to make their tire shoulders a little rounder than Michelins. I'm not sure if those tires are Bridgestones but that's just an observation that I've seen on many Bridgestone tires.
3. As far as the rear wheels and tires, it seems that the offset on the rear tires need to be way more aggressive. From this angle, it looks like it's way undersized and way tucked into the wheel well.
4. The rear wheel and tires look way under sized.
5. It shows that the car is the F Sport and I believe the F Sport was supposed to have a more aggressivly (though slightly) tuned suspension. I also thought it was supposed to be lower. In this picture, it looks like the car is lifted. From this picture, it looks like it needs at least an 1.5 to 2 inch drop to look normal. In my opinion, that's not even to say that it needs a 1.5-2 inch drop to give it that lowered stance. That's just to make it look like a normal sports sedan coming from the factory. It would need a 2-2.5 inch to make it look more sporty.