AzNhOmie662

I want to know how you guys feel about driving 300+ miles or a road trip on 18 + size wheels and aftermarket suspension? Did you guys loose a lot of mpg? Did you guys loose comfort? I'm thinking about buying some new wheels and a suspension but I'm more on the comfort side because I'm going to do a lot of road travel. Let me know what you guys think.

Thanx for all the info!!

mooretorque

I can't answer for the 18" wheels since I'm on factory 17s, but I have strut tower braces (which don't noticeably affect ride) and L-Tuned suspension plus TRD sway bars (which do) and I personally find my car more comfortable to drive since I no longer have a feeling that the body is riding in a somewhat queasy disconnected fashion on top of the suspension but WITHOUT losing that Lexus comfort. Passengers (esp SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED) have not complained of any degradation in comfort.

Highly recommended.

Iceman

My wife and I drove cross-country twice in our GS with L-Tuned shocks/springs and 18" wheels, and didn't find it any more uncomfortable than being in ANY car for that long. The GS is such a great cruiser that those minor mods don't affect ride comfort all that much, I think.

AROD

Do it !!! I drop it with L-sportline and have 18 maya on it and like it a lot better then the factory 16 and then
my factory 17. Although take it from me 18 are cool but sometime I wish I would have went 19. I was worried about the ride.

MrSypher

Well, lat night I drove 300+ miles on my Tein Coilovers with 20" rims. And the car doesn't drive bad nor does it feel harsh.. The only thing is that you have to be weary of pot holes and things of that nature.. With that being said I don't think that your giving up too much considering your car will handle like a champ...

AzNhOmie662

U drove on 20's and didn't felt uncomfortable? What's the setup on your car? I assume that you have low profile wheels. I think about just putting 18's but I want 19's for that really nice look but if u guys don't feel problems on 20's I might even consider it but I worry about having more than 3 people in the car and going over speed bumps. Pot holes are not a biggy on my worry list unless I hit it at around 85 mph. How do u guys feel about the gas mileage? Do u guys think u could go 300+ miles on a single gas tank. What I'm getting at is that my pops on his 99 LS 400 (stock of course) can go about 300+ miles without filling up. I wonder if our cars can get that same great mileage but I'm not sure because I never see too many people with a minor modded Lexus.

AzNhOmie662

Also what brand tire do u use when traveling long distances? I'm not really looking for something too sporty but I just wanted to know if there is any real significant difference. On our family's 94 Toyota 4Runner the tires didn't wear down until around 70,000 miles. Maybe this sounds like BS to you guys but I'm not really the agressive driver with a killer instinct when I was 16.

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

Azn,

What are currently on your GS, 16"s or 17"s?

I moved from 16 to 17 to 18.

OEM 16 to OEM 17, definite increase in sporty feel and handling, definite decrease in comfort.

OEM 17 to aftermarket 18 (both with same tires), not much difference. Slightly rougher ride, handling is about the same.

All three are tolerable IMO.

AzNhOmie662

17's stock, I'm thinking to go to 18's when I get the L-Sportline kit. I know that everyone will think 18's are just too small, but I havn't got to see anyone with that kit on 18's. I've been only seeing 19's or 20's.

AROD

Look on the gallery and go back through the pictures I posted and you'll see my car with the explosion kit and 18 and 17

futuregs

i drove from FL to NY on 20's and Lowered suspension (Espelir). No problems here, i like it.

///MDex

Ditto - the GS is a great cruiser, even with 18s and LTuned (plus suspension mods). I never realized how great of a cruiser it was until I took a road trip about a month ago, the route I know very well, in a another car, and the difference in cruising/ride quality was night and day.

The leather and wood help the drive quite a bit as well.

MrSypher

I have Toyo T1-S's and I swear by those tires... IMO the best you can get... But anyway, there's definetly a drop in comfort when you go from a big beefy tire to some lowpro rubberbands.. But it's something that I can deal with considering the ride quality is still better than most cars...

LS4fun

How often do you do that brandon, FL to NY? How long is the ride? Do you stop in the middle somewhere and do you do the trip by yourself?

futuregs

ride is 24 hrs, i drive nonstop, only to eat and bathroom breaks.
I do it 2 times a year = 1400 Miles.


BTW I heard bout your car, glad to see your okay,