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I have no idea how much firmer the damping is on the ES over the years, but just out of interest, here is a rough comparison from Lexus between the old 2005-12 3GS, 2009-16 E Class, 2010-17 5 Series, and the current 2012-19 4GS base model with non-electronic variable valve damping, versus the F Sport with electronic variable valve damping on Sports+ Mode - for body control [shock absorber valving].
Very good to know that you didn't find that much difference in the ride comfort between the LS with 19" wheels and the one with 18" wheels. Do you know which tires were on the 19" car? Your sense that there is not much difference in the ride seems to correspond to the small difference in the sidewall height of the two tires. The 19" wheels come with 245-45 tires while the standard 18" wheels have 235-50 tires. So the difference in sidewall height is only 7.25 mm. or about 0.29"--not a whole lot.
You might be interested that for the fun of it, I swapped my original Michelin Energy MXV4 S8 tires for the Pirelli P7 All Season Plus to see if could get a better ride. Guess what? I thought the Michelins rode slightly better and I didn't notice any difference in noise, so I put the original Michelins back on the car. The Pirellis caused the car to pull to the right, so that problem with at least one of the tires may have contributed to my sense of the ride comfort. Anyway, that was my experience.
Thanks for the advice not to stress about the wheels. I feel much better now.
Gotta chime in on this as I am obsessive about NVH. (fully diagnosed with ocpd). I've switched tires over and over seeking a nicer, quieter ride. I've done two sets of the Cinturatos, I've done the Primacys, and a few other brands like the Nittos, to Radial T/A's and Fuzions lol. Honestly? Almost undetectable differences between comfort and road noise. One of the biggest placebos in the automotive world. I read about "steering inputs" being a little different because of the carcasses speed ratings bla bla bla. Bulllllllllllllllllllllll****. No one here that gets in their Lexus, starts it, then drives to work can EVER feel those MINUTE differences. When I bought my Lexus it had really low profile 64 dollar Fuzion tires on it. Drove it for 2 weeks and pinched a sidewall on a small pothole. Used that as an excuse to switch them all over to the "best" rated tires on Tirerack; the Cinturatos. ZERO difference on road noise. Wanna know what makes tires quiet? The ROAD-which is nothing you can control. The Fuzions were way quieter on blacktop than the Cinturatos were on the concrete here in Michigan. It's not the tires lol. I had the higher performance Nittos on my Buick, and it was the same thing. They handled the same and were just as quiet; on black top. If your neighborhood has concrete roads with some sort of texturing on the surface your tires don't matter at that point-your cabin noises is going to be just like a 98 Grand Am. The only thing you can do is yank your interior and apply some aftermarket sound deadening. (which is what I did to my last car, and what I'm going to do to this car as well)
As far as ride quality I was after a slightly bigger tire this time to help protect the side of the rim and give me a touch more sidewall so I went from the crap 225/45-17 Fuzions to a 235/45-17 Cinturato to give a touch more width & sidewall height. We weren't fully sure how the 235 fifties (which is what I wanted) would fit so we were cautious here. I ran both at the oem's suggested pressure, and at 32 psi all the way around as well. Zero difference in noise, and a tad better straight line ride quality between the two extremes. (the fuzions at 34 vs the pirellis at 32). Though was it worth the 700 or so dollars for that touch different ride quality? Nope. I did it primarily for the reduced noise levels, which I never got
Next set of tires, since tires dont make as much difference as you think, will be some pilot super sport 4's. Why not have good handling with your road noise, right?
After all my tire experiments I've come to the conclusion that the only thing you should be going for in your tire searches are longevity & smoothness (quality) and traction. As far as the other attributes you really can't control that. With this car it seems I gave up overall handling and traction to some attributes that were never attainable in the first place lol. I mean I don't race this car but every once and a while, while trying to turn a corner and stay ahead of traffic I can hear these tires squeal a little, and it makes it look as if I'm trying to take a corner at 85. Should have bought the pilot super sports straight away lol.
The car's overall noise levels and handling are in the cabin's sound dampening (mainly the firewall soundproofing and the glass thickness) and spring rate. Those are you two biggest bangs for the buck.
I completely disagree. I can definitely tell a difference in road noise depending on tires, as can those who test tires as they assign a road noise and ride score to each tire they test. It only makes sense that the tires have an impact here, tread pattern and rubber compound and how they interact with different kids of pavement has a sizable impact based on my experience.
Tires, compounds, belt construction, sidewall design, tread designs, load & speed ratings, and tire pressures will only contribute so much.
Ultimately, it lies in the spring rates, damper valving, damper oil viscosity, and even on the suspension subframe and their liquid filled hydraulic mounts.
It is very easy for a standard soft suspension to upgrade into numerous aftermarket choices for firmer spring rates, and lower ride heights, however it is almost impossible for a firm set up to seek softer suspension in the aftermarket, because increasing roll increases weight transfer, and this impacts on the grip and primary safety of the car.
That's why it is best that manufacturers stick to softer standard setups, and allow buyers to seek firmer suspension set ups in the aftermarket industry.
As opposed to President Akio's idea of firming up all their regular sedans so that TMC can make a name for itself like Maserati etc...
Hello, I have a 2015 ES 350. I find, especially after a recent back injury, that the ride is too stiff on bumps, expansion joints, and uneven road surfaces. This is the case even with the 17" wheels and Michelin Primacy MXV4 tires. Does anyone know of replacement shocks, struts, and springs that will give me a softer ride? I have considered going to 16" wheels and higher profile tires (which will work according to Tire Rack), but I don't think that this alone will give me the degree of improvement in ride that I am looking for. If, as I suspect, there's no reasonable way to accomplish what I want, then Plan B is to test drive a recent model-year LS 460. Thank you for any suggestions you can offer.
Have you tried adjusting the lumbar support?
I would do that before spending anything. The control is just behind the seat adjustment switches
Just to reiterate, if a smooth ride is a priority, I wouldn't even fool with different tire brands before going to a 17" rim first. Really dramatic difference in my experience from the 18". Driving one with an 18" rim had pretty much made me cross the ES off the list but the one I own now has 17" and I find the ride to be smooth. It's not going to be as smooth as ES's from the past, but I would wager it's going to be about as smooth as any car you can purchase new without going to a flagship sedan. Especially when you also drop the air pressure down to the recommended 33psi.
My only critiques are, the road noise is still a bit more pronounced over roads that aren't perfect. It's a still a quiet car, but a little more sound deadening would have been nice.
Also, probably my biggest gripe on this car is how much vibration makes its way through to the steering wheel when it's just idling. That has nothing to do with the suspension though.
Drive the 2016 ES 350 if it's not too late, MUCH better than 2013-2015 based on my test drives, I'll only buy that model for that reason alone!
I owned a 2013 ES for 3 1/2 years, and I've had a 2017 ES for about 10 months. If there is any difference between the ride quality of the two cars, it is so small that I wouldn't notice it. I would guess that those who perceive "a much better" ride quality for the 2016+ ES are either imagining it or else the two cars that they drove had different tires, different tire pressures, or different size wheels.
I owned a 2013 ES for 3 1/2 years, and I've had a 2017 ES for about 10 months. If there is any difference between the ride quality of the two cars, it is so small that I wouldn't notice it. I would guess that those who perceive "a much better" ride quality for the 2016+ ES are either imagining it or else the two cars that they drove had different tires, different tire pressures, or different size wheels.
Has anyone tried to do a suspension part number comparison between the 2013 and 2017?
Pay particular attention to the front coils & front shocks.
At the midlife update, the rears are normally left alone.
The midlife update 4.5GS did have the front suspension changed.
Has anyone tried to do a suspension part number comparison between the 2013 and 2017?
Pay particular attention to the front coils & front shocks.
At the midlife update, the rears are normally left alone.
The midlife update 4.5GS did have the front suspension changed.
I did a quick look on a Lexus online parts store and it does seem there has been some part number changes on the front struts. I wonder if it was softened up as a result of complaints? It's sort of confusing going through this catalog as both options will be listed.
06-16-17, 01:05 PM
