LexusTaxi

Hello everyone, new here, I am a Taxi Operator in Brisbane, Australia and up until the flood we had at the end of February I used to operate 2 x Lexus es300h's that I bought brand new (2014 and 2015), 1 of them didn't survive so I have replaced it with a 2021 es300h F Sport, my question is, can I change the rim size from 19'' to 18" if I can keep the tyre circumference the same?
My Mechanic seems to think so, says the cars are not that smart, yet other people tell me I have to have it recalibrated by Lexus, which I am told costs a penny. Before you ask, It will be a Taxi and we go through tyres, 18" is common on the Camry's and a lot cheaper than 19". A side note, best car to use as a luxury taxi!!, the one that went to the big cab rank in the sky had done 711k klms, the one that is left has done 650k klms and to be honest is still a great car to drive, with far less spend on maintenance then the Presara's and Ford's I used to use

ESh

You can fit 235/45R18, that is the 18” dimension for the 300h non-F sport.

E46CT

So far the 300h hybrid powertrain seems to be good longevity wise, i've seen a couple examples approaching 1,000,000 miles.

LexusTaxi

Thanks ESh, can give it a go, can use them on some Camry's I run a cabs if there are any dramas

grp52

In the below I'm assuming Australian sold ES's have the same tire sizing as US sold versions but don't necessarily use the same size marking system as used in the US. (Note: I made a similar comparison in my thread Base model verses F Sport post #2 but updating it here using Australian units of measurement.)

There is a very slight difference in diameter and circumference between 235/40R19 and 235/45R18. From the Tire Size Comparison Calculator:

Size 1 235/40R19
Size 2 235/45R18
Compare
Size 1 Size 2 Diff
Diameter 671mm 668mm -0.4%
Width 235mm 235mm 0%
Sidewall 94mm 107mm +13.5%
Circum. 2106mm 2101mm -0.4%
Revs/km 475 476 +1

The calculator also shows the speedometer error but even there the difference is in the 0.1 to 0.7 km/h range.

For general usage, the slight differences in diameter/circumferences shouldn't be a concern since the difference is mostly in the new versus worn out tire band of difference. However, since you're using the car for commercial taxi/car-for-hire type of service, there's a big question as to how strict are the local Australian rules on deviating from the stock OEM configuration that will have a deviation, even if very slight, in distance measuring. Shorting a 1 kilometer distance by 2.1 meters doesn't seem like much, but if you have super strict rules and regulations enforcers that require deviations from distance affecting OEM equipment to go through an approved "Weight and Measures" recalibration then that's something you'll have to take into account.

I don't know if this will apply to your Australian equipped ES model but I'll mention it in case something similar applies to your model. For US Navigation system equipped models, the [US] XXXX Lexus ES YYYY Navigation and Multimedia System Owner's Manual (page location varies by version) has a "Tire change calibration" section which has instructions for recalibrating the navigation system for the differences between the old and new sets of tires.

LexusTaxi

Thanks so much grp52, the legality of it being a Commercial Vehicle and doing what could be perceived as modifications by our TMR (Transport and Main Roads) is something I should have thought about first. When I see a Compliance Officer on the road (they are out all the time) I will ask them, The vehicle has not arrived yet, its being transported here from Melbourne, once it arrives I will go through the Manual and see if they have anything in there for the GPS. Thanks also for the website, have passed it along to my mechanic, he no doubt uses it or a similar site. Looking at the cost of tyres on that site makes me cry here in Australia, 235/40/19's range between $390 and $435 here, where US avg on that site is around $180USD

LexusTaxi

E46CT, unfortunately the 2015 that I still have has reached its age limit to be used as a Taxi, we have been given a reprieve for another 12 months as the supply issue here is getting crazy, 8 month delay on new Camrys, Lexus close to 10 months, the one I bought was a Demo. I am sure the 2015 which would probably end up with 750k on it by time I am finished with it would make a great second car for someone, they just keep going!!

grp52

I did a quick search and found Lexus Australia has available downloadable pdf versions of the ES manuals. ES 300H AUDIO SYSTEM / NAVIGATION & MULTIMEDIA SYSTEM OWNER'S MANUAL (AUG 20 - AUG 21) is where you'll find the "view" link where you'll have to go through an accept/decline permission form to get to the goodies. On page 106 of that version you'll find the "Tyre change calibration" section.

LexusTaxi

Thanks grp52. I think I will go for the rim change from new, if everything works out, I'll probably sell the originals, I need 5 rims and tyres, in case we have a flat during a shift, they can come to my place and replace it, its illegal here (and Probably there to drive a Taxi with a Space Saver Tyre with paying Passengers) Thanks for your help and info!!

LexusTaxi

Hi, finally got the cab on the road, its been a marathon, changed the rims, thanks for all your help
here is a pic