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It's a squared set up on a RWD. 255/40/19 Continental ExtremeContact DWS06. I wanted the extra cushion going through downtown Los Angeles. I'll post up some side shots when I can.
So you got 4 front GS F rims? Did you have to use a spacer for the rear? I was originally thinking of getting 255-40-19 for the rears to get more sidewall for the same reason but opted for 275-35-19. So my overall tire diameter is in between what you have with the 255-40-19 and the oe size 265-35-19.
How does your car handle with the new tires? One thing I noticed with my new set of tires is that the slightly extra sidewall height changes the way the car handles. It's probably a combination of the tire brand/model and sidewall height. Would be nice to compare same tire model in slightly different size to see the difference in the way it drives and handles. With the General G-Max RS (245-40-19 & 275-35-19), the ride is smoother and provides that extra cushion vs the OE Bridgestones but the sidewall seems a bit softer. I believe the G-Max RS tires are made at the same factory as some of the Continental tires of the same size.
The G-Max RS tires are excellent in the rain and I do like the way they handle especially when the weather is below 70 °F, seems the lower the temperature the better it handles. Tire gets harder and the sidewall gets slightly stiffer. I haven't driven it in sub 40 °F climate. Also, I try to keep the psi to about 33-35 psi.
I have ‘19 NX300 long term rental from Lexus via Enterprise . Really miss driving the GS.. it’s going to be the better part of a month and a half until they get the part for my recall
I have ‘19 NX300 long term rental from Lexus via Enterprise . Really miss driving the GS.. it’s going to be the better part of a month and a half until they get the part for my recall
Damn! I called last Friday and they got the part in 4 days. Scheduled to get it done this morning and the GS was ready at 2pm. A month...?
Cleaned the roof liner and inside of the headrest with Sonax alcantara cleaner, very good product, cleans really well and dries very fast, everything looks new again.
Did you enjoy it? How does the driving and quality compare to the GS?
Did not get sufficient seat time to make a proper comparison but here are first impressions:
Suspension - comfortable, and sufficient for Florida roads, not a lot of twisties down here so a stiff, sporty suspension typically isn't needed. The ride was not "floaty" as most have described it but actually felt pretty planted... but neither did I push the suspension to induce body roll.
Engine - did not push hard but did have a few 0-60 runs and passes in Sport mode, and downshifting with paddles. Power felt comparable to the GS. Some torque steer became apparent on aggressive acceleration, but noting crazy.
Interior - Nice cabin, similar-sized to the GS. Seemed like there was more plastics than the GS. I prefer the instrument panel in the GS... the text size on the ES' display was a tad too small for these 51-yr-old eyes.
Touchpad - I missed my remote touch. Even with more time behind the wheel, I could not see the touchpad becoming more user friendly than the remote touch. Nice screen size and resolution, an upgrade to the GS.
ML - I listen to music from the Caribbean... lots of soca and reggae... this ML sounded superior to the GS' setup. Sound was fuller and sharper, and bass was "bigger". Disclaimer... I am not an audiophile. Did not try Car Play.
Would I buy this? Yes, but every time torque steer kicked in, I would miss the GS.
Did not get sufficient seat time to make a proper comparison but here are first impressions:
Suspension - comfortable, and sufficient for Florida roads, not a lot of twisties down here so a stiff, sporty suspension typically isn't needed. The ride was not "floaty" as most have described it but actually felt pretty planted... but neither did I push the suspension to induce body roll.
Engine - did not push hard but did have a few 0-60 runs and passes in Sport mode, and downshifting with paddles. Power felt comparable to the GS. Some torque steer became apparent on aggressive acceleration, but noting crazy.
Interior - Nice cabin, similar-sized to the GS. Seemed like there was more plastics than the GS. I prefer the instrument panel in the GS... the text size on the ES' display was a tad too small for these 51-yr-old eyes.
Touchpad - I missed my remote touch. Even with more time behind the wheel, I could not see the touchpad becoming more user friendly than the remote touch. Nice screen size and resolution, an upgrade to the GS.
ML - I listen to music from the Caribbean... lots of soca and reggae... this ML sounded superior to the GS' setup. Sound was fuller and sharper, and bass was "bigger". Disclaimer... I am not an audiophile. Did not try Car Play.
Would I buy this? Yes, but every time torque steer kicked in, I would miss the GS.
I haven't driven the new ES, but rode in one briefly. I agree that although the interior has been updated, overall the car seems to be made of lesser quality than our GS. It's not bad, not at all, just not as great as the GS. The ES probably does 95% of what the GS can do under normal driving conditions. But I do agree with you, the difference will probably be more noticeable when the car is pushed harder such as the torque-steer that you mentioned. AhhH! Hate to know there isn't a real replacement for the GS!!
Here's my quickie review of the '19 NX300, which is AWD
The Good:
The 2.0 turbo has some good torque and the awd system is nice in that it can put some power down to get the car moving. I think this car is geared lower than the GS to get it moving, as it weighs more than my car by about 150-200 lbs. There is plenty of power when passing on the freeway up to about 100, then it starts to lose steam. Like most Lexus vehicles, you have to give it the beans to actually move the car quickly. The suspension is decent, and soaks up most bad roads fine without being jarring. The Radar cruise works well, keeping a safe distance from cars in front.
The infotainment with carplay is a huge plus , it is a sin and a shame that lexus did not upgrade the GS with this before killing it. Its not touchscreen, but carplay works well and the integration is good; calls were clear, "Hey Siri" worked great and the nice thing is all audio sources are mixed, so you can have Carplay for maps with the audio, and use either the radio or bluetooth as a source of music. This only works like this when carplay is not playing music, when carplay plays music does it mute other sources. The OEM map navi has turn by turn directions integrated into the drivers's instrument cluster, which was nice, it would have been excellent is if carplay map directions was integrated into the instrument cluster as well.
AC works good for a 4 cylinder, and average MPG was a decent 27 ( i put my foot in it quite a bit , and usually drive in sport+)
There is something to be said about the higher seating position of a "SUV" like the NX; getting in and out of the car is much easier, and loading the trunk is easier than the GS, even though the trunk is smaller.
The Bad:
It is very apparent this is a smaller car with a shorter wheelbase when you are driving at speed on the freeway. The GS is mostly one handed driving, the NX REQUIRES both hands on the wheel above 50-60 mph. The steering is twitchy, and merges require a lead foot and full concentration on steering inputs. The B pillar and side mirrors hold no candle to the GS's visibility. I know the GS side mirrors are slightly curved to help with blind spots; its something so slight you only notice it wen you drive a different car. The seating position is awkward, and my 6' 300 lb frame could not adjust the seat far back enough to be comfortable for long drives. I fit in the car with less than 3" headroom. The trunk is average compared to the cavernous GS trunk. Back seats are a no-go if you are 6' or above. The LDAS system is useless, it just jiggles the wheel, does not steer or assist.
Everyone hates on the GS's infotainment built into the dash, but after driving two cars with a "tablet" stuck on the dash, I completely understand why the Lexus engineers put the display there. The display did have some glare from the sun, and dust was an eyesore on the screen. As with everything in life, its a trade-off of whether you want to reach the screen or see the screen. In the future Lexus should angle the enclosure of the screen slightly to block sun.
The Ugly:
The seats are not comfortable for long drives. It felt like i am being supported mainly on my lower back than my butt and thighs. The GS drivers seat has a extendable thigh cushion, which helps much more than I would think. Also the seating position is too low, as if i was sitting in a kids chair. The cooling fan for the drivers seat is noisy. I am not sure if this is just the bad roads i drive on in NorCal, but the car was noisy, definitely not as quiet as a RX. The kick sensor to open the trunk could never sense my size 15 men's shoe, which is laughable. The sounds system was decent but could not hold a candle to my GS with ML ; I have yet to hear a sounds system as good and clear as the GS in any Lexus, though i have only driven a RX, NX and ES. The car is not quiet enough for the "luxury" mark on the freeway, though this could be the tires. The foglights are weak and illuminate the area below the bumper only a few feet.
I feel this car is best cross shopped against a high equipped CRV , if you are comparing this against a RX, get the RX.
This car is best for people who are under 6' , and drive mainly in the city.
06-09-20, 01:59 PM
Feynlab 5yr
