ES3

Was going to post in the tires section, but I fear not many new IS owners are over there yet.
What are any of you doing for the crummy weather? If you plan to driver your IS, do you have any suggestions on good tires to replace the summer tread?

Just looking at tire rack, it looks like these are the only options, if I keep the stock 18 inch rims, and they don't yet have a winter wheel tire package, so I'll probably go with the stock 18 route... was toying with the idea of just trying the summer tires, since we don't get much snow here, but I'm thinking they'll grip terribly in the cold weather?

So...Continental or Michelin in the Ultra High Performance all season... and Blizzak or Pirelli in the snow tire section would be the options. FOr the MONEY, I'm leaning toward the Continental's, but the reviews on the site are not great!?


Some of you have already commented.. any other thoughts, suggestions? Also would you recomend going with road hazzard?


Here they are:

Continental ContiExtremeContact
(Ultra High Performance All-Season)
Front: 225/40WR18
Serv. Desc: 88W
Price: $119.00

Rear: 255/40WR18
Serv. Desc: 95W
Price: $159.00




Michelin Pilot Sport A/S
(Ultra High Performance All-Season)
Front: 225/40YR18
Price: $204.00 Special

Rear: 255/40YR18
Serv. Desc: 95Y
Price: $261.00
Road Hazard Program $111.60 total with four tire purchase




Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25
(Performance Winter)
Front: 225/40VR18
Price: $179.00

Rear: 255/40VR18
Price: $231.00
Road Hazard Program $98.40 total with four tire purchase




Pirelli Winter 240 SnowSport
(Performance Winter)
Front: 225/40VR18
Price: $168.00

Rear: 255/40VR18
Price: $203.00
Road Hazard Program $89.04 total with four tire purchase

kensteele

We don't get much snow here in Kansas City but enough snow and ice that I would want to start reseaching now on how to deal with winter weather. I am leaning towards the Blizzaks.

ES3

That's kinda how it is here in Indy too regarding the snow.... Do you have the 17's or 18's? Ever had Blizzaks before?

mkivbadger

Well, my wife's 350 won't be here for 8-12 weeks since she just special ordered it, so depending on when it actually does arrive, we may or may not need snow tires this winter.

I have been looking at Tire Rack just in case though, since I can tell you from personal experience that a high performance rear wheel drive car with low profile summer performance tires is pretty much useless in the Michigan winters. Even an inch or two of snow on the roads and I was in big trouble. I got a set of wheels/tires (Blizzaks) from tire rack for my M3 and they are incredible! What a huge difference. Sooner or later we will do the same for the is350 as I am sold on the Blizzaks.

The first time that I checked, Tire Rack didn't have winter tire/wheel packages for the is350, but checking today, it appears that they do.... strange. Getting the package makes the change over a lot easier!

ES3

Hey thanks for the Tire Rack update. One thing that's strange, the rear 18's are wider than the front, and while tire rack seems to suggest rim packages that are ALL 4 the same size, they price out staggered sized tires?


Anyway, where in Michigan are you? I used to live in both Holland and Stevensville, we didn't get TOO much snow there, but then again, I always had a front wheel drive car. This will be the first rear wheel drive I've owned. I guess it all depends on how they plow as well, my cousin had an M3 with the stock rubber and drove it year round in Chicago, without swapping tread. But they're usually great at clearing the roads in Chicago!

kensteele

I'm in the same boat as you guys, I don't believe the 350 on 18s will handle the bad weather, why take a chance. I have a little bit of money to spend and you can't go wrong with the Blizzaks from what I keep hearing so I have winter tires in mind. I'm used to a good FWD vehicle with all-season and coming from Minneapolis, I can handle it here in Kansas, it just doesn't get bad. But I remember those RWD performance cars getting stuck and having a hard time and I'm so over that at this point....I'm going to spend the money and enjoy my car in the winter weather.

My 350 doesn't arrive until the end of the month. And Dec/Jan is about the right time to make the winter tire purchase. This is the winter tire package I see on tirerack.com, is there a CL forum discount? I'm probably going to buy these around mid-December.

Bridgestone Blizzak LM-25 SelectedChange Tire
Description Qty Price
Front 225/40-18 2 $358.00
Rear 255/40-18 2 $462.00
Current Package Total
$820.00

ES3

If you find out about a discount let us know. i'd emailed Brandon at Tire Rack and he said the web prices are all they can do?

Anyway, just to confirm, you're gonna put the tires on the stock rims, right?

kensteele

My plan is to put these tires on stock rims if I can. Not much point in getting new rims just to run Blizzaks from Dec-Mar, I guess. Aren't basics rims nearly $200/ea?

What are the advantages of getting new rims, does that mean you can changes these yourself meaning put them on for winter weeks and take them off for nice stretches of weather....do this 2 or 3 times per winter season?

That might be worth it for climates where you have 2 or 3 bad spells and the rest of time conditions are such that you probably shouldn't be driving around on snow tires.

Just some thoughts.

ES3

Yeah rims are not cheap. But the thought is over time it's cheaper to just buy a full 2nd set of rims and tires, and swap them yourself, vs. paying for the remount/balance on the 1 set of rims, personally, I'm not yet convinced.

mkivbadger

Yes, this is exactly what I do w/my M3 and what I will do with the wife's 350. I do all of our auto work myself, so swapping winter wheels for summer is no problem versus taking the cars somewhere and paying someone to dismount, remount, balance, etc.

If you have the ability and tools to do your own wheel swapping, I strongly recommend getting a winter wheel/tire package.

kensteele

What more would you need other than a torque wrench?

mkivbadger

Floor jack, jacks stands, air compressor, impact wrench, & torque wrench - if you want to do it easy and right.

upbull340

Another option is to run with the Michelin All Season and not swap out the tires. You can always sell the stock tires on eBay. Obvioulsy you lose some dry pavement handling but not sure that most people would notice. If I get the 350 I'm thinking of going that route. I do know that when my wife had her GS300 the dealer stored her snow tires in the summer and changed them out each season. That too is another way to go if snow tires are improtant to you.

kensteele

That might be a decent option to consider, which all season michelins do you recommend? Because I'm really starting to think winter is not going to be all that bad. And I'm not most aggressive driver, that's why I decided against the performance sport package (plus it wasn't available).

ES3

I'm liking this idea!