New Continental tires on my LS460, Wooow!
03-12-23, 06:12 AM
#1
Intermediate
Thread Starter
New Continental tires on my LS460, Wooow!
So a couple of days ago I decided to replace all 4 tires on my car which weren’t that old, but the tread was wearing down rapidly and I could feel every crack on the road, and the car was riding rough. Luckily discount tire hooked it up by warranting out my set of Pirellis Cinturato P7’s I had on before since the tires wore down too soon, they pro rated the new tires I bought so I got a pretty good deal on new Continentals “ TrueContact” tire.
I decided to go up a tire size with a slightly taller sidewall that should have been stock from the factory IMO, 235/55’s instead of stock for added cushioning from road impacts.
They are expensive tires, but not as expensive as the high end “ProContact LS” ones that I was seriously contemplating on buying.
The reason why I didn’t go with the ProContacts was because of the higher “V” speed rating. The higher the speed rating, usually in most cases, the stiffer riding the tire.
I wanted a softer, “cushy” tire that will ride smooth over rougher pavement and absorb bumps better, and the TrueContacts was the perfect match for what I was looking for. Reason being is that the speed rating is only a “T” therefore it is a softer riding tire.
And lemmme tell you! The car was literally transformed instantly! The bigger tires fit perfectly in the wheel well, although it does look a bit strange seeing the bigger tire on the wheel, but the car drives and rides so much better than before I was very surprised. It sits a bit higher too, not a big deal to me to be honest.
It also handles way better, is even more quiet than before, lean less in corners, and it’s more stable on the freeway. These tires ride so nice, they are quiet as heck as road noise is hushed, and it’s rides so smoothly over streets that prior to the old tires, I would feel the harsh impacts entering through the cabin. Not anymore. Having a slightly taller sidewall made a big difference over bumps, I don’t feel them as much and deep cracks on the road and when driving over those little reflectors on the freeways, don’t penetrate the cabin anymore liked before either. You don’t feel anything, you simply hear a quiet “thud thud” that’s it.
Now some will say “ Well of course your car is going to ride and drive better, they’re new tires”.
Well my response is, even when I bought the Pirellis P7’s new, I still felt some road harshness and bumps were also still prevalent compared to these Continentals. I only put about 18,000 miles on the Pirellis and they were just about needing a replacement. Small cracking on the sidewalls as well and the ride quality got even worse over time.
So I would recommend to everyone that is searching for a smoother more comfortable ride, to go a size up on the tires with added rubber on the rims. As the tires wear down, at least having that extra rubber on the wheels will help absorb more of the road for a longer period of time.
Low profile tires suck IMO, I’ve never liked them no matter how nice they make a car look. You sacrifice so much in riding smoothness and the tires seem to wear much faster than larger tires do. Yet, so many people drive with 235/40-45 aspect ratio tires with pretty much ZERO sidewall and they wonder why they keep having blowouts. Nothing that small should be on a luxury vehicle period. That is simply not enough rubber to absorb bad roads properly.
Unless you live in a city or town where your infrastructure is well maintained, you drive on fairly smooth and straight roads, then you might not care to go up a tire size. But if you live in a city where you’re literally dodging potholes left and right like me, it’s a must having larger sized tires. It helps protect the rim from damage as well. Best decision I’ve made so far with my LS.
I decided to go up a tire size with a slightly taller sidewall that should have been stock from the factory IMO, 235/55’s instead of stock for added cushioning from road impacts.
They are expensive tires, but not as expensive as the high end “ProContact LS” ones that I was seriously contemplating on buying.
The reason why I didn’t go with the ProContacts was because of the higher “V” speed rating. The higher the speed rating, usually in most cases, the stiffer riding the tire.
I wanted a softer, “cushy” tire that will ride smooth over rougher pavement and absorb bumps better, and the TrueContacts was the perfect match for what I was looking for. Reason being is that the speed rating is only a “T” therefore it is a softer riding tire.
And lemmme tell you! The car was literally transformed instantly! The bigger tires fit perfectly in the wheel well, although it does look a bit strange seeing the bigger tire on the wheel, but the car drives and rides so much better than before I was very surprised. It sits a bit higher too, not a big deal to me to be honest.
It also handles way better, is even more quiet than before, lean less in corners, and it’s more stable on the freeway. These tires ride so nice, they are quiet as heck as road noise is hushed, and it’s rides so smoothly over streets that prior to the old tires, I would feel the harsh impacts entering through the cabin. Not anymore. Having a slightly taller sidewall made a big difference over bumps, I don’t feel them as much and deep cracks on the road and when driving over those little reflectors on the freeways, don’t penetrate the cabin anymore liked before either. You don’t feel anything, you simply hear a quiet “thud thud” that’s it.
Now some will say “ Well of course your car is going to ride and drive better, they’re new tires”.
Well my response is, even when I bought the Pirellis P7’s new, I still felt some road harshness and bumps were also still prevalent compared to these Continentals. I only put about 18,000 miles on the Pirellis and they were just about needing a replacement. Small cracking on the sidewalls as well and the ride quality got even worse over time.
So I would recommend to everyone that is searching for a smoother more comfortable ride, to go a size up on the tires with added rubber on the rims. As the tires wear down, at least having that extra rubber on the wheels will help absorb more of the road for a longer period of time.
Low profile tires suck IMO, I’ve never liked them no matter how nice they make a car look. You sacrifice so much in riding smoothness and the tires seem to wear much faster than larger tires do. Yet, so many people drive with 235/40-45 aspect ratio tires with pretty much ZERO sidewall and they wonder why they keep having blowouts. Nothing that small should be on a luxury vehicle period. That is simply not enough rubber to absorb bad roads properly.
Unless you live in a city or town where your infrastructure is well maintained, you drive on fairly smooth and straight roads, then you might not care to go up a tire size. But if you live in a city where you’re literally dodging potholes left and right like me, it’s a must having larger sized tires. It helps protect the rim from damage as well. Best decision I’ve made so far with my LS.
Last edited by FlexnLexus; 03-12-23 at 06:15 AM.
03-12-23, 06:35 AM
#2
Pole Position
I got Continental LS and I have no complains about it. We had a number of winter storms this year, however, I did not have issues with traction.
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Shakka65 (03-12-23)
03-12-23, 09:35 AM
#3
Lexus Fanatic
I would not run a tire size other than the OEM size, you’re messing with the suspension geometry, your speedometer and odometer are no longer accurate, etc. A lot of the difference in the ride is a placebo driven by new tires, but even if the additional size does pay a dividend in ride comfort it’s not worth messing with what the vehicle designers designed.
I live outside of Washington DC and DC roads are terrible, I have never bent a wheel or damaged a wheel or had a pothole flatten a tire. Granted I’ve never had a car with super low profile tires but you just have to be aware of potholes and things when you are driving. 40-45 series sidewalls are not low profile tires. 30 series sidewalls, sure.
If you want more sidewall much better to go down to 18s than to put the wrong size tires on the 19s.
I live outside of Washington DC and DC roads are terrible, I have never bent a wheel or damaged a wheel or had a pothole flatten a tire. Granted I’ve never had a car with super low profile tires but you just have to be aware of potholes and things when you are driving. 40-45 series sidewalls are not low profile tires. 30 series sidewalls, sure.
If you want more sidewall much better to go down to 18s than to put the wrong size tires on the 19s.
Last edited by SW17LS; 03-12-23 at 09:38 AM.
03-12-23, 10:16 AM
#4
Lexus Champion
Glad to hear they are working well for you, I would also say it's better to reduce rim then alter sizes.
You always want to keep the overall diameter as close to stock as possible for the same of suspension geometry. I went with wider tires but my overall diameter remained the same/effectively the same.
You always want to keep the overall diameter as close to stock as possible for the same of suspension geometry. I went with wider tires but my overall diameter remained the same/effectively the same.
03-12-23, 05:03 PM
#5
Intermediate
Thread Starter
I do have 18’s on my car. So far the suspension seems fine, and the car handles great. The take off is a bit slower due to the increased tire size, but it’s very negligible.
I heard other people running larger tires on these cars without any issues, mainly wider tires that is.
The car definitely rides much better with the larger tire, and I understand that the speedometer is going to be off slightly, I’ll have to use my phone to get the accurate speed, and match that on the speedometer to get the exact number.
Do the LS430’s ride on a 235/55R18? I just thought it was a mistake for Lexus to lower the aspect ratio of the tires on such a large car that focuses on riding comfort and isolation.
40-45 series tires seem low profile to me. Every time I see a car with tires that size, I wonder why even bother having tires on the wheels since there so damn thin to begin with.
This is why I notice Hyundai and Kia vehicles still tend to use larger tires than most other brands since they focus on riding comfort vs sporty handling.
If for whatever reasons problems occur in a short amount of time here, I can always swap them out with the stock size for no extra charge. I’ll give it a week and see how the car performs long distance. I plan on driving up to L.A. this week.
I heard other people running larger tires on these cars without any issues, mainly wider tires that is.
The car definitely rides much better with the larger tire, and I understand that the speedometer is going to be off slightly, I’ll have to use my phone to get the accurate speed, and match that on the speedometer to get the exact number.
Do the LS430’s ride on a 235/55R18? I just thought it was a mistake for Lexus to lower the aspect ratio of the tires on such a large car that focuses on riding comfort and isolation.
40-45 series tires seem low profile to me. Every time I see a car with tires that size, I wonder why even bother having tires on the wheels since there so damn thin to begin with.
This is why I notice Hyundai and Kia vehicles still tend to use larger tires than most other brands since they focus on riding comfort vs sporty handling.
If for whatever reasons problems occur in a short amount of time here, I can always swap them out with the stock size for no extra charge. I’ll give it a week and see how the car performs long distance. I plan on driving up to L.A. this week.
Last edited by FlexnLexus; 03-12-23 at 05:07 PM.
03-12-23, 05:20 PM
#6
Lexus Fanatic
Everyone can do what they want, but I would not run a non OEM size. LS460s on 18s run 50 series tires, which are pretty tall sidewall already. Suspension "seems fine" but what about when you pitch it into an emergency maneuver? You won't know until it becomes dangerous. Wider tires are different than taller tires.
Ls430s on 18s run smaller sidewall tires than the LS460.
Ls430s on 18s run smaller sidewall tires than the LS460.
03-13-23, 12:12 PM
#7
Uhhhhh yeah, I'm going to have to go ahead and sort of agree with Steve on this. I know you guys may get tired of me mentioning this, but as I got to experience vehicle development 1st hand, WITH TOYOTA, those chassis / suspension engineers not only spend a lot of time planning / designing a tire suitable to the suspension / chassis set up, but then they spend gobs of time on a test track doing all manner of maneuvers and running across all manner of specifically designed surfaces. So much track time that it would give a lot of people motion sickness. I would just stick to the OEM specified sizes. I designed for Hyundai-Kia also. But I'll just leave that alone. I'm going to agree also with Steve that a lot of the effect you're feeling is placebo from new tires. No disrespect. And it's a free country brother, do as you please.
Right now, I'm contemplating between the Michelin Cross Climates and the Bridgestone Turanza Quiettracks. Ultimately I only care about the quietest friggin tires I can buy. I could care less about ANY OTHER performance spec. I don't care about dry traction or any other traction. All I want it a quiet tire, and that it will last a reasonable amount of miles. I bought a set of Quiettracks for the wife's '09 Toyota Matrix (hooptie) and wow, what a difference. Granted the outgoing tires were crap. I don't care about the other performance aspects because, it never snows down here in the Thunderdome to amount to anything, and otherwise, I drive like grampa, not like Mario Andretti or Big Daddy Don Garlits. I just want the tires to shut up and let me listen to the exhaust. Aaaaaaahhhhhhh.
Personally, I don't like the way the Cross Climate2s look. They look like a winter tire, even though they're an All Season. And they're rated #1. I had bad experience with a set of Bridgestones on my truck. But the truck tires are E-Rated tires so that's a whole nother type of tire. PM me Steve, if you don't mind, and point me the way brother...
Right now, I'm contemplating between the Michelin Cross Climates and the Bridgestone Turanza Quiettracks. Ultimately I only care about the quietest friggin tires I can buy. I could care less about ANY OTHER performance spec. I don't care about dry traction or any other traction. All I want it a quiet tire, and that it will last a reasonable amount of miles. I bought a set of Quiettracks for the wife's '09 Toyota Matrix (hooptie) and wow, what a difference. Granted the outgoing tires were crap. I don't care about the other performance aspects because, it never snows down here in the Thunderdome to amount to anything, and otherwise, I drive like grampa, not like Mario Andretti or Big Daddy Don Garlits. I just want the tires to shut up and let me listen to the exhaust. Aaaaaaahhhhhhh.
Personally, I don't like the way the Cross Climate2s look. They look like a winter tire, even though they're an All Season. And they're rated #1. I had bad experience with a set of Bridgestones on my truck. But the truck tires are E-Rated tires so that's a whole nother type of tire. PM me Steve, if you don't mind, and point me the way brother...
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03-13-23, 12:43 PM
#8
Lexus Champion
As above testing is insane, I know one of the Honda Merrysville test drivers and screwing with the tire overall diameter is not a good idea, width is only going to increase suspension wear out rates but you will gain grip in exchange. Compound trumps width though so all metrics are assumed to be compared using the same compound
03-13-23, 05:00 PM
#9
Instructor
I believe that Conti tires have a 60 day no questions-asked money-back guarantee. They've said that multiple times on the YT "Speed Academy". I think you should be able to take them back and put the factory size on with little to no cost to you.
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THE_CEO (03-21-23)
03-14-23, 09:23 AM
#13
Lead Lap
iTrader: (1)
Something to consider is insurance and injury ramifications. If there's an accident, there is a potential for the insurance adjuster to note the tire size and the potential for the insurance to decline coverage. Also the feelings you may live with in case of fatality or permanent injury to others. It can also open you to a lawsuit that insurance will not cover. It's a gamble. Potentially, you could have money taken from your paycheck for years or decades. Not to mention any spouse or children you may have that are affected. Sounds dramatic? It's a gamble that you should at least give careful consideration to. My buddy is a personal injury attorney and said that suits like this are expensive even if you "win". They do happen. CA is known as a state where lawsuits are common.
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Dave144239 (03-14-23)
03-14-23, 10:29 AM
#14
Lexus Fanatic
That is also a really good point...