...this what I found in the LEXUS site when building an RX 350...I like the looks of the 19 inch wheels but this what they say about it....

"27) 19-in performance tires are expected to experience greater tire wear than conventional tires. Tire life may be substantially less than 15,000 miles, depending upon driving conditions"

Anyone knows why?.....sorry for the ignorance on my part but this is a killer for the 19 inch wheels, at least for me..

 

they put that in so that you cant make a fuss when you dont get the usual 30K out of conventional tires.

The 19" are 55 series tires which I guess are relatively low profile for an SUV. You get the nice look and handling is "improved" however slightly. The downside is that you dont get a lot of miles out of it.

That said, the warning label does not guarentee that you wont get more than 15 thousand miles out of your tires. Also depends on how you drive. When you get them changed, Im sure your nearest warehouse store (do you have costco on the east coast?) carries the proper michelins and they have a pro rated warranty

 

Better handling translates into increased grip, in other words higher friction, and in the end greater wear.

 

^ +1 (10 char min)

 

put things into perspective, even with 18s, if you put on high performance tires, you can get 15k miles out of them as well

on the other hand, plenty of isf owners with 19s and max performance tires and they are close to 30k on stock setup

 

Its a warning...the RX even with 19s has a lot of sidewall so unless you drive like Evil Kneival you will get more than 15k on them.....

Now on something like an IS-F with very low profile tires, well tire life might be under 15k easy depending on how you drive.

 

Correct. Tires are sacrificial beasts. The rolling and scuffing friction generate heat which in turn microscopically melts rubber from the carcass in exchange for maintaining control.

 

I don't think you get great mileage out of the 18 inch wheel/tires either. With my 2008 model, people were complaining about only getting 20K or less miles. Check the tire ratings on the sidewalls.

 

All your replies were very helpfull in making me understand the tire situation...one more question are the wheels itself different style than the regular 18"..or are the different wheels exclusive of the RX 450h?....thanks agian..

 

The 18, 19 and h rims are all slightly different styles.

18's


19's


h


You'll also have worse performance in snow with the 19's, although I don't know how much since they aren't that low profile and not a huge difference from the 18's. Quietness and price are also of concern, not to mention the already discussed longevity of the tires. For these reason's we went with the 18's, we also liked the 18" rims better.

 

I was mistanken...I thought that the 19 inch rims were like the H model...now I don't see that much difference between 18 and 19 rims and with the issues of tire wear...I guess I will stick to the 18...thanks all

 

19" rims are much nicer.

however, dont just judge it by the rims. the 18 inch tires are 60 series, which means that it has a thicker side wall. they dont look right to me, but they will ride softer.

this: notice how the red line distance is longer than the 19" wheels, and i think it makes a drastic difference in curb appeal



versus
this

 

If I do get winter tires next year for this car, they will be 18s, which is what did for the LS. The traction is better, and the cost is significantly less for both the rim and the tire. As I recall, it was about $200 x 4. Kind of a no-brainer...

 

I like the my 18" Michelin's.
They have a bit better ride than the 19's and I like the way they seem to fill the wheelwell more.I do like the 19" split spoke wheel a lot more,though.

 

Our RX has a little over 7,000 miles on the 19" wheels- so far it looks like the tires almost look new. We are pretty easy on the car, which probably makes a big difference!