I've had my IS350 with 18 in wheels for 10 days now. I traded in my '04 G35 coupe with 18in wheels for it. Prior to that I had a '01 BMW 330 which unfortunately was in the shop quarterly and had it's transmission replaced at 28K. Loved the looks of my G35 and the power but got tired of the rough ride -- great for fun on weekends but day in and day out for me on a long Houston commute didn't do it. The inside was much cheaper than the BMW and rattled from day one. No one could quite figure it out. I've read similar complaints on the G35 forum. I drove the '06 330, the IS350 and of course my G35 within an hour and let me tell you the IS350 won hands down for me. As other's have recommended driving the same day is the best comparison. I've also driven the TL -- better interior than the G35 and a decent ride. Consumer Reports ranks it high as well.
Just my 2 cents! Love my IS -- doesn't have the sporty steering of the G35 but it hunkers down nicely on a tight corner!
Test drove a manual 250 IS today. Great car but disappointed with the clutch. I felt the clutch was much too light. Reminded me of driving my sisters Ford Focus. Has anyone else noticed this?
I'm really interested in a hardtop convertible. Any more word on upcoming date, engine options and/or potential pricing. Read here that it will have 450 hp. Makes me think it will be replacing sc430 and will likely be priced in the 70k range. Was hoping it would have the 306 hp and be priced between 45-50k.
Now it looks like options will be limited to 3 other hardtop convertibles coming out within the next year. Volvo - 218 hp; priced at about 40k. VW - 250 hp option and priced likely between 35-40k and Pontiac G6 - 240 hp option and priced likely between 25-30k. Any word on these vehicles or other hardtop convertibles.
From what i heard, we'll be seeing hardtop convertible entries from Lexus, BMW, and possibly a hardtop version of the G35? The infiniti is the one i'm least sure about, but bmw is almost a definite.
So if this replaces the SC, you're saying we can't get a plebian version with a 250 engine? Then again with all the weight of the hardtop and mechanicals, a 250 hardtop would be doing 10 second 0-60 runs...
To tell you the truth i've been doing some serious car hunting, but word(or a glimpse) of the convertible/coupe is what I'm dying to see before I make my descision here.
although the materials are not up to lexus class the TL is far better inside than the g35. clearly the nissan/infiniti comeback is based on exterior looks and performance with cheap interiors. having owned a TL its a good deal. it is NOT however in the class of the new IS.
I have mounted winter tires on my 350 (nav/lux). After a lengthy discussion w/Luke at Tire Rack I decided on Blizzak LM25's mounted on Kazera 18" wheels. The spokes are black and give a good look with my black 350. The tires are excellent in the snow and perform well in the dry. I have had winter tires that feel like you are driving on marshmallows. I did have a concern about how the TPMS would react. I knew it would be inoperative, but didn't know what kind of dash warnings lights I would have to live with all winter. The dealer and Tire Rack both thought I would have some kind of light, either constant or flashing. The manual also seemed to imply this. I was pleased when this did not happen. I should mention that I live in Wisconsin so winter tires are a must.
Did you replace the rims that came with your car? How much did all of this cost you? How much for the rims? How much for the tires? Are these strictly snow tires or are they all season radials? Thanks
Nice choice...Did you check out Discounttire.com? I was wondering because the wheels you bought were $197/each and discount tire has wheels for $147/each. Did you have to get 8.5" wheels for the snows or could you go 8"? Thanks.
I have limited info, however according to a poster on another site which I am not allowed to mention, the IS 350 was contender for car of the year. Going by my limited info I can say that there were 28 cars, of which the IS 350 was the fastest with a time of 5.3 seconds. Good to know, again!
What is with the relatively inconsistent times? Could it simply be a break-in issue?
Yes I changed rims so I could switch them myself. With a floor jack and a compressor it is about a 20 min. job. The rims were $195 ea. The front tires were $179 ea. and the rears $231 ea. Total (mounted and balanced) was $1600 plus $67 shipping. They are dedicated winter tires.
I checked Discounttire first but they did not have a 255/40R18. I wanted to keep the stagger. I'm sure that is not the optimal setup for winter, but I didn't want to create a problem with the suspension geometry or throw off the speedometer. Maybe the computer automatically compensates, but I didn't want take the chance. I have driven with this setup in the snow 3 times now and I am very satisfied.
Thinking about buying an IS250 in California. Does anyone know if it has any extra emissions or other things required in California or are they the same as everywhere else?
Mind posting what dealers were offering discounts? I was told there were no discounts ("all sold out before they hit the lot") today but I really didn't push to hard. The salesman did mention that there is a subsidized lease (2.9%) as part of the december to remember event which differs from what others have said. Not sure if we actually did the paper work that deal would still be there.
I also wish I knew if the 250 with the sports package (or for that matter the base model) will ever ship.
Okay guys.. As some might know, I had an '03 IS300 that I traded in September for an '06 330i. I loved both my old IS and my new 330. Without going back into all the reasons I had decided to go with the BMW this time the biggest issue I had with the new IS350 was no manual. Over this last week my father replaced his SUV and ended up deciding to go with the RX330. Since I'm totally into cars I of course went along with him and help him along with making his choose and the final deal. During this process though I took the chance to ask the sales guy about the IS and take him up on an offer to try them out. I was really happy to get a chance, I had figured it would be awhile before I would get a chance to drive them. He's what I think about them.. IS250: I drove the manual. In a word I basically I think it sucked. Down on power, the manual is horrible. (Which I don't understand because my IS300 still has the best shifter I have ever used) The car seemed small and cramped; that backseat is a joke on a four-door. The steering seemed REALLY light and hollow. I walked away knowing I had made the right decision. IS350: I actually had to come back the next day to try the IS350. I guess it was out with someone else for the night. What do I have to say about the 350? Night and Day. I'm so in love with it! The power is amazing. The steering (this one had the sport package; does that make a difference?) was much tighter and more firm. The auto blew me away. It's not that normal auto shifting where you click and wait. You click and it shifts and shifts hard. Very nice, reminds me of the DSG I tried in an A3. Not as good but the closest I've tried. All the small complaints I had about the car (small backseat etc.) had honestly started to fade away and I was like, 'I could live with them to have this car'. I'm in a 3 year lease right now on my 330i and I'm very happy with it but I can now tell anyone looking at these cars they need to try both. Both rock! and if anything I might now even give the edge to the IS350. Maybe in a few years I will be back with Lexus..
I'd been emailing the fleet managers at Stevens Creek Lexus and Putnam Lexus.
I'd been telling them I want to wait for a package with the HID so who knows, maybe they were trying to entice me to bite on one of the cars in their current inventory.
Stevens Creek said $1000 off existing IS 250s and Putnam said $1500. They might say something different about the IS 350 and especially when they get the cars with more options like luxury package and Nav or Mark Levinson.
The TPMS may be getting updates from the stock tires while sitting in the garage. So when you start out the tire pressue monitor (TPM) thinks it has active sensors. Since it is unlikely that all the sensor would fail at one time, the monitor logic doesn't register this.
With the C6, if all the tire pressure sensors (TPS) fail to report to the tire pressure monitor (TPM), nothing happens until you drive 70 miles without turning off the ignition. At 70 miles a warning appears on the driver information center warning you about a TPM failure. You can then push reset to clear the message and drive another 70 miles. Every 70 miles of continous driving the TPM failure message reappears.
The C6 TPS continue to report pressure even when stationary but much less frequently. Once the wheels rotate at about 20MPH the sensors start reporting several times a minute. The 20MPH trigger is there to conserve the TPS batteries.
No fold down seats in any of the Lexus IS. There is a small pass through for skis or something small in the middle arm rest however.
In fact, no fold down seats in Acura TL either. There is an extra option for $475 you can add to BMW 3 series to get fold down seats. I agree, this is very useful if you want to throw a bike or something in the back.
Ya, it's pretty dumb that they don't do this. It seems like such an easy thing to add. Is it still part of the "winter package" on the BMW? That is pretty dumb too.
The G35 has this on the coupe but not the sedan. :confuse:
As the diameter of the wheel increases, the sidewall height of the tire decreases, so that the overall diamter of the wheel/tire combo remains constant, and the suspension geometry requires no revision.
So as the sidewall height decreases, so does the amount of flex in the sidewall, which results generally in two things: 1) a noticeable increase in steering response and accuracy, and 2) a decrease in what we call ride comfort. Small pavement irregularities will be more evident because the sidewall can't flex as much to absorb the impacts.
For me, I would much prefer the steering response from a reasonably low (in current terms) profile tire, as well as the incidental cosmetic appeal, to the softer ride characteristics of a taller sidewall. Personally, I'd take it a step further and specify the harder suspension tuning of the Sport Pkg. Soft steering frustrates me no end! :mad:
Ooops: so 17" wheels should yield a smoother ride, but at a cost. Hope that helps.
If production looks anything like this then all my concerns about the heavy slabbed sides will be answered. Now if Only Lexus can keep this car under 50K and throw in a manual gearbox!!
That image of the convertible is simply a chop of the sedan. That is not the actual concept to be shown in Detroit (nobody has seen the real thing but many fakes are going around).
Does anyone have one of the new Is's with bluetooth? If so can u go through your phone book on the nav screen or something and then dial the number or do you have to reprogram all the numbers into it seperate from the phone, like Chrysler's Uconnect system?
Well, I didn't dodge the bullet. About 300 miles after I mounted the winter tires I am getting warning lights on the dash. (I wasn't getting a signal from the stock wheels, they are stored elsewhere.) I have the orange tire symbol, the red triangle, and a check system message in the message display. I spent some time talking to the Lexus service people yesterday and here are my options. 1.) Live with it. 2.) Switch sensors from stock wheels ($125) twice a year. 3.) Buy and mount new sensors ($845) 4.) Black tape. I haven't picked an option yet, I may just live with it this season.
I have a 350 with NAV and a Motorola Black RAZR phone. I was able to transfer numbers directly from the phone into speed dial, but only one at a time. Transfer process depends on the type of phone you have and directions will be in the owners manual. On the other hand both the dealer and my cell phone provider offered to assist me, but it was really no big deal.
Sees kind of pointless when you can just get a bluetooth headset and voice dialing without being tethered to the car and manually transferring numbers one by one.
Here's a question for the motor heads out there. Performance specs: IS 350 from Lexus.com 3.3LV6 306 HP, 277 lb-ft torque, 3527 lbs. curb wt 0-60mph = 5.3sec
So, how can the IS 350 with 30% less hp and weighing 10% more have a nearly equal 0-60 time as the new Corvette. I have driven the IS and it is very fast, but I still think the vette would smoke it. Is Lexus exaggerating the 0-60 time, or is GM underestimating theirs?
Lexus isn't exagerating anything. Ward's, which I am sure you are familiar with did an independent study with an IS 350 and concluded that time as official. You would have found that information as a footnote to the time...
PS: The engine is a 3.5 L. PPS: A little bit of digging yeilded this:
(From C&D which we all know has slightly faster times. However, I do believe this makes the situation much clearer than before!)
"We mentioned faster. The C5’s standard 350-hp, 5.7-liter V-8 has been replaced by a 400-hp, 6.0-liter version. Mated with the improved (shorter shift throws) six-speed manual, it scoots the C6 to 60 in 4.3 seconds."
I'm in MA and we just got hit with a big snow storm. Just this morning I was driving up a hill about 10% grade and saw a bimmer (325i) and a mercedes stuck off line and struggling to move. It hasn't been plowed yet so it was very difficult. I drive a '99 corolla, and although I was slipping I could still manage move up the hill. It was kinda sad seeing nice cars like a bimmer and a mercedes struggling to get traction. Just seeing that, I'll never go with RWD, esp. living here in the northeast. My next car >> IS 250 AWD!!
Thanks for the C&D stat. I misplaced mine. I think I can live with 4.3 sec. for the C6. Sounds more realistic.
I do believe that Lexus needs to put the AWD system in the IS350. That would sell big time in the upper midwest to those of us who feel we still need some fun 9 mos out of the year and yet have to face commutes in winter snow. The IS250 AWD is just too slow, imo. (I've driven both)
Maybe we will see a AWD IS 350 for model year '08. Lexus historically will tinker with the mechanical upgrades in the third year of their usual 5-year model run.
I use mine every week after dumping a SUV. The quick release on my Cannondale pops right off and bike easily fit in the back. Not too mention animal don't tear up your nice leather seats riding back there. that don't include weekly trips to Home Depot...
On the subject of tires, does anyone have any first hand knowledge of the lifetime of the tires that come the IS. According to IS the brochure "tire life may be significantly less than 20,000 miles (17-in) or 15,000 miles (18-in), depending on driving conditions."
Given that I drive 20,000 freeway miles a year, I'm nervous that both the cost of four 18" tire (~$900 according to tirerack.com) and hassle of changing them as much as twice a year could add up.
I've asked a salesman at the dealership, the tires that come with it will only last about 20k miles. He says thats because they are performance tires, I wonder if that's all BS. Factory tires are generally not that great and don't last. There should be tires for it that'll last longer maybe 50k miles? Maybe you can go with 17" wheels instead, it's a better ride.
And the brakes wear out faster too, cause they're "high friction", maybe pad changes every year. So expect to spend a lot on the upkeep. I wonder if it's like this for all cars in this class.
My guess is that Lexus will take some "heat" from customers on the issue of poor tire and brake pad wear on the IS. The same occurred for the SC430 if you read the posts for that model. Lexus uses a "low-profile" high performance tire with V (17in.) or Y (18in.) speed ratings. These are high speed rated tires usually seen on sports cars and improve cornering and traction on dry pavement when speed and handling are the main concerns. Lexus wants the IS to compete with BMW for performance and one way (in addition to the 306hp engine) is to put "aggressive" tires on it. Unfortunate trade off is poor tire wear.
I drive a Honda S2000 (performance roadster) in summer with V rated tires (255 50 R16) and don't expect to get more than 25K miles on them. My other car is ES300 with 215 60 R16. The ES has 35K on original tires and should get another 15K.
The IS has 225/45VR17 tires as standard and 225/40YR18 front and 255/40YR18 rear as options for rear drive models. Those are even lower profile than on my roadster. As an additional concern for the 18 in wheels is that you can't rotate front to back and vice versa. Fewer tire rotations equates to shorter tire life.
My guess is that most owners of the "entry-level" Lexus will not expect as high of tire / brake maintenance expenses as they will be seeing. In the meantime, have fun going around those corners quickly !
The same warning was on the window sticker of the previous gen, of which I own the Sportcross (wagon) version. The SportCross has a staggered set up (wider rubber to the rear) just like this new gen, on 17" rims. OEM tires were Potenza E040s which are in the high performance summer tire class and that set was toast in 10K miles.
I'm currently running Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3s on the car, and they are not only higher performance tires than the OEM, but also have evidenced a longer life. They are in the top level of the group in the dry, but outperform everything else in the wet. I got about 15K miles out of the last set, and I'm on set #2. I have a new rubber expenditure about once a year.
With any staggered set up, there is no tire rotation possible. Further, most performance tires have a set rotation direction that can't be reversed (many are also asymmetrical), so swapping right and left wouldn't be possible anyway, even without the staggered set, though a front/back swap could otherwise be done.
Now for the mitigating factors: I don't spend much time on freeways other than on business trips. My commute is a hilly canyon drive of about 20 minutes, and it's a huge part of why I bought the car in the first place. I have fun not only coming home from work, but getting there as well. I also drive that fairly uncrowded commute most days with some gusto, because lateral G's are what cars should be about!
If you spend the bulk of your driving time on freeways, and are extremely anal about checking pressure and alignment (as I am), you can expect somewhat longer life from your tires than I get. If you plan to enjoy the car in curves routinely (as befits a performance car, IMO), then you'll be shelling out $800-$1200 (your call) every 15000 miles or so for new rubber, and loving it!
BTW: Lexus charges roughly $140 for alignments, which you should have every time you change rubber. Waste of money. Turns out they subcontract locally (in most areas) to a place like Wheelworks who charges $60.
Do not, repeat do not skimp on rubber. You will regret it. And if you didn't regret it, you'd have bought the wrong car for all the wrong reasons!
Oh, on brakes: I'm at 29K miles on the car and the brakes, which are basically the same as in the new gen aren't even at 50% yet. I wouldn't be overly concerned about pad life.
Best brakes I've ever experienced, too...
ps: only the AWD 250 comes standard with a 17" non-staggered set (all-season tires too: the worst compromise ever created, IMO). The RWD 250 is a staggered set like the 350.
I just ordered my IS350 fully loaded here in Fresno, CA, Wont arrive for about 3 or 4 months though because some of the options arent beinf produced yet. Anyways, I was just wanting to hear what some of you out there have seen for pricing up and down CA, if they aren't willing to deal here I want to be able to tell them I know of someone that is willing. Thanks for the replies!!!!
the dealer here said that atleast the laser cruise control hadnt really been put on to many cars yet so it could be 3 to 4 months before they see them, he might have been speaking of other options too but just mentioned that one specifically, also said that hasnt seen one with the mark levinson which i ordered.
Comments
Just my 2 cents! Love my IS -- doesn't have the sporty steering of the G35 but it hunkers down nicely on a tight corner!
Now it looks like options will be limited to 3 other hardtop convertibles coming out within the next year. Volvo - 218 hp; priced at about 40k. VW - 250 hp option and priced likely between 35-40k and Pontiac G6 - 240 hp option and priced likely between 25-30k. Any word on these vehicles or other hardtop convertibles.
So if this replaces the SC, you're saying we can't get a plebian version with a 250 engine? Then again with all the weight of the hardtop and mechanicals, a 250 hardtop would be doing 10 second 0-60 runs...
To tell you the truth i've been doing some serious car hunting, but word(or a glimpse) of the convertible/coupe is what I'm dying to see before I make my descision here.
How much did all of this cost you? How much for the rims? How much for the tires? Are these strictly snow tires or are they all season radials?
Thanks
2.5 L 0-60 in 7.9 seconds? Blah.
1. Lexus IS350
2. Acura TL
3. Infiniti G35
4. BMW 3 series
5. Chrysler 300C Hemi
6. Audi A4
7. Lexus ES330
8. Lincoln Zephyr
9. Cadillac CTS
What is with the relatively inconsistent times? Could it simply be a break-in issue?
One said $1000 off existing stock of IS250s. Another said $1500 off.
Anyone else seeing movement off MSRP?
I also wish I knew if the 250 with the sports package (or for that matter the base model) will ever ship.
Over this last week my father replaced his SUV and ended up deciding to go with the RX330. Since I'm totally into cars I of course went along with him and help him along with making his choose and the final deal.
During this process though I took the chance to ask the sales guy about the IS and take him up on an offer to try them out. I was really happy to get a chance, I had figured it would be awhile before I would get a chance to drive them. He's what I think about them..
IS250: I drove the manual. In a word I basically I think it sucked. Down on power, the manual is horrible. (Which I don't understand because my IS300 still has the best shifter I have ever used) The car seemed small and cramped; that backseat is a joke on a four-door. The steering seemed REALLY light and hollow. I walked away knowing I had made the right decision.
IS350: I actually had to come back the next day to try the IS350. I guess it was out with someone else for the night. What do I have to say about the 350? Night and Day. I'm so in love with it! The power is amazing. The steering (this one had the sport package; does that make a difference?) was much tighter and more firm. The auto blew me away. It's not that normal auto shifting where you click and wait. You click and it shifts and shifts hard. Very nice, reminds me of the DSG I tried in an A3. Not as good but the closest I've tried. All the small complaints I had about the car (small backseat etc.) had honestly started to fade away and I was like, 'I could live with them to have this car'. I'm in a 3 year lease right now on my 330i and I'm very happy with it but I can now tell anyone looking at these cars they need to try both. Both rock! and if anything I might now even give the edge to the IS350. Maybe in a few years I will be back with Lexus..
I'd been telling them I want to wait for a package with the HID so who knows, maybe they were trying to entice me to bite on one of the cars in their current inventory.
Stevens Creek said $1000 off existing IS 250s and Putnam said $1500. They might say something different about the IS 350 and especially when they get the cars with more options like luxury package and Nav or Mark Levinson.
With the C6, if all the tire pressure sensors (TPS) fail to report to the tire pressure monitor (TPM), nothing happens until you drive 70 miles without turning off the ignition. At 70 miles a warning appears on the driver information center warning you about a TPM failure. You can then push reset to clear the message and drive another 70 miles. Every 70 miles of continous driving the TPM failure message reappears.
The C6 TPS continue to report pressure even when stationary but much less frequently. Once the wheels rotate at about 20MPH the sensors start reporting several times a minute. The 20MPH trigger is there to conserve the TPS batteries.
Dave in VA
In fact, no fold down seats in Acura TL either. There is an extra option for $475 you can add to BMW 3 series to get fold down seats. I agree, this is very useful if you want to throw a bike or something in the back.
Dave in VA
The G35 has this on the coupe but not the sedan. :confuse:
So as the sidewall height decreases, so does the amount of flex in the sidewall, which results generally in two things: 1) a noticeable increase in steering response and accuracy, and 2) a decrease in what we call ride comfort. Small pavement irregularities will be more evident because the sidewall can't flex as much to absorb the impacts.
For me, I would much prefer the steering response from a reasonably low (in current terms) profile tire, as well as the incidental cosmetic appeal, to the softer ride characteristics of a taller sidewall. Personally, I'd take it a step further and specify the harder suspension tuning of the Sport Pkg. Soft steering frustrates me no end! :mad:
Ooops: so 17" wheels should yield a smoother ride, but at a cost. Hope that helps.
If not...enjoy!!! I like it!!!
http://www.autospies.com/article/index.asp?articleId=5986&categoryId=22
If production looks anything like this then all my concerns about the heavy slabbed sides will be answered. Now if Only Lexus can keep this car under 50K and throw in a manual gearbox!!
Performance specs:
IS 350 from Lexus.com
3.3LV6 306 HP, 277 lb-ft torque, 3527 lbs. curb wt
0-60mph = 5.3sec
C6 Corvette (2006 base model) from Edmunds.com
6L V8 400 HP, 400 lb-ft torque, 3179 lbs. curb wt
0-60mph = 5.2 sec
So, how can the IS 350 with 30% less hp and weighing 10% more have a nearly equal 0-60 time as the new Corvette.
I have driven the IS and it is very fast, but I still think the vette would smoke it.
Is Lexus exaggerating the 0-60 time, or is GM underestimating theirs?
PS: The engine is a 3.5 L.
PPS: A little bit of digging yeilded this:
(From C&D which we all know has slightly faster times. However, I do believe this makes the situation much clearer than before!)
"We mentioned faster. The C5’s standard 350-hp, 5.7-liter V-8 has been replaced by a 400-hp, 6.0-liter version. Mated with the improved (shorter shift throws) six-speed manual, it scoots the C6 to 60 in 4.3 seconds."
I do believe that Lexus needs to put the AWD system in the IS350. That would sell big time in the upper midwest to those of us who feel we still need some fun 9 mos out of the year and yet have to face commutes in winter snow. The IS250 AWD is just too slow, imo. (I've driven both)
Maybe we will see a AWD IS 350 for model year '08. Lexus historically will tinker with the mechanical upgrades in the third year of their usual 5-year model run.
DL
Given that I drive 20,000 freeway miles a year, I'm nervous that both the cost of four 18" tire (~$900 according to tirerack.com) and hassle of changing them as much as twice a year could add up.
And the brakes wear out faster too, cause they're "high friction", maybe pad changes every year. So expect to spend a lot on the upkeep. I wonder if it's like this for all cars in this class.
Lexus uses a "low-profile" high performance tire with V (17in.) or Y (18in.) speed ratings. These are high speed rated tires usually seen on sports cars and improve cornering and traction on dry pavement when speed and handling are the main concerns. Lexus wants the IS to compete with BMW for performance and one way (in addition to the 306hp engine) is to put "aggressive" tires on it.
Unfortunate trade off is poor tire wear.
I drive a Honda S2000 (performance roadster) in summer with V rated tires (255 50 R16) and don't expect to get more than 25K miles on them. My other car is ES300 with 215 60 R16. The ES has 35K on original tires and should get another 15K.
The IS has 225/45VR17 tires as standard and 225/40YR18 front and 255/40YR18 rear as options for rear drive models.
Those are even lower profile than on my roadster. As an additional concern for the 18 in wheels is that you can't rotate front to back and vice versa. Fewer tire rotations equates to shorter tire life.
My guess is that most owners of the "entry-level" Lexus will not expect as high of tire / brake maintenance expenses as they will be seeing. In the meantime, have fun going around those corners quickly !
The same warning was on the window sticker of the previous gen, of which I own the Sportcross (wagon) version. The SportCross has a staggered set up (wider rubber to the rear) just like this new gen, on 17" rims. OEM tires were Potenza E040s which are in the high performance summer tire class and that set was toast in 10K miles.
I'm currently running Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3s on the car, and they are not only higher performance tires than the OEM, but also have evidenced a longer life. They are in the top level of the group in the dry, but outperform everything else in the wet. I got about 15K miles out of the last set, and I'm on set #2. I have a new rubber expenditure about once a year.
With any staggered set up, there is no tire rotation possible. Further, most performance tires have a set rotation direction that can't be reversed (many are also asymmetrical), so swapping right and left wouldn't be possible anyway, even without the staggered set, though a front/back swap could otherwise be done.
Now for the mitigating factors: I don't spend much time on freeways other than on business trips. My commute is a hilly canyon drive of about 20 minutes, and it's a huge part of why I bought the car in the first place. I have fun not only coming home from work, but getting there as well. I also drive that fairly uncrowded commute most days with some gusto, because lateral G's are what cars should be about!
If you spend the bulk of your driving time on freeways, and are extremely anal about checking pressure and alignment (as I am), you can expect somewhat longer life from your tires than I get. If you plan to enjoy the car in curves routinely (as befits a performance car, IMO), then you'll be shelling out $800-$1200 (your call) every 15000 miles or so for new rubber, and loving it!
BTW: Lexus charges roughly $140 for alignments, which you should have every time you change rubber. Waste of money. Turns out they subcontract locally (in most areas) to a place like Wheelworks who charges $60.
Do not, repeat do not skimp on rubber. You will regret it. And if you didn't regret it, you'd have bought the wrong car for all the wrong reasons!
Best brakes I've ever experienced, too...
ps: only the AWD 250 comes standard with a 17" non-staggered set (all-season tires too: the worst compromise ever created, IMO). The RWD 250 is a staggered set like the 350.
I expect it does, but just was curious. Thanks