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Comments
The 245's are .5 inch taller (which is only .25 inch more tire in the wheel well)
The 245's are also .5 inch wider in the middle of the tire (again that's only .25 inch more on each side), but .4 inch wider at the tread.
The 215's fit on wheels that are 7-8 inches wide, the 225's are rated for 7-8.5 inch wheels.
Your speedo will be off by about 2% - when speedo says 70 MPH you are realy going 71.5.
the size difference between 225/45 R17 and 215/45R17 tires are minimal, so, 225 tires should fit in the wheel wells, correct ?? (except for the error in speedo )
The only concern is, will the 225 tires fit in the 215 wheels ??
Should I go ahead get the 225 tires ? Suggestions ??
I see no advantage to getting 225's on your current wheels.. If its just because you are getting a great deal on that size, or that tire isn't available in 215, then I would just keep looking. If I'm upgrading size, I would want to go to plusone, and have the same exact rolling diameter. You don't want to have to explain to someone that buys your car someday, how the mileage might not be exact, because of the tires you put on it.
My $.02
regards,
kyfdx
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For speedo error, 2% of 100 MPH is 2 MPH; 2% of 50 MPH is 1 MPH. I thought most stock speedos tend to read a little slow anyway?
But you never know if you really give up too much ride quality. There are some good riding and low noise 18 inch 40 profile tires out there. Not sure the standard Potenzas, either summer or all season, are really that great a tire. I'd rather have summer Michelin Pilot Sports or Continental ContiSportContact 2s.
Make Model September 2003 August 2003 YTD 2003 YTD 2002
Lexus ES 300 5,128 4,983 47,453 54,149
Lexus LS 430 1,739 2,168 15,583 19,909
Lexus GS 300 858 1,096 8,614 11,113
Lexus IS 300 848 1,420 10,954 16,341
Lexus GS 430 158 141 1,602 1,815
My only beef with the RE040s is they wear out too fast if you drive the car even moderately hard and cost too much to replace. There are a lot of other tires out there that provide equal handling and will last longer and cost less.
I can recommend the GoodYear F1 GS-D3s. I have a set on now and like them. They are noticeably better in the rain and are equal or better than the RE040s in the dry. The wear seems to be better also.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
"Racing is all about timing. And if you've been waiting to get a racing-inspired I·S, your timing is perfect.
Experience the uncompromising luxury and dynamic performance that make the I·S so exhilarating to drive. Make your commute feel like a joyride, and your drive around the block feel like a lap around a speedway.
With this special lease and low APR financing rate, there's no better time to get a 2004 I·S. Just contact your Lexus dealer to find out more. And don't let this opportunity pass."
http://www.lexus.com/models/is/lease_generic.html
Car Data—IS 300
Engine Type In — line, 6 iron block, aluminum head, certified low emission vehicle (LEV)
Displacement 3.0 liters (183 cubic inches)
Valve Train Twin cam, four valves per cylinder, with continuously variable valve timing with intelligence (VVT—i)
Compression Ratio: 10.5:1
Power at RPM
235 hp @ 6,000
Torque at RPM 218 lb — ft @ 3.800
Performance
0 — 60 MPH Acceleration 6.4 seconds
1/4 mile acceleration 13.7 seconds Top
Track Speed 151.7 MPH
Fuel Consumption 17/24 mpg city/highway
Aerodynamic Drag Coefficient 0.29
Turning Circle 37.1 ft
Power to Weight Ratio 15.2 lb per hp
Engine Management Pectel
Exhaust Borla Performance Industries
Transmission Getrag 6 speed manual
Drive Wheels rear drive
Fuel Capacity 17.5 gal
Spark Plugs Toyota/Denso
Chassis welded — steel unibody
Bodywork L Tuned
Weight 2750 lbs
Suspension Protrac shock absorption
Kirk-Habicht Springs
Don't you think the IS300 is such a good car that tons of people, anyone who enjoy a great drive, should be beating down the doors of their local Lexus dealer to buy one?
The deals just make the decision that much easier.
Too bad IS300 sales are languishing. But so is the rest of the Lexus sedan line up. All the action is in SUVs. In August, SUVs were about 53% of total Lexus sales. Sad.
Interestingly, I remember reading that at one point they had disconnected the VVT-I and went with different camshafts. Road race engines spend most of their time above 4000 RPMs so you don't need VVT-I to manage the torque at the lowend since you are always in the high end of the RPM range. They may have solved some of their VVT-I problems with the aftermarket engine management system they are using now.
I found that driving a race preped car on the street was not very much fun. They tend to wander around due to the alignment and you feel every bump due to the aggressive tires, springs, and shocks. Road and drive train noise also beat you up. Things don't settle down until you get up to speeds that draw a lot of attention. Having numbers on the side of the car doesn't help either?
It would be far cheaper to stick on a supercharger and tighten up the stock suspension. I saw a dyno report showing the PLP PowerDyne 7 PSI supercharger kit makes 245 HP at the rear wheels vs 175 for a stock e-shift car. The mechanical efficiency of the 5-speed produces 265 HP with the same kit.
The dyno showed 190HP at the rear for a 5-speed car and 265 HP with the SC kit. So reiz you have a faster car. One of the challenges of dynoing the e-shift has something to do with having to use 3rd gear in the e-shift vs 4th in the manual. This is supposed to make the e-shift look a little worse than it really is.
http://www.prolexperformance.com/nav/fproducts.html
Considering the depreciation of buying a new car, at $5K installed this kit almost makes sense. The challenge is the difficulty you would have with warranty claims if you ever had anything happen that they could claim was caused by the additional HP the SC kit produces. Not an issue when your cars warranty expires though.
The IS300 is one of the most underrated vehicles on the market today by my definition. Lots of folks bash these cars, but I think they're really nice. No, they're not the ideal family sedan. But that's not what they were designed for. I'd say they are geared more towards single people and DINK(Dual Income No Kids)couples. I've heard people ripping on the IS300 for two or three years now for its size, boy racer image, you name it. Okay, so the rear seat and trunk spaces could be somewhat better. I'll admit that. But other than these two issues, I think they're awesome cars. The IS300 is far too classy-looking to be considered "boy racer" in appearance. There may be a couple of similarities, but the IS300 really does exude elegance compared to the graphic-laden Hondas, Acuras and Toyotas that are definitely "boy racer" rides.
The initial build quality is excellent on these cars. It's hard to beat Lexus in that category! The hood prop rod complaint pertaining to the IS300 is nit-picky to me. Have you ever heard of a hood prop rod wearing out? I haven't. But I have heard of gas shock-type hood supports giving problems and having to be replaced. Besides, how many IS300 owners do you think are inconvenienced by the hood prop rod's location? Probably not too many--because I seriously doubt that there are a lot of IS300 owners that will be doing their own maintenance as the vehicle ages and needs repair work performed on it.
On the positive side, I do get a lot of compliments from people at work, in mall parking lots, etc. on my 2002 IS300. One young couple came up to me the other day and said, "That is our dream car!!! Someday we hope to own a car just like yours." So, the IS300 does draw a lot of negative comments from people on these discussion boards and in magazine reviews. But at least there are some of us out there that still think they're hot cars. Hopefully the overall Lexus sedan sales will pick back up in the not too distant future. The IS300 is a good value if you asked me. So are other Lexus sedans when compared to the offerings of Merc and BMW. And there's no doubt that the Lexus brand vehicles are of top notch build quality as today's vehicles go. Anyone that would try to refute that statement is extremely self-delusional. Yes, all of the world's automakers have their share of lemons. Even my beloved Lexus brand. But you have to consider what the odds of getting a lemon with a brand such as Lexus is versus Ford, GM or Daimler-Chrysler. Not trying to pick on the Big 2.5 here. I could have thrown KIA, Hyundai or even Mercedes into that sentence just as easily...
Ron M.
Just don't sell the IS300 short as a family sport sedan. My wife and I have no problem getting ourselves and our two kids (11 & 12) into it. I take two adult co-workers with me on 300 mile business trips. No problem. They both love it.
Don't think it would kill Lexus to ditch the prop rod and use multi-link trunk hinges (to get more useable trunk space). But they still don't detract from this serious sport sedan.
[Man, You get bonus points just for using a phrase like "turgid diatribe".]
I agree that the IS300 is a great car for people who want a real sports sedan. I spent over 8 months driving everything that had any claim to being a sports sedan/wagon, ranging in price from the $15K Protege5 to the nearly $50k 530i and I kept coming back to the IS as the most pure sports sedan on the market.
But, I honestly couldn't recommend it to anyone I know and I don't think it is the right car for many people. The fact is that there are damn few people who really want a sports sedan. Most people who say they want a sports sedan really want a sedan with sporty pretenses. To them, a sports sedan is a kind of sporty looking car, preferably with a spoiler - so it is obvious it is a sports sedan, with lots of power. They don't want to give up on comfort, quietness, room or a luxurious interior (i.e. wood interior trim) for the sake of crisp, nimble handling. For most people with $30K to spend on a "sports sedan", a Maxima or TL or G35 is probably a more logical choice. The IS is for the very few who really want something as close to a sports car as possible but need a few extra seats.
Completely disagree with the first part. I recommend it all the time. People I've had in it love it. They are uniformly impressed. Key is to get them to learn about it and to drive it.
Your second part is true for any car. No car is right for all people or even "many" (though not sure what that means). Luxury marques are really good for people who live within a reasonable distance from a dealer. That excludes huge parts of America that are rural where there are no such dealers. It isn't right for people who need to tow, or need room for 6, or haul big items.
You also wrote, "They don't want to give up on comfort, quietness, room or a luxurious interior (i.e. wood interior trim) for the sake of crisp, nimble handling." They do NOT have to with the IS300. Heck, you can order wood trim for interior. The IS300 is a very comfortable car. Sufficiently quiet and roomy and luxurious. Not to mention a great value: ton of car for the money. Way more so than BMW 3 Series or MB C class.
Just see how highly Consumer Reports recommends it. Read their 2003 Annual Auto Issue (4/03). Out of 12 "Upscale Sedans", only 6 are recommended. IS300 gets the coveted Recommended check. Plus out of those 12 sedans, the IS300 gets the 2nd highest rating (barely behind the 330i, which is NOT recommended).
CR gives the IS300 the highest rating for reliability. The next closest car, the Acura TL, isn't even that close in projected reliability. The IS300 is almost 3 times higher in projected reliability than even the ES300.
CR gives the IS300 the highest safety rating for both Upscale and Large Sedans.
CR gives the IS300 the 2nd highest mark for satisfaction. A bit under 80 percent of their IS300 owners would buy another one.
Think it is easy to highly recommend the IS300. Most who have tested it or owned it, do recommend it.
Thanks for posting the facts about the IS300!
I can truthfully say that I would DEFINITELY buy another IS300. And I would also highly recommend the IS300 to all potential buyers. I have personally never owned a new car with an initial build quality as good as that of my IS300!!! Hands down, nothing has ever even come close to it in that category. For me, initial build quality is now my number one requirement when purchasing a new automobile. As I stated in my last post, a Lexus purchase *should* increase a consumer's odds of getting a relatively problem-free vehicle when compared to several other makes. There will always be exceptions to this, but I still like the odds that the Lexus brand brings to the table.
Ron M.
The IS300 proves what a great company Toyota really is (and the IS300 is the ONLY toyota product I'd ever even consider).
Right now it really is a great car that is not going to be as good in its next iteration. They're going to replace the great I-6 with a more powerful, V6 which will never be quite as good in my book.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
It seems as though Lexus would have indeed offered a manual transmission version of the IS300 right out of the chute. And I do think that they blew it on the marketing and advertising campaigns for the IS300. Admittedly, there are more sales dollars to be generated in the ES and RX markets. However, if it had been marketed properly, the IS300 would have sold much, much better than it has. This would have padded the Lexus bottom line even more. For example, regular TV commercials that list the things that riez pointed out pertaining to safety, quality, value, etc. would have gotten lots of sports sedan shoppers' attention. A local Lexus dealership salesman and I discussed the lack of an IS300 advertising push and he said, "These cars will eventually sell themselves with virtually no advertising whatsoever." I told him that I "respectfully disagreed".
On the positive side regarding IS300 sales, I have noticed a lot more of them on the road in the last 6 months than I did the previous 18 months or so. Speaking of Lexus IS300 advertising, Lexus should film a commercial starring this brunette that I saw driving a white IS300 the other day. Got a closeup of her at a convenience store when she got out of the IS300 and the girl is DEFINITELY cheating Hollywood every single day that she isn't there! Oh, the car looked pretty sharp too. ;-)
Ron M.
The advertising focused a lot on the chronograph style instrumentation and the sufficiently radical styling as well as the E-Shift.
They should have advertsied the car's racing prowess from the get go. The IS300's balance, razor-sharp handling charachteristics, and buttery smooth Inline 6.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2022 Wrangler Sahara 4Xe, 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR 4WD
You absolutely must keep in mind that the IS300 is a RWD near luxury sport sedan. You really can't compare it to FWD sedans.
G35 is often criticized for its interior. Not luxurious enough. Too cheap. Too plasticky.
BMW 3 Series dominates this segment. Having previously owned a '00 323ia, I can comfortably say the IS300 is very competitive, inside and out with the 3. But the 3 also offers a plethora of models: 2-door coupe, station wagon, AWD, convertible, M high performance, etc.
Lexus uses the FWD ES330 to compete in the near luxury sedan market.
Comparing IS300 to Audi A4 a bit hard. Which A4? I4 turbo? V6? AWD? The base A4s aren't renown for their luxury, though the Audi's are considered to have nice interiors. Add the options or upgrade to the higher models (V6 AWD) and you are spending a pretty penny. Always thought the base A4 was a bit low on standard equipment. Does the A4 come standard with HID headlights? 6-disc CD?
IS300 is a great all around sport sedan. Sufficiently practical. Great reliability. Great warranty. Great dealer service. Great price/value. Great safety. If you don't want a sport sedan, there are a lot of other choices. But if you want a sport sedan, the IS300 is hard to beat.
"... this one has some serious good looks. Dare we say it almost has spunk? With a new 3.0-liter V6 and six-speed sequential gearbox, the five-seat sedan is stylish and can handle, too. Well done, Toyota...."
Agree completely. And the only reason I said I don't know anyone to whom I would recommend it is that I don't know anyone who really wants a sports sedan, just people who want a near luxury sedan with a sporty image. The latter group, IMO, dominates the market.
Not sure what you were getting at in saying that the Crown looks like a bigger, future IS300. I believe the "Crown" name has always been associated with the absolute top of the line Toyota sedan. When I was in Japan, the Crown was described as the Rolls Royce of Japanese cars and that they cost the equivalent of $100K - in a class well above even the LS430 (or whatever that model is called over there). I don't think there is any connection between it and the IS300.
1. Cruise control resets every time you go below 25 mph. So you can't hit resume. You have to reset. Are all Lexus like this? Minor bug. I'm driving at 60 mph on deserted 2-lane county road. Cancel cruise. Come to stop sign. Get back up toward speed. Hit resume and nothing happens. Then have to remember to redo.
2. Driver seat needs to lower a 1/2 more. Headroom with sunroof a bit tight. Guess I'll have to keep my hair a bit shorter on top.
3. Chrome trim on adjuster for side dash airvents reflects off side rearview mirrows. Might be the way I set my mirrows (way out to check blindspots), but the reflection makes it seem like I have small cracks on both mirrors.
4. Wish the overdrive in 5th for my manual was a bit deeper (say around 0.75:1). Would drop the RPMs and improve MPG at interstate speeds.
5. Stereo controls need to be a bit taller/deeper. The tuning and volume knobs are a bit too short. Don't stick out far enough. Hard to grasp comfortably. (Wish it had stereo controls on the steering wheel so you didn't have to reach down.)
Averaging over 25 mpg.
Joy to own. I haven't had a single maintenance, repair, or recall issue.
Toyota Century does look impressive in person.
Huge, beautifully built. LS430 is Toyota Celsior.
Took a close look at Altezza: looks identical inside/out to my IS300 (all the details are the same). I've never seen so many Mercedes S600 in one place: they are everywhere!
Another cool car I finally saw in person was Nissan Skyline GT-R: wow!.
60 mph= approx 2650 rpms
100 mph= approx 4400 rpms
120 mph= approx 5250 rpms
Was surprised how stable she was at 120 mph. And she wasn't as noisy as I thought she'd be. Quite impressed. Maybe not quite as quiet or stable as my former '98 540i6, but darn close, esp. for the money!!!
She runs on the all-season 17 inch tires.
Still wish she had a slightly numerically lower 5th gear overdrive (say around 0.75:1). Would drop the RPMs at speed down and improve highway fuel economy.
The cruise on my wife's 99 ES300 works the same way: as soon as your speed falls below 25 mph, the system "forgets" the setting.
regards,
kyfdx
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Anyway, I was expecting it to be small and somewhat rough (riding), but it was nicer than I expected. Not huge inside, but roomy enough for my 6 foot self, and enough space in the back for 2 kids. Just big enough, with no extra bulk.
Comfortable seats and seating position, very good visibility (although the big rear view mirror gets in the way a bit). Enough headroom, which is sometimes a problem for me. Really like the steering wheel, but it would be nice to have radio controls on it.
Turned out to be very quiet (especially at idle), and reasonably quiet on the move. Great handling and steering feel, smooth progressive brakes. Really didn't have a chance to test the limits, but cetainly had sharp reactions. And, the ride was surprisingly compliant, considering the handling abilities and low profile tires.
Overall, a fun car that shows it Lexus breeding in some ways. And, since I currently drive a Maxima SE, I'm not exactly used to a cushy ride, but it is still reasonbly comfy. If anything, the IS feels like a downsized Maxima, without all the limitations of front wheel drive combined with a powerful V6 and a stick.
Biggest issue with the IS is making sure that there is enough room to make it practical for a family, but it sure drives nice.
I really need to make my options list shorter, not longer, but such is life.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
And, does anyone know what RPM a 5 speed will turn at 60MPH in 5th? Didin't have a chance to get it at a steady speed and take a look (plus it is a little hard to read the tach on the fly).
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
regards,
kyfdx
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I am not sure about the guy who gets 21 mpg. i don't think I have ever gotten that high.
Using for daily commute in Houston traffic I gat about 21 mpg. Mostly highway an about half at 80 mph.
I agree it is geared to low; you could get a lot better mileage. However, the the poor drivers would have to shift occasionally to pass and that is too much effort for most Lexus owners.
http://www.autofiend.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&a- mp;sid=51