Firm Ride Is250

[alpappy]

HI

I am interested to know if other new owners of the IS250 find the ride very firm and quite uncomfortable on all but the smoothest of roads Would other tyres make any difference to this. My car has bridgestones

Thanks

alan

[Mr Singh]

I'm pretty sure it will soften up over time. I did find it quite firm but yet smooth. But then here in Milton Keynes even my very low altezza is smooth and half time you can't tell its lowered lol.

I guess in London it will feel more firmer as the roads aren't that smooth.

Check tyre pressures other than that its probably going to wear in a little

[enquiries@frzr.com]

I purchased my first IS250SE in November, but this has just been replaced due to a write-off. I notice the ride in this one is far more comfortable - same spec as the first, but I notice the car is shod with Dunlop, not sure what the original tyres were. So tyres or tyres pressures??

Certainly I am very happy with this one, smoother over poor surfaces and no rattles anywhere.

[alpappy]

I have spoken to a tyre company who admit that bridgestones have very stiff side walls( they hate fitting them) and feel like driving on steel..THis may be the reason why the newest cars have Dunlops Has anyone else found the bridgestone tyres this hard.

thanks alan

[Parthiban]

I have spoken to a tyre company who admit that bridgestones have very stiff side walls( they hate fitting them) and feel like driving on steel..THis may be the reason why the newest cars have Dunlops Has anyone else found the bridgestone tyres this hard.

thanks alan

If they're so stiff that they make the ride that uncomfortable, why not just fit run-flats? At least then you would be getting some benefit from the lack of comfort.....

Why has Lexus continued this odd tradition of fitting both bridgestones and dunlops to the IS, even with the old IS, I always hated getting courtesy cars that were on bridgestones as they had less grip and were much noisier

[Carlos B]

I have spoken to a tyre company who admit that bridgestones have very stiff side walls( they hate fitting them) and feel like driving on steel..THis may be the reason why the newest cars have Dunlops Has anyone else found the bridgestone tyres this hard.

I picked my car up in December and it had Dunlops, so it isn't something they've just changed. Don't know why some cars have one tyre and some cars a different one. I always thought the manufacturer tested the cars in the destination country and decided on a tyre the suited the temperature, road surface etc etc.

[Arkanoid]

I have spoken to a tyre company who admit that bridgestones have very stiff side walls( they hate fitting them) and feel like driving on steel..THis may be the reason why the newest cars have Dunlops Has anyone else found the bridgestone tyres this hard.

I picked my car up in December and it had Dunlops, so it isn't something they've just changed. Don't know why some cars have one tyre and some cars a different one. I always thought the manufacturer tested the cars in the destination country and decided on a tyre the suited the temperature, road surface etc etc.

I picked mine up in Jan - IS250SEL MM - It has Bridgestones. I can't comment on the firmness of the ride or road noise as I have not experienced the Dunlops

[Dave Jones]

Picked mine up on Friday and has Bridgestones. Ride feels firmer than my 3-series that had Dunlops, but not bad.

[Crispy]

Lexus recently replaced the Bridgestone RE030 16" tyres on my IS250 with Pirelli P7s.

The Pirellis ride a lot harder than the Bridgestones. Dropping the pressure 2psi from the standard 34psi seems to have smoothed out the ride though.

[alpappy]

HI I found this summary for the IS350 on a US site Whilst a litte over the top it does give some insight into the cars esp with larger wheels..

"But it won’t dance. The IS 350 is only slightly less hard-riding than a Skyline GT-R-- with none of the corresponding car control. Woe betides any hard-charging enthusiast who finds an expansion joint or a big old bump in a tight corner; the little Lexus will hop, skip and jump like a colt struggling to get out of a horsebox. Switch off the electronic Nanny, and it’s woe Nellie!-- oversteer oblivion courtesy of the sharpest yet least progressive brakes money can buy. By the same token, I pity the poor ***** who bought an IS 350 thinking he could cruise through an urban landscape without an overly-intimate exploration of the concrete topography"

My local dealer has confirmed that the 16 " wheels give a much softer ride..now to try the dunlops as well

alan

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

HI I found this summary for the IS350 on a US site Whilst a litte over the top it does give some insight into the cars esp with larger wheels..

"But it won’t dance. The IS 350 is only slightly less hard-riding than a Skyline GT-R-- with none of the corresponding car control. Woe betides any hard-charging enthusiast who finds an expansion joint or a big old bump in a tight corner; the little Lexus will hop, skip and jump like a colt struggling to get out of a horsebox. Switch off the electronic Nanny, and it’s woe Nellie!-- oversteer oblivion courtesy of the sharpest yet least progressive brakes money can buy. By the same token, I pity the poor ***** who bought an IS 350 thinking he could cruise through an urban landscape without an overly-intimate exploration of the concrete topography"

My local dealer has confirmed that the 16 " wheels give a much softer ride..now to try the dunlops as well

alan

I said on a much earlier thread - if you want decent ride and less noise, go for the 16"...they may look puny to some though!

[Parthiban]

I think its understandable that the IS has a firm ride, anything on 17" or 18" alloys is always going to have a firm ride. However, I did go for a ride in Koshime's IS250, and I thought the ride was fine (if you've ever been in a new 5 series, you'll think the IS rides like a cloud..). That obviously depends on your personal preference.

However, the road noise issue is strange. I've noticed that Lexus's in general have quite a lot of road noise, the old IS had it, the new IS has it (apparently) and the new GS has it too. Does Lexus not insulate round the wheels at all?

[is250newbie]

I think its understandable that the IS has a firm ride, anything on 17" or 18" alloys is always going to have a firm ride. However, I did go for a ride in Koshime's IS250, and I thought the ride was fine (if you've ever been in a new 5 series, you'll think the IS rides like a cloud..). That obviously depends on your personal preference.

However, the road noise issue is strange. I've noticed that Lexus's in general have quite a lot of road noise, the old IS had it, the new IS has it (apparently) and the new GS has it too. Does Lexus not insulate round the wheels at all?

The road noise seems to be a Japanese phenomenon. My Hondas all had bad road noise as well.

[spikes]

been driving an 250 loan car for a week,yes has a firm ride but i liked it.

no worse than my is200,both on 17s.

250 was running on dunlops,225s on front and 245s on rear.

no probs with road noise as it has a great sound system :winky: :D

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

What puzzles me is that Lexus have different tyres on the cars now. It'll be interesting to know which ones mine has. Most in the showrooms had Sportmaxx or Bridgestones...

As far as the ride is concerned, try any BMW with Runflats...especially the 17" or 18" ones (even the 16" is not as good as the Lex 16")...both Road noise and the ride are aweful, but What Car? mag reckons they're the best on the planet! Try the new Mini Cooper S or even a new Ford Focus - just leave you're dentures behind!

I suppose the issue is that if you want good handling, and don't want to alienate the driver from the car with electronic suspension aids, you have to have a hard set up...that setup does not appear to "soften" the road noise out...

The Audi A4 is currently the best at removing the road noise; the ride is OK, but slightly wallowy on 16"...that's the price to pay!

I wonder if WIM can shed any light on which tyres are known for less road noise, whether softer or harder compounds make a difference and if anything can be done to resolve these symptoms? Dr Bones?

PS - reducing the pressures could have a detrimental impact on the tyre in the long run - tyre over heating, poor fuel economy, uneven tyre wear (i.e. both shoulders wear), lethargic start off's and also affect your speedo if lowered too much!

[Parthiban]

What puzzles me is that Lexus have different tyres on the cars now. It'll be interesting to know which ones mine has. Most in the showrooms had Sportmaxx or Bridgestones...

This is not a new thing, the old IS had it too, they either had Dunlop SP Sport 9000s, or Bridgestone RE040s (i think) and which one you got was just luck.....

I've heard that Goodyear Eagle F1s are quieter than others as they have a softer compound (which does wear quicker tho)

[nicnac]

Thats correct...Bridge stone 040s OEM on IS200.

I replaced these with 050s and found these noticably quieter and better handling on cornering and braking.

[enquiries@frzr.com]

Just had my new IS250SE delivered for a week and found the ride just fine. Mind you I have tested the tyre pressures and they have been set at 32 psi all round when they should be 35 front and 38 rear. Now of course, having pumped up the tyres, the ride is firmer.

I wonder if Lexus have decided on lower pressures, or should I put up with the firmer ride? I have two air gauges to check the readings are correct. Your comments please.

[Tel]

Just had my new IS250SE delivered for a week and found the ride just fine. Mind you I have tested the tyre pressures and they have been set at 32 psi all round when they should be 35 front and 38 rear. Now of course, having pumped up the tyres, the ride is firmer.

I wonder if Lexus have decided on lower pressures, or should I put up with the firmer ride? I have two air gauges to check the readings are correct. Your comments please.

My car arrived with 36psi all round & though it rides firmer than my IS 300 on 18"Bridgestones the ride is fine given the tyres are Dunlops.I am waiting for my 18" wheels to arrive:pray they are fitted with Dunlops!

Tel