Hi Kelvin,
Congratulations. In January I'm hoping to order a Premier with the no-cost 17" wheel option because I share your concerns about ride quality. I haven't been able to compare ride quality with different wheel sizes in the new IS but experiments with my 2009 IS showed some, but not a dramatic, difference. Another advantage of the 17" option is the improvement in fuel consumption, according to figures in the brochure. Also I guess the wheels and tyres should be less susceptible to damage from hitting pot holes and presumably the tyres should be cheaper to replace. Finally because the front and rear 17" tyre sizes are the same they could be rotated to balance wear. Sorry I'm beginning to sound like a salesman so maybe I should end with the contrary point that 255 wide, lower profile 18" tyres should improve road holding.