My tire journey
I wanted to upgrade the look of my 2022 Premium+ but didn't have any prior experience with wheels and tires. I exclusively drive on road but wanted a more aggressive appearance.
I decided to go with WildPeak AT4s in SL since they have a great reputation and look badass. Plus, dropping to 17-inch rims made the ride feel super plush—I could roll over potholes and speed bumps without a second thought!
But I quickly ran into two major downsides:
Highway noise: The constant road noise increased by at least 20-30%, which was a deal-breaker for me since I bought this as a road trip vehicle.
Weight & performance: The added unsprung mass was noticeable—the GX had to downshift even for slight acceleration.
Fuel economy: Not great to begin with, but the extra weight and constant downshifts certainly didn’t help.
Ultimately, I realized Lexus engineered the GX to ride a certain way for its core audience—pavement princesses 😂. The more you deviate from that formula, the more you sacrifice ride quality and refinement.
So after just 300 miles, I sold the WildPeaks and switched to the Defender LTX MS2. The weight per wheel and tread pattern is now similar to stock, bringing back the smooth acceleration and quiet ride that I originally loved.
Is it the most aggressive setup? Nope. But for me, it improved the look with 0 sacrifice to ride comfort. Just thought I'd share this in case it helps others in similar situations.
I wanted to upgrade the look of my 2022 Premium+ but didn't have any prior experience with wheels and tires. I exclusively drive on road but wanted a more aggressive appearance.
I decided to go with WildPeak AT4s in SL since they have a great reputation and look badass. Plus, dropping to 17-inch rims made the ride feel super plush—I could roll over potholes and speed bumps without a second thought!
But I quickly ran into two major downsides:
Highway noise: The constant road noise increased by at least 20-30%, which was a deal-breaker for me since I bought this as a road trip vehicle.
Weight & performance: The added unsprung mass was noticeable—the GX had to downshift even for slight acceleration.
Fuel economy: Not great to begin with, but the extra weight and constant downshifts certainly didn’t help.
Ultimately, I realized Lexus engineered the GX to ride a certain way for its core audience—pavement princesses 😂. The more you deviate from that formula, the more you sacrifice ride quality and refinement.
So after just 300 miles, I sold the WildPeaks and switched to the Defender LTX MS2. The weight per wheel and tread pattern is now similar to stock, bringing back the smooth acceleration and quiet ride that I originally loved.
Is it the most aggressive setup? Nope. But for me, it improved the look with 0 sacrifice to ride comfort. Just thought I'd share this in case it helps others in similar situations.