Lexus Winter Driving Tips
Despite what you might’ve heard, you can drive your Lexus on snow and ice. Here’s how!
Unless you’re lucky enough to live somewhere where sunshine reigns year-round, winter driving is a harsh reality. Snow and ice make commuting a rather hair-raising experience, and road salt threatens to eat your Lexus alive. And the further north you live, the worst things get. Thankfully, Lexus makes some pretty solid winter drivers these days. With intelligent all-wheel drive and traction control systems, navigating down slippery roads isn’t as tricky as it used to be.
But if you’re new to the experience of winter driving, the prospects can be quite daunting. In a time when even states like Florida are seeing flurries every now and then, it’s important to plan ahead if you aren’t a seasoned winter driver. And there’s no better place to find pointers than the Club Lexus forums. After all, we’ve got members like Lazerboy, who routinely navigates their Lexus NX across Canada. And the OP is more than willing to share what they’ve learned along the way.
For starters, most of us know that constantly cleaning the backup camera is a necessity in the winter. But there might be a better way.
“I fixed this issue by putting a second camera INSIDE the cabin, just under the brake light using a third party camera kit. It works great, as you can use your wiper to clean the window when dirt is present.”
OEM windshield wipers can also present a huge annoyance in icy conditions. It’s virtually impossible to get them to do their job in sub-zero temperatures, which renders them useless. Not to mention the fact that they’re noisy. The OP recommends picking up a set of wipers designed for snow and ice, and you’ll no longer have to worry about these kinds of things.
Of course, winter tires can make a huge difference in traction over so-called “all-season” rubber. And the OP noticed a huge improvement in performance after swapping his out.
“I bought some brand new Nexen 17″ tires with rims and generic sensors and they are the best for ice and snow! They work flawlessly. I was not sure as I had never heard of the brand, but I recommend them 100%. NOTE: the generic sensors do not show the numeric value of the tires, just green or red (not knowing the exact trigger pressure).”
Another misconception surrounding winter driving is that all and/or four-wheel drive compensates for any loss of traction in slippery conditions. In reality, it helps, but it isn’t the end all solution. But the beauty of all-wheel drive systems like the one in the Lexus NX is that they do all the work for you.
“The 4×4 switch is a decoration for me. I have never used it, as the system kicks in automatically when I’m stuck in high snow.”
The design of the NX also helps make it a formidable machine in snowy climates, too.
“The front bumper is elevated and angled. This is great when punching through heavy snow!”
But even if you aren’t lucky enough to have a Lexus SUV or one equipped with all-wheel drive or winter tires, fret not. Despite what you might’ve heard, winter driving isn’t that difficult. The key is to take things extra slow, especially acceleration, braking, and turning. Leave plenty of space in between you and the car in front of you. Allow yourself plenty of extra time to get where you’re going, and above all, relax. Follow these tips, and you (and your Lexus) will get to your destination in one piece!
