boji

this is my 1st winter with a rwd car and here in detroit we really havent gotten much snow just some here and there. Im wondering if i should get snow tires, or could the gs hold up to the winter. I've noticed the gs3 isn't to bad on the snow, the problem is the ice. Any adice would help, thanks.

boji

camtrek

I would. I have. I need.

I live in Ottawa and the summer tires are quite bad once it comes to an inch or more.

I have Nokian Hakkaslkalkslka. 1's, they do the job, quite abit of roadnoise.

doug_999

I would say the only cars they are necessary on are cars with summer tires (i.e. the GS4s with 17" tires).

However, they make such a difference, even over all season tires, I would highly recommend them. In fact, I put them on my wife's RX300!

Tirerack sells tire/wheel combo packages that are very reasonable. Alternatively, there a plenty of people selling their 16" GS wheels and you could pick up a set of four stock wheels and then some snows from Tirerack. My recommendation would be the Blizzak WS-50s if you want ultimate snow/ice traction with not so good dry road, or the Dunlop WinterSport M2/M3 for a good balance between the two.

gs400998

I drive my FWD during the winter except when the road is clear of snow and ice. I would get a set of snow tires if I drive my GS all winter.

3dog

iTrader: (1)

i'm in seattle wa and my wife and i both have 1999 gs 400's. the gs has a very loose and prone to spinning out rear end. you need special tires don't risk your fine car. we haven't got much snow over the last 3 years but over the last week things have changed. we live on a really steep hill and i don't like leaving my car parked at the bottom. i want to be able to drive up the hill and not walk, trying to carry a bunch of groceries without slipping and falling down and spilling groceries all over the place after the bags rip open. (yes that has happened to me) so i look for a tire with max traction on ice which we get alot of, we really get a lot of black ice. the blizzak ws-50 is incredible on ice it's like the road is dry, it really blows my mind the traction with these tires. if you have snow and ice you will feel very safe and confident that you'll get where you're going with these tires. if these tires save you from even one fender bender they have repaid the purchase price many times over. these are absolutely the best tires you can get for ice covered roads. however on bare roads i much prefer my michelin pilot sport a/s. it is not a good idea to drive real aggressively with the blizzak ws-50, it is somewhat like driving on marbles on dry roads, they are not preformance tires. if you drive like a normal person they are alright. i've got mine mounted on the 16" wheels and will be taking them off the cars once the temp goes back up. takes about 1hr to switch each car over. good luck ivan

geebee

iTrader: (2)

I live in Boston and have an 02 GS300. A couple of points. I believe the GS 300 is better in snow than the GS400. Less power, and less weight in front. Boston, like Detroit (I believe) does usually not get a huge amount of snow, has almost no hills, and is plowed well.

If you have all season tires, have a flexible schedule that allows you to sit out snow storms until plowed, and are a good driver, I do not believe that you NEED snow tires for the 300. That said, they sure won't hurt anything other than your wallet and the time/storage requirement.

Best advice if you are not sure: Wait for a snow storm, go to an EMPTY large parking lot, get up to 35 MPH, and jam on the brakes ! Also test drive there starts and normal stops. I did that and was impressed enough to not buy snow tires for my GS300.

GB

chicagoblknazn

I just bought my Blizzaks today and it started snowing an hour ago. On dry pavement, they are not that good. I drive pretty aggresively and they made me slow down quite a bit. It's like driving on cotton *****.

On the wet and snowy pavement, though, it was like driving on dry pavement with performance tires. Braking was great and traction was great. I say, get the snow tires, because it's always better to be safe than sorry and the snow tires will give you that extra bit of confidence on the road.

3dog

iTrader: (1)

here in seattle they are calling it the worst ice on the roads in years (since 1996) i went out and drove around last night with no problem. they have been telling people to stay home its so icy. i drive a 1999 gs400 and this is my first winter with it and the first really ice conditions. i read about how horrible the gs was in snow and ice, but i've got to say that with my blizzak ws-50 tires i'm not having any problem getting around and i live on a very steep hill. my wife, whom i don't think can drive as well as me is also getting around in her car with the blizzaks and that makes me feel good knowing that she has an extra margin of safety. ivan