First GS in the snow experience....
12-12-13, 04:30 AM
#31
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Matty, I'm not surprised by your experience with Infiniti. Infiniti and Acura seemed to cheap out on high quality materials compared to Lexus. Infiniti vehicles in particular depreciated much quicker than Lexus which lowers their value on the used market. That is pretty telling sign to me of the quality.
12-12-13, 01:56 PM
#32
Just had my x-ice snow tires put on, and got a fresh alignment, going to gt hit pretty hard here tonight in Buffalo so Ill se ehow much easier it is to get going off the line. Just a sidenote, but i don't put any weight in the back, i feel like the GS is heavy enough as is. Also, agree with you on the infiniti and acura deal. I sold my old es300 to get a 4runner, couldn't find one and got a 2006 acura tl, gave it back after a wekk because i just couldn't get over how accord like it was. Ended up with an es330 for another car
12-12-13, 04:00 PM
#33
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Also in Alberta. Yeah, the GS with good snows is certainly tolerable in the snow. Just think of our grand-pappies driving 57 Chevys with skinny, rock-hard snow tires, somehow they made it most days. I had a Sunbird with studs on the front, all-seasons on the back and - most important of all - an actual console mounted hand-brake! Winter with that car was really "rally-season."
12-12-13, 08:31 PM
#34
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The 4Runner would be a great winter choice. I didn't like it's low seating position, but yeah it would eat a blizzard for lunch as long as your sensible about it. Great handling for a proper truck-frame SUV too.
I couldn't afford the 4Runner and the GS, so I figured - fun over practicality.
btw guys Toyo Garit Observe tires are ok but man are they noisy. I don't recommend them. The previous owner was a cheapo, so he didn't go top of the line - but they came with the car.
Blizzaks, X-ice and a couple of the other brands would be way better.
I couldn't afford the 4Runner and the GS, so I figured - fun over practicality.
btw guys Toyo Garit Observe tires are ok but man are they noisy. I don't recommend them. The previous owner was a cheapo, so he didn't go top of the line - but they came with the car.
Blizzaks, X-ice and a couple of the other brands would be way better.
12-13-13, 04:39 AM
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The 4Runner would be a great winter choice. I didn't like it's low seating position, but yeah it would eat a blizzard for lunch as long as your sensible about it. Great handling for a proper truck-frame SUV too.
I couldn't afford the 4Runner and the GS, so I figured - fun over practicality.
btw guys Toyo Garit Observe tires are ok but man are they noisy. I don't recommend them. The previous owner was a cheapo, so he didn't go top of the line - but they came with the car.
Blizzaks, X-ice and a couple of the other brands would be way better.
I couldn't afford the 4Runner and the GS, so I figured - fun over practicality.
btw guys Toyo Garit Observe tires are ok but man are they noisy. I don't recommend them. The previous owner was a cheapo, so he didn't go top of the line - but they came with the car.
Blizzaks, X-ice and a couple of the other brands would be way better.
Last edited by egs21; 12-13-13 at 09:25 AM.
12-13-13, 06:01 AM
#36
Seems like many have put additional weight to the trunk to gain more traction.
I did the opposite and got rid of the spare tire to get the rear end more lighter.
I've had no problems with my Kumho KW27's even though they are designed to be used in central Europe (Germany etc.), not in the Nordic countries. Well, no problems yet atleast..
I did the opposite and got rid of the spare tire to get the rear end more lighter.
I've had no problems with my Kumho KW27's even though they are designed to be used in central Europe (Germany etc.), not in the Nordic countries. Well, no problems yet atleast..
12-13-13, 09:27 AM
#37
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I haven't put any additional weight in my GS3. I think the is already fairly heavy and using the snow mode helps it get started on slick surfaces. After that it is more than stable at regular speeds and if the tail slides out, VSC kicks in to correct it quickly. I'm really impressed at how it has performed in the snow for being a RWD.
12-13-13, 12:03 PM
#38
It's funny we're talking about this too. One of the first cars, a go-to choice, that I cross-shopped before this was the Infiniti G35. And the one I wanted was in fact the AWD version.
But after I test drove a 2003 model at a reputable dealership, I was actually taken aback. It felt cheap inside. Almost late 90's Nissan-like.
I wasn't too pleased with that exhaust note either. For less than that I got a V8, amazing interior quality - and not just any V8 but a Toyota/Lexus V8. You simply can't argue with that kind of power train. It's whisper quiet and we all know its character don't we
Sure that AWD G would have given me a slight advantage but in overall driving, you're not gonna enjoy that interior and that raspy exhaust note. Not after you get spoiled with that smoooothhh Lexus motor.
Heck the 1998 GS300 I also test drove a couple of years before all this was even quieter than the G. Surprising actually because I do respect the 35/37.
But after I test drove a 2003 model at a reputable dealership, I was actually taken aback. It felt cheap inside. Almost late 90's Nissan-like.
I wasn't too pleased with that exhaust note either. For less than that I got a V8, amazing interior quality - and not just any V8 but a Toyota/Lexus V8. You simply can't argue with that kind of power train. It's whisper quiet and we all know its character don't we
Sure that AWD G would have given me a slight advantage but in overall driving, you're not gonna enjoy that interior and that raspy exhaust note. Not after you get spoiled with that smoooothhh Lexus motor.
Heck the 1998 GS300 I also test drove a couple of years before all this was even quieter than the G. Surprising actually because I do respect the 35/37.
Last edited by DosyBoy; 12-13-13 at 12:11 PM.
12-13-13, 07:26 PM
#39
Lexus Champion
Funny you bring up the 4runner. I've actually been looking for a 1997-2002 4runner to drive as a winter car. Hard to find a decent one that doesn't have a ton of miles. Frankly given how the GS has performed this winter, I may not even need to worry about it. Would actually love to get a Tacoma, but I'm blown away by how expensive the used ones are. Crazy!
The dealership wouldn't budget too much on price and it was a high miler with some minor body scuffs and bumper damage. It also had the well known 4Runner manifold leak and that was big bucks. They didn't want to fix that either. So I walked away.
But if you ever have a chance to get one for a winter driver, you won't be sorry. I've driven the older late 90's model too and they're smooth and quiet, but the seating position is cramped and too low to the floor for me.
12-13-13, 07:33 PM
#40
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And to think I was thinking of selling my 400 for a 35 coupe, my buddy sold his 400 and just got a g35 and is in love, yea they look good, but the interior is ***, all plastic with rattles, u just can't beat lexus, I'm running Goodyear eagle gt one high performance all weather for my second year in a row, no problems, although it is very easy to get stuck on my little dip right out of the driveway in my alley, so when I get stuck I just back up the alley, put it in drive and run it up the hill and I'm free, lmao, all while not trying to slip and go a foot to my left and go over a 20 foot cliff into the neighbors living room while their eating popcorn and watching a movie on family night... Fun
But that's all pie-in-the-sky. Now that the big blizzard is over my GS is running around like nobody's business. At some point I gotta get rid of those noisy Toyos. Not used hearing that road rumble in a Lexus.
12-14-13, 04:45 AM
#41
Matty, I'm not surprised by your experience with Infiniti. Infiniti and Acura seemed to cheap out on high quality materials compared to Lexus. Infiniti vehicles in particular depreciated much quicker than Lexus which lowers their value on the used market. That is pretty telling sign to me of the quality.
12-14-13, 09:33 AM
#42
Driving around in a good amount of snow covered roads with the xice snows and there's a big difference, still some slipping off the line but it's better. I went with 215/60/16 instead of 225/55/16 like I originally had, I figured a slightly narrower tire would be better. Braking is what has changed the most drastically
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