Light rain this morning, and wow did I lose traction on my HS premium / 18's. Required gentle acceleration away from a red light to keep the front wheels from spinning - anything in the power band broke 'em loose. Plus, I found the traction control really annoying the way it shuts down power - felt like I was in a clown car spitting and jerking away from the stop light. The tires seem fine, with lots of tread left (~10K on them).

Anyone else have that problem, or is it just me? I don't recall this happening before, but it is cooler now, and some performance tires turn hard plastic in the cold. The tires are also around 30 psi, which is lower than they've been - maybe it's time to pump them back to 35.

I'm looking forward to when these wear out, and getting some Michelins. I'm just too cheap to fork out that kind of money when these have plenty of tread left :-)

 

Thanks for letting us know.I live in Vancouver,where it rains all the time.Have the same tires,with approx.the same pressure.Will take care from here on.So far I haven't experienced any slipping(has 9000 km-s-about 6 thousand in miles).

 

I haven't had any traction issues with the Toyo/18" tires on my car in rain. I did, however, shut off the TRAC control and put the gas down about 3/4 the way starting from a stoplight during the rain once just to see how the car would perform w/o TRAC. The wheels broke free immediately and spun screeching. So, in my experience, the TRAC is very beneficial. Compared to an 05 Prius I used to own, the HS' traction control is very unobtrusive - that car would feel like it was stalling when flooring it from a standstill with the steering turned. The HS has no such problem - a slight depowering for a moment to gain traction and then it zips along.

Tire pressure is temperature sensitive -- they can easily lose 3-5 psi between Spring and Fall.

It's possible there was oil residue on the pavement causing the slippage, too. It rises up when it rains.

 

this brings back memories...

summer rubber compound
or all season rubber compound ?

 

I thought of that too, and checked the sidewall - M&S rated.

 

We just returned from a rainy trip to Yosemite from the LA area. Our HS performed extremely well. On the 2 lane leaving Fresno heading to Yosemite we had plenty of wet weather with no tire issues. We have the 18". Also was able to pass 2 huge RV's on the 2 lane without "power" button (road was dry at the time). I find that the HS has performed very well when comparing to the other 2 Lexus's we have had (including a 1992 SC400 which I still drive), plus an assortment of other cars including a 280ZX, a Cadillac Allante, and others. As we get into our "Medicare years", we defintely find our buying choices are based on somewhat different things than 20 years ago. With that being said, my wife and I are delighted with the performance of the HS and feel it has worked out better than expected (even with the recalls). We would consider another HS when we get to that point, and hope that Lexus might do alittle refining of the exterior look (you do get more used to the looks as time goes by,but....). A really nice alternative car with few actual competitors (come on, this is NOT a Prius nor do you buy it for the reasons you would buy a Prius).

 

Hello, I have never owned an HS but I did have toyo proxes 4 on my SC300. They were great tires. Handled amazing in wet or dry conditions. They never gave me any problems until they were worn out and nearly slick. These were also on 18 inch rims. A bit pricey but super quiet and performed well.

 

OK, so maybe it was just me, or I got some oil on the tire (seemed to be just the left front breaking loose). Roads have been dry since so I haven't had a chance to test them again. No problems in the dry - IMO these tires are almost too sticky in the dry for the suspension in the HS.

 

For the first time on I-75 driving on cruse control set at 78 it gave me a strange feeling like driving on a slippery road. The steering felt light footed and the road was 100% dry, temp out side 78°. Tire pressure went to 34 front tires 35 back tires. It was a strange feeling. At 78 I was being passed on the right and left, I was in the middle lane. Hard to explain has anyone ever experience this feeling on the wheel? Thanks in Advance

 

I drive 75-80 all the time and have never felt a problem. IMO the car actually settles down and drives more smoothly than it does at lower speeds, especially with the tires pumped above 35 psi (I've noticed excessive vibrations at slower speeds if the tires are overinflated). Maybe you're just accustomed to the slower-speed vibrations and are perceiving their absence once you hit those higher speeds?

 

Your tires being incorrectly inflated may have had something to do with it -- the fronts are supposed to be at a higher pressure than the rears. Perhaps there was a strong cross-wind that caused the somewhat high-profile vehicle to get buffeted a bit? Or, perhaps the pavement is grooved concrete?

 

I experimented today going a bit fast around a rotary where there was no traffic. When I got up to a speed that felt a bit uncomfortable, the tires felt like they all lost a bit of traction simultaneously and there was a soft squealing sound. The car didn't seem to lean too much, the small amount of lateral slippage stayed constant (ie predictable), and it felt under control the whole time. It's no race car, but sticks sufficiently to the road when cornering to handle the way I drive.