TurboRush

So I live in NE... New Hampshire to be exact so we occasionally get smacked with some good size snow storms. I already have a Jeep and would ideally prefer the 350.. however, I can't necessarily depend on the Jeep and I never want to be that person that makes plans around the weather... if I want to go some place, I am going.

So that being said, the 250 with awd seems to make the most sense.. however, I feel like I'll kick myself if I don't have the power, I am a car guy at heart and love speed.... so anyway, the real question is.. has anybody driven their IS350 in snow with snow tires?

I obviously plan to get a second set of rims with snow tires, but want impressions. Again, if there is 2 feet of snow and I am tooling around town the Jeep is the vehicle.. but if I have to drive 3hrs from CT to NH in a fairly heavy snow I want to know if the Lexus is going to cut it...

Thanks

monkeyfarm

Dedicated snow tires are the ticket. A set of Blizzaks and you'll be fine in anything other than a blizzard.

Turkoman

I went through the same thought process and settled on the 250 AWD. If you talk to people who have had RWD sports cars and driven them in the snow, the snow tires seem to help but it is still a dangerous proposition. A RWD sports sedan is not and never will be a player in the snow, no matter what you dress it up with. As much as I would love to believe the "with a set of snow tires you will be fine" speak, in the end, I know I would be kidding myself.

If you have the Jeep though and plan to keep it, I would use that in the snow and keep your 350 in the garage. Is your Jeep in such bad shape that you can't rely on it to start?

If I start all over again, I probably would have kept one of my SUVs and gotten the 350.

FrankyJ

well ionno about the 350, but i had a 1996 S500 before my 250 AWD, and had a bit more power than the 350 and ALOT heavier, and how that car slipped and slid in the snow i knew i wasnt going to be able to get a RWD vehicle again. and thats a HEAVY car i cant imagine a car as small as the 2IS RWD

lextech7

I have a 350 I live in Chicago and the snow wasnt bad this year ,but just a dusting of snow made me put on a set of winter tires just to get home. With 1" of snow on the ground the car is undrivable without winter tires.

TurboRush

No, the Jeep will start everytime... its just starting to show its age, so I am at the point where everything is on the cheap with it (it sits with no starter or battery cables at this point awaiting parts to be pulled off some guys Jeep)... however, I won't depend on it because 1 major issue that I can't fix in my driveway and she's heading to the great car graveyard in the sky

Oh well, guess I'll have to give the 250 a shot and if i just can't do without the power, I'll buy another newer Jeep...

kensteele

Go back to Nov/Dec when us 350 owners first got our cars. Lots of discussion on the topic this past winter. My experience in just one snowfall in KC is the stock 350 tires sucks and are dangerous. Winter tires are required.

Bichon

Yes, IS350 with Pirelli SnowSport tires in the stock 18" sizes.

I drove in three storms this year. The first storm, which was a snow over freezing rain event, the tires were marginal. Unless I really slowed down, I'd get oversteer (and the bleep-bleep-bleep of VDIM) any time I went around a corner. I conciously avoided hills, because I don't think the car would have successfully climbed a steep grade. The next two storms, which were just snow (with plows and salting trucks doing their thing), I had no trouble at all.

hofman_dzn

I haven't driven my 350 with snow tires, but I did get stuck in a snow storm while up in Mammoth for the weekend. The car does get a bit squirly with the stock 18" inchers and forget about going up hills, it'll be impossible. But once I put some snow chains (z-cables) on the back tires, the car handled almost like it was on dry except for the annoying snow chain noise and the longer brake distances. I could go up the hill without any problems. If you live in NH, I say go with the 350, but use snow tires in the winter time and carry a set of chains in the trunk just in case. The difference is night and day when a set of chains are on.

sickntired

I am in Milwaukee. I also have the Pirelli snow tires. The day after I got the got the car, it snowed and I could not get out of my driveway with the stock summer tires. I had to be eventually towed out. I went straight to get snow tires put on and it was a tremendous improvement. The Pirellis are good but not as good as the Blizzaks I once had on my 2GS. It was December when I got the car, and Tirerack was already out of Blizzaks at that time.

al503

the only advantage AWD offers is better acceleration in the slippery stuff. It won't handle the curves, or stop any better than a RWD model. In fact, it may even be an hindrance in the turns and stopping ability as the AWD hardware adds weight.

If you don't live in an area with a bunch of elevation changes, RWD with proper snow tires should do you well.

evren

This winter I drove my 350 w/ Pirelli P-Zero Winters, absolutely no problems in Toronto, Canada. I would admit that it was a relitively mild winter but there were certainly a few serious storms that the car w/ vdim, trac & snow mode performed exceptionally well in. I think getting the AWD over the 350 is a big mistake, it just lacks the character and fun factor of the 350.

diablo1

I agree with the general consensus here... I've driven a few times in the snow with my all-seasons, and the only time it was bad was the middle of a blizzard, trying to go up a steep, unplowed road. I got stuck and had to reverse back down the road, then find another way to get there. But in smaller amounts of snow, say 1-2", and no big hills, you are fine. Also, winter tires would be better than all-seasons for your purposes, since you are swapping out tires twice a year anyway. I think driving in a little bit of snow is actually kind of fun. The VDIM keeps you on the road really well. Normally you don't get to see it working, so it's nice to know that it's really there, and it really works...

Turkoman

I would disagree with that. I think you would get better cornering when you have traction in all four wheels, VSC would kick in less and engine braking on all 4 wheels would help you stop better as well. The extra bit of weight is also better as the cars that have the most trouble in snow/ice are the ultra light weight RWD cars. Would you prefer a Ferrari Enzo in the snow with the snow tires? (OK bad question- We would all prefer to have the Enzo anytime but it is a hypothetical question ).

Now the fun factor being better with the IS 350 is not debatable of course.

al503

Your points are well-taken. The front tires could 'pull' you through a corner but whether that ability offsets the extra weight may be debatable given the possible circumstances.

In terms of overall weight, our IS's are not fleet of foot by any means. 3600 lbs + without a driver is pretty heavy IMO. Honda S2000/Lotus elise/exige? Those are light cars.