IS 350 in snow report
12-01-06, 01:08 PM
#16
Rookie
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: CANADA
Posts: 78
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Dunlop tires + IS350 = Do not even atempt to drive in snow!
Now I have Pirelli 240 Snowsport = Holy ****! now I can climb steep hills in the snow. (Hills my 2005 Honda Odyssey won't climb)
Get winter tires!
Huge difference
Now I have Pirelli 240 Snowsport = Holy ****! now I can climb steep hills in the snow. (Hills my 2005 Honda Odyssey won't climb)
Get winter tires!
Huge difference
12-01-06, 01:09 PM
#17
Driver
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: CA
Posts: 179
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
i live in los angeles, california. we always get 15" - 20" of snow in the winter. 
just kidding. ive seen snow before, but have never seen snow falling
good thing it doesnt snow here because i hate freezing cold weather!
since we are on the subject of tires, are the front tires bigger than the rear tires for is350 base models? .. i noticed a difference, but maybe im getting too old
just kidding. ive seen snow before, but have never seen snow falling
good thing it doesnt snow here because i hate freezing cold weather! since we are on the subject of tires, are the front tires bigger than the rear tires for is350 base models? .. i noticed a difference, but maybe im getting too old
12-01-06, 01:46 PM
#18
Lead Lap
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: TX
Posts: 430
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yesterday, here in West Texas, we had about 1/2" ice and 3-4 "s of snow. It was 14 degrees. I thought I'd cruize to work in the IS. I don't know if it was the temp or not but the snow Icon had lit up. I backed out in the street and it was so slick I barely was able to get out of the street because I decide not to take the IS 'cause the traction was so bad. I fired up my '78 El Camino with a carburater, headers, 50's on the back( Radial TA's are M+S rated), and REAL posi-traction and cruised on in. The Lexus with it's summer tires just couldn't do it. The good thing was I didn't have to worry about anyone hitting the Lex. (they didn't hit the Elk either)
Last edited by jimmyjazz; 12-01-06 at 02:15 PM.
12-01-06, 02:25 PM
#20
Lexus Test Driver
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: IN
Posts: 894
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
nope. rears are wider/taller than fronts
base sizes
225/45-17 front
245/45-17 rear
optional
225/40-18 front
255/40-18 rear
12-01-06, 02:27 PM
#21
Rookie
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: IL
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
To add to the discussion, I have a IS350 and live just north of Chicago. Put on 17" Blizzak LM25s last week and made it to work ok today despite the snowfall. We've had 60+ degree weather all week, and my father was giving me a hard time that I put the snow tires on too early!
I did, however, get stuck in my parking lot at work. The snow here was probably a few inches deep. Unfortunately my employer never closes for snow days and decides not to plow the parking lot until half the lot is already full. Ridiculous. I had to dig out the rear wheels to get moving again, despite the Blizzaks. And yes, I was in snow mode the whole time.
Entertaining sights: Jeep Cherokee stuck spinning wheels in the right lane as I pass in the left lane. CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) bus stuck in the middle of a four lane road with a plow truck BEHIND it. Old BMW 525 stuck in my parking lot at work, requiring about five of us to push it out.
I did, however, get stuck in my parking lot at work. The snow here was probably a few inches deep. Unfortunately my employer never closes for snow days and decides not to plow the parking lot until half the lot is already full. Ridiculous. I had to dig out the rear wheels to get moving again, despite the Blizzaks. And yes, I was in snow mode the whole time.
Entertaining sights: Jeep Cherokee stuck spinning wheels in the right lane as I pass in the left lane. CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) bus stuck in the middle of a four lane road with a plow truck BEHIND it. Old BMW 525 stuck in my parking lot at work, requiring about five of us to push it out.
12-01-06, 03:36 PM
#22
Lexus Champion
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 2,553
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
on the ice, i had to slow to 5 miles an hour just to make a 90 turn. yes i slipped and slided all the way 7 miles to and from work. as i started picking up speed, the car would want to go right or go left, off the road. but i didn't panic (like i used to) because there are no ditches.
it was very difficult to keep the car going in a straight line. but stopping was not very difficult, the brakes worked well; only a couple times did i slide to a stop.
...but i didn't feel the need to put my snow tires on for the next morning...
it was very difficult to keep the car going in a straight line. but stopping was not very difficult, the brakes worked well; only a couple times did i slide to a stop.
...but i didn't feel the need to put my snow tires on for the next morning...
12-01-06, 04:26 PM
#23
Lexus Champion
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: IL
Posts: 2,822
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I live in Chicago with an IS350. I have an RX300, so I am storing my IS350 for the winter. Next year I will probably get snows for the car. I found that the streets in the suburbs were horrible in the morning. Saw many spun out cars and such. Our cars are too low to the ground for the +6" of snow we got. But if you think about it we get maybe 1-3 of these huge snow storms a year MAX. The rest of the snow is light and under 6". Not worth the jump to an SUV or AWD sedan IMO. I guess I will find out next year when I take the car out in the snow.
12-01-06, 04:51 PM
#24
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: MO
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
OMG, i totally exprienced the exact samething as Ken.
The car acted like it was on glass. Once outside of my garage, I couldn't get anywhere, including back into my garage. The tire spinning thing was exactly as Ken described it!
The car acted like it was on glass. Once outside of my garage, I couldn't get anywhere, including back into my garage. The tire spinning thing was exactly as Ken described it!
12-01-06, 06:00 PM
#25
I have an 06 IS 350. First snow happened to day in Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. 10-12 inches of snow. 18" all-season tires. How did the car perform? TERRIBLE. Actually, undrivable. I actually ordered snow tires and the dealership has them but I called too late for them to put them on (but that is for another discussion).
I've lived in Chicago my whole life and have had a number of rear wheel drive cars (Impala, Eclipse GSX, RX-8, 3 series) and all those cars are at least drivable in the snow). This car acted like it was on glass.
The worst part is that the traction control is terrible. When the wheels slip it CUTS OFF THE POWER to the rear wheels! If you continue to slip THE WHEELS STOP MOVING! You might as well put the car in park, because you aren't going anywhere. The only way to actually go anywhere is to turn OFF the traction control to allow the wheels to spin. Yes you will fishtail but if you know how to drive you can try to control it. Anyways because the wheels don't spin the traction control is worthless and without it you'll constantly spin. Once out of the garage I couldn't get it back into the garage because it either wouldn't go anywhere or it fishtailed too far to get into the small width of the garage.
I actually couldn't go to work today with my car. I made it over to my parents house and took my dad's winter truck (he has a corvette for summer). My parents live 5 minutes away BTW.
Overall, terribly disappointed. I am having my winter tires converted on Thursday. Hopefully that will help a lot. If it doesn't I'm afraid I will have to get a different car next summer. That would be too bad because I love my car otherwise.
I've lived in Chicago my whole life and have had a number of rear wheel drive cars (Impala, Eclipse GSX, RX-8, 3 series) and all those cars are at least drivable in the snow). This car acted like it was on glass.
The worst part is that the traction control is terrible. When the wheels slip it CUTS OFF THE POWER to the rear wheels! If you continue to slip THE WHEELS STOP MOVING! You might as well put the car in park, because you aren't going anywhere. The only way to actually go anywhere is to turn OFF the traction control to allow the wheels to spin. Yes you will fishtail but if you know how to drive you can try to control it. Anyways because the wheels don't spin the traction control is worthless and without it you'll constantly spin. Once out of the garage I couldn't get it back into the garage because it either wouldn't go anywhere or it fishtailed too far to get into the small width of the garage.
I actually couldn't go to work today with my car. I made it over to my parents house and took my dad's winter truck (he has a corvette for summer). My parents live 5 minutes away BTW.
Overall, terribly disappointed. I am having my winter tires converted on Thursday. Hopefully that will help a lot. If it doesn't I'm afraid I will have to get a different car next summer. That would be too bad because I love my car otherwise.
12-01-06, 06:01 PM
#26
12-01-06, 06:17 PM
#27
Lexus Champion
yep, i really was going to change them last night but it was late and i looked at my wheels and they were all dirty and full of ice and slush and i know i have to clean them before i pull them and store them.
next week the long range forecast is sunny and dry (but cold) for at least 10 days so this is my que.
next week the long range forecast is sunny and dry (but cold) for at least 10 days so this is my que.
12-01-06, 07:28 PM
#28
Rookie
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: IL
Posts: 79
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
No offense Ken but if you have stock summer tires on your IS 350 in that much snow you aren't going anywhere. After what I went through today I just don't believe it. Mind you, I live in Chicago and the road crews here are great and used to this type of thing. I'm not saying you are lying but after what I went through and my knowledge of driving in the snow, I just have no faith in this car going very far in that much snow.
I have found that my 250 AWD will oversteer (as opposed to my Jetta which would understeer) when too much throttle is applied, in the snow and even in the rain.
12-01-06, 09:42 PM
#29
Lead Lap
Join Date: May 2006
Location: WA
Posts: 639
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I concur... the IS is absolutely terrible in winter conditions. Just flat out terrible. I got stuck just trying to check my mailbox yesterday.
I've ordered Blizzaks... I hope they make a difference.
I've ordered Blizzaks... I hope they make a difference.
