Does the IS350 RWD handle terribly in snow or is it just mine?
12-05-10, 03:04 PM
#1
Does the IS350 RWD handle terribly in snow or is it just mine?
Yesterday, I got my first snowfall here in Chicago, 2-4 inches fell where I live. This morning, I tried driving to the store and a guy asked if I could jump start his car for him using mine. When I tried driving into his garage to get close enough for the cables, my car slipped like crazy. I pressed the gas and the engine went to 7000 RPM and I didn't move an inch! I backed up and turned off traction control, and tried again. That didn't work. Lastly, I turned on Snow Mode and guess what? It didn't help either. Finally, that guy that asked me for help and his friend pushed my car while I was driving, got it into his garage. Worst thing was there was just 2 inches of snow and some ice in that ally!
When I got home, I had problems trying to park into my garage. After trying for 8 minutes, I just decided to press the gas hard and got in almost running through the garage wall.
Then my dad was complaining that I brought the wrong paper towels and he wanted me to exchange them. I decided to drive my brother's 2001 Honda Civic instead after the trouble the IS350 had in snow. While driving my brother's Civic with FWD, I had no issues at all with it! He even has 15" all season tires on while I have the 18" Bridgestone Blizzak Winter Tires.
Does the 2007 IS350 with RWD really handle so badly in snow? I've only had this car for less than two months and had liked everything about it expect the 14.3 MPG it gets, now at 16.6 thankfully after switching to Shell V-Power and using BG 44K, but if it can't drive in 2" inches of snow, then it might be a big problem. I might end up trading this car in for an '07 BMW 328xi but is there anything I can do to improve handling in snow? Thanks!
When I got home, I had problems trying to park into my garage. After trying for 8 minutes, I just decided to press the gas hard and got in almost running through the garage wall.
Then my dad was complaining that I brought the wrong paper towels and he wanted me to exchange them. I decided to drive my brother's 2001 Honda Civic instead after the trouble the IS350 had in snow. While driving my brother's Civic with FWD, I had no issues at all with it! He even has 15" all season tires on while I have the 18" Bridgestone Blizzak Winter Tires.
Does the 2007 IS350 with RWD really handle so badly in snow? I've only had this car for less than two months and had liked everything about it expect the 14.3 MPG it gets, now at 16.6 thankfully after switching to Shell V-Power and using BG 44K, but if it can't drive in 2" inches of snow, then it might be a big problem. I might end up trading this car in for an '07 BMW 328xi but is there anything I can do to improve handling in snow? Thanks!
12-05-10, 03:08 PM
#2
Lexus Fanatic
at the garage you shoulda been in snow mode from the start, you gunning it to 7k just melted the top layer *friction* and turned it to ice not even snow mode will help you there... come on im hawaiian and even i know better 
*cough*user error*cough*
*cough*user error*cough*
12-05-10, 03:13 PM
#4
llama is right, gunning it isn't going to do anything. be ginger on the throttle and do your starts in second gear. Your car has the snow traction control. Elementary, my friend. The IS is very capable in the white stuff. It handled beautifully for me through it this weekend in the Canadian Rockies.
12-05-10, 03:20 PM
#5
Well, the ice was already there since so many cars have passed by on the ally. The snow got compacted and the sun melted some snow but later froze over. Snow Mode didn't work each time, I got into where I needed to be driving it normally. I don't know if it was because I was trying to drive up a 5 degree incline with a little ice or what. But why would my brother's 10-year old Civic with FWD and no modes to select be able to handle so much better than my 2007 IS350 with RWD and snow tires?
12-05-10, 03:23 PM
#7
Lexus Champion
The stock tires on the IS350 will not suffice in Chicago. Not even here in KC, where last year we had the worst snowfall ever. After my first winter with my IS back in 2005-2006, I decided to go with snow tires. I would change them out in December and back to the summer tires in March. Winter tires are a world of different and the set I purchased lasted maybe 3 winter seasons.
At that point, I went with all-seasons year around and now I also have a second car (VW) for those impossible snow days. IS350 stock tires in pretty good snow is downright dangerous IMO; can't image driving on snow packed roads. Couple times when I got caught in early December before changing out, I've had to turn around and go home within a mile or two if I wanted to live for another day. No joke. And that's with good snow plows (roads). It does get icy here.
One of the biggest problems I had was stopping and then being unable to move on the slightest incline...and KS is pretty flat. Snow mode wasn't helpful. Often times I would have to reverse all the back down and either get a running start or take another route (embarrassing when other regular cars had no problem whatsoever).
At that point, I went with all-seasons year around and now I also have a second car (VW) for those impossible snow days. IS350 stock tires in pretty good snow is downright dangerous IMO; can't image driving on snow packed roads. Couple times when I got caught in early December before changing out, I've had to turn around and go home within a mile or two if I wanted to live for another day. No joke. And that's with good snow plows (roads). It does get icy here.
One of the biggest problems I had was stopping and then being unable to move on the slightest incline...and KS is pretty flat. Snow mode wasn't helpful. Often times I would have to reverse all the back down and either get a running start or take another route (embarrassing when other regular cars had no problem whatsoever).
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12-05-10, 03:25 PM
#8
The stock tires on the IS350 will not suffice in Chicago. Not even here in KC, where last year we had the worst snowfall ever. After my first winter with my IS back in 2005-2006, I decided to go with snow tires. I would change them out in December and back to the summer tires in March. Winter tires are a world of different and the set I purchased lasted maybe 3 winter seasons.
At that point, I went with all-seasons year around and now I also have a second car (VW) for those impossible snow days. IS350 stock tires in pretty good snow is downright dangerous IMO; can't image driving on snow packed roads. Couple times when I got caught in early December before changing out, I've had to turn around and go home within a mile or two if I wanted to live for another day. No joke. And that's with good snow plows (roads). It does get icy here.
At that point, I went with all-seasons year around and now I also have a second car (VW) for those impossible snow days. IS350 stock tires in pretty good snow is downright dangerous IMO; can't image driving on snow packed roads. Couple times when I got caught in early December before changing out, I've had to turn around and go home within a mile or two if I wanted to live for another day. No joke. And that's with good snow plows (roads). It does get icy here.
12-05-10, 03:30 PM
#9
What was is tire conditions on the Blizzak? This is because there should not be much of an issue with 2" of snow
12-05-10, 03:40 PM
#11
It is lucky you did not hit the wall because the behavior is unpredictable when you do full throttle. I did that to my AWD IS250 on an empty road to see what happens but then the safety's kicked in and cut off the engine power as the the vehicle started beeping at me.
What was is tire conditions on the Blizzak? This is because there should not be much of an issue with 2" of snow
What was is tire conditions on the Blizzak? This is because there should not be much of an issue with 2" of snow
I tried driving into my garage like I normally would. Just let go of the brake and gas and let it slowly drive up into the garage but that obviously wouldn't work. So I pressed the gas a little and I looked out the window to my rear wheel since the car wasn't moving and the tires were just spinning as if they were in mid-air. After a few tries, the safety I guess like you said came on and it wouldn't drive even when I pressed the gas. Then I just got annoyed, backed out the farthest I can, and almost floored it. That worked well except for me almost scraping the side of my car against the garage door opening from slipping and almost running into the end of my garage but stopped right in time.
