wthrman2

You confirmed what i also observed in that a 350 AWD is no worse than a 500 RWD which is pretty awesome if you ask me

Potenza

Hey guys,

I was able to take the IS500 for a test drive today and it all went wrong.. First, I really want to love this car. We started it outside and it sounded glorious. I love the engine, the interior, the gauges... it felt so solid and buttoned down. I was ready. I was excited.

Then we went for the test drive and I don't know what happened.. it didn't feel powerful. I couldn't tell if it was because the Bridgestone's were like hockey pucks in the -6c it was outside today or if I just didn't understand what mode to be in or what??? The TCS light kept flashing, so obviously a lack of traction but even when I seemingly was mid throttle, it wasn't accelerating the way I expected. Wrong gear? No traction? Damn it!! I couldn't have the car too long, so it was hard to figure out what was going on. I suggested they throw on some winters or all seasons to get a better test drive but that's not really feasible.

I'm at a loss.

macmaster

You need to change your username to Pilot Sport.

AmbyBomb

I'm shocked you were allowed to drive the car with the stock tires in -6 weather. Those tires aren't meant to be used below 7 degrees. Driving them in weather below that can damage them.

The IS500 doesn't "feel" that fast when compared to, say, an STI that kicks you in the back when the turbo spools. Power is much more linear in the IS which makes it deceptive.

Answer

You said it, lack of traction due to the tires so power was getting totally cut. Those tires are not meant to be driven in cold weather

wthrman2

I don't need to add anything more than what was said above by AmbyBomb, Answer and Macmaster (and you will have seen I pretty much said the same in my PM)....

AmbyBomb - I wasn't aware that driving these tires if somewhat cold can actually damage them - I knew they would yield poor handling condition but I have only driven them for short little trips in a very mild manner way. I will need to be mindful of that moving forward although this could be a good excuse to replace these poor tires (lol).

arentz07

I've driven on the Potenza S001L in sub-freezing temperatures before, and while it wasn't great, it also wasn't a train wreck. Granted, this was on my IS 350, which has a lot less power. And also, granted, I had parked my car in a garage that, while not heated, is attached to the house and generally doesn't get much colder than 50 degrees F (or 10 degrees C). If they've had the tires sitting in the cold for days, the tires are going to be hard as a rock.

Answer

Having driven the OEM tires a lil bit in cold temps last autumn, I can confirm they are very bad, the 350 having a lot less power won't exhibit the same behavior as the 500 will do.
Currently with my winter tires, which are 235's all around, I'm getting similar behavior if I go like past 50-60% throttle in low gears. I'll spin in 3rd gear going like 45mph if I floor it.

arentz07

Oh don't get me wrong, some Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires would be huge upgrade - or for cold weather, any all-season performance tire such as the Continental Extreme Contact DWS06+ or a Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season 4.

Answer

Really tempted by the PS AS4 since i'd be able to have them longer in spring/autumn, but having hard time justifying putting 4 almost news tires in the junk... Maybe I should do couple burnouts...

Renault

Ah, this is one of the problems with a test drive, they probably won't let you press the pedal all the way to the kickdown. If you did I'm sure they would get very upset especially in below freezing weather.

This car has a very conservative throttle. I personally like that it's conservative because its good for the heavy traffic of California. There is an extra inch of pedal past where it feels like you have the throttle fully pressed initially. That is pretty much the only way to really get to know your car. S+, manual mode, with the extra ~inch depressed all the way is what really made me fully fall in love with the car.

wthrman2

I have a set of 4 brand new of these in my basement

Renault - Yeah, I wasn't fully aware of the "last inch" and that click button that really unleashes the beast until ANSWER told me about it....It totally transforms the car and the bottom of my underwear

95bat

Don't lie, front of your underwear too

arentz07

Not going to lie, I've thought about those as well just for peace of mind in cooler weather. But here in the Atlanta metro we only have a handful of below-freezing days every year... if I have to drive just a few times in the low 40s I'll be fine. It's below 40 that the tires begin to act unhappy.

wthrman2

^^ I have been debating on whether my Bridgestone replacements would be "all season" versus dedicated summers but to me, where my driving style is not overly aggressive in cornering and such, I would rather have the tradeoff of 3 seasons peace of mind in addition to a slightly longer tread life. Every situation is different and I opted to go the way I did because to me, super grippy tires would not be an absolute must. If after trying the all season Michelin I decide that I want to go back to summers, I can always do that in the future too