I love my 2008 LS460L, but it is definitely a pain the change tires twice a year here in IA due to winter snows. I will never again buy a RWD car. "For the times , they are a changin".

 

EXACTLY! Snow tires, schmo tires. Never did squat to get my prior Lexi or Mercedes up my driveway (garage at bottom) in snow. AWD is a godsend.

 

I am so upset with how poorly my LS 460L operates in snow. It is essentially useless in any snow accumulation. I am thinking about trying to trade it in.

 

I expect that this is true of all RWD cars.

Since the engine weight isn't over the drive wheels, traction suffers.

That's why the old VW bugs did so well in inclement weather. RWD and engine in the rear.

Are there ANY RWD cars that handle well (or even OK) in the snow with all-season tires?

HBH

 

That's why the old VW bugs did so well in inclement weather. RWD and engine in the rear.

Ditto for my beloved and not forgotten '66 Corvair Monza!

Of course the problem was the front end was so light if you took a snow covered corner too fast the car would keep going straight!

 

Can't think of any RWD cars that have great snow traction. That was one of the perks of automakers making FWD cars. All I did when I was in Germany was load down the trunk with whatever excess weight I could find. Not really much you can do to fix it except buy a FWD/AWD vehicle. That's one drawback to FR engine RWD vehicles with almost even weight distribution.

 

Go with AWD for best winter performance (including snow tires of course).

 

I am so thankful to have a '10 LS460 AWD here in Chicago. It is an absolute tank in snow and ice. To say I am impressed with its ability to make it through treacherous conditions would be an understatement. It is unshakable, I think in part due to its sheer weight. On top of the great traction, the VDIM is fantastic. It has instantly corrected the few slides I have experienced while turning too quickly in slippery conditions. I love that I can increase the ground clearance with the air suspension as well, because the snow and ice mounds get pretty deep in the alley I use to access my house. When in doubt, get this car with AWD!

 

+1...It snowed a few weeks back...maybe an 1 inch...it took 3 tries to get up my driveway...hahahh..trying to sell my 350Z so i can buy a SUV or AWD ride.

 

Please don't shoot this messenger, but I've owned 6 LS cars over the years, five before all wheel drive. I live in steep snowy Pittsburgh and the non AWD cars WERE INDEED pretty worthless in snow. I agree with Strad, however, that the AWD version, mine is a 2009, is the best snow vehicle I've ever driven and that includes Audi, Subaru, Explorer and my wifes 2006 RX330. And that's with the OEM all season tires....nothing special foe winter. I will note, however, that AWD gets about 1.5 MPG less in the city...about 16MPG vs 17.5 on the old 2007 RWD LS460.

All of that being said I suggest you get Blizzacks instead of an immediate trade in. Might be a cheapish intermediate solution to an otherwise costly problem. You might decide that the car on BLIZZACKS is good enough to keep for a few years. I'd say it's a decent $600 or so risk/reward equation.

 

Daryll is spot on with the winter tire recommendation. Unless hill climbing comes into play, Blizzaks will be a significant improvement in RWD handling. I have commented on this in the LS430 forum. I use a winter application on my 2010 RX350 AWD car. The steering and braking on ice are just that much better!

 

Old thread, I know, but this will be my first winter in the LS. My internal debate is to park the car on snow days, or bite the bullet and buy snow tires and perhaps some sand bags for the trunk. The only time I drove this thing in the snow was on the drive home when I purchased it...didn't seem that bad, but it was only a couple of inches. The problem with living in New England is that you never know when a couple of inches forecasted will turn into 8 inches...and then you out and about...pretty much screwed.

I'd rather drive my LS than my backup beater car.

 

Ice and snow tires. 'Nuff said.

My E65 BMW was great in the snow (what little we get here in the Pacific Northwest) on ice and snow tires.

Haven't driven my LS in snow yet, but with the snow button engaged and my Champiro winter tires, I'm pretty confident.

 

Light weight, fwd or awd and relatively narrow tires are all good for ice and snow. A rwd LS 460 is the polar opposite of those things. Only a rwd pickup with street tires and a big V8 could be worse in bad conditions. I love my rwd LS 460 and have driven it twice in icy/snowy conditions on all season tires. I didn't expect it to do well and it didn't.

 

Hence the need for ice and snow tires.

As you know, all season tires are for "all seasons", not for, "all conditions".

All season tires lose their grip and pliability when temps get down to 7 deg c. (43 deg f ?). That's where the unique compounds in winter tires do their thing. Mine have some kind of a canola compound in them. Others have silica in them.