Luscombe8A

Everyone knows there is a blizzard here in the Midwest today. Several inches of snow have accumulated since about 3pm. Temp is in the high teens and packed snow at intersections is freezing and slick.
I drove home from work around 4pm, roads were terrible, lots of packed snow at the intersections. Snow is blowing pretty good. I took the country roads home, too many crazy people on the limited access roads and most don't know how to slow down and drive in the snow.

So how did the 2011 LS do with RWD?

1. It was squirrely with the traction control off.
2. It was challenging with the normal power mode and traction on.
3. It was totally docile with the ECT/Snow mode on. Very drive-able but you cannot be in a hurry. Guy in a little Subaru was hell bent to go fast and did. Not really interested in trying to accelerate a heavy vehicle in slippery conditions.

I am running Michelin Primacy MXM4 245/45/19. They are new two weeks ago, Very quiet and supple.

I am pleased with the LS performance in slippery conditions and am glad I went with the RWD. Not sure how it compares to an AWD LS but I believe stopping distances in both cars under these conditions would be the same.

Just my experience today.

NotFasty

We haven't had much snow since I got my LS, but I find that snow button to be pretty funny... it limits the power applied SO MUCH that it feels like a pedal car

Luscombe8A

It does seem odd when it is engaged but it does work in the snow.

Dave144239

We had an ice storm last year that left a few inches of ice on our local roads. I have AWD, and the car never even twitched in snow mode. It works!

My craziest snow experience was in my RWD '94 Ford T-Bird SC back in 1996. I was out in PA for a ski weekend, and then we turned the TV on that Sunday morning and saw this monster storm coming, so we left the ski area by noon. We were one of the last cars to get off the Garden State Parkway in NJ before they shut it down, This is what it looked like the next morning.

Little

Dave,

That's crazy. That same storm in '96 I was also on a ski trip and had to leave around noon to get the hell out of there. We were on a bus and took us 9 hours to get from Belleyre ski resort in NY to sandy hook area in NJ. That storm was pretty nasty. It's funny you have a pic of the sc t-bird as well. My cousins neighbor had the exact same one and color.

SW17LS

I actually just posted a thread on this subject in the Car Chat forum. Having had an AWD LS460 and an AWD GS350 I have been wholly impressed with how the traction and skid control systems coupled with the snow mode transform the LS460 in RWD into a totally drivable car. Having had an LS400 and LS430 both with TRAC and VSC and a snow mode, those cars were un-drivable in the snow, technology has come a long way. Traction control systems in them were overzealous and wouldnt allow any wheelspin so you couldn't get going, so you'd have to turn them off to get moving which was a show. All you have to do in the RWD LS460 to see how in credible a job the traction control does is turn it off...and it too becomes un-drivable.

The only place I miss the AWD is in total confidence. If you get high sided the AWD system will pull you out, so you have to be more on guard when driving the RWD car to make sure you stay out of areas where you could get stopped in a bad spot where snow is deep, and/or its uphill, etc. Lexus AWD system in their sedans is awesome, and I found my AWD Lexus sedans just as confident to drive in the snow as my Jeep SUVs.

Here's a dascam video from last week. This is about 8 inches of snow. The parking lot I turn right into has been driven around on already clearly, but its fairly steeply uphill. You can see at the top, the LS struggles but the TRAC kept me moving forward and never let the wheels spin out and I made it up. Once I come around and head downhill, thats a 3/4 throttle takeoff, and you can see it retards power, keeps the rear end in line. Excellent.

roadfrog

In this part of Canada we almost never get snow, but last year we got a LOT and my RWD LS did amazing on a set of dedicated Winter tires.

Now with my AWD SHO, I was hoping to try it out in snow, but alas, no snow here yet this Winter. However, my son did get it out to the mountain ski hills and said it was unstoppable. Maybe February will bring some colder temps and snow. It's nearly 50 degrees all this week.

NotFasty

Rather that edit this post that makes me eat crow, I'll reply to it. I had a chance to drive in much heavier snow last night and I definately see the appeal of ECT SNOW. Sure, it does what I could do with my right foot but it makes driving safely in the snow something of a no-brainer. It gets two thumbs up from me.

Years back, I had a manual transmission RWD BMW which - with snow tires - didn't need a "snow" mode to drive safe. My Lexus reminds me a little of that (even though mine is AWD).

UDel

I remember the snowstorm of 96, most snow I have ever experienced, we got around 2 feet, was off school for a week, maybe two. I was not driving then but had to kept shoveling the driveway every few hours.

Dave144239

That was an awesome snow storm I was living in Park Ridge, NJ, up by the NY state line. We couldn't get the car out on the roads until Thursday, but I was able to walk to the A&P for groceries.

I liked the T-Bird, and had it until 2000. It had 137,000 miles by then, and had a few issues, including an engine rattle that my mechanic said could easily cost $5k to fix, so I traded it in. A guy at my job had one a few years ago, and said he had the same engine problem, but elected to get it fixed..cost him $8k in the end, so I was glad I didn't keep it.

SW17LS

Yep, I remember it too. My dad actually had emergency heart bypass surgery right after that storm..

RRocket

I live in Canada, so we're accustomed to snow.

It's all about the tires. Quality snow tires makes a dramatic difference even vs the best all seasons....I'm still shocked people don't run winter tires. Even if it doesn't snow, many all seasons turn hockey puck hard even at near freezing temps.

We got an honest 6" today and it was no problem with my IS-F....easily the least winter capable Lexus I've owned.

roadfrog

Who's "we"? You can keep your snow in YOUR part of Canada! It's why I live in BC and why my wife moved here from Ontario!

SW17LS

It depends on where you live. Where you live, sure I too would have winter tires. Where I live its just not necessary. For instance, we had that snow and then a few days after that it was 50 degrees. It rarely gets down to freezing or below freezing for any prolonged period. For instance, tomorrow the the high is 16 degrees F, which is extraordinarily cold for us, but Wednesday the high is 47. Winter tires here would spend more time in temps above their peak operating range than within it.

RRocket

Of course. Winter is different throughout many parts of North America.

My comment was more that I'm shocked that in areas where you need snow tires, many people don't use them.