THE_CEO

im looking for a AWD sports car for next year...im gonna store the Lexus. This has been a horrible winter with the sc400....im in michigan some days i cant even get up the exit ramp...lol...and suggestion would be appreciative...Also im looking at a mitsu 3000 GT VR-4...for the winter, good or bad?

TIA

Bentley1

I live in Salt Lake City. I own a full sized Toyota Land Cruiser. SUV's are all the rage here. Seriously, though... how often do you REALLY need 4-wheel drive? I'd say we might get 3 or 4 storms per year that would be difficult in the SC. The roads usually get plowed pretty quick, so the only problem comes if the storm hits overnight, and the plows haven't had a chance to make it everywhere. On those days, simply heading to work an hour later will get you there on plowed roads.

I'm probably going to sell my Cruiser, because it just isn't worth the expense for the few times a year that I could benefit from it.

kylesc400

I use a big extended cab/bed f-150 for the snow days. recently we got a bit of snow/sleet here in virginia and due to the fact that my sc4 1) has no traction control option 2) has yokohama z-rated tires (after i wash my car its like a slip & slide) i had to bust out that beast of a truck for a week. it takes about 3-4 days for the plows to hit all the roads around here, so going uphill in the sc was not an option. after driving that f150 for a week and sitting down in my sc4 again i started to really appreciate my car again

ruki400

I would be hesitant of the Mitsu. My buddy had one and the trany had to be replaced twice in 50,000 miles. I live on the westside of michigan so i get lake effect. I have a 96 Grand Cherokee for the snow.

Carpe Diem

When I bought my SC400, I asked a Lexus coupe expert what tires it should wear for appearance and what ones for foul weather. His answer was a popular name, summer tread tire for both questions. When I asked him to explain he said the summer treads would give great highway and dry cornering performance and support the car very well in the garage during snow and rain.

On winter days with any threat of snow, ice or rain I drive a Toyota 4x4 pickup.

strongsail

boy, I'm with Kyle, a big ol' F150 4x4 gets it done - with Yoko mud&snows and half a dozen sandbags in the bed, my black '86 (aka the Black Rhino) is 3 tons of American iron, nothing has stopped it yet - including the brakes on the ice! Seriously, deep tread and all that weight makes this beast go where you point it even in deep snow. But it gets loose just as easy as anything else on packed snow & ice - be careful out there -

bigdaddyrobb

I store my SC3 for he winter and bust out the old 1990 Mazda B2600i. Its a 4x4 short bed truck with 122xxx miles and a set of 30x9.5x15lt Perelli scorpions a/t. Good traction all the time and never had a problem. Samll enough to park easily but still enough to move. I wish I had a longbed sometimes though. Thinking about a H2 or used H1 when I graduate in may. I always wanted a hummer.

lex1997

Hey, I'm selling my Stealth TT I used to have a SC400 and sold it bought an Audi A4 sold it , now I have Stealth TT it's OK on snow when you take of from stop but when it comes to turns , forget it.
You are actually slower than the other cars with no awd ( I mean when you're making turns in snow on water it's ok but snow sucks.
I just found an 1992 SC400 for a good price and thinking buying it but I would like to make it as fast as Stealth TT at least 0-60 under 6 sec.
Do you think it's possible, when I had my SC400 I ran 6.8 0-60 in 75 degree weather all stock no mods.

FlyLexus

With the deals that Mitsubishi has going on right now (zero everything), it's all the rage with the college crowd. I have a friend who just bought an eclipse, and she told me the water pump went out in the first week. Granted, that could have just been a fluke, but what is next?? Just don't have the quality we all enjoy...

Anyway, I drive an '83 Buick Riviera 5.7 Liter V8 Diesel for the cold Illinois winters. So, when it's too cold for the diesel to start, and it's to slick for the SC, it's time to skip class!!! Too bad the real world starts in less than six months, when skipping won't be an option...

carnal_c30

in California we hath no winter hehe

my Lexus is my all weather beater car

but from my experience- getting a nice FWD car with a little bit of clearance like a Chevy Malibu Chevy Lumina or Ford Taurus- a car cheap enough not to care about thats about all you need

AWD isnt really necessary I think- maybe think about a Subaru Impreza, or Forester- something like that

VSsc400

iTrader: (1)

I have a 1990 Eagle Talon TSI Turbo AWD with snow tires on them. Awesome in snow with snow tires. Before the snow I had a set of summer tires on it and it was pretty bad. My guess is if you throw on a set of snow tires on the lex it should be just as good as AWD's

lexcoupe

for those bad chicago winters, i bought me a little 1991 honda civic hatchback, threw like 100 lbs of gravel in the back, and put some snow tires on that sucker. The tires make a lot of noise but thats cause im sitting in the trunk... lol.

kevin

Stevenem

Get a Subaru and Blizzak tires for it. If you need sportyness, pay for someone to install an EJ20T for you. The engine swap should cost less than 2 grand. Still not happy? Install some tein suspension and a big brake kit. Beware, this might make your SC seem slow

Stay away from Mitsubishi

BMW and Audi also make nice AWD cars.

3000GT/Stealth VR4/Twin Turbo are okay, but with wide tires like that they only do "OK" in the snow, and you need to be very meticulous in your maintenance and shifting if you want to preserve the car.

JKAG

Audi S-6, 1995.5

add a chip (270hp, 310 ft-lbs), ABT/Koni and Nokian Hakkapolita NRW's and you have one hell of a good handling winter car.

However, with the lowering springs, watch out for deep snow

gthenry1

I'm rollin in a1990 Range Rover with 80,000 miles. I just put the 92 SC 400 in my Garage, I drive back and forth from PA to NY a couple times a week. I think the RR will work a little better in the winter.

Good Luck to all,

GT