jaxn1010

I see that some areas of the US and Canada have already experienced some significant snows and am curious if anyone could share their real-world driving impressions regarding the Lexus AWD/traction etc. I'm on the fence about putting dedicated snow tires on ours; just not sure if the RX should be our primary snow driver or if it should just stay in the garage when we have snow. Any input would be appreciated, especially if you still have the OEM all-season tires installed.

Eagleboy99

Replaced the OEM Michelin Primacy AS (All Season) tires with Nokian WRG4 SUV (these are all-weather tires with snowflake and three mountain peak and will be the only tire on the SUV) . Much, much better in snow and ice and in slush (Western Canada winter arrived!). I've used AS tires before in winter and it gets a bit dodgy, especially in icy conditions. I've only been to Virginia in the summer (loved Virginia Beach - gimme some of those crab cakes from Surfrider any day!!), so unless you get regular snow and ice or travel to where they have that like some of the Eastern ski resorts, you should be fine.

jaxn1010

That's great information to have and I appreciate it; I think we will forgo the dedicated snow tires on the RX this season and see how it goes - we do have Blizzaks I will have mounted on our Tucson (ironically I used them on my Q5), so that could be a nice test for that car, too. Thanks again!

budwom

If I lived in a non snow area like VA I wouldn't get full snow tires, but living where I do, I can tell that the Michelin Primacys just won't cut it in any meaningful snow, so I have some Michelin full snows being put on this week. I know others have their own standards which is fine, but looking at the tread pattern you can see the Primacy can't be expected to do well in anything more than light snow (which is fine).

jaxn1010

I tend to agree, but the challenge with Virginia is it's a mixed-bag of weather in the winter. Since moving from the western Virginia mountains ~10 years ago (where we did indeed get quite a bit of snow and ice), here in northern Virginia we have gotten 3 blizzards and 6 storms with more than 20" of snow at a time. I guess the basis for this specific question is because the upcoming winter is being forecast as a mid/strong el-nino pattern in the mid-atlantic, and most of those heavier snows happened during like winters, is the Lexus AWD system up to the task. I grew up on a farm located on a dirt/gravel road, so I feel comfortable driving in snow and mud, as long as I know the limitations of the power train. As an aside, I had a Subaru Outback for about 10 years, and that car and its AWD system were the best winter driving combo I ever had, including dedicated 4WD farm trucks - as long as you kept your speed up and didn't let the front end lift in deep snow, you were going to get where you wanted to go. I guess that car would be my snow driving benchmark...

Eagleboy99

If your storm drops 20 inches snow tires won't help you.

budwom

Ya, I know that area well (we got rear ended near Winchester)....well, if you're still working and have to go out regardless of the weather, I think a set of full snow tires is definitely warranted. Southern snow tends to be wetter which furthers the need for good tread...

toyotaman7

I believe the difference between winter tires and all season is in how they stop and steer, not if the car doesn't get stuck. That is the difference between being involved or avoiding an accident.

4wd/AWD will not improve stopping or steering much.

I look at it like my shoes. I personally don't wear my sandals outside in winter.

budwom

I've had a number of local cops tell me that one of the worst things to come along for traffic safety was everyone having AWD. So many people think they can drive like banshees when it snows (which they often can) but stopping is another matter altogether.....and of course this means that many folks think they don't need snow tires with AWD which adds to the peril.

Eagleboy99

I recall reading an article that compared AWD with all seasons versus FWD with winters. And FWD/winters won.

budwom

I would go with that...too many folks around here don't bother with full snows when they should...

BLUKTY2

IMHO there is no substitute for dedicated summer and winter tires if you live in a climate that truly has four seasons. All season tires excel at.... hmm, cannot think of anything.....

Just had the first real snowfall of the season here and the roads are very icy. The RX performs great in this environment with a good set of winter tires- as expected.

Remember to watch out for the other drivers! Not everyone knows how to drive in these conditions nor do they outfit their vehicles with the proper tires. As stated earlier in this thread, having 4WD or AWD gives people a real false sense of security. Lets all stay safe!

Eagleboy99

All season is very different from all weather.

toyotaman7

Do they make All Weather tires in RX sizes?

Eagleboy99

Nokian, Michelin, and I think BF all do. I have Nokian WRG4 all-weathers on mine. I am too lazy and too cheap to run a second set of true winters since the areas I go can have snow almost any time of the year.