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Well, I was warned that the IS was absolutely crap in snow (about half an inch and -6 degrees), but I spent ten minutes trying to get off the bloody drive!! I had to borrow a car to go to B&Q for grit!!

The most embarrassing thing was having to move so the neighbours escort could drive straight out - no messing.

Anybody have any thoughts/experience on winter tyres (on a 2nd set of rims?) or chains on an IS?

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I had the same problems with my is200 I am using the Dunlop Winter SP tyres which actually supposed to be very good. Given that I bought the car used and it was running the whole last year on winter tyres I had some problems. I assume that they are also a bit worn out. I had problems, and I thought it was due to my tyres being worn out. However, reading you having also problems I can say well it is the IS200 which makes troubles in snow, however all rear wheel driven cars have problems in snow.

Advices :

Push the snow programm button on your car, helps you in some cases, and reduces petrol consumption

If you are stucked try to drive backwards out of the trouble

Load your car with heavy stuff like beer crats, or something which does not freeze easily. :))))

Well at least heavy, and then it should be okay.

But if the car once runs it is good to handle I think, at least I already tried and practise to go sideways :)))))) see the post Meeting up by me....

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We havn't that much snow in the midlands but what there is has frozen, so I thought it would be an ideal chance to see if the car is as bad as they say.

The thing to do is use the SNOW button straight away, it limits the throttle responce, also the traction control works well if you don't try to blast all over the place. I think my Lexus handled the snow better than many front wheel drive cars i have had. The extra weight may help!

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I did have snow mode on. As you say, it limits throttle response and also affects the way the traction control works. Didn't help me at all though! I was just sat there, engine idling, with one wheel sslloowwllyy turning on the spot. I could manouvre on the flat OK, but my driveway has a very slight incline where it meets the main road and as soon as I got to that, I was stuffed!!

I might put some weight in the boot - probably a bag of sand. Oh, and a shovel!!

I have Bridgestone RE040's on 17" rims - I wondered if the higher-profile tyres on 16" rims (as on an "S") were any better?

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Guys the thing being is that front wheel drive are better to handle because first of the weight, but secondly because of the pulling effect. Rear wheel drive have to push the whole car which is more difficult. So just try and drive backwards and you will see that the car drives perfectly´in the sand. So load the car and it may help, otherwise you need so shovel if you are stucked. If you have to climb hills, well take enough speed and do not even get stopped right in the middle, then you have to roll back and drive the whole hill again.

That is it.

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Steve:

Yes, all IS's have Traction Control, but TC only helps if there's grip to be had. On ice you WILL get wheel slippage and if you use TC, it senses the slip and reduces power/applies the brakes and (ultimately) you go nowhere. That's why snow mode turns off the TC.

Wallace:

Is your's a Sport? I just wonder if you have the LSD - at least you would need to lose grip at both wheels before you stopped.

Weltmeister:

The thing is, I can't take a "run up" at the slope - I have to stop, it's a blind junction onto a main road, so there's no choice. Likewise, reversing out is possible, but not a good idea.

The most snow-capable car I ever drove (other than a 4x4) was a Citroen 2CV. Very light, but what weight there was, was over the driving wheels and skinny little 125 section tyres. It was pretty much unstoppable whereas the Lex, while being a much nicer place to be, is unstartable:D

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Yup, I agree with all the comments. Last year I had RE040's and used SNOW button and it was pretty useless got the brakes stinking after 10 metres. This year I have Toyo Proxes T1-S and still the same. Best thing is to have a front wheel drive car for the few days a year its icy/snowy in the midlands.

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ha ha ha ,the fun of driving a lexus,oh how it makes me chuckle,the snow is a pain,every year the same old problems,the TC/snow Button is useless we have just had 7 inches of snow here and the best way to get around is like Tommi Makkinen..........................side ways

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I've an S with the standard 16-inch wheels and the narrower tyres (and hence pressure over a smaller surface area) but they didn't help much. I was visiting my parents in Kettering at the weekend and there was a short hill at the end of their street covered in a couple of centimetres of snow. It was round a corner and on a junction so there was no way of getting a run up. I used TC/snow and the car just crawled and slithered from side to side a bit but eventually it did make it. My old fwd cavalier would have done it much easier. Perhaps if I'd had the 17's I'd not even have made it though? As for tyres I have Yokohamas A041s on the rear and a new set of Pirelli P9000's on the front. Think I might try some P9000s on the rear when they need a change - they look like they might be a better bet for bad weather.

[Edited on 2-1-2002 by javadude]

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I solved the driving in snow problem this year, the work sent me to Africa and the wife has left it parked in the garage for the last 2 weeks..................the funny thing is she had to walk!

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LEXICON:-Mine is the 200SE with P9000s' all round. Only done 3000miles so still have a good lot of tread. I found it ok using the SNOW button, are you sure it disables the TRC? Mine was working with the snow button. As I said it was OK if you didnt try a Colin McRae. Still it will be over in a couple of days!!!!!

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Well, after some experimentation (aka battering around the car park :tumble: ) you are correct; the TC still works just the same. The thing is you can maintain a fair bit of wheelspin before it cuts in and because I was being gentle with the throttle, it never did!!

So, maybe more right foot (not less) required and let the TC work it out.

My previous car had TC too, but that cut in if there was any spin at all - you had to switch it off on ice or you just ground to a halt and stalled!

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Well I have tried to spin in the snow and go sideways and well even during snow mode the TC still handls although it is fun to know that at least a little bit of drifting is possible. Turn the TC off then you can get full 180 degree spin.

But to get best grip if you turn off the TC and turn on Snow, well I doubt that since I got stuck on the hill. So nothing helps on that as other rear wheel driven cars face the same problem.

But anyway it is over anyway in some days but I heard on the mainland it will get worse again next week.

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We've had no snow here in the Mersey Valley, but last year my car was *******. There were 2 days I couldn't use it as I could get it off the drive, but couldn't move anywhere except to the end of my cul-de-sac :rolleyes:

This year it's been fine, but I did manage to scare myself on the M6 this morning, accelerating out of Knutsford services, accelerating hard in 3rd, hit a patch of ice under a bridge and ended up in a nice 60mph drift. Impressed the WRX driver behind me though :D

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  • 4 weeks later...
How to get the IS200 sideways in the snow!!!

I saw this picture in the Daily Record, the said that "the woman had smashed her '£30,000' Lexus" my neighbours think i'm really loaded now!

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