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First trial tomorrow with expectation of 4 to 6 inches.

Having driven the IS200 Sport in previos years and not been impressed ( gears and snow button but didn't go in straight lines ).

What's the ideas for an IS250 with auto? I was thinking stick it in sport and keep in second as required plus the snow button. Any better ideas. I've got 30 miles to navigate on A roads that are windy and hilly and not bags of traffic.

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The Snow mode helps & 2 sacks of potatoes or the equivalent in the boot will aid traction.

However the tyres are a different matter because of their wide stance &,if the snow is deep, will offer minimal traction.I live 300 yards from a bus route so have never been stuck in my Lexis that all had narrower tyres than on our 250's!

Tel :driving:

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Best option long term is to get some 16 inchers with snow tyres. That was what I was going to do but never got round to it. Fortunately Glasgow looks clear and dry.

Maybe a good time to hire a 4x4 for a couple of days if you do need to get around. :winky:

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Well I brimmed the tank tonight, so I have the weight of that. Just checked the manual doesn't seem you can lock the car in2 on the auto - only 1 or 2 and car chooses. So snow button and one or two to the main road .... through town then the fun of the bends and very soon a long steep hill and then bends and hills like Wales. Well we'll see if it's better than the gen 1 IS !!

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Well I brimmed the tank tonight, so I have the weight of that. Just checked the manual doesn't seem you can lock the car in2 on the auto - only 1 or 2 and car chooses. So snow button and one or two to the main road .... through town then the fun of the bends and very soon a long steep hill and then bends and hills like Wales. Well we'll see if it's better than the gen 1 IS !!

Yeah I've found that strange about the old IS as well, why does the snow mode not also start the auto's in a high gear? I know it makes it cheaper in that its the same electronics as the manual, but it's stupid for an auto not to be able to start in a high gear, almost makes it unusable.........

However, with my auto, last time it snowed heavily, I found that really leaning on the traction control worked quite well :)

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Well - don't attempt to take out your 220d in snow either - I have just got back in this morning after aborting my 60mile run to work. I have about 2 miles to a main road. I got about a mile and turned back after I couldn't get over a humpback bridge. Interestingly I got stuck again on the way back, along with a merc. RWD is no good in snow... I saw corsas and swifts coping really well - front wheel drive vehicles had the edge.

Good luck if you're going out today - I'm working from home!

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Well - don't attempt to take out your 220d in snow either - I have just got back in this morning after aborting my 60mile run to work. I have about 2 miles to a main road. I got about a mile and turned back after I couldn't get over a humpback bridge. Interestingly I got stuck again on the way back, along with a merc. RWD is no good in snow... I saw corsas and swifts coping really well - front wheel drive vehicles had the edge.

Good luck if you're going out today - I'm working from home!

I've just got to work in my 220d, it's just as bad as my old IS200. Took me an hour to do 6 miles and struggled up the smallest of slopes. What a laugh!

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Well, whilst I wait for the 220d I've still got the GTA.

Couldn't ask for anything better in the snow, really, turns it from "am I going to crash" into "how fast can I go round this corner".

Unfortunately I've only got the GTA till sunday, then I'm stuck in my gf's old car until the lexus arrives :(

G

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2" of snow over a frozen road - I said to Mrs Jamboo that we really leave the Lexy in the garage and take the Nissan Note out only. Then I had this memory flashback of january 1987, my old 316 RWD, and the amount of fun I had in deep snow, and the fact some how I could always keep it moving...

So I jumped into the Lex, hit the road, and no problems at all...all the way to school, and back, including a very slippery stretch of the estate I live on, bendy, up hill, totally frozen etc...and lots of skid mark with cars "bumping" the kerbs. I just left it in first and didn't touch the accelerator - even at a standing start...just let the diesel torque get you moving forward, then gentle throttle...never used 2nd at all...

On the way back, in 1st gear, took the left hander down hill, at a very slow speed - the car was in 1st and at a steady engine brake speed...all semed in control...until I did a 180 :hehe: !

:lol: My neighbour larfed his socks off as he went by in the FWD Pug!

It is Evil in the snow! Mind you it was nice to see the VSC light flashing away for 90% of the journey :hehe:

PS - I think it's the camber in the road which really unsettles it - typical of most RWD on slippery roads

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It's interesting, actually.

I remember seeing a torrent by Nikon cars about Toyota safety.

Part of it was testing VSC and VDIM on ice.

They claimed it was much easier to control, and showed videos of how it handled on simulated snow.

I have to admit it looked fairly impressive, with VDIM being by far the best.

It nearly tempted me to get the Sport over the SE-L, but then I thought about how rarely I'd actually NEED that.

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Well the journey was uneventful, got up early to clear the sloping drive. Left at 0630 and basically used the "S" mode on the auto to contol the gears ans Snow Mode all the way. Used the tiptronic to slow down at don hill and roundabaouts and I must say it was far superior to the old IS200. No slides, twitches or anything and that was four inches of snow and still falling heavily.

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2" of snow over a frozen road - I said to Mrs Jamboo that we really leave the Lexy in the garage and take the Nissan Note out only. Then I had this memory flashback of january 1987, my old 316 RWD, and the amount of fun I had in deep snow, and the fact some how I could always keep it moving...

So I jumped into the Lex, hit the road, and no problems at all...all the way to school, and back, including a very slippery stretch of the estate I live on, bendy, up hill, totally frozen etc...and lots of skid mark with cars "bumping" the kerbs. I just left it in first and didn't touch the accelerator - even at a standing start...just let the diesel torque get you moving forward, then gentle throttle...never used 2nd at all...

On the way back, in 1st gear, took the left hander down hill, at a very slow speed - the car was in 1st and at a steady engine brake speed...all semed in control...until I did a 180 :hehe: !

:lol: My neighbour larfed his socks off as he went by in the FWD Pug!

It is Evil in the snow! Mind you it was nice to see the VSC light flashing away for 90% of the journey :hehe:

PS - I think it's the camber in the road which really unsettles it - typical of most RWD on slippery roads

Drive backwards.... :P

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I just left it in first and didn't touch the accelerator - even at a standing start...just let the diesel torque get you moving forward, then gentle throttle...never used 2nd at all...

On the way back, in 1st gear, took the left hander down hill, at a very slow speed - the car was in 1st and at a steady engine brake speed...all semed in control...until I did a 180 :hehe: !

PS - I think it's the camber in the road which really unsettles it - typical of most RWD on slippery roads

Same here - left it in first, no gas, TRC off. Wheels just span on the slight incline and the car crabbed towards the verge on gentle opposite lock. It was like I was on a giant car treadmill. I played around with 2nd gear but eventually I had to back down the slope to get a run up and over the bridge in first with slight gas.

The last time it snowed I actually tried to do a 180ish on an empty bit of tarmac. Frighteningly easy - just slight gas and lock. I sometimes think that the safety systems lull you into a false sense of security - once you reach the handling threshold, physics kick in and you've lost it big time...

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It's true, Traction control turns you into a ***** driver. Much more likely to get caught out. As for the best option in snow, got to be snow chains. I got stuck in the middle of a forest in the czech republic. If I didn't have the snow chains I'd still be there now. Once the chains are on it's like driving on Tarmac. Well worth the money. Otherwise it's FWD.

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It's true, Traction control turns you into a ***** driver. Much more likely to get caught out. As for the best option in snow, got to be snow chains. I got stuck in the middle of a forest in the czech republic. If I didn't have the snow chains I'd still be there now. Once the chains are on it's like driving on Tarmac. Well worth the money. Otherwise it's FWD.

In UK, you'd destroy your tyres if you fitted snow chains (well in most of the UK).

It never snows badly enough any more, and you find some roads are cleared quickly, while the side streets are still frozen. So you would only need the snow chains for 2 minutes...

Snow tyres is the way to go...

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It's true, Traction control turns you into a ***** driver. Much more likely to get caught out. As for the best option in snow, got to be snow chains. I got stuck in the middle of a forest in the czech republic. If I didn't have the snow chains I'd still be there now. Once the chains are on it's like driving on Tarmac. Well worth the money. Otherwise it's FWD.

very very true chains are great in deep snow - In winter I always keep a set in the car UK guys: dont be tempted to drive lond distances with chains on - apart from the rough ride you will damage the chains and pray a link doesnt break and trash your car! :crybaby:

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