Rear Wheel Drive... Fun Or Not?

[Fugu]

hello there, i've been home for 3 days and bought an is200 sport. now i have driven bulldogs (old) one .

And i was amazed at what the lexus can do, basically from that point on i was a fan and have had my heart set on one since, for one reason and another i've only just managed to get my ***** behind the wheel and own one.

so far i've been shocked and amazed at just how fast and quite these things can be, since winter is coming and i didn't want to be caught out by the ice etc, i thought id take it to a deserted unused bit of road and practice going round in a circle (like a round about)

now i obviously didnt want to start throwing it round cos i've hardly driven a RWD car, so i thought i'd take it easy for my first attempt to see how it slides. despite this the back end flew out and slide quite nicely... despite my heart being in my mouth it was fun and scary at just how easy it did.

is this a bad thing to do, obviously the tyres cant hack it, but is this the best way to learn the characteristics of RWD and learn to control it if something goes wrong? it is fun but i don't know how legal it is! nor do i want to be unprepared in bad conditions and take someone out?

has anyone any winter tips or will it be no different?

[sorted vti]

if ur worried about the back end coming out then keep the traction contol on. it wont stop it fully but it will help.

but yeah id say get in a car park or suchlike and get the back end out. its good to have a practice, just incase it does creep out on ya without u expecting it.

personally tho i wouldnt say the IS is quick. there quite an underpowered car i think. ive got the slowest car by far out of all my friends. but its not all about speed. im the only one who's car will drift!!

[Unregistered_User]

but its not all about speed. im the only one who's car will drift!!

The man has a point :)

However, I would say the IS is nippy. Not some supercar or Subaru / Skyline Jap car performance, but it certainl;y does have a kick when it wants. As mentioned though, keep the traction control on if you're unsure, but be aware that there's only so much t/c can do to assist you. Just take it easy.

This winter will be the first that I've owned the Lexus IS and will no doubt be experiencing some hair-raising moments. So for safety's sake, I'm just gonna take my time.

Jamie

[Fugu]

personally tho i wouldnt say the IS is quick

i understand there are faster, but ive had a 1.6 rover 216 and a 1.8 vectra, compared to them this thing is the concord.

This winter will be the first that I've owned the Lexus IS and will no doubt be experiencing some hair-raising moments. So for safety's sake, I'm just gonna take my time.

i see what your saying, lol, it is so hard to keep slow though, the car seems to take me over and will me to put the foot to the floor when i can. the car park does seem like the best option i guess, do it untill i actually know how to control it properly.

thanks people.

[elexes]

well the best option is to never drive fast in snow ice and fog its just not worth it .

think about it if your driving to work and work is 60 miles away if you do 60 mph that journey will take min of a hr . if you do the same journey at 50 mph it would take around 69 mins .

for the sake of 10 mins and being extra safe id just not rush . i like my car to much and do like to let the back end out when im in a controled envirment .

you could buy the racelogic traction controle system with launch controle seems to be quite popular

[Rikos]

Keep the t/c on and put the snow control on, not sure what it does but it must do something.

i'd recommend trying it on grass as well so you dont ruin your tyres and plus it is easier

[Noel]

TYres...Tyres...Tyres

proper winter tyres and you'll be fine...

I haven't been able to get the back out even when really trying since fitting the F1's.... lol , correct rubber is always worth it ;)

[Bobski]

IS is def not the best in snow/ice....combination of RWD and fairly wide tyres.

I have been stuck spinning while FWDs get up a small hill near me.

Have a play at the first sign of snow in a nice open area if you get the chance :)

[ebthesned]

I have been meaning to mention this 'SNOW' Button, what the hell does it do?? My old boss had an IS and he had the Snow Button activated in the Snow/Ice and it caused him to spin out because he said the Snow Button seemed to change the whole response of the car (in a bad way).

Should we use it or should we just take it easy and stick with the T/C????

[Rikos]

I believe the snow button just limits the amount of revs allowed to the wheels to try and stop them spinning.

Just putting on the snow button wouldnt make your boss's car spin out, he was probably driving too fast!

[Parthiban]

Yep all the snow button does is make the throttle less sensitive - just stick it on and see what it does, you'll have to push the accelerator further to get the same response. Just makes it easier to give it a really small amount of power when pulling away, etc.

There's no way that it made him spin his car!

As said above, tyres are the most important thing. Everyone complains about the IS in the snow, but stick a RWD car with wide summer tyres in the snow, and it's simply not going to have traction........

[afreemason]

Rear wheel drive is the only way to go ....... I'm coming from a 350z to a lexus as I have decided to put a car through the company and 3.5 ltr V6's are very, very harmful to your tax code and of the cars I looked at (including volvo, saab, qashqai, alfa 159) the Lexus was the only rear wheel drive ...... and *** did it show. Even for a smeggy dielsel with the shortest first two gears I've ever tried to drive. it handles like a beauty and at over £100 per month cheaper than the basic BMW and megga bucks cheaper than the merc right now !!!!!!

Having drifted the zed (albeit at relatively slow speeds) I think the 220d will be a touch heavy and underpowered to have real fun ..... but you petrol boys get your rocks off.

Ice ....... ah ....... traction control and stability programs do have a weak spot ........ if all four wheels are spinning at roughly the same speed they can't tell the difference between your driving happily in a straight line and going sideways across sheet ice !!!!!!!!! If the weathers that bad ...... seriously stay at home ....... especially if you have wide tyres and an auto box ....... bravery and stupidity are often bed fellows

[Vyker]

i use the snow button when stuck in traffic on the m-ways.

i feel it helps my foot spend less money in the way of petrol.

when your constantly pulling away from standstill in first gear, to then hit the brakes and come to a standstill again, takes a strain on feul tank.

[Moffet]

The IS200 is also light at the rear end, so putting something heavy in the boot will help with traction on snowy days...

[aido]

I found that snow response in the IS was much better when I had coilovers and the ARB's fitted as you would know the instant the car was losing control whereas with the standard suspension it was much more of a surprise if that makes any sense?

Rob over in Switzerland does a bit of travelling in the snow and he has no problems when using winter tyres.

If it's something that worries you just take it easy like the guys say - maybe even buy a cheap set of steel wheels for the car and fit winter tyres to them - not an expensive option and you can swap between summer and winter tyres as you need to - the winter tyres should last a few seasons at least and you'll have much more piece of mind.

I had the backend all over on the way to work this morning, the roads are getting slippy again!

[sercombe]

personally i dont think that its fun at all. I think its a safety issue that should have been addressed years ago by lexus. I have owned a BMW 3series E46 and i found that had a very good road holding and didnt spin out at all.

The lexus spins out on any road that are wet when you go round corners. I have put Pirelli P7000 tyres on the back of mine and i drive with snow mode on and still constantly get wheel spins and drifts. On the whole its an unsafe car unless you have dry weather. Simply drive the car like an old man and you will be fine. Dont go to work on days where it snows!!

With this said i love the car and its styling more than BMW and therefore I have no choice but to put up with its massive unsafe downside.

[aido]

To be honest if it's that bad it sounds like you need to get the geometry checked - either take a trip to Tony Bones or get it into a local place like Drury Lane in Manchester and get it checked and rectified if needs be - I'd have to push my IS very hard to get the backend to step when it was standard!

[sercombe]

To be honest if it's that bad it sounds like you need to get the geometry checked - either take a trip to Tony Bones or get it into a local place like Drury Lane in Manchester and get it checked and rectified if needs be - I'd have to push my IS very hard to get the backend to step when it was standard!

Possibly mate.. I bought it off some stupid woman that was driving about with 4 very dangerous tyres on it and I mean VERY dangerous tyres and it shook like hell.

Can Charlesworth Motors do it? How Much we looking for geometry being done?

[sparkystav]

I don't think Charlesworth can do a proper Set up but like Aido said Drury Lane in Manchester can do and apparently do a very good job,

If you do a search Gord did a thread about them not so long ago recommending them highly.

Stav

[aido]

Unfortunately mate Charlesworth can't do it I don't think, I've never seen the kit up at Steve's place anyway.

I used to take mine to Selectatyre in Buxton, they've done work on my IS and the Aristo, good bunch of lads up there and they were happy to work on the IS even when I had the coilovers etc, they recovered it as well as you could manage with a good drop, plus with it being located in Buxton it's a lot of fun on the roads home once it's sorted out :)

Once of the lads up there owns a nice LS too - I'm due a visit up there - can't honestly remember what they charged though, it was so much for checking and then extra for adjustments.

[Boris Furburger]

Worried about RWD in winter? Get a real car, (Ford Sierra,Cortina) learn to drive. You don't risk trashing the Lexus and you'll be a better driver for it.

[RedLexus]

or a cheapo E36...

[Fugu]

Ok, i took advice and decided to get the back end out and practice (on grass and once on road) and all i can say is i'm so pleased i did!!!

Last night i was driving from Plymouth to plympton (for those that know it) there is a junction call marsh mills, as i went round and to joint the slip road i hit a puddle and the back end came out big time. All i can say is practice makes perfect, at first i was scared and a little jumpy (heart pounding), but because i knew how to control it i never panicked or hesitated, gained control and carried on.

I really feel had i not practiced i would have lost it big time.

[Noel]

Get a real car, (Ford Sierra,Cortina)!

ahemm.... planning to raid a museum?

[Unregistered_User]

Ahhhh, you're a Plymouth lad are ya :)

Glad to hear all wen well ;)

Jamie