Snow

[LexusIs200Sport]

Hi

Anyone pressed the SNOW button and tested their 0 to 60mph time.

Just wondering?

[Wosket]

i pressed mine and went promptly sideways! spent a fair few minutes spinning round the missus' car park after dropping her off at work

[altezzaz]

Shouldn't make that much difference - sure you'll be slow in first until about 3500 rpm but from there on it doesn't do anything... couple of seconds, may be?

[whitie]

I'd say an extra couple of sec's as well, just stops you from spinning off.....

[TheDon]

i found it sooooo useful this morning. Its a great button that stopped me from spinning on the spot for several hours while pulling out of a junction today. am very impressed. i want a snow button on every car i own from now on. even if its only to use it once a year!

[ColinBarber]

It changes the throttle response - you have to press it down more to get the same throttle opening. I think it still allowed 100% throttle opening so shouldn't affect 0-60 time apart from the traction control being more sensitive

[Damer]

Dropping my littlest one off at the childminder this AM abd got stuck going up the tiniest of inclines! VVVV embarassing! My dad had to come and get me! Even with the snow button on couldn't get anywhere!

[Bob King]

I had my first experience of driving my IS in the snow, i found the traction pretty poor, as Damer said ,even a slight incline is enough to get the car stuck.

Even with the snow button and traction control on ,progress was slow.

I feel this is just part of the cars characteristics as with a light back end, rear wheel drive and wide tyres all there factors don't help.

Maybe i'll pop off to Homebase for a few bags of cement for the boot :D .

[TheDon]

what tyres are you guys using? perhaps there is a common element here?

I am using Michelin pilot sports on my car and they were fine? not a slip or spin and my road was horendus today, and its on a 20 degree slope? and it was sheet ice?

i did have over half a tank of fuel tho

[Damer]

Full tank of fuel. Running Yokahama on standard 16" alloys. Rubbish in snow. Took an hour to do 5 min trip, left car at home and got train.

[Bob King]

I'm running almost new Bridgestones Potenza RE 040 ;) .

[altezzaz]

Pilots rock!

[stevenage_saint]

Have to say comming in on the back roads through cheshire the traction control did wonders. The snow button was used and the car was twitchy at the back. Have to say great fun driving in today

I would probably not like going to many inclines though in this weather.

[IS200RJR]

im running 1/4 tank of fuel with Dunlop SP 9000 tires on the standerd 17 lexus alloys and i had no problems getting to work ! the snow buttons cool its the first time iv ever used it it seems to work well i live at the bottom of a slope and had no probs getting going

Of course the snow button has loads of posabilaty the girls love a button and a little light that and the heated seats YOUV PULLED

[dazzab69]

Had no trouble at all with the snow, the SNOW button kept things nicely in trim.

However, I watched a plonker in a Focus pirouetting beautifully this morning, coming to a stop with his tail pointing up the roundabout exit he wanted to take. He then hared off at 60 mph, probably for a repeat performance !

[Damer]

My dad just told me that after rescuing me he saw another IS pulled up in Stockport unable to get up a hill.

[lofty]

Do what I do....

....Leave me IS safely tucked up in my nice warm garage, and take the wife's car! :D

That's better than the snow button!

[Mr Singh]

I 've just been out in the snow, i went out then came out into the car park, SNOW!

My altezza just didn't move :( eventually i got the nack of it, with traction control off and snow button on.. with traction control on it kept stalling every time to lift the clutch to engage rear drive.. i had arm fulls of oposite lock!

I won't be taking my car out in the snow again, i'll stick to the other car :P

[aido]

i found the traction pretty poor, as Damer as said even a slight incline is enough to get the car stuck.

I'm on the Pilot's and had problems getting out of work about 3pm'ish - it was fine when she was moving but some nob decided not to let me out and left me sliding backwards down the incline into the carpark - the wheels were spinning for a few seconds and a Beemer driver behind me started getting impatient and thought they were going to nudge me up (was only doing it for about 20 seconds), made me ***** though as I got out of there after a little manipulation and left them stranded

Think my tyres are low on tread though, as they were ******* as soon as the car stopped, once you got in motion it was alright..

[SteveAudioX]

Snow button or not... Couldn't reach more then 5 MPH ...

[TheDon]

well i just had the most **** time ever! i left my house to travel to bromley, and decided to turn back after 10 mins. i had traveled 1.5 miles! after 1hr and only traveling 2.5 miles i decided to take a short cut (big mistake)

it was one road, a up hill right hander. about 30 degrees. i was going about 5mph and as soon as i turned the wheels just gave up grip, i was turning smooth and slow (compacted snow). i was just spinning and spinning. just couldnt make it up this ****** hill. then after about 30 seconds it started sliding sideways.and the car was left against the kurb! not good.

lucky there was a realy nice family in the road who came to help, got me sand, dirt and a few mats to place under wheels, after much tooing and frooing the car was on its way not thanks to the snow button!

and yes there is no paint on the rear left rim where it was against the kurb, so they are gonna go off for repainting come non snow times!

All i can say is the rest of the journy home was a nightmare, the roads were convex and spent the whole jorney home with the back end a few inches closer to the curb than the fron with some health oposite lock!

Strange thing is i have been through worse snow on motorbikes and never had one accident in 3 years of winters! it was easier to control a tuned 650 vtwin than the car!

[Jock]

I spent nearly all day sideways :duh:

Snow button on! Didn't make any difference.

I still had a grin on my face though... I felt like Colin McCrae, doing 30mph!

[stevebish]

Well that was good fun!

I got a lift this morning to rescue my stranded IS from Luton Airport and decided not to bother going into work! I turned around and started off to home. All the main roads were gridlocked around Luton, so really took a chance and opted for the village route! None of the roads were gritted and were covered in compacted snow/ice! There was no traffic at all, which allowed me maintain about 20 mph and I got home fine! TRC and SNOW were both on, dunno how much they helped at that speed, was extremely gentle with accelerator anyway!

Hope it melts before tomorrow! :)

[ColinBarber]

My road was covered in ice this morning.

Rolled out of my driveway, put my foot down, wheelspin for 0.5 s and then slowing drive away. Put my foot right down on the accelerator and still just smoothly drive away with no wheelspin (just the odd clunk from the TC/VSC) :)

[dipstick]

Put the snow button on my GS last night - big mistake. All over the flipping place. Turned it off and it went back to being a twitchy handful instead of a deathtrap. Shan't be pressing THAT again in a hurry.

Incidentally, is it supposed to light up? Mine never has, and the dealer told me that all the others do but that one doesn't...

16 inch Yokohamas.