yaro1

Well, I took my GX to a deserted and well-lit parking lot to safely see how the car will handle under emergency situations such as braking, turning, sliding, etc. I did this to just assess the vehicles limits so I know what they are and how to avoid them to be a safer driver in snow.

It had rained for a few hours and then it turned to hail and finally to snow, providing for slushy and icy roads with a snowy covering. I was very impressed when I left the parking lot. Here are my feelings and comments:

I have driven 2WD cars in the past and had to be careful in the snow. However, the GX is very confident in the snow, although still vulnerable to losing traction.

In braking, for such a heavy vehicle, it stopped well; stopping was quick for snow and all the time controlled. The ABS worked well to keep the truck straight. Stopping while turning did seem to coerce the tail end to attempt to come around, but I assume the VSC goodies prevented that (I did the same thing with VSC off and the center diff-locked and it was worse than with VSC on). VSC is definitely my friend in snow!

Turning was good too! I was surprised that under normal conditions where I slowed down while turning, the car stayed mainly on track even though I could feel it trying to pull away. I can see that no electronic nanny will save you if the car starts careening sideways with now grip. Therefore I wouldn't feel invincible taking sharp turns quickly in this 2-ton truck just like any other car. For taking turns, I can see that taking normal precautions is still a good idea.

Emergency turning was not exactly "nimble" but still very very controlled. Yanking the steering wheel to the side would change the direction in enough time to avoid another car if you had about 50+ feet of time to avoid the obstacle. However, clearly it is still safe only to keep a large following distance in the snow. At no time did I lose control during emergency turning maneuvers (like to avoid an accident ahead, squirrel in road , or kid on Quad, etc.)

Turning while accelerating. Probably one of the most dangerous things to do is to pound the gas while the wheel is turned. This was the only occasion where I was able to get the VSC light to blink and the buzzer to sound. The back of the truck did come loose if I made a 90+ degree turn while accelerating. However, the VSC tried to regain control and I did countersteer successfully to right the vehicle without losing total control. However, I would not want to have to experience this in traffic or on a public road.

Straight-ahead driving was probably the most confident of anything I have ever owned. There was no trouble with get-up and go or keeping in a straight path. I didn't get to try any hills since the lot was flat, but assume it will be very competent.

Conclusion: If there was any vehicle I could choose to be in when the roads turn snowy, it would be the GX. While there is still no substitute for safe driving ( following distances, reducing speed), the GX kept the white off of my knuckles and outside the car.

I give the GX a for snow.

The G Man

I did the same thing during the last snow strom here in the northeast. Much like you, I was very impressed. The GX did every bit as well as the grand cherokee I had once had and the GC had off road tires. The GX really shine when I force the VSC to kick in. The VSC straighten me out really quick, it is by far the best VSC system I have ever driven, except for the Volvo XC90 which may be a bit better. I had a MDX with VSC and that system was no where close to the GX's VSC as far as performance. You know your truck is good in the snow when you are able to go thru roads that a pick up truck with a plow get stuck in.