kasarap

iTrader: (1)

youre in ohio id def get AWD. i got an AWD and i'm from NJ although i really wish i had the brakes, VGRS, and power steering column

JDR76

What brakes are you referring to? The AWD and RWD models have the same brakes.

ujwal1989

I have a '14 IS350 RWD as a daily driver and I live Buffalo, NY (relatively plain topography). I have winter tires, of course. Blizzak LM60's(They provide decent traction in snow but are noisy and tend to trigger the TC under heavy acceleration even in the 3rd gear on dry surface). I was able to drive through over 12' of snow and unploughed streets (remember that 2013-2014 winter was terrible with 3 blizzards in upstate NY). There was not situation where I couldnt commute because I have RWD vehicle.
The snow mode does work and as it was pointed out already, vehicle starts from 2nd gear and once it starts moving, it stays in the highest possible gear.
That said, my friend has the AWD version and for regular driving it doesn't feel in anyway inferior to the RWD. It does have better traction even with all season tires. He has the same packages as mine but costs about $1,500 more. I would've gotten an AWD if I were living in a place with a lot of hills.
One advice for you. If you do plan to get the RWD, speak with the dealer to see if the stock Turanza ER33s can be swapped with something of your choice(there are a lot of better tires in the market). They have insane threadware (rated at 140) while not so great grip.

goshawk823

I've already asked this question, as I had to do the same thing with my Camaro. It will be a dealership decision, as the salesperson has told me they have no influence on what tires come on the car from Lexus.
Thanks for the feedback!
Also, I'm from Buffalo as well.

Aeromotive

I live in Montreal and we had similar conditions this year. Our streets are completely cleared within 12-18 hours and the streets are flat, so no issue there. But did you ever feel the car was tail-happy even with TC on? Or did Snow mode do a good enough job?

ujwal1989

It is very hard to get the rear end out with TC on even in snow. The TC is very sensitive and protective. The snow mode does a good job too. I feel very secure with the snow mode since it prevents downshifts upon acceleration.

You would get into trouble only when you want to deliberately. With sensible driving and winter tires, the RWD is as safe as AWD. No question about it.