telegix

I'm considering buying a 2001 LS430. I'd like to know how the LS430 drives in the winter. The weight balance of the car is very good (47/53) so there's a good amount of weight on the back (unlike many years ago with RWD cars). Plus the car has all sorts of stability control. And after putting some good winter tires on it, I don't think there should be any problem.. I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. So we do get a fair bit of snow from time to time, but nothing like Buffalo bellow us here.. And NO, drving another car is not an option, I already have a Corolla 1994 as my beater car in replacement for my BMW 325i for the summer season...

Let me know what your experences are with the LS430 with good winter tires.. Thanks..

RODDMOD

If you have All weather tires in good shape and it is a mild winter you should be OK, If you want to feel llike you have four wheel drive and pull and brake better than front wheel drives (ie: wrong wheel drives, )Then get snows on all four wheels you won't belive the cornering braking and traction.

telegix

Yeah, I noticed that by adding some micheline arctic alpines to my soon to be replaced 1997 Cadi STS.. Even though it's front wheel drive, the winter's made a huge diff..

RODDMOD

CADILAC STS Get off the Forum.

telegix

Don't even start.. I hate the car more then you do..! Peice of crap.. They just replaced a 12 inch brake line for $343usd!! I'm sick of this car.. The thing only has 61,000 miles, but the engine has been rebuilt, due to oil burning issue (still a problem)... Various YAW sensors replaced to fix tranation control problem, then steering wheel sensor replaced for trancation control, brake line replaced, alarm system malfunction, something replaced there as well.. worthless crap... Thats why I want the LS430, i don't want to see these repairs anymore!

daryll40

As I have posted before, the folks on alt.autos.lexus have recommended the Nokian WR all season tires (that have an aggressive "tilt" toward winter driving...vs most of the "performance" tires that have a "tilt" toward summer driving). I installed a set of 4 on my new LS430 and they ride great in dry weather. The acid test will be the first snow in Pittsburgh, which could be as early as early November or as late as January. I'll report when it happens.

LS430inTX

I can't speak directly to winter driving and the LS430 but I will share an experience I have that is tangentially relevant. I live in south Texas. It doesn't snow here in any amount worth mentioning. And it does not rain alot either. When it does rain, it's like driving on oil covered roads. Actually, that's exactly what you're doing because it doesn't rain enough to keep the roads washed off. I think it's worse than driving in snow - it's more like driving on ice. When it rains here there are literally hundreds of accidents all over the city shortly after the rain begins. Anyway I digress. There is a particular intersection a block away from my house where, when you make a right turn, you are turning onto a steep uphill grade. I have driven many different vehicles both front and rear drive through this right turn and it is almost impossible not to spin the tires when the road is wet. So it makes it very very difficult to get up the hill because the tires will break free with just the least amount of effort. My LS430 is the first car I have been able to negotiate that turn without spinning the wheels. Not only will it not spin the tires but it accelerates normally up that hill with no problem. In fact, I have attempted to purposefully make the wheels spin and I can't - as long as the vehicle traction/stability system is engaged. I am very amazed and impressed at how well these systems work on this car. I know this doesn't directly answer your question regarding winter driving but maybe this will give you some glimpse into the car's ability. I think the LS430 would perform extremely well in adverse conditions compared to other cars.

daryll40

All that may be true, but the issue in snow in Pittsburgh is climbing a hill from a dead stop on snow and ice. Oily roads is a handling issue...snow in Pittsburgh is a climbing issue.

LS430inTX

Well, actually, starting from a standstill going uphill is what I was trying to describe in my previous post. At that intersection, you have to stop first, then make the right turn. And it's all uphill. I've lived and driven in many places around the world including very snowy places so driving in it is very familiar to me. While I don't discount any observations about snow vs. oil, when you get right down to it, once a vehicle loses traction you're basically out of control and you need to get the vehicle back under control asap. The safety systems on the LS430 are designed to keep you from losing control and to get it back quickly once you've lost it. Based on my observations so far, I think it does this job very well whatever the conditions may be.

daryll40

Great! I then look forward to winter here in Pittsburgh...NOT! OK, at least I can say that I look forward to seeing how well the LS with Nokian WR tires goes here in Pittsburgh in the snow. But it's fine with me if we get no snow at all!

WileCoyote

I was exiting on a freeway with a tight loop the other day, after a light rain and without much acceleration broke the back end out, car slid, VSC beeping like crazy. Perhaps it's the Continental tires that are the problem, but I wasn't impresssed with emergency manuevers. Maybe it's because I just got rid of my Infiniti G35 Coupe and was used to that.

AggieLS

Just as a point of reference I've had two occasions recently to test my '04 LS430 in the snow. Last Monday night I installed a set of Dunlop Winter Sport M3's & Miglia Mille Spider wheels on my car in preparation of a trip to northern Michigan for the holidays. Spent Wednesday driving up there from Illinois in conditions that were horrid; cars & trucks all around me off the road with 5-7" of snow falling. I had ZERO problems with traction and stability traveling about 150 miles in the snow doing 45 - 55 miles an hour due to other traffic around me. Could have gone faster and only had an Audi Allroad Quattro pass me the entire time. These tires were like glue to the road, both on flat, curves & hills.

Then today we received another 3-4" here in Illinois and I was again very comfortable in driving in the snow. I had looked at all the options and just felt comfortable with this choice and so far am extremely pleased.

daryll40

What's a Migla Mille Spider Wheel? And, frankly, after the wear (rapid) experience of the factory Dunlops on my '04 LS430, I'd never buy another Dunlop product again.

Kansas

Mille Miglia Spyders are fairly inexpensive, but quite decent, Italian wheels. Tire Rack, for one, sells them and you can see photos on their website. I bought Mille Miglia Bellos in a Blizzak snow tire package about a year ago. The prices of all these wheels has skyrocketed as the dollar has plunged against the Eurodollar over the past 3-4 years.

When Lexus intro'ed optional 17" wheels on the early LS430, the official caution was: "Tire life may be substantially less than 20,000 miles, depending on driving conditions." Lexus has dropped that caution for 17" wheels on the LS430 but now states the same caution for 18" wheels. There seems to be a many complaints about short tire life when using 17" or 18" wheels on LS430's - regardless of the tire brand.

LS430inTX

I've seen others complain elsewhere on this website about this and I was concerned to hear about it right after I bought my '03 LS new. However, I now have 17000 miles on the car and the Dunlop tires still look like they are brand new. I wonder if there is that big of a quality control problem at Dunlop or is it just the difference in the way one person drives vs another?