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How much does the TCS give you before it steps in on the newer LSs?
I HAATE the traction control system in my LS430, it activates if the wheel slips a millimeter, and in the snow the car just goes nowhere. If I have to pull out fast on dry pavement it will activate, it's a huge bother how intrusive it is and actually makes it semi-dangerous if I need to accelerate quickly. I feel if it gave you a little bit more before it reigns you in it would be better in the snow.
In my GS430 I had the same issue, it cut power so much at the slightest bit of slippage that I had to turn off VSC to be able to move in snow. However when I had my first gen LS400, it still had a throttle cable and throttle operated mechanical TRAC system, and it worked amazing in snow. It cut the thottle just enough now to allow too much slip and keep moving. The car was like a tank, I could floor it and keep it a WOT on snow covered roads, and the TRAC system just magically kept it tracking perfectly straight with no wheel spin.
i think the belief is that FWD is the "better" option in the snow... but as people have already pointed out here, tires make a huge difference
another thing that improved snow performance quite a bit in my crown vic was the swapping of the axle for one with a limited slip diff, the diff combined with snow tires and some extra weight in the trunk really made it quite the tank through the snow... i was genuinely impressed by how much it plowed through, the ground clearance of it also helps
also not caring about the vic so much made me much more willing to just charge into a situation and hope for the best lol... as far as keeping control is concerned, FWD is still much less likely to make you spin out than RWD since you're being pulled instead of pushed
I HAATE the traction control system in my LS430, it activates if the wheel slips a millimeter, and in the snow the car just goes nowhere. If I have to pull out fast on dry pavement it will activate, it's a huge bother how intrusive it is and actually makes it semi-dangerous if I need to accelerate quickly. I feel if it gave you a little bit more before it reigns you in it would be better in the snow.
lol i totally agree, it's like the absolute utmost priority of the TCS is to make sure the elderly first buyers have no possibility whatsoever of losing control and nothing else... it's certainly not "performance oriented"
sometimes i'll keep mine off until i get back out on a major road
We got 16 inches of snow where I live in Missouri last weekend. My street was impassable, and the only folks driving about were 4X4 trucks with raised suspensions. After digging out of the driveway, my LS460L AWD in "High" suspension setting drove beautifully with no issues. The traction control light came on once at the bottom of a slick incline. I even forgot to put it in snow mode. I made sure to pack a shovel and salt in the trunk in case I got stuck in the drifts. I needn't have worried...
We got 16 inches of snow where I live in Missouri last weekend. My street was impassable, and the only folks driving about were 4X4 trucks with raised suspensions. After digging out of the driveway, my LS460L AWD in "High" suspension setting drove beautifully with no issues. The traction control light came on once at the bottom of a slick incline. I even forgot to put it in snow mode. I made sure to pack a shovel and salt in the trunk in case I got stuck in the drifts. I needn't have worried...
I wonder if you live near me, as it was pretty bad this weekend, too. That was the most snow shoveling I've probably ever done...
Neighbors also had a huge limb fall and cover 80% of the street. (And at this point, it still wasn't done snowing...)
In any case, my wife and I ended up going to the store, partially just for sightseeing, and as usual, it was a non-event for the IS. Especially now that I have better tires on it. The stock Bridgestones were kinda sketchy, but the BFGoodrich G-Force Comp-2's I have on there now are beautiful in the snow. Super predictable and more grippy.
I wonder if you live near me, as it was pretty bad this weekend, too. That was the most snow shoveling I've probably ever done...
Neighbors also had a huge limb fall and cover 80% of the street. (And at this point, it still wasn't done snowing...)
In any case, my wife and I ended up going to the store, partially just for sightseeing, and as usual, it was a non-event for the IS. Especially now that I have better tires on it. The stock Bridgestones were kinda sketchy, but the BFGoodrich G-Force Comp-2's I have on there now are beautiful in the snow. Super predictable and more grippy.
I live in Columbia MO. How about you? My Pirelli P7 Cinturato All-Seasons also gripped well.
I live in Columbia MO. How about you? My Pirelli P7 Cinturato All-Seasons also gripped well.
Yeah you got hit by the same snowstorm as me. Raytown is where I am (KC metro area).
It was pretty nasty on Saturday. Lots of cars on the curb with hazards on, a few in ditches. Made me think twice about my decision, but then I've never had any issues with the IS in the snow. It's actually kinda fun to drive in. Not a fair comparison to the OP's situation probably, since he's got RWD.
Not in my experience. The Outback's AWD system I had would go through any kind of winter storm you would imagine.....even with crappy Bridgestone all-seasons. That's probably why the Outback was the official car of the U.S. Olympic Ski Team.
Not in my experience. The Outback's AWD system I had would go through any kind of winter storm you would imagine.....even with crappy Bridgestone all-seasons. That's probably why the Outback was the official car of the U.S. Olympic Ski Team.
"Unnecessary" is just your opinion. I think what's irrefutable, however, is that winter tires provide benefits in the areas of traction and roadholding ability. Whether you "need" those benefits is up to you. However, why wouldn't you want to be as safe as possible while driving?
Now to be fair, if you don't see many days of sub-freezing temperatures and/or snow, perhaps winters are overkill. That's a big "if" though.
"Unnecessary" is just your opinion. I think what's irrefutable, however, is that winter tires provide benefits in the areas of traction and roadholding ability. Whether you "need" those benefits is up to you. However, why wouldn't you want to be as safe as possible while driving?
Oh, I agree that, all else equal, winter rubber is usually better on slick roads than all-season tires (I wasn't refuting that) .....but my experience is that the Outback's AWD system is so good that I found snow tires unnecessary, even in the worst conditions.
Oh, I agree that, all else equal, winter rubber is usually better on slick roads than all-season tires (I wasn't refuting that) .....but my experience is that the Outback's AWD system is so good that I found snow tires unnecessary, even in the worst conditions.
AWD doesn't help the car stop better! Also winter tires are always better in winter driving.
AWD is about 5th on the list of what is important for winter driving. I rarely if ever see cars stuck in snow versus driven into the ditch, crashed or even upside down. Of those they are almost always AWD SUVs.
Not in my experience. The Outback's AWD system I had would go through any kind of winter storm you would imagine.....even with crappy Bridgestone all-seasons. That's probably why the Outback was the official car of the U.S. Olympic Ski Team.
Doesn't matter how good the AWD system is. Winter tires make a monumental difference. My 4Runner with awd is not as secure on the road as our matrix, and that is because of the tires. Winters do not slip and slide like all seasons do.
Originally Posted by arentz07
"Unnecessary" is just your opinion. I think what's irrefutable, however, is that winter tires provide benefits in the areas of traction and roadholding ability. Whether you "need" those benefits is up to you. However, why wouldn't you want to be as safe as possible while driving?
Now to be fair, if you don't see many days of sub-freezing temperatures and/or snow, perhaps winters are overkill. That's a big "if" though.
Agreed. Winters are fine as long as the temp is about 7 C above freezing. The interesting thing about this thread is that the OP makes the case for RWD while relying on traction and stability systems. My Matrix the computers aids never ever engage. Same with my 4Runner. I am assuming a RWD, the stability control is screaming like crazy.
01-15-19, 09:01 PM
Especially now that I have better tires on it. The stock Bridgestones were kinda sketchy, but the BFGoodrich G-Force Comp-2's I have on there now are beautiful in the snow. Super predictable and more grippy.
