Hello everyone,

My wife is considering leasing a new ES 350 base model and we were wondering how they were in the snow being that they are front wheel drive? We live in Northeast Ohio so we get some occasional nasty winter weather. Would we need to install snow tires or are the factory all season tires sufficient. Thanks in advance.

Steve

 

All-season tires may be sufficient, but I'm confident the factory all-season tires won't.

Lexus specified OEM tires of a couple different brands for this car that appear to have been selected specifically for smooth ride and high EPA-rated gas mileage, but their traction on any foul-weather surface is clearly not up to the demands of rain or particularly snow and ice traction. This problem is especially acute on the V6 version, because of all that power being routed only through the front tires.

Personally I'd go to either a set of dedicated winter tires or at least a set of all-season "3PMSF" (3-peak mountain snowflake) all-seasons, which are rated for better snow performance than regular all-seasons. They include Michelin CrossClimate, Vredestein Quatrac Pro, and a few others. Tire Rack is a good info source on this.

Just one poster's opinion. Tires are always a lively topic for discussion, and I'm sure others will have their own viewpoints.

 

I've driven the ES now for THREE northern NJ winters going on fourth (daily driver). Never an issue even with the OEM Michelins but this year I have a new set of Goodyears to try

 

Hi Lex, thanks for the reply. We may try it with the stock tires and then get some snows if needed.

 

Hi mikemu,

Thanks for the reply - is your es front wheel drive? We are also considering a Cadillac CT5 that is awd but the Lexus seems to be a more solid, reliable option.

 

I had a 2013 and now a 2019. the 2013 had Bridgestones and the '19 has Michelins. I live just east of you and get the same snow that you do. Mikemu in New Jersey then gets our snow.
I have never had the need for snow tires. Judicious driving and using common sense usually works.

 

Thanks neighbor, we really are leaning towards the ES; although the caddy has awd, our luck/history with GM products has not been good. Our IS 300 has been outstanding. We’re your es’s fwd?

 

One more question; could we just put snows on the front? Thanks again.

 

[QUOTE=Desmoface;11177290]Thanks neighbor, we really are leaning towards the ES; although the caddy has awd, our luck/history with GM products has not been good. Our IS 300 has been outstanding. We’re your es’s fwd?[/QUOTE

All ES 350's are FWD... Some members of the forum do use snows on the front. IMO they're not necessary unless you're maybe up north in Canada... No GM products for me except my Corvette that doesn't play in the snow...

 

No, you absolutely should not do that under any circumstances.

Reason: In bad weather, the front snow tires will get better traction than the back ones. The result will be the back end breaking loose and the car swapping ends. You're actually much safer with no snow tires at all than with this.

 

Yes ES350 comes only in FWD. ES250 is AWD but that one comes with a smaller engine.

 

If you must go out in snow, my experience is to put SNOWS on ALL 4 CORNERS.
We were in CT and they make a difference, Remember you still want the rears to behave as the fronts and not sliding out from under you when the fronts start to grab.
Remember all those 4x4s that are on the side of the road because the owners thought that they could go through anything but forgot that they had to stop.

 

Excellent, thank you.

 

Your welcome.
We've now reached the age where we can just go back to bed if it snows should we be caught up north. Although about 4 yrs ago we had just gotten into Charleston, SC when they had a record snowstorm, worst in the last 34yrs, 10" of snow, and no one down there knows how to drive in the stuff. We just took lawn chairs out to the main road and watched the carnage. LOL

 

I remember that one - luckily I was in SWFL and not my main home in NJ which also got it pretty bad