unless you just don't like your big chrome rims that much i would advice you to take them off before you plan on doing any winter time driving. especially if they are expensive to replace like a 20" lowenhart ld1 (chrome) which are like $1500 a piece. if you drive a ways with your chrome rims like from FL to NY it would help to wash them off when you get up there cuz of all the salt used in the winter time on the roads in the north east. its just not worth it to get all that salt on them...

and no the heavy 20's do not help out over the light 17's.. the tire size (height, or profileness) is what helps out in the snow. so if you have 20's like me i'm sure you have really low pro tires, mine are 30 in the rear and 35 in the front and this is no good for snow and ice. on ice i had a super difficult time controlling my car with 275 x 30 x20 size tires on the rear, and i will never do that again...

 

I agree with you. The other day I accidentally switched to Snow when I was reaching to turn off the seat warmer. The car immediately took a dive in acceleration and the transmission shifted downward. The response was confusing and it took me a moment to realize my error.

It definitely is more than simply starting out in 2nd gear.

-JRRRRRR

 

Snow ECT does not start in 2nd gear. As it's been said several times before. Snow ECT:

1. Decreases Horsepower
2. Diminishes throttle response, allowing for much smoother power delivery
3. Changes shift patterns so that a) Upshifts are at earlier RPMs b) Downshifts don't happen easily

It basically does everything you should be doing naturally if you're used to driving in the snow

BTW: 4+ inches of snow today and my GS performed nicely with snow tires.

 

i kinda miss driving in the snow for fun, but not so much when you wake up already 5 minutes late and have to hurry in to work only to find that there is a couple inches of snow on the ground... hmmmm....

~bbr

 

Let me retract that. Previous discussions about this and my (poor) shift counting concluded that ECT doesn't start in 2nd gear.

Today I did 2 things that make me think differently.

1. Leave power in normal mode. Accelerate. Before it shifts to 2nd gear click snow mode. The car upshifts to 2nd gear

2. Leave in snow mode, put car into "M" and put the car in 3rd gear. Let the car shift once. If the car is in 2nd gear, hitting the downshift button should do nothing, but it downshifts meaning it was in 3rd.....interesting

 

I only drive mine, when a few inches of snow at most, otherwise I'll drive my fiance Accord

 

It's not great, but with snow tires it's the only way it's manageable. It still feels like the rear end is gonna kick out at any moment on the expressway in 4 inches of snow, but it does alright. I've driven better, but I might have driven worse.

 

well mine sucks in the snow too, but i love it, its fun to go to an empty parking lot and mess around!!! then maybe you would like your car in the snow!! but be careful, it would suck if a car got messed up

 

My 20 in rims did not help me when I had my 1st gen gs ,I left my rims on being lazy and believe me I learned my lesson it can be very dangerous on unsalted roads and also it is too much upkeep for me always cleaning them .No chrome in the snow for me be it aftermarket or factory rims,its almost like wearing white pants in the snow LOL!!

 

Drove my GS300 from Seattle to my lake home in Montana. I crossed over three mountain passes. By far, Snoqualmie Pass in Washington was the worst with snow packed surface and ice in places. I got the opportunity to use 'Snow' and was duly impressed. There is a slight curve, just past the ski areas. I was in the far left lane and suddenly felt the entire car sliding sideways. The VSC light began to flash and a loud beeping sound alerted me. I didn't know what else to do but keep steering straight ahead. As it was the VSC took over with lots of clicks and whirls the car broke free of the slide and went in the direction I was steering. It was a humbling moment and taught me volumes about how to use this car in the snow.

Fourth of July pass in Idaho was bare with only patches of snow. I had been nervous about Lookout Pass in Montana. The road leading up to the pass was single lane, snowplowed and sanded. I crested the top of the pass and headed down the eastside into Montana. The road was packed snow with sand on top. I eased the shifter into 'M' and used E-shift to downshift to 4th gear. I kept the car in 4th, pretty much the entire time down the pass. I arrived at my destination, thanks to a combination of VSC, 'Snow' and Manual shifting. I was in one piece and had an entirely different outlook on the GS300 in snow.

-JRRRRRR

 

Try this one, GS4 w/Pilot MXM4's driving up I-25 towards Santa Fe in a snowstorm; or near the LANL area heading up to Jemez Mountains on NM4 with half the road plowed. It did better than i thought it would, all in Normal Mode.

 

Good topic. Never had problems in the snow. Go up to the mountains in the western part of Virginia in the winter without using snow mode and make it out fine. Rear wheel drive sucks in the snow but it does depend on the driver too. With decent tires, the gs can commute and maintain itself doing 80mph on snow plow'd highway roads. Not pretty if she gets away from u tho

 

I have some cheap Car-Max tires and a couple of sand bags and it grips well. I have gotten used to the gas pedal enough that I don't have to use the Snow-Mode, but it did help me a lot when I drove in the snow for the first few days. I actually like driving in RWD better then FWD in snow. IT just seems to handle better for me and there is more fun potential in it

My suggestion all around is just take it easy out there. Nothing is worth your life, just enjoy the white scenery. It only comes once a year.

 

You're not kidding. Goin up 285/84 i hit 75-80 several times on the downslopes, again, with half the road plowed (had to keep changing lanes due to ice left over)

 

I live in minnesota, so u can image how winter is. REALLY REALLY SNOWY AND ICY!
I have all season tires, and i keep my traction control on at all times and i have yet so spin out. it seems impossible for me to spin out or swerve. i live on the middle of a hill so when i drive up, i have no problems with sliding or reaching to the top. I think its mainly on how u can drive your car than how the car drives in the snow.