Looking at potentially getting a pre-owned '09 or '10 GS450h and wanted some feedback about wheel spin on wet surfaces in the car.

My last rear wheel drive car was a BMW M3 and even having traction control, it was horrible on wet roads and miserable in any light snow, so I'm concerned about wheel spin on the GS450h and don't want to deal with another car that's not that great on wet roads (completely understand snow is a different story completely) I have a long commute to work and don't want to have to worry about not getting good traction/getting big drop in performance in bad weather.

Yesterday I test drove the 2013 GS350 F-sport RWD on wet roads (had rained in the morning, but not during my drive) and it had considerable wheel spin and I wasn't even gunning the car - just taking a turn from a stop light and then giving it some strong acceleration from like 20mph. Didn't feel very stable to me. I took it back to the dealer and then took out a AWD version of the F-sport and drove it exactly the same way and had zero wheel spin and it felt a ton more stable.

I've test driven several 450h's, but never on wet roads, so I'd like to hear some feedback on how your 450h deals handles wet roads. Does the heavy battery pack in the back help eliminate some of this wheel spin? Is this just the nature of the beast with RWD? Just curious as this would be my last obstacle before pulling the trigger on this, or moving on to something like the Audi S4...

Thanks!

 

All Honesty there is a slight wheel spin because of the power the going there and the electric motor that assist it. I have had some wheel spin but it happens rarely, The battery helps to provide so much weight I wouldn't worry about it. The issue can sometimes be the tire as well, if the tires really good you will have less wheel slip. Best of luck on your choice!

 

The only time I have spun this car out is on glare ice. You can whip around a corner in the wet (not dangerously quick), hit the gas and the traction control will stop all of the fun in a split second. Make sure you have a good set of rubber, but honestly, I can't usually get this car to cross over and drift. By the time the rear end steps out, the car kills the throttle and pulsates the brakes and you you find yourself in a straight line again.

 

My 07 in snow passing two AWD cars up a hill.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=gZfOPu5OkLw

 

Remember the 450h has VDIM and the 350 doesn't. VDIM is so advanced that it will pretty much prevent any lose of traction/sliding from occurring before it happens. Honestly, I have floored my 2007 GS450h in pretty bad wet conditions on a straight line and even a curved road. All you feel is maybe a slight bump/hesitation as the VDIM traction system works itself from losing control and a light flashing on the dashboard.

There is a post on the forum comparing the GS450h (with VDIM) and GS350 AWD (doesn't have VDIM) in the snow. While of course the AWD will have a better traction from a standing still acceleration, the RWD 450h was superior in handling and overall control of the vehicle. Remember, AWD only gets you moving, how good a car can handle in wet/snow conditions has more to do with the tires and it's traction system.

Also, watch this video of them demonstrating the VDIM vs normal traction control systems. I was first skeptical about purchasing a RWD car with over 300hp but after watching this, it totally changed my mind and I have to say that it actually works this great in the real world situation.
Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

Great post, TCKeyz, thanks for sharing. Definitely sums up the 450h's traction capabilities.

 

This is helpful, thanks for that. I did find that the new '13 GS 350 does have VDIM, and I did experience noticeable slippage/wheel spin enough to be disconcerting.

The next time it rains here (supposedly on Wednesday), I'll run over to one of the local dealerships that have a pre-owned 450h and i'll drive it to see if i notice a difference from the 350 rwd. I'm hoping the size/weight of the 450's battery pack over the rear wheels makes the difference in feeling as stable as I'd like. If it does, I'm moving forward and buying one (if I can get the color and deal I want from out of state as this car is hard to find with the color/miles I'm looking for...).

Oh, and i did find that forum discussion with the VDIM GS 460 vs the 350 AWD: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...s-awd-vsc.html. That was a good read too.

 

The AWD cars have a stiffer feel in the steering wheel... but of all the Lexus's I've owned and have driven. My 450h has been the most stable and "safe" feeling... you just have to trust the oodles of computers and programs that are smarter than you.

 

My GS450H does gets very slight wheel spin when accelerating from a dead stop in the rain. If you didn't drive the car all time you may not even notice.

The GS450H has a 51/49 percent weight ratio front to rear. I bet that makes a huge difference since their is alot more weight in the rear compared to a GS350.