Hello I am planning a trip with some buddies of mine to Lake Tahoe in early January. I volunteered to take my 08 IS250.. their will be quiet a bit of snow fall, is the snow feature on the 250s enough for me to be out there comfortably? Or should I buy snow tires/chains ? My first time going out to the snow so it might be a dumb question but much appreciated.

 

The snow mode just doesn't let the engine rev too high so that your tires won't spin on the snow due. That's as far as it helps with traction. Snow tires would be ideal to have.

 

Plus 5 on snow tires. If you get stuck, it's evil as it dethrottle the engine if there is too much spinning and the car doesn't move. That said, disabling track, drops it to peg leg drive and if you do get going, when over 35/40mph, it enables track again which can chop throttle and get you stuck again.

 

I've been to Tahoe 5x. On 2 separate years, I was told "this is the worse snow storm we've ever had"... 2 years in a row! It was a white knuckle driving experience for me 3 of those times (the other 2 were during the summer, so no snow). And I have a built up 4WD 4runner AND grew up in the Northeast, so I'm no stranger to snow.

Assuming you don't have a storm and you're on the main roads which are salted and plowed you should be OK, put some extra weight in the trunk (or passengers will help) and SNOW tires and if not that, then tire cables. If you do have a snow storm though, or just active snowing, it gets a bit more complicated. Also, if you're staying someplace w/o regular plowing (like in the more residential areas) those roads are going to be nasty. Also, if you have to drive up any driveways or inclines, you might not be able to make it if the road isn't plowed.

All season tires, on a RWD car, with the silliest traction control system I've seen can be a disaster. Also, if you're not used to driving in the snow.... that can be bad too. I'd almost suggest renting an AWD car for this trip and whatever you do, cables or snow tires are a must and go slowly. And stick on salted/plowed roads. Roads up there can also ice over very quickly. Also, the snow mode isn't a magical fix for anything.

 

If it’s the only snow trip you are making through that pass rent a 4x4 pickup. Ive driven in Canadian winters for 40 years and that pass and the one heading into Seattle on i90 are awful when it snows heavy
you get wet heavy snow that is miserable to drive in and traction is hard to come by.

chains will be cheaper than snow tires and will give you the best traction. Hopefully you have awd.