Lolvolvo

I've really been attracted to the reliability and quality of LS400s and after doing some research have decided that 1998 is probably the best year within my budget. It has side airbags and traction control which are both important to me. The only problem is that I live in Spokane, WA where it is snowy for at least 3 months of the year. They plow often and put sand on the roads but I'm still concerned about driving a rear wheel drive car since my previous AWD car was so great on ice. I'll assume snow tires and something heavy in the trunk makes a fair difference. How do you all handle with an LS 400 in the snow - especially those of you with the VSC.

denverdog

you can't expect any large, heavy rwd car to handle like an awd in the snow. put blizzacs on it and dont' drive anywhere stupid. you'll be fine. and all that luxury still feels really good, even in the snow.

dengman

I've driven around in the Illinois snow. Snow mode helps alot. VSC with out snow mode is horrible. Just dont drive anywhere you wouldnt drive a fwd. Winter tires would make a world of a difference as well.

Lolvolvo

Is the Power / ECT / Snow button a standard thing or would it be an option on a 98? From what I've read it either starts you out in 2nd gear or actually changes the torque curve of the engine depending on the year. If 98's had vvt-i, is it the latter?

FrankReynoldsCPA

It should be fine as long as you're used to driving RWD. All my cars have been RWD and I never have had a problem with slippery weather(including snow). Now if that snow has mud underneath it, it's a whole different story. Got my car stuck good in the mud over spring break trying to get to up to our property. Came out under its own power after I turned off traction control though.

Kansas

The 98-00 LS is wonderful in snow as long as you have real winter tires. I have Blizzaks but probably any snow tire with the Mountain/snowflake certification logo on the sidewalls will do. I passed countless stuck cars, trucks and SUV's in a 20 mile drive home in 8 to 12 inches of fresh snow a few weeks ago. Hundreds if not thousands of vehicles here were abandoned .... but I made it home - at least until I got in my own culdesac and encountered up to two feet of drifted snow and had to shovel my way the last hundred feet into my garage.

"Snow mode" is standard on the 98-00 LS and helps more on slippery roads than in deep snow. It can be necessary to turn VSC/TRAC off to get the rear wheels to spin enough to "power through" deep snow.

I've never had to add weight in the trunk in the 10 winters I've driven my 2000 LS400. I did have to add a couple hundred pounds of weight to the trunk of my 1990 LS400 which generally sucked in the snow even with snow tires.

Lolvolvo

I'm not used to RWD in the snow since the two car's I've had were FWD or AWD but I've had enough snow driving that I'm familiar enough with losing traction. I'll just have to get used to losing it in the back more (which the AWD tended to do more than understeer). I shouldn't be encountering a lot of mud since I'm in an urban area. They're really good about plowing and sanding the roads out here so that will be a bonus too. I just have to worry about crossing the pass to go between my home on one side of the state and my college on the other every now and then.

That's good news to hear! I read another thread or two on LS in the snow that focused mainly on the pre 98 models and it was pretty discouraging. It's good to know the later ones are a big improvement. If I do get one I'll be sure to run studded snow tires between fall and spring break.

Thank you all for your input!!

It will be hard to beat how this handled:


But unfortunately this happened a few weeks ago:

FrankReynoldsCPA

I take it somebody else's car didn't handle as well in the snow?

Lolvolvo

Wasn't even snowy She just decided to run a stop sign at speed.

flyboyplo

Slap some winter tires on and stay away from hills ... I keep it real this car is not snow worthy I own one ...

Kansas

I'm guessing you don't have snow tires on your car. I'm nearing the end of my 47th winter of driving and my 2000 LS400 is the easiest car to drive in snow that I've ever owned.

Several years ago, my 2000 LS400 was the only vehicle that could make it up the hill on a snowy/icy day to a holiday gathering at a brother-in-law's house in Des Moines, Iowa - and that included a few 4WD SUV's. All the relatives parked at the bottom of the hill and I used my 2000 LS400, with Blizzak snow tires, to shuttle people up the hill to the house. It was so slick that people couldn't even walk up the hill -- but I could drive up it in my LS.

warminwisc

Just have good all seasons and don't be risky, you only have so much clearance and wheel wells pack up. 145 k on my ls430 stuck once, being stupid, and chase storms to ski.