Neil64

Hello all,

My wife wants a small SUV so I am thinking about trading her 2000 Acura TL for a 99-02 RX300 AWD, a Toyota Highlander, etc. We also have a LX470 but she is afraid to drive it thinking it is way too large for her. As I really have no need for 2 SUVs, my question is how good are the AWD or 4WD (if they made them) RX300s in deep snow (12 - 30")? Is there a huge difference in the FWD and AWD capability? I know that my LX was able to go through 24" unplowed snow with no problems and want to make sure we maintain our ability to go through another deep snow should we ever get one again.

If you were shopping for an RX, are there any must options that you can think of beside the Moonroof, luggage rack, etc.?

Thanks...

Neil

VSsc400

iTrader: (1)

I have a 1999 RX300 AWD with optional rear LSD with 88k miles on the odo now.

Here are 2 distinctive scenarios that impressed me a lot

1. Thin frozen rain/snow. It was able to drive straight with 3 occupants in 20degree weather. I saw many FWD and RWD and som 4x4's were sliding sideways as the accelerated. We just cruised by them. My passengers were awed and said "this car seems so stable, i can't belive we are still going. With these conditions we were able to climb a 200long hill about 15-20degrees in climb. This was while going around the cars, sidewalk to go around cars that were stuck.

2. 4 lane highway with 2, 2 lane roads merging with a huge accident. Weather was about 40degrees. 5 people in the car. Snowed 8 to 10 inches the nigh before. We were in the slow lane for about 15 minutes traveling about 0-3mph when i saw a hill (25-30degrees) and slanted. We decided to go over the plowed snow pile on the side (15-20inches) and go over and off the service road, over the curb through another snow piled grass divider and off to the local streets. Made it with no problem.

I don't know how the FWD or the AWD with no LSD or AWD with VSC would perform.

The above maneuvers were performed with the car in D with the "snow" mode on.

The car is bone stock with 16" wheels and all season tires.

good luck in your hunt.

I have yet to encounter 24" to 30" of snow, but i have been able to climb over 20" of piled snow.

Rexus300

iTrader: (1)

The old Rx300 we had was very good in the snow, and stable at high speed and tackling a foot or more of snow during the winters. The tires we put on the 1999 Rx300 were goodyears and they were supposed to be much superiour handling for all season as compared to the bridgestones that came with it. Our new 2004 Rx330 is what we replaced it with last october, and i have got to tell you, that RX330 is fantastic in the snow. The Rx330 is much better than the RX300 in the snow and the rain. The old Rx300 is better than our 2000 Infiniti QX4, my aunt's 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee in the snow. Thus, the AWD is a safer bet to have and is more fuel frugal.

Tej

dms666

I live in Ottawa, Canada, which gets a load of snow in the winter. I loved driving my 04 RX330 through the snow since it handled so well (with winter tires).

Ottawa gets about 220 cm (87 inches) of snowfall a year)

HarrierAWD

My RX300 runs fine on 12" of snow with stock Goodyears. Haven't gotten your kind of snow yet.

On ice it's another story. I did some test and found the braking distance was very long, about 3 times the normal distance. Kinda scary. Even more scary was that acceleration was just fine, so I wouldn't know the road is icy until I hit the brake....

j4ydubs

At 12" of snow, you're probably starting to reach the limits of the 300 (and 330). It depends on what kind of snow it is. It's not that the AWD can't handle it (it can), but you've run out of ground clearance and are starting to bottom out. If it's a fluffy snow, you can push it out of the way, but if it's a wet snow, you'll probably high center. If there's no wheels on the ground to get traction, your stuck.

A good AWD will be better than a FWD in the snow. More wheels driving to get traction...

John

mhc0725

I own a '99 RX300 AWD, no limited-slip differential and it's limit is about 16" because we had that forecasted two years ago and it did get stuck. Where we got stuck was probably more than 16" though. We got out fairly quickly by switching back and forth between D and R about three times and turning the front wheels. At the time we had the stock Goodyear Integrity with about 40K of treadwear, so it was pretty much done. Last year we switched to Michelin Cross Terrains and they're so much better on snow.

I mean with about 8" of clearance (lowest point), if you're going to go over 20" of snow, your car is going to be lifted of the ground by the snow and then that's it. There's nothing much any SUV can do at that point.

The only must have I can see are the heated seats for winters. Anything else (moonroof, is a good to have.