Yup, perfect example. Fact of the matter is, SUVs in many snowy regions have created a whole lot of accidents because owners don't understand their limits...yes, going is easier, but stopping and cornering certainly are not.
I've spoke to state cops about this, they see this overconfidence all the time.
Some years ago, the Province of Quebec (and perhaps other Canadian provinces) mandated the use of full snow tires in winter...if you don't have 'em, you get a ticket (and they're easy to spot, even in motion). Created a bit of a snow tire
shortage in the northern tier of the U.S.....

 

Blanket statements like this are not helpful because they are not accurate. Tires vary widely among different models, so you can't just say that one manufacturer is bad while another is good. You have to compare model vs. model.

I agree with other posters - the tires will make a huge difference, more so than the vehicle.

 

Yep, I already sold my RX350 last monday, because I didn't feel safe after 2 snow storms. The car kept sliding on the road. Even 5 mph turn with 4 news all season tires, RX still brought me into other people drive way. I did a test on the X5 with all season tires. The car didn't sliding at all. that make me think that Lexus AWD system is different than BMW AWD. What do you guys think?

 

I can not comment on the awd system of the BMW but as mentioned previously I agree most "awd" cars are not true awd. They are based on fwd systems. Ex. Mazda cx-5, Honda Crv, current gen Acura RDX (non sh-awd), rav 4 etc. Audi and Subaru have great awd systems along with the acura sh-awd system. We looked at all these vehicles before we bought the RX.

I agree that snow tires make or brake you or the lack of could even kill you in bad weather. Why risk it especially if your family is with you. We live on a very steep hill and my wife with factory all seasons on the Subaru could not make it to the first level. That car had an amazing awd system. I put bridgestone ws-70 on it and it was like a TV ad for Subaru watching that car climb the hill through 6" of snow no problem. Narrow snow tires seem to be the ticket. A wider tire in my experience seems to slide more on the snow and slush than a narrow one.

Good luck with the BMW

 

out of of curiosity exactly what tires on your new BMW? Are they exactly the same ones you had on your RX?

 

Yes, But 19'

 

That's a neat trick, especially considering BMWs come with runflats.

 

"AND THEN IT SNOWED PART II!"
Well now it happened again...3" of rain followed by freezing rain and then it snowed about 6" at my house. The RX w/ all seasons did just fine...NO complaints here!!!

 

The Tahoe resorts had almost 10 FEET this week!!! NOTHING Moves except tractors!! LOL

 

As someone once pointed out to me, you spend a whole lot of money on a car ($40,000+ on an RX) and your ONLY interface with the road is provided by your tires
(unless your muffler is dragging). Makes it worthwhile (actually imperative) to spend the money for tires appropriate to your use and local conditions (which I know can vary widely).

 

Yup, that's the reason I started the tire thread. It's important to have the right shoes on the RX. They're definitely the most expensive, LOL! But its a moot issue here.

 

Congrats on the X5 I hope you enjoy it, they are very nice vehicles.But once again depending on the brand of tire that is on your X5, you may be in the same position you were in with the RX..

My oldest son bought a new Q50S AWD last year that came with OEM Dunlop Sport runflat A/S tires. These tires although brand new were terrible in the snow, not so great in the rain, and the ride was ridiculously harsh. Checked out the reviews and they were rated a 3.2 for snow traction, 5.0 in the rain, and 3.8 for ride out of a possible 10..

He put on a set of Michelin A/S 3 plus that are rated 8.2 for snow, 9.5 for rain, and 9.2 for ride. You could tell the difference in ride immediately, and in the snow it was like you were driving a different vehicle..

They were well worth the money for the safety factor it gave us, and we kept the OEM Dunlops that only have 3,000 miles on them. They will go back on when his lease is up in about 2 years if the Michelins don't pass the lease end inspection.

 

It's not the car, it's your tires. Even if both cars had all season, not all tires are created equal. The X5 may have better tread design than what was on your RX.
Like someone mentioned already, I'd take a front drive with snow tires over an AWD with crappy all season tires any day.

 

This sounds like your tires or user error to me.

My 2010 RX AWD handles in the snow just fine. I don't go out specifically looking for snowstorms to drive in but many times I've been caught in some decent storms and was able to make it home ok. Even up some pretty steep hills.

And I've had two different sets of tires (Goodyear Assurance and the Pirellis I just put on this year). Both are all-seasons.

My previous snow vehicle was a Wrangler so when I bought the Lexus I was nervous that relatively speaking it wasn't going to be that good in the snow.

While no its not as good as the Wrangler in 4WD honestly its better than I expected and I feel pretty comfortable in the snow with it.

 

Peter, just because you bought new A/S tires, it does not mean they are any good in snow. Generally, A/S tires are not meant for more than a small amount of snow. They are not "snow" tires. Do you know the exact Bridgestone tire you bought? I would like to know which A/S tire it is. Please also tell us what tires you have on the BMW, so we can compare.