400h + Snow + Towing

[thesaintjim]

Just wanted to let you guys know that I went through 1ft of snow and was towing my jet ski just fine ;) That is without snow tires. :) Engine didn't kick on either.

Enjoy

[RX400h]

Just wanted to let you guys know that I went through 1ft of snow and was towing my jet ski just fine ;) That is without snow tires. :) Engine didn't kick on either.

Enjoy

That's good to hear, Jim. Even though we live in San Diego, we do occasionally drive one hour up to the mountains where snow is plentiful.

[gkm]

I travelled through Ohio and Indiana last week, snow coming down in buckets....two of the three lanes in a 3 lane interstate (I80) were covered with snow and ice, only one lane left free (on and off). The 400h performed perfectly. I was going 45-55 mph and it never veered or slid. I bought this car less than a month ago, traded in my Prius which had terrible "traction control" problems. The 400h is definitely a great car to have in snow. I felt very safe all the way to Wisconsin. There, the temperature hovered from 10 above zero (high) to 6 below. The car, parked outside, turned on every morning with not a moment of hesitation. Best car I ever had.

GKM

[rexmiami]

Did you notice a significant drop in your mpg at those temperatures?

[gkm]

It dropped to about 21-22 mpg (same thing used to happen with the Prius).

[LexRexBlue]

Glad to hear you had such excellent control on your RX 400h. I'm not so sure. I've had a few weird experiences but nothing serious on the snow/ice. I've had tiny "slides" and acceleration. My RX300 ('99) with Michelin (Cross Terrain) seems to handle better.(I still have it) It also handles better than the RX 330 I've gotten for loaners. Hmm. Anyone else experience this?

[gkm]

Just for the record, I forgot to mention that I have been using just the OEM standard tires that came with the car.

GKM

[thesaintjim]

I was using OEM too. My MPG is around 24.3 right now with the cold weather. In the summer, I was hitting 28mpg!

[gkm]

Since we both live in the 'Burgh, I made it to work today (rather warm day, high around 50) with 31 mpg, came back with 26 mpg .

GKM

[thesaintjim]

Wow, I didn't even notice you were from Pittsburgh. Where did you buy your Lexus at?

Edited December 29, 2005 by thesaintjim

[speedyg]

I was using OEM too. My MPG is around 24.3 right now with the cold weather. In the summer, I was hitting 28mpg!

The OEM tires I have on my RX400h are Goodyear Eagle RS-A all-season tires, which have M+S stamped on the sidewall. They are considered snow tires in California: http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/chcontrl.htm

They have better traction in wet and icy conditions that I would have expected, but you still have to be careful when going through deep stuff. When I was going through some deep packed snow/ice I experienced some veering (direction of vehicle's travel changed even though steering wheel position didn't.) I have also noticed similar veering when driving through sand. I would estimate that the sand/snow that I drove through was 6" to 1' high and my speeds were 35mph or less.

[gkm]

Wow, I didn't even notice you were from Pittsburgh. Where did you buy your Lexus at?

Rohrich, at West Liberty.

[thesaintjim]

Wow, I didn't even notice you were from Pittsburgh. Where did you buy your Lexus at?

Rohrich, at West Liberty.

Ah, gotcha. I deal with Lexus of North Hills..I work at the Airport Ofice Park, so, a little closer.

[07lexie400h]

I travelled through Ohio and Indiana last week, snow coming down in buckets....two of the three lanes in a 3 lane interstate (I80) were covered with snow and ice, only one lane left free (on and off). The 400h performed perfectly. I was going 45-55 mph and it never veered or slid. I bought this car less than a month ago, traded in my Prius which had terrible "traction control" problems. The 400h is definitely a great car to have in snow. I felt very safe all the way to Wisconsin. There, the temperature hovered from 10 above zero (high) to 6 below. The car, parked outside, turned on every morning with not a moment of hesitation. Best car I ever had.

GKM

Do you have AWD on your model?