Snow Tires

[LexusBoy2007]

Hi Guys,

I live in the North West and the Snow Storm that has been reeking havoc for the last couple days have gave a lot of people around here a lot of problems, but fortunatelly for me, it's just a normal day.

My family took a trip to the beach over the weekend and came back to Portland on Monday. Unfortunatelly we got stuck in between the Coastal Mountain Range and Portland during the storm. I was quite worried about how we were going to get home, and I have only had my IS250 AWD for less then a week. I will tell you though, this car is just amazing. Driving through the mountain range it drove like a champ. I simply put on the Snow Tranction control and the car did the rest. I drove nearly 60 miles of pure snow covered rodes with heavy snow coming down and the car never slipped once. I had the factory All-Season tires on as well with no chains (They were all sold out at Seaside).

I feel 100 % now about my purchase of the car and the choice between AWD and the rear wheel drive model.

If any of you live in an area that the weather can change drastically, I would highly recommend you get the AWD Version.

Hope this helps,

Craig

[LexXxus_007]

This is the first year that I'm anticipating snow, ever since I picked up my lexus a few weeks ago! So far the weather's been too NICE!!! I can't beleive I'm complaining!!

[larry chester]

Well, I have the IS250 RWD MT6, and am pretty good in winter driving - seriously. My last car was a Lexus SC300, not known for winter going, and I had just regular touring (H Rated) Tires on it. Never got stuck even in the worst Chicago storms.

But, I have never had low profile tires before (on 17" rims), and thought that I would have to get winter (snow rated) tires with smaller rims to combat the snow. Wifey isn't too happy with my choice to spend another grand on my investment in the car, but I do have a concern about some of those freeway ramps in the winter.

Wonder what my risks will be if I choose not to go the winter tire/rim combination. I am anxious for someone else to have the experience before I do.

larry

[Zoomin Dan]

Wonder what my risks will be if I choose not to go the winter tire/rim combination. I am anxious for someone else to have the experience before I do.

I used to have an Audi A4 with AWD, a car with a great reputation in snow. Since I had the factory sport package, I had 16" rims and 205/55R16 Dunlop SP8000 sport tires. Even with AWD, the car was truly scary in snow until I started using snow tires. 4 times 0 traction is still 0. Although I could get moving, I could barely turn or stop.

Bottom line: tires make more of a difference than drive wheels. Tests in car magazines have shown that a RWD car with snow tires will out-brake and out-turn an AWD car with all-season tires on snow; acceleration is around the same. When in doubt, get snow tires and be safe.

[lex250awd]

Well, I must say that with my IS250AWD with Snow Tires did better in the weather this weekend and up at Mt. Hood, OR. I was able to deal with very heavy snow when other SUV's were having trouble.

This car is so much better in snow than ever expected. I selected the IS250AWD in lieu of the powerful IS350 and very glad I did. Great control in all weather and still very quick. Great job Lexus!!!

[larry chester]

So, what's your thought on saving the money spent on buying wheels and just having them remount the tires in the fall and the spring? The cost differential will probably eat me up in three years anyway, but I won't have to worry about the TPMS system. $20 per wheel for mounting twice a year times 4 tires. :cries:

Don't know that there is a way to really avoid this. The years "buying one set of wheels and tires for use all year around" are gone forever. Now two sets of wheels and tires, and 20K - 30K miles per set instead of 50K - 60K miles per set. And you thought that the gas / car companies had a conspiracy? How about the conspiracy of the tire / car companies?

larry

[peacefrog10]

This is the first year that I'm anticipating snow, ever since I picked up my lexus a few weeks ago! So far the weather's been too NICE!!! I can't beleive I'm complaining!!

I was just saying the same thing today to a co-worker, and I hate the Snow.

[LexusNut13]

I already have my MP3 player loaded with the best song for this winter in my 250 AWD. Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!!!!

[seohenning]

That’s great to hear! I am looking forward to the snow in the North East... though we are close the warmest November ever on record and set the lowest snowfall amount ... send some snow this way!

Anyway, a quick word about snow tires... they add 30%+ in traction over a all-season and do make a dif. If you can afford them they are worth the change. For those of us in the north who have 2 seasons, snow and rain I would suggest doing the following:

If you have 17" factory put your snows on those and buy 18"+ rims w/ performance tires for the rainy season. Then just swap them out when the snow changes to rain and vise versa.. This "should" get you through a full 2 seasons without buying new tires again.

There are a few threads that give suggestions on snows and dealing with the TPMS... (just a pain).

If you can't afford them it sounds like the all seasons should do just fine for driving... just have to remember that driving and turning with all-seasons usually isn't a problem, it's stopping where most of the issues arise. I suggest using the manual shifting to downshift in order to slow you down on straight sections before a turn or a stop, the less breaking the better.

[larry chester]

Well, I called Tire Rack and ordered some 16" wheels with Michelin X-Ice tires for them. You see, the issue for me is really one of cost and practicality.

I don't expect to be "racing" my car in the winter, so getting the high performance winter tires which cost in the $200 - $250 each range is more than I want to do. Secondly, there are few manufacturers that have the split sizes that Lexus recommends for the front and rear of the car.

I did get the split sizes on the 16" wheels, and I don't think that it is going to make that much difference in the driveability of the car. It's going to be the look of the car that you guys are going to hassle me about.

Plus, going through tires every 20 - 25K is not going to make my wallet happy. :cries:

larry

[tsantoro]

That’s great to hear! I am looking forward to the snow in the North East... though we are close the warmest November ever on record and set the lowest snowfall amount ... send some snow this way!

Anyway, a quick word about snow tires... they add 30%+ in traction over a all-season and do make a dif. If you can afford them they are worth the change. For those of us in the north who have 2 seasons, snow and rain I would suggest doing the following:

If you have 17" factory put your snows on those and buy 18"+ rims w/ performance tires for the rainy season. Then just swap them out when the snow changes to rain and vise versa.. This "should" get you through a full 2 seasons without buying new tires again.

There are a few threads that give suggestions on snows and dealing with the TPMS... (just a pain).

If you can't afford them it sounds like the all seasons should do just fine for driving... just have to remember that driving and turning with all-seasons usually isn't a problem, it's stopping where most of the issues arise. I suggest using the manual shifting to downshift in order to slow you down on straight sections before a turn or a stop, the less breaking the better.

Great post about driving technique and snow/all-season capabilities.

[lex250awd]

I installed High Performane 17" Tires on my Factory Stock Wheels. They have done excellent traction in deep snow and ice that I have been on in the Northwest.

I keep my 18" Chrome Bling wheels and performance tires in the garage for better weather.

I have always had two sets of tires and this will give you almost 40% more wear on all your tires as well.

With regards to the sensors, I just picked them up from Lexus and gave them to my tire store, Les Schawb, and they installed them and reset the pressure level as well. What is really great about IS family is that they allow you to have to pressure level settings. One for your main tires and the 2nd for your winter tires so it knows what tires are mounted on your vehicle.

Have a great holiday! Steve

[larry chester]

I installed High Performane 17" Tires on my Factory Stock Wheels. They have done excellent traction in deep snow and ice that I have been on in the Northwest.

I keep my 18" Chrome Bling wheels and performance tires in the garage for better weather.

I have always had two sets of tires and this will give you almost 40% more wear on all your tires as well.

Steve:

If your "summer" tires cost you $400 and last you 20K miles, and you take them off and drive half the year on your "winter" tires, which cost you $400 and will last you 20K miles, then you have - in effect - one set of tires that will last 40K miles and cost you $800.

Having two sets of tires doesn't really give you an additional 40% mileage on them. It's a fiction, because during that "extra" time, they (ahem) aren't on your car .

I guess that you either need to figure that the cost of tires for these cars is the price you pay for the "look" of the large diameter wheels and performance, or you buy smaller wheels, or lower speed rated tires or both to get better mileage on your tires, and spend less money. It's all on how you look at your car, and what you "use" it for.

larry

[lex250awd]

My 18" summer tires were purchased at Les Swhawb in Wilsonville, OR and are the Toyo Proxies 4 High Performance.

http://www.toyo.com/docs/tires/tires.asp?l...;category=sport

They cost $189 each and have a written guarantee of 45,000 if rotated every 5000 miles.

The Winter tires from Les Schawb are the Toyo 17" Observe

http://www.toyo.com/docs/tires/tires.asp?l...category=winter

They cost me $168 each and have a written guarantee for 45,000 as well of which I will run for about 4-5 months of the year.

At then end of the day this is still a good deal to me and Les Schawb has done a fine job over the last 20 years as well. The 40% is calculated by the standard deviation of the variable time of the tire swab (on-off time) when in use or not. You get more time with the swap.

The bottom line... if you can buy a Lexus who really cares what the tires cost ... they are fun to dirve and there is a cost tied to luxury at the end of the day or we would all just drive a Kia. Ha Ha

[larry chester]

lex:

I am glad that you have it all worked out. I don't know, does the IS250 AWD have the same tires front and back? on the RWD they are different, which precludes me rotating.

But that being said, I have always been wary of warranties of time and distance on car's accessories, whether that be tires or batteries or the like, because they will always pro-rate the warranty against the price you paid, and apply it against the then retail selling price of the tires.

I had this situation once, and found that the sale price of the tires at the dealership were less than what they were going to offer me for a new set under the warranty that had a 50% credit applied.

So, for me, warranty - schmarranty - I just drive my car and love every minute. EXCEPT -

We just had the big snow storm of the year. My car is in the driveway under 8 inches of snow. I have the originally delivered Bridgestone Potenza tires on the car. Tire Rack shipped out my Michelin X-Ice yesterday mounted on 16" wheels. Due to arrive today. I was gonna change them myself.

It wooda been a lot easier last week!!! :chairshot:

larry

[larry chester]

UPDATE

So, last night Deerfield, IL (where I live) got 11 inches of snow. More than any other community in the Chicago area. Boy were we lucky!!!

So, this morning, I decided that it was important for me to get to work. After all, I had to do the month-end close for my company. I mean, I'm an important person, or at least I try to be a contientious one. So, I figured that even though I didn't have my snow and ice tires yet, I could blast out of the driveway to the street, and then drive - albeit slowly - to my office. But it was not to be. Bravery turned to be stupidity.

I drove out of the driveway, and hit the street, or at least my back tires did. The rest of the car was still in the driveway. It took me a half hour to dig enough snow so that I could get my car fully onto the street and pointed in the right direction. HOORAY!!! Except that I couldn't go forward. The stock tires and wheels had no traction whatsoever. None.

So I decided to go back into the driveway so that I could at least avoid the snow plows that were going to come down the street at some point. Well, that took another half hour. Great, huh?

Well, now I finally have the car in the driveway, and my new 16" wheels and Michelin X-Ice tires are being delivered today by UPS. Then, I will spend the late afternoon changing tires changing tires in a cold freaking driveway so that I am finally ready to go.

Whatta deal!!

larry

[bartkat]

Sounds like a matter of clearance. I've backed out of a driveway before and the car just pushes snow until the underside just gets lifted on snow till the tires aren't really on the ground anymore.

[larry chester]

Bart:

Yes, I noticed that the front spoiler is so low, that in a heavy snowfall, the car becomes a snowplow. Not exactly a great design for the Upper part of the US, where snow is a reality.

I don't think that even AWD helps if you're plowing snow in front of you.

Wheels arrived this afternoon. Driveway's plowed. I'm putting a coat of wax on them tomorrow, and then Sunday morning, I'll mount them.

larry

[bartkat]

Bart:

Yes, I noticed that the front spoiler is so low, that in a heavy snowfall, the car becomes a snowplow. Not exactly a great design for the Upper part of the US, where snow is a reality.

I don't think that even AWD helps if you're plowing snow in front of you.

Wheels arrived this afternoon. Driveway's plowed. I'm putting a coat of wax on them tomorrow, and then Sunday morning, I'll mount them.

larry

I'm pretty sure those tires will be great. When I lived up north good snow tires helped a lot, even when I had a pickup truck.

[wolly]

I live in the northeast and this week it finally snowed a measurable amount. Normally I would not eagerly anticipate snowfall, especially when combined with driving, however I was anxious to see how my new AWD 250 would perform. Well, the results are in and, counter to some of the other posts I have seen on this site, the results have been HORRIBLE! For example, this evening I was not able to back out of my driveway with an inch of snow on the concrete! Then, to make matters worse, I was able to drive right up the driveway in my girlfriend's Honda Civic! Can someone tell me what the trick is for driving this car effectively in the snow (without saying buy snow tires)? Its almost as if the traction control cuts so much of the car's power as soon as the wheels slip in the least that the car looses all momentum and gets stuck. I've tried all driving modes and none seem to make any difference (performance, normal and snow).

[Rx330driver]

well for starters keep it on snow mode.

i know you wont want to hear this, but you do probably need snow tires ;)

or if not snow tires, better all season tires. is the car new? if it is, the tires need to be worn down a bit before they provide the best traction

[bartkat]

Even with AWD 4 wheels without traction isn't better than 2. I think you're gonna need snow tires.

[mdsbrain]

I noticed the same problem last week in the snow. The tires that come on the car are not good for more then rain.

[jack1]

I've had no problem with my IS 250 AWD in heavy snow. I'm using the stock 17" all season Dunlop tires that came with my IS 250. I live in the northeast as well.

[tsantoro]

I live in the northeast and this week it finally snowed a measurable amount. Normally I would not eagerly anticipate snowfall, especially when combined with driving, however I was anxious to see how my new AWD 250 would perform. Well, the results are in and, counter to some of the other posts I have seen on this site, the results have been HORRIBLE! For example, this evening I was not able to back out of my driveway with an inch of snow on the concrete! Then, to make matters worse, I was able to drive right up the driveway in my girlfriend's Honda Civic! Can someone tell me what the trick is for driving this car effectively in the snow (without saying buy snow tires)? Its almost as if the traction control cuts so much of the car's power as soon as the wheels slip in the least that the car looses all momentum and gets stuck. I've tried all driving modes and none seem to make any difference (performance, normal and snow).

Wolly,

Which OEM tires do you have?