New Owner Of Ls And Have A Few Questions

[DrAlbert]

Hello,

I am the new owner of a 2006 Lexus LS and have a few questions i hope you can answer for me.

I have just moved to Connecticut from Southern California and am new to dealing with the 'snow'. This weekend we have had a substantial amount of snow and i feel that the LS isn't going to be able to handle it. My job requires me to be at many places throughout the day, and i cannot afford getting stuck in bad weather.

When purchasing this car, i didn't even think about performance in the snow as i have never had to think about that before. Now that i have seen snow, and heard of the many accidents resulting by RWD vehicles in snow, i am concerned i may be next.

From those of you who have had experience in the snow with your LS, how does it handle? My worries include getting 'stuck' going up hills, or fish-tailing around corners. I live in a residential area where snow plows seem to 'forget about'. My finance drives a Toyota 4RUNNER so i have taken her car this weekend which handles very well, but that cannot last forever.

Should i trade this car in for something that handles better in the snow? How do any of these RWD heavy vehicles sell in this region? Am i a sucker for purchasing one?

Thank you for your help,

Dr Al

[SRK]

You've got a great car - and one that will not do well in the snow for the few weeks that you have it on the ground. I'd keep the car and buy a small 4x4 truck, like a Dakota or a Ranger. I bought a Dakota a while back ( I found the Ranger a bit small on the inside) and my GS stays parked while I grind around in the snow with the truck. And as absence makes the heart grow fonder, I am looking forward to driving the GS again soon, which is clean and free of salt and dirt, and will look and run just as well as it did when I put it away.

[TA in KC]

Here in Kansas City, our winters are moderate to severe. My 92 LS handles just fine with all-season tires. I've never gotten stuck and the car rarely loses its grip. "1990LS400" lives in Kansas also and is always talking about how great of a winter vehicle his 2000 LS is with Blizzak snow tires.

Apparently having snow tires on an LS makes a huge difference in how they perform in snow and ice. I will probably have to get stuck somewhere before I will decide to purchase some! So far, it has not happened and I drive on many unplowed roads.

[eatingupblacktop]

Welcome to the club.

Not sure what the 06 traction control is like compared to the earlier LS. The early TC caused as many probs as it solved. RWD can't compete with AWD/4X4 and higher clearance, especially going up hills and in heavy snow. I have an old Volvo RWD that serves as the winter workhorse when the snow's not too deep. I put a charger on the LS once every couple of weeks to top off the batt and run her whenever the roads are completely dry w no caked/dried salt.

I agree with getting a beater for the winter and keeping the LS out of the salt. Just make sure the beater is road worthy for the winter and won't leave you stranded in sub freezing weather somewhere out in the boonies.

As srk says "absence makes the heart grow fonder, I am looking forward to driving the GS again soon". Funny enough, a couple of times during the winter, I'll get in the LS, turn on the stereo and just sit there for a few minutes, thinking of trips I'll be taking when the snow's gone. The interior is just so much nicer than the volvo or any beater would be and it's nice to get reacquainted.

Also, if you plan to go that route and store the 430, make sure you change the oil and fill the tank before putting her away.

I agree with thomas, tires do make a big difference on any vehicle. All season are a misnomer actually, because the rubber compund becomes hard and loses grip in temps below 4 deg cel or so. Some drivers learn to compensate for this and do well with them in winter. Too much effort for me. Snow tires for heavy snow, winter tires for ice will get you where you're going.

[DrAlbert]

i have been toying with the idea of getting an 'extra' car to have for snowy days but that just seems wasteful to me. Storage wouldn't be an issue since we have a 3 car garage, but i would have to register it and get it insured.

My finance has been interested in getting a new car (since i just got mine :P ) so maybe it would be a good idea for us to keep her 4RUNNER and to just purchase her a new daily driver outright? We could use the 4RUNNER as my 'beater' for the snow. It's a 2001 model with 90k miles but still runs like a charm.

It's 3:16 in the morning, the roads are completely covered and i'll be heading out to work in a little while. I'll take the Toyota since my finance doesn't have work in the morning.

I feel bad, i purchased this beauty and i can't get a chance to ride it! :(

[1990LS400]

DrAlbert,

Your 06 LS will make an excellent "snow car" if equipped with heavy duty snow tires -- ones with the mountain/snowflake logo on the sidewall. I guarantee that you will not believe the difference.

I'd recommend getting a set of 16" wheels and 225/60-16 snow tires for your 06 LS -- the same size that came standard on the 01-02 LS430 -- 16" wheels and tires will give more cushion on rough winter roads and 225/60-16 tires are usually substantially less expensive than 17" or 18" snow tires. I have Blizzaks but there are other good heavy duty snow tires. Look at the ratings on Tire Rack's website and pay attention to both the traction and noise ratings. Craigslist is sometimes a good place to find used Lexus wheels. I bought "take off" wheels from my Lexus dealer to use with snow tires on my first LS.

After getting your car properly equipped with snow tires, take it to a large empty snow-packed parking lot (w/o light standards!) and learn how it handles. Drive it hard in a circle until you lose control, the VSC alarm starts beeping and VSC intervenes. Slam on the brakes and get an understanding of how anti-lock brakes work on snow while letting you continue to steer. Put your transmission in "snow mode" and floor the gas pedal. BTW, VSC, traction control and anti-lock brakes don't help nearly as much on snow if you don't have snow tires.

The Kansas City metro area where I live usually has fairly wimpy mild winters -- maybe I would try to get by with all season tires if I didn't routinely drive much further north or in areas where there is little snow removal done.

Yesterday the roads in KC were completely snow free while the streets in Des Moines IA where we were visiting were completely snow packed -- gave me an opportunity to demonstrate VSC to a sister-in-law who is looking to replace her 4WD Ford SUV with a regular sedan. I think I scared her!

Personally, I would never drive a rear wheel drive car on snowy roads without snow tires. The price of snow tires and an extra set of wheels is so little compared to the price of a new or nearly new LS.

[eatingupblacktop]

i have been toying with the idea of getting an 'extra' car to have for snowy days but that just seems wasteful to me. Storage wouldn't be an issue since we have a 3 car garage, but i would have to register it and get it insured.

My finance has been interested in getting a new car (since i just got mine :P ) so maybe it would be a good idea for us to keep her 4RUNNER and to just purchase her a new daily driver outright? We could use the 4RUNNER as my 'beater' for the snow. It's a 2001 model with 90k miles but still runs like a charm.

It's 3:16 in the morning, the roads are completely covered and i'll be heading out to work in a little while. I'll take the Toyota since my finance doesn't have work in the morning.

I feel bad, i purchased this beauty and i can't get a chance to ride it! :(

The 4runner would be excellent for the winter. I guess it depends on whether you plan to keep this car or trade it in after a few years. Mine is a keeper. Who knows, maybe some day it will become a classic.

BTW, is it a Freudian slip or just a typo. You mention you "finance". Did you mean fiance or are you hinting at something here. :P

[DrAlbert]

OOPS! I meant fiance- my spell checker changed it on me :P

I plan on keeping this LS forever and ever, as long as it will last. I'm 28 and this is the first 'nice' car i have purchased. Of course i'll be paying for it until i'm 40 but that's besides the point With a mortgage and car payments i can't afford to mess around with this car, it needs to last me.

I like the idea of getting better tires, but i also like the idea of saving the 4RUNNER for a 'beater'. I like both ideas! <_<

I need to talk to the soon-to-be Mrs. about getting her another car before we do anything. She's had a little money saved and is prepared to buy something like a new 4RUNNER or the smaller SUV Toyota has. I know she was planning on trading the 4RUNNER in, but i jut did a KBB search and it's only worth 9k or so.

We have found Toyota's to be very reliable and i hope Lexus will provide the same. I did some research and found the LS to be one of the best as far as reliability is concerned. The headlights are very neat as well, they turn around corners- there are a lot of gadgets and gizmo's i did not know about until i took it home!

If we decide to go for the tire idea, which are the best? Will the 16" tires you mentioned for the earlier year models be a direct fit to mine?

My present wheels are chrome which the dealer told me would be fine even in the winter. Should i get OEM rims for the winter set?

Thanks,

Dr Al

[1990LS400]

If you buy 16" snow tires, you will need 16" wheels that will fit your LS430. Yes, the 01-02 16" LS430 wheels are a direct fit on your 06 LS430. You have to be careful when buying wheels -- your front brakes have very large calipers and the wheels need to clear them. If you buy OEM LS430 wheels you will be assured they will fit. If you buy used wheels, make sure they fit properly on the front hubs -- wheels made for other Lexus models may not fit. Depending on where you live, you might be able to identify a wheel style and assemble a set of 16" wheels by buying them one or two at a time as you find them.

So the dealer told you that your chrome wheels will be fine in the winter ... OK, I guess they might survive the salt of winter if they are the type that have a clear coat.

The chrome wheels that came on my 2000 LS400 when it was sold new were horribly corroded after only three years -- the person who leased the car used the chrome wheels in the winter. The first thing I did when I bought the 2000 LS in 2003 was to have the chrome wheels replaced under warranty and then put the new chrome wheels on the shelf for use only in the spring/summer/fall. After five years of non-winter use, the new chrome wheels still look flawless.

If you buy a set of wheels to use with snow tires, try to get painted or polished non-chrome wheels. You should be able to get a set of used 01-02 LS430 wheels for less than $300 and perhaps a lot less than that. Here is a thread where a forum user was wanting to sell his 2000 LS400 Platinum Series 16" wheels which are the same 16" wheels that were standard on the 01-02 LS430: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=50794

If you can get through this Winter, you will have the Spring, Summer and Fall to take care of all this before next Winter. Winter is a difficult time to be buying snow tires and wheels since lots of people are in "disaster mode" and looking for the same thing. Some of the tire suppliers like Tire Rack are even running low on stock due to the demand or perhaps because they are keeping less stock due to the economy.

[PureDrifter]

If you buy 16" snow tires, you will need 16" wheels that will fit your LS430. Yes, the 01-02 16" LS430 wheels are a direct fit on your 06 LS430. You have to be careful when buying wheels -- your front brakes have very large calipers and the wheels need to clear them. If you buy OEM LS430 wheels you will be assured they will fit. If you buy used wheels, make sure they fit properly on the front hubs -- wheels made for other Lexus models may not fit. Depending on where you live, you might be able to identify a wheel style and assemble a set of 16" wheels by buying them one or two at a time as you find them.

So the dealer told you that your chrome wheels will be fine in the winter ... OK, I guess they might survive the salt of winter if they are the type that have a clear coat.

The chrome wheels that came on my 2000 LS400 when it was sold new were horribly corroded after only three years -- the person who leased the car used the chrome wheels in the winter. The first thing I did when I bought the 2000 LS in 2003 was to have the chrome wheels replaced under warranty and then put the new chrome wheels on the shelf for use only in the spring/summer/fall. After five years of non-winter use, the new chrome wheels still look flawless.

If you buy a set of wheels to use with snow tires, try to get painted or polished non-chrome wheels. You should be able to get a set of used 01-02 LS430 wheels for less than $300 and perhaps a lot less than that. Here is a thread where a forum user was wanting to sell his 2000 LS400 Platinum Series 16" wheels which are the same 16" wheels that were standard on the 01-02 LS430: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=50794

If you can get through this Winter, you will have the Spring, Summer and Fall to take care of all this before next Winter. Winter is a difficult time to be buying snow tires and wheels since lots of people are in "disaster mode" and looking for the same thing. Some of the tire suppliers like Tire Rack are even running low on stock due to the demand or perhaps because they are keeping less stock due to the economy.

95-00 LS400 wheels will also work.

pre 95 will NOT clear your brakes.