Its That Time Of Year

[Shepherd]

Just a reminder to all

If you bought the car in this summer, you will be surprised how bad it is in snow/ice due to rear wheel drive and high torque plus the traction control. Sometimes it just doesn't move.

Its that time of year that the prices of winter tyres start to hike.

So

Get some winter tyres ASAP

or over the wheel socks if you prefer them

and / or a bottle of spray on traction

get a snow shovel and a few bags of grit before they run out of diy stores

just be prepared in advance. don't get caught out this winter

[Matus]

[gordi]

Yes I agree the Auto and the manual are both pigs in the snow but if you do invest in winter tyres dont forget to inform your insurance company.

[fjcfarrar]

Just a reminder to all

If you bought the car in this summer, you will be surprised how bad it is in snow/ice due to rear wheel drive and high torque plus the traction control. Sometimes it just doesn't move.

Its that time of year that the prices of winter tyres start to hike.

So

Get some winter tyres ASAP

or over the wheel socks if you prefer them

and / or a bottle of spray on traction

get a snow shovel and a few bags of grit before they run out of diy stores

just be prepared in advance. don't get caught out this winter

This things will make your Lexus a bit less of a pig in snow - but still a pig and vulnerable to damage. Consider the cheaper solution of buying an old entry-level Corsa/Fiesta/similar for the infrequent snow we usually get in the UK. With a small engine & spindly tyres they are better in snow. Not only cheaper but neater to store, semi-disposable, and without the effort involved with fitting winter tyres etc. plus a great reminder how nice the Lexus is.

[SAD]

...................or you could go with the expensive option like I am thinking of doing and swapping the "pig" for an RX400!! (apart from the fact that the trade in is just laughable - 2007 model offered just over £6000 :tsktsk: )

Last year in that terrible snow my IS220d was just undrivable - I considered it near dangerous - I also had a Fiat cinquecento at the time and that was more more effective !! I couldnt bear to go through that again and its OK saying put winter tyres on but I would have to get to a garage first to get them put on anyways!! (my car skills extend to putting air in the tyres NOT changing them!)

I am in such a dilema!!

[Shepherd]

last year mine got stuck 5 times on the same road. thanks to some very nice people in the the cars behind me who always got down and pushed the beast :)

for remaining of the snowy days I used the micra.

I do think the spray ON traction spray from eBay helped traction a bit, i used it when the snow had started to melt and turn into ice.

do invest in a shovel and some rock salt if you live at the end of the lane where no other cars have compacted snow for you.

[knitware]

...................or you could go with the expensive option like I am thinking of doing and swapping the "pig" for an RX400!! (apart from the fact that the trade in is just laughable - 2007 model offered just over £6000 :tsktsk: )

Last year in that terrible snow my IS220d was just undrivable - I considered it near dangerous - I also had a Fiat cinquecento at the time and that was more more effective !! I couldnt bear to go through that again and its OK saying put winter tyres on but I would have to get to a garage first to get them put on anyways!! (my car skills extend to putting air in the tyres NOT changing them!)

I am in such a dilema!!

I'm putting my winter tyres back on in a few weeks. No need to change cars put on a set of winter tyres and your car will handle better than a 4x4. Sounds too good to be true, watch this, My LEXUS GS!, my car on sheet ice with winters, I got stuck nowhere last year!!!

There are still people who consider all other options before going for the obvious.

[Cue]

What experiences have you had in terms of start ups?

I havent yet had the privilege of introducing my car to such conditions. But am wary of it coughing up in the cold.

[SAD]

...................or you could go with the expensive option like I am thinking of doing and swapping the "pig" for an RX400!! (apart from the fact that the trade in is just laughable - 2007 model offered just over £6000 :tsktsk: )

Last year in that terrible snow my IS220d was just undrivable - I considered it near dangerous - I also had a Fiat cinquecento at the time and that was more more effective !! I couldnt bear to go through that again and its OK saying put winter tyres on but I would have to get to a garage first to get them put on anyways!! (my car skills extend to putting air in the tyres NOT changing them!)

I am in such a dilema!!

I'm putting my winter tyres back on in a few weeks. No need to change cars put on a set of winter tyres and your car will handle better than a 4x4. Sounds too good to be true, watch this, My LEXUS GS!, my car on sheet ice with winters, I got stuck nowhere last year!!!

There are still people who consider all other options before going for the obvious.

:shutit: I thought you had to take winter tyres off and on according to the weather (that is just use them in snow!!) Are you saying that I can use them just as normal everyday tyres??. If thats the case I will certainly look at getting some - as you say the obvious answer but I'm a bit short on technical knowledge so just thought shelling out another £10,000 would be the easiset option - doh!!!!!!!!!!

I watched your video by the way - what happened to the 12 INCHES of snow in your part of the world??

Many Thanks for the post - its given me something to think about

[SAD]

What experiences have you had in terms of start ups?

I havent yet had the privilege of introducing my car to such conditions. But am wary of it coughing up in the cold.

CUE - absolutely no issues whatsoever (in start up - driving another matter - prepare yourself for it being rubbish if we have snow this year like last)

The lowest temp I recorded in my Lexus last year was minus 17

I have a horse and get up at 5.20am each morning in the winter, my Lexus stood on the drive and she started first time everytime and I expected that - I have the car serviced every 12 months. No issues at the service in April just gone following the awful snow starts and driving in the darn stuff

[knitware]

...................or you could go with the expensive option like I am thinking of doing and swapping the "pig" for an RX400!! (apart from the fact that the trade in is just laughable - 2007 model offered just over £6000 :tsktsk: )

Last year in that terrible snow my IS220d was just undrivable - I considered it near dangerous - I also had a Fiat cinquecento at the time and that was more more effective !! I couldnt bear to go through that again and its OK saying put winter tyres on but I would have to get to a garage first to get them put on anyways!! (my car skills extend to putting air in the tyres NOT changing them!)

I am in such a dilema!!

I'm putting my winter tyres back on in a few weeks. No need to change cars put on a set of winter tyres and your car will handle better than a 4x4. Sounds too good to be true, watch this, My LEXUS GS!, my car on sheet ice with winters, I got stuck nowhere last year!!!

There are still people who consider all other options before going for the obvious.

:shutit: I thought you had to take winter tyres off and on according to the weather (that is just use them in snow!!) Are you saying that I can use them just as normal everyday tyres??. If thats the case I will certainly look at getting some - as you say the obvious answer but I'm a bit short on technical knowledge so just thought shelling out another £10,000 would be the easiset option - doh!!!!!!!!!!

I watched your video by the way - what happened to the 12 INCHES of snow in your part of the world??

Many Thanks for the post - its given me something to think about

Hi,

Seriously, fitting winter tyres will transform your car.

I run my tyres from October until March. They are rated W which is up to 168mph and can be used all year if you do only a few miles.

Winter tyres are not only for snow but for all winter conditions. They are excellent in the wet displacing huge mounts of water. I was driving on a slushy M1 earlier this year. The outside lane was empty as it was too slushy for normal tyres. I drove through it and had excellent traction, I was throwing up huge amounts of water behind me though!

The compound of the winter tyre is softer than summer tyres. Summer tyres start to go hard below 7 deg C and this makes them pretty useless, winter tyres remain soft and spread out. Winter tyres also have lots of cross cuts in them called sips. The sips draw in the snow and this help with traction.

There are lots of rear wheel cars in Germany, BMW, Mercedes and the folk over there change to winter tyres as it's a legal requirement. These people don't usually get stuck, well maybe if its a few feet thick.

Try it, buy them now before the rush and you will be amazed and a lot safer this winter.

[Matus]

There are still people who consider all other options before going for the obvious.

excatly.

I recommend also to go for narrower tire. For snowy conditions is width 205 much better than 245.

[SAD]

...................or you could go with the expensive option like I am thinking of doing and swapping the "pig" for an RX400!! (apart from the fact that the trade in is just laughable - 2007 model offered just over £6000 :tsktsk: )

Last year in that terrible snow my IS220d was just undrivable - I considered it near dangerous - I also had a Fiat cinquecento at the time and that was more more effective !! I couldnt bear to go through that again and its OK saying put winter tyres on but I would have to get to a garage first to get them put on anyways!! (my car skills extend to putting air in the tyres NOT changing them!)

I am in such a dilema!!

I'm putting my winter tyres back on in a few weeks. No need to change cars put on a set of winter tyres and your car will handle better than a 4x4. Sounds too good to be true, watch this, My LEXUS GS!, my car on sheet ice with winters, I got stuck nowhere last year!!!

There are still people who consider all other options before going for the obvious.

:shutit: I thought you had to take winter tyres off and on according to the weather (that is just use them in snow!!) Are you saying that I can use them just as normal everyday tyres??. If thats the case I will certainly look at getting some - as you say the obvious answer but I'm a bit short on technical knowledge so just thought shelling out another £10,000 would be the easiset option - doh!!!!!!!!!!

I watched your video by the way - what happened to the 12 INCHES of snow in your part of the world??

Many Thanks for the post - its given me something to think about

Hi,

Seriously, fitting winter tyres will transform your car.

I run my tyres from October until March. They are rated W which is up to 168mph and can be used all year if you do only a few miles.

Winter tyres are not only for snow but for all winter conditions. They are excellent in the wet displacing huge mounts of water. I was driving on a slushy M1 earlier this year. The outside lane was empty as it was too slushy for normal tyres. I drove through it and had excellent traction, I was throwing up huge amounts of water behind me though!

The compound of the winter tyre is softer than summer tyres. Summer tyres start to go hard below 7 deg C and this makes them pretty useless, winter tyres remain soft and spread out. Winter tyres also have lots of cross cuts in them called sips. The sips draw in the snow and this help with traction.

There are lots of rear wheel cars in Germany, BMW, Mercedes and the folk over there change to winter tyres as it's a legal requirement. These people don't usually get stuck, well maybe if its a few feet thick.

Try it, buy them now before the rush and you will be amazed and a lot safer this winter.

KNITWARE & MATUS - Thanks for your posts which are really helpful. Have Dunlop 225/45/17 currently on the Lexus.

I have been to enquire about Pirelli Sottozero seiries II and been quoted £583 fitted/balanced etc for 4. The garage also recommended Goodyear but as my knowledge of tyres can fit on the back of an ant will probably stick with the Pirelli!

The guy at the garage also said to keep my boot weighted (with for example a bag of sand!!)

I am so glad for this forum!

Many Thanks to all for your help

[knitware]

Hi,

That's no problem!

That is a very good price for the tyres too!

[Matus]

I confirm that 80kgs of sand in the boot makes things even better. However in the city this affect also the consumption...

if your city is flat, there is no need for it but if you have some hills, take it.

[Mic220]

First year with the Lexus and looking at getting winter tyres. Have been trying to buy some Lexus 16" wheels but not managed to get any yet for IS220D does anyone know if wheels of IS200 fit or if not what size winter tyres would fit my exisiting wheels, current tyre size is 225 45 17 front and 245 45 17 rear?

[mhult]

Living in Sweden where winter tyres are required by law, the idea of getting another car rather than changing the tyres seems completely ridiculous.

FYI, there are (at least) three different categories of winter tyres:

1. Studded tyres. This is what most people use in Sweden, since they are superior on ice. They are however quite noisy and I would believe not allowed in the UK, due to the wear they cause on the roads.

2. Snow and ice tyres. These are optimised for grip on snow, but not particularly good on asphalt due to the very soft compound and thread which is very flexible in order to find grip on uneven ice. Some people in Sweden stupidly drive with these all year around so they don't have to change wheels twice a year.

3. Performance winter tyres. These are almost as good as summer tyres on dry roads, while being much better on snow and ice. I switched to this type of tyre when I got my IS after always having used studded tyres before. This is what all the Germans use on the Autobahn, and also what I would believe is available in the UK.

My summer tyres are 245/45/17 rear and 225/45/17 front, while my winter tyres are 225/45/17 all around. However, I sort of regret not going for 205 wide 16 inch wheels for the winter, since 225 is a little too wide on ice and snow. Also, my winter rims are not Lexus originals, since they were prohibitively expensive (I think they would have added £1000).

One more thing - 4WD is NOT a substitute for winter tyres. What good is 4WD going to do when you come too fast into a corner, or need to brake before an intersection? With 4WD you can accelerate faster, but is that your biggest safety concern in the winter?

As for the hassle of storing and switching wheels, most tyre shops in Sweden offer a storage and shifting service where they store the set of wheels that is not currently on you car, and you just book an appointment twice a year to have them switched while you wait. The cost is about £100 per year. Don't you have this in the UK?

In fact, when you buy a new Lexus in Sweden, a complementary three years of wheel storage and shifting at the dealership is included! This is part of the Lexus service experience here, and I am not aware of any other brand that does this.

[fjcfarrar]

The main reasons I suggest buying another cheapo car for winter extremes is that in the UK, the models I suggest are available cheaper including Tax & Insurance than a set of winter tyres especially for my ISF, plus will still handle better than it in snow because low ground clearance makes the ISF completely useless for snow more than about 10 cm deep. Only major roads are ever cleared in any way at all, and because it makes a rotten snow-plough you never get to reach them. Additionally, damage is not unlikely on very slippery roads, and frankly bending a cheap "old banger" is no big deal by comparison.

A storage service for tyres not in use just doesn't exist here and anyway, a cheapo car is more use for trips to dispose of gungey rubbish at the dump etc. than a pile of spare tyres.

For an IS220/250, higher ground clearance means slightly deeper snow can be negotiated. Nevertheless, although it seems counter-intuitive; relatively wide tyres and significant power are factors which inherently make for poor traction regardless of tyre compound, FWD etc. - you could get about better in an antique Model-T Ford with negligible power and tall skinny wheels if they were still around.

Realistically, here in the South of England, severe road conditions have so far been so unusual and short-lived that whenever it is possible - which of course it isn't always - it maybe better simply not to use the roads until they clear a bit.

[SAD]

Living in Sweden where winter tyres are required by law, the idea of getting another car rather than changing the tyres seems completely ridiculous.

FYI, there are (at least) three different categories of winter tyres:

1. Studded tyres. This is what most people use in Sweden, since they are superior on ice. They are however quite noisy and I would believe not allowed in the UK, due to the wear they cause on the roads.

2. Snow and ice tyres. These are optimised for grip on snow, but not particularly good on asphalt due to the very soft compound and thread which is very flexible in order to find grip on uneven ice. Some people in Sweden stupidly drive with these all year around so they don't have to change wheels twice a year.

3. Performance winter tyres. These are almost as good as summer tyres on dry roads, while being much better on snow and ice. I switched to this type of tyre when I got my IS after always having used studded tyres before. This is what all the Germans use on the Autobahn, and also what I would believe is available in the UK.

My summer tyres are 245/45/17 rear and 225/45/17 front, while my winter tyres are 225/45/17 all around. However, I sort of regret not going for 205 wide 16 inch wheels for the winter, since 225 is a little too wide on ice and snow. Also, my winter rims are not Lexus originals, since they were prohibitively expensive (I think they would have added £1000).

One more thing - 4WD is NOT a substitute for winter tyres. What good is 4WD going to do when you come too fast into a corner, or need to brake before an intersection? With 4WD you can accelerate faster, but is that your biggest safety concern in the winter?

As for the hassle of storing and switching wheels, most tyre shops in Sweden offer a storage and shifting service where they store the set of wheels that is not currently on you car, and you just book an appointment twice a year to have them switched while you wait. The cost is about £100 per year. Don't you have this in the UK?

In fact, when you buy a new Lexus in Sweden, a complementary three years of wheel storage and shifting at the dealership is included! This is part of the Lexus service experience here, and I am not aware of any other brand that does this.

Mhult - I dont think one can compare Sweden with the UK - weather wise!

Given the posts on here, I will talk again with the garage re width of tyres (thinner being better) when I order my winter ones.

The garage have said they can store my summer tyres for £7.50 a tyre which I think is reasonable.

In addition not everyone is as mechanical savvy as you sound when it comes to winter driving. I for one am grateful for all the advice on this board which has helped me tremendously.

Oh and I originally was thinking to trade up to an RX!!

[SAD]

The main reasons I suggest buying another cheapo car for winter extremes is that in the UK, the models I suggest are available cheaper including Tax & Insurance than a set of winter tyres especially for my ISF, plus will still handle better than it in snow because low ground clearance makes the ISF completely useless for snow more than about 10 cm deep. Only major roads are ever cleared in any way at all, and because it makes a rotten snow-plough you never get to reach them. Additionally, damage is not unlikely on very slippery roads, and frankly bending a cheap "old banger" is no big deal by comparison.

A storage service for tyres not in use just doesn't exist here and anyway, a cheapo car is more use for trips to dispose of gungey rubbish at the dump etc. than a pile of spare tyres.

For an IS220/250, higher ground clearance means slightly deeper snow can be negotiated. Nevertheless, although it seems counter-intuitive; relatively wide tyres and significant power are factors which inherently make for poor traction regardless of tyre compound, FWD etc. - you could get about better in an antique Model-T Ford with negligible power and tall skinny wheels if they were still around.

Realistically, here in the South of England, severe road conditions have so far been so unusual and short-lived that whenever it is possible - which of course it isn't always - it maybe better simply not to use the roads until they clear a bit.

I had a fiat cinquecento last year and get this - it was much better in the snow than the Lexus!!!!!!!!!!!!! - it didnt have a front or back end so couldn't really go anywhere and I felt safer in it than the Lexus

However I also have a horse box and having just seperated, cannot afford to run three vehicles so I had to get rid of the cinquecento :o

I was thinking of trading up to an RX but this forum has given me good advice and I will be fitting winter tyres in October to my IS220.

By the way - the garage will store my summer tyres for £7.50 a tyre for 6 months which I think is not too bad!

[Matus]

sorry to say this, but I would feel completely dumb to use some tiny car instead of lexus to ride 2 months per year on snow to save couple of quidos. I don't see the reason of having lexus then. Just buy passat 4x4...

for the winter tires - complete set of OZ michelangelo rims and pirelli sottozero 205/55/16 cost me 1.300 euros. This winter will be the 5th I will be using them.... I change them myself (1 hour of work per 6 months) I store them myself.

If you rather spend 1.300 euros on ****ty car, it's your choice, but I am personally knocking on my head.

[Shepherd]

I have even better idea and very cheap. I got my self two slightly used 245/45/17 goodyear winter tyres for £100 fitted (FROM EBAY). if i get same models for the fronts for about £80, i'll be sorted for this winter for £180, instead of £800 if bought new. tread is about 5-6mm. Seller told me all are import from another European country where any tyre under 6mm tread is illegal so all these tyres make their way to UK.

My rear tyres were needing a change any way as they were very , very, close to legal limit

[Matus]

it is good way to start, but still, 245 is very very wide for snow.

I still think, if you want to keep the car for 3 more years, it will be cheaper to buy new set of rims with narrow tires as I described before.

How much dost cost to switch 4 tires to and from rims?

[knitware]

it is good way to start, but still, 245 is very very wide for snow.

I still think, if you want to keep the car for 3 more years, it will be cheaper to buy new set of rims with narrow tires as I described before.

How much dost cost to switch 4 tires to and from rims?

About £50. I have 245 tyres, nice and fat for the tyres to get traction!

[Matus]

the point is that narrower tire has better traction on snow and ice also.