Is300H In The Snow

[Steve44]

Just driven from Glasgow back to Carlisle down the M74 in driving snow, personally one of the scariest journeys I've ever driven. Whiteout conditions making seeing the road and where you were driving extremely difficult in places.

However, the Lexus performed admirably, with only a couple of hairy sideways moments saved by the traction and stability controls. Biggest issue was that the front of the car including the headlights completely covered in snow, which meant there was literally no light to see where we were going. Snow mode engaged in Carlisle itself worked brilliantly too, didn't get stuck at all. Overall very impressed.

[Steve44]

Behold the Lexus snowplough, post us clearing the lights so we could see!

[ColinBarber]

Glad you and the Lexus made it without incident :)

[michaelH]

was this on summer tyres? My old is250 was hopeless in the snow. I have fitted winter tyres to my is300h, but have not yet driven on them in anything worse than sleet and slush.

[Steve44]

Std summer bridgestones.

[stevet]

Wonder if the extra weight of the hybrid batteries helped. I remember getting stuck in the ISF on a flat road with 2cm of snow!

[C Mclean]

Just hoping that the snow and ice will be gone by the end of next week. I can't take the cold weather these days he says as it's a bit cloudy and the temperature has dropped to around 29c.

[DJP]

Wonder if the extra weight of the hybrid batteries helped. I remember getting stuck in the ISF on a flat road with 2cm of snow!

I hope so. My old IS250 could sense snow 100 miles way and refuse to the leave the drive!

Sent from my Iphone using Lexus OC

[Steve44]

Again drove around Carlisle today in snow, slush and ice in snow mode, no issues at all, passed a number of other cars spinning wheels. Snow mode and hybrid with careful throttle application is brilliant. Only had a slight moment trying to get into the hotel carpark, but I'd had to stop on a slight incline to wait for the barrier to open, then got stuck as wheels spun, but tried a few times let car roll back a bit and got going again. A lot of driving in snow is how you drive..... Slow and steady and smooth.

Serious design flaw with front grille and headlamps though. All that sharp design and aero shaping turns lights into snow scoops. Xenon's don't seem to put enough heat out and lights just fill up with snow till you can't see. Worse as they do, it forces light to reflect back and in falling snow, it reflects on snow and blinds you further!

[RossCo74]

I drove to work in Livingston today from Dunfermline. A fair bit of snow at home, but a LOT more in Livingston and the roads were pretty much untreated (disgraceful really). I had to turn a sharp bend and up a hill in thick untouched snow just to park up at work and I was nervous at the thought of it. I needn't have worried. Pushed the "snow" button and with the winter tyres I sailed up the hill and in to my parking space easily. No wheel spin or sliding around at all. It was just like driving on tarmac to be honest. The car handled brilliantly and its given me a lot more confidence now for the winter. Many of my colleagues were late today as they struggled to stay on the road - the very same colleagues who laughed at me for having a rear-wheel drive automatic.

[Blisteringblue]

Had a couple of goes in the snow over the last 2 weeks, and the Lexus did perform well. I agree about the snowplow effect though, had to scrape it all out yesterday in North Wales.

I still don't think we have a climate for Winter Tyres though, the expense is just too great for the 3 days of snow each year.

Driving in snow isn't difficult, it is all about steady driving and anticipating what is ahead. Still baffles me when drivers (some with 4x4s) think that 10 mph is the only way to drive in bad weather.

[rayaans]

Had a couple of goes in the snow over the last 2 weeks, and the Lexus did perform well. I agree about the snowplow effect though, had to scrape it all out yesterday in North Wales.

I still don't think we have a climate for Winter Tyres though, the expense is just too great for the 3 days of snow each year.

Driving in snow isn't difficult, it is all about steady driving and anticipating what is ahead. Still baffles me when drivers (some with 4x4s) think that 10 mph is the only way to drive in bad weather.

The only difference AWD makes is that it means you're less likely to get stuck so 4x4 is really no advantage at speed where black ice could send any sort of vehicle into a ditch. Driving at 10mph in bad weather means you'll cause less damage if you do hit something - or possibly someone so I dont see the negatives of driving slowly in bad weather tbh

[Steve44]

Th

Had a couple of goes in the snow over the last 2 weeks, and the Lexus did perform well. I agree about the snowplow effect though, had to scrape it all out yesterday in North Wales.

I still don't think we have a climate for Winter Tyres though, the expense is just too great for the 3 days of snow each year.

Driving in snow isn't difficult, it is all about steady driving and anticipating what is ahead. Still baffles me when drivers (some with 4x4s) think that 10 mph is the only way to drive in bad weather.

The only difference AWD makes is that it means you're less likely to get stuck so 4x4 is really no advantage at speed where black ice could send any sort of vehicle into a ditch. Driving at 10mph in bad weather means you'll cause less damage if you do hit something - or possibly someone so I dont see the negatives of driving slowly in bad weather tbh

There is driving slowly and there is driving to the conditions. Driving at 10mph on a clear road with snow at the side of it, in traffic, just because it has been snowing is more dangerous imo, as it causes hold ups, frustrations and for some people to do/try something stupid. Lets face it, because we only get a few days per year of snow, most people don't have a clue how to drive in it and react by panicking and doing silly things.

Silly things I saw yesterday - more than one person, face of concentration/panic, white knuckles on the steering wheel, crawling along at 10mph in some wet/slush on the roadside. A guy in a Toyota Landcruiser, completely covered in snow (lights/windows all covered) expect for the windscreen, yabbering away on his mobile. A woman in Golf, who had cleared the windscreen of her car, but not the side windows, was trying to join the traffic in an urban road, from her driveway, but couldn't see out, but instead of clearing the side window, was sat with the door open to see the traffic! People rev'ing cars in wrong gear and spinning wheels trying to move away from traffic lights and wondering why they couldn't start off. Another women in a RR Evoque, with snow on the roof, got a surprise when it all ended up on her bonnet and she couldn't see, when she braked sharply at red traffic lights, because she hadn't been paying attention as she yabbered on the phone. All avoidable and silly really, people just don't think.

[Finnlexus]

We've got snow and ice for months in Finland and I must say I'm really happy with the IS this being my first Lexus-winter. Have owned one RWD car before, a MB C220CDI which in my opinion was a bit worse in snow. And the MB had spiked tires, my current winter tires aren't.

I must say people living in countries with long winters sometimes forget that the driving conditions are not the same as during the summer. These kinds of accidents don't happen too often here, but a few years back lots of idiots decided it's totally ok to drive 100+ kmh during a slight snowstorm (see video, not filmed my me though :-)). This a motorway with two lines going in each direction.

(for some reason I'm not able to add a link, so it's embedded)