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)