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IS-F performance in the snow?

3599 Views 8 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  X20A
Hey guys. I currently own a 2009 IS250 and a 2008 IS-F. I'm considering dropping the IS250 next summer while its value is still up and I plan on running the IS-F through the harsh Canadian winters. I'm kind of scared of driving this thing through a snowstorm or down an icy road, even though it does have a snow mode.

What are your experiences driving the IS-F through a daily commute during the winter? Thanks for any input.
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I live in washington state and last winter we got 10 inches of snow and could not even get out of my flat driveway, also when there was less snow and finally got the car out I got stuck many times. I would be lying to you if I said it is smart to drive in the snow I no longer even try
I live in washington state and last winter we got 10 inches of snow and could not even get out of my flat driveway, also when there was less snow and finally got the car out I got stuck many times. I would be lying to you if I said it is smart to drive in the snow I no longer even try
what tires were u using?
I am actually really curious to see what everyone thinks of this question as well. I am very torn between if I should keep my current car as a winter beater, or just trade it in and save myself some money on the monthly payments of the car. I am located in Toronto, like a few members here as well, but was unsure what some of you were doing.

I'd like to know how driveable this car is in the winter with an appropriate winter setup, such as the 18" G-Spyders on LM25s, or as someone had on this forum, the KV5s with quality winter tires.
Definitely use a winter beater. It will likely save you some cash on insurance and fuel economy, and would svae the IS-F from rusting otu quickly. If you wanted to drive the Lexus during the winters you'd need to invest in a set of rims & tires, and given the ground clearance, you'll be plowing any deep snowfalls.
with the stock tires snow is not your friend. heck, with stock tires my rs4 was useless in the snow. with snow tires however it's great. i live in seattle and threw blizzacks on last winter. it handled great in the snow then. the f is my dd. my other car definitely doesn't go out in the snow.
I'm in Maryland and I was out driving in the spring when a freak snow storm came. I put it in snow mode and she did great. But there wasn't that much snow. It was just starting to stick. Nothing serious. (factory tires)
Its great in teh snow as long s you drive conservatively. If there is snow cookies and lots of slush, that was what got me worried driving. Hit an ice chunk at 40 and see how your bumper likes that. The Kosei rims I put on are 18's with michelin artic alpins. Not performance snows by any means.
I guess my main concern with winter driving the F is that rust may end up eating the car up, and with the winters up here in Toronto, they salt the roads like no tomorrow.

I guess it just might be better to man up and keep the current car as a winter beater and just pay more monthly.
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