RX400h - schnee fahren

[BluesMan]

Hi folks,

Sorry for using English, I can read German but not write. I am just ready to buy RX400h. I live in mountain region with some snow and ice on the roads.

I am used to 4WD. What is your experience with RX400h under such driving conditions. Many thanks.

[RodLex]

Hi folks,

Sorry for using English, I can read German but not write. I am just ready to buy RX400h. I live in mountain region with some snow and ice on the roads.

I am used to 4WD. What is your experience with RX400h under such driving conditions. Many thanks.

I am also an experienced 4WDer, but I don't have own experience with the RX. Other folks here will tell you more about your question.

What I can tell you is, that the RX 300/350 are real permanent 4WDs, while the RX400h drives with frontwheeldrive normally and only activates the two electric motors in the rear wheels if the ground becomes slippery. I met a lady in Austria who first drove a RX 300, after that she got the very first RX400h for Austria, coz the Vienna dealer is a personal friend of her and her husband, so they decided to change the car. She was VERY UNHAPPY about this change and would like to have her RX300 back again, because she did not like that the RX400h is a frontwheeldriver under normal conditions and needs some time to activate the rear wheels when it becomes slippery. So better you testdrive both cars before you make your decision. ;)

Good luck !

RodLex

[williz]

Hi folks,

Sorry for using English, I can read German but not write. I am just ready to buy RX400h. I live in mountain region with some snow and ice on the roads.

I am used to 4WD. What is your experience with RX400h under such driving conditions. Many thanks.

i live in a mountain region as well (800 meters high, snow from october to march). this winter was my third winter with the RX400h and i had no problems so far.

the VDIM is especially on snowy roads simply superb.

with the RX400h, like with all cars, you have to know how to drive a car on snowy or icy roads the right way and of coarse you have to have the right winter tires fitted (this is of extreme importance).

maybe a response from a new RX400h owner now living in Switzerland (moved from sweden to switzerland) and wrote me his impressions from his first winter driving with the RX400h will be of help for you:

4WD-capacity

Hard to say, we have not challenged the car enough. But one sunny Sunday on the ice of the lake in St Moritz (parking lot), plenty of Porche cars and others were stuck on their way out from the event in question (White Turf, horse racing on the ice). The sun made the snow on the ice creamy, but the Lexus had no problems what so ever to take its way from there. We helped a few poor bastards on our way out, but we left behind all the up nosed people in the Porches :-).

Many thanks for all your advices (Yokohama AVS Winter, dimension 235/55/18, for one thing), and for being our main source of inspiration in what in the end became our very good decision in buying the Lexis hybrid.

bearbeitet 29. April 2008 von williz

[Aubie]

I used my RX400 a lot in the last winters to go skiing up in Grindelwald (above 1000m). The only problem I had this winter, was that the windshield fluid froze at -18 ;)

I drove a lot on snow and did not have any problems, even on steep roads… but it also depends on how you drive B)

Gruess,

Tom

[BluesMan]

Dear All,

Thank you very much for sharing your experience. The decision was made, I let you know as I will get mine RX400h :thumbup:

[Harry]

Under normal conditions (snow on the road pressed down by other cars) I have no problems with my RX400.

The problems begin with deep snow and ice. In deep snow you have only 10% of the power on the rear wheels - that is too less to go ahead. On ice the electronic regulations do not allow "slip" so you get the same problems.

I am not really content with my RX400h under these conditions. I live on 1'000m high and a rather steep road to my house to go. If there is high snow and you will have to stop - no chance to drive further on after stopping. The same with ice.

So I hope that Lexus will improve the 4x4 system with the new generation. For the moment it is not more than an start-support for me.

Harry

[RodLex]

Under normal conditions (snow on the road pressed down by other cars) I have no problems with my RX400.

The problems begin with deep snow and ice. In deep snow you have only 10% of the power on the rear wheels - that is too less to go ahead. On ice the electronic regulations do not allow "slip" so you get the same problems.

I am not really content with my RX400h under these conditions. I live on 1'000m high and a rather steep road to my house to go. If there is high snow and you will have to stop - no chance to drive further on after stopping. The same with ice.

So I hope that Lexus will improve the 4x4 system with the new generation. For the moment it is not more than an start-support for me.

Harry

Better to buy a RX 350 for less money with a PERMANENT 4WD !! :) :lol:

RodLex