The Importance Of All-Wheel Drive - A Snow & Tell Day With Lexus Canada

Having lived in Canada for my entire 43 year existence (I look 29, it’s ok to be shocked!) and having been a licensed driver in Ontario since 1994, I’ve driven in nearly 30 of the Great White North’s winter conditions. Rear wheel drive, front wheel drive and all wheel drive vehicles have been my chariot and hands down (ummm, wheels down…) the all wheel drive vehicles I’ve driven have provided the most amount of traction and peace of mind.
Yes, driver input and controls are still paramount but having an all wheel drive system certainly provides an extra layer of reassurance.
Impressively, Lexus’ current lineup has nine all wheel drive offerings of their 12 offerings, and they account for 93% of all sales. To me, that’s plenty of proof of how much consumers support their all wheel drive system.

Recently, Lexus Canada hosted a winter driving event at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park to give professional automotive journalists an opportunity to experience their vehicles in snowy/icy winter conditions, specifically their popular all wheel drive technology.

The first activity of the day was a safe and controlled drag race on snow with a few fun variables.
I was paired with Kyle, a colleague, and we tested a variety of vehicles.
An interesting pairing were two RX’s; one gasoline and one hybrid, with both being all wheel drive. The main differentiator here is the gasoline version uses a standard all wheel drive system whereas the hybrid uses electric motors to propel its rear wheels when needed.
Either are smart, solid options for a luxury crossover and for me, the differences being minute. The hybrid would get my vote strictly based on its miserly fuel consumption for a vehicle its size.
Both versions performed well traction-wise, there was always a strong sense of control and most importantly, there wasn’t an ounce of panic for me at all.
The psychology of driving bears a lot of weight, especially in winter conditions. Will I slip, slide, spin out, brake in time, accelerate too fast/slow, can my vehicle maneuver in time.
Both RX’s confidently carved through the snow and ice in a straight line, which is what the majority of real-world driving experiences will be.

To mix things up, in one set of straight-line testing, one vehicle was equipped with winter tires, the other with summer. The difference was astounding; winter tires are specially engineered for colder conditions, have a different rubber compound and provide a significantly higher amount of traction. While it’s fairly common knowledge, it was good to get real-world testing in to experience this.
Other Lexus’ experienced in the straight line test included the IS, NX, ES and RC, all of which performed quite well and illustrated how important an all wheel drive system is in winter.

A short slalom course was next up which highlights handling features through medium grade twists and turns. The notable experience here was comparing the ES and RC, both all wheel drive vehicles. The difference here is that the ES has a front wheel drive bias and the RC utilizes a rear wheel drive bias.

It’s a different sensation for both; the RC had a clear “pushed” feeling and the ES giving a “pulled” feeling with respect to each vehicles bias.
When the RC detects slippery conditions, it shifts from the 70% rear bias to an even 50-50 rear and front distribution with the all wheel drive system, providing stability and balance.
The RC can certainly be enjoyed as a year round vehicle; not just for dry road conditions.
The larger ES was surprising in that it felt closer to an IS driving-size wise (as in it’s much more nimble than its footprint suggests) and was equally surefooted on the slalom course. Again, when slippage occurs, the all wheel drive system engages and helps add a feeling of stability for the driver.

Next up was a very simple yet telling activity that saw me drive in a small circle. Wait, wait, there’s a valid point to be made!I started off at a set speed of about 10 km/h with the wheel kept in a turned position so that all I had to to was keep my right foot and hands steady. I had full control and I did a couple of full cycles without issue. I was then asked to increase my speed by a few clicks and the noticeable difference was that the faster I went, the bigger my radius became from the centre of the circle. Even with an all wheel drive vehicle, your speed is a massive factor in how much control you have. If you over correct, you’ll likely spin out. If you under correct, you’ll keep increasing your radius. Similar to the drag race portion, all wheel drive is a huge help but it’s the driver inputs that ultimately make all crucial decisions for yourself and those around you on the roads.

Finally, there was really cool ice drifting course set up. Sounds fun, right? Right.
But wait…there’s more! I drove the course in a first generation IS, which is a stark contrast from the modern day Lexus’ I’d driven earlier in the day. Studded tires, nearly half a million km’s on the odometer and this car was an absolute pleasure to drive, twist, turn, drift and do hard acceleration with. It really put into perspective how advanced the current Lexus all wheel drive systems are. Sure, it was fun knowing that I was on a controlled course with an IS that begged to be enjoyed, complete with studded tires. However, I have a newfound appreciation for what Lexus has to offer it’s Canadian consumers. There’s plenty of proof that Canadians value their all wheel drive system seeing as 93% of Lexus drivers bought an offering with all wheel drive last year. 

All in all, it was a very informative experience with plenty of hands on testing and expert coaches offering smart advice and techniques.
From SUV’s to sedans to coupes, you’re able to get nearly any modern Lexus in an all wheel drive configuration - one that I strongly recommend. 

If you’ve got any questions on what you’ve read or want to know more about Lexus’ all wheel drive systems, please connect with me.