a follow up post on the new LX. got up to the lower owens to fish this past weekend and got to play with the new truck a bit. first off, the AHC really impressed me. i hadn't had it in 'hi' since checking it out when test driving. in real life, i found it to be very effective. there were several spots where i thought the long wheel base was going to result in scraping bottom. didn't do it. granted, this wasn't wheeling by any stretch, but rutted up roads near a trout stream are the sorts of things i was mainly interested in being able to handle with NO CONCERN. check!
we woke up sunday AM to wet snow over mud. it rained for a couple hours around 2 and then switched to snow in the predawn hours. we woke to an inch of wet snow over mud. i was pretty excited to test the new rig out.
started driving down a dirt road just trying to get it slide around or fishtail or something. amazed at how sure footed this truck is. i really had to push it to get the VSC to even come on. i thought it was a seamless intervention. whatever VSC and it's beeping do, it was tough to feel what was happening. it kept me from sliding around very much no matter how hard i tried, so i guess it works well.
took it off the dirt road and into the rutted up trails around the river. got off and it was super muddy and slippery. i knew the wheels had to be slipping and TRAC came on. again it was seamless and i didn't even really feel it working. it seemed like i never lost traction at any point on the dirt road or the trails, though i know i did. kind of cool and kind of weird.
i understand people talking about how these trucks have muted driver feedback. i've always driven lower end FWD sedans and have seen lots of snow, mud and rocks on crappy back roads in north central PA. i always could feel everything through the wheel and through the floorboards (when in snow or slush). driving the LX was just strange as it completely tuned all of that out. driving in an inch of slush on a dirt road at 25mph wasn't much different than driving the same road dry. no noise and no real slippage. slipping and sliding around on mild muddy/snowy trails still felt remarkably stable. granted this lasted for all of 10 minutes, but it really surprised me.....
once i got out onto the 395 i was driving 65mph in that same inch or so of wet snow/slush. the wheel felt super smooth, slush noise from underneath was nil. going into and out of the tracks of other cars was barely noticeable. i COULD feel it, but just barely.
overall, i was AMAZED at the way this truck handled on road and especially off pavement. it made me feel really good about dropping the cash as i'm confident that this truck will handle more than i have the stones to give it for the next few years. i also am really confident that, with a set of chains, my family and i will be able to make it to the mountains SAFELY whenever we so decide.
after driving camrys and VW's for the last 10 years it's easy to see the why these trucks cost what they do. thanks to everyone who's commented on this thread and on this whole IH8MUD board. the commentary on this board was certainly a factor in my decision to purchase the LX. the information and experience of people who actually mod, maintain, and wheel their vehicles is an invaluable resource.
jp
