does AWD make a real difference

YES, Gene

YES, Gene

Just to get going and control the all wheel drifts. Basic IMpreza does not have DCCD though to prevent the power split between front and rear axles to change though. Imho hpsummer/winter set of tires is far more important than awd.

If controllability of the drifts is not an issue and you're not getting a WRX just about as much traction can be extracted from a car with an LSD such as Civic Si. Plus you won't have to worry about towing with all wheels off the ground and luddites with 2 wheel dynamometers.

As seen in my work parking lot last winter, it is the difference between getting out of the parking spot or asking for a push. Just remember these vehicles act like RWD when cornering on slick roads.

Absolutely. On slick ice nothing is worth a darn, but if one of the tires can grab you'll move. I live in the snowbelt of Michigan, and my Outback is the best vehicle I've ever driven in the snow, including a couple SUVs. By far, it's the best.

Two years ago I had a chance to drive my Outback down an unplowed road, covereed with eight inches of snow and some drifts. It was just like the TV commercials...plowing with my front bumper. :-)

-John O

Forester was my first AWD. Definately better than any front wheel drive car I've had. I do mild off road hunting and can go places through mud and snow that my buddy in his pickup truck cannot go. Once I got stuck in a snow drift in a field deeper than the wheels but was able to shovel snow from beneath the car and back out. Standard antilock brakes on all Subarus are also a plus.

Stopping is no better as brakes are engaged on 4 wheels of any vehicle. This may seem a simple statement but when it snows around here, ditches are full of SUV's.

Frank

In my experience, an AWD Impreza with lousy all seasons is about as good at starting and turning as a good limited slip diff FWD car with good snows. In other words, for getting going and staying going - absolutely. But mind the extra weight when stopping...

In the rain it makes a big difference too. I never really knew how much my old car slid on corners in the rain until my AWD didn't. Just about oversteered into the median the first few times. And my old car was a NX2000 - not exactly a slouch at cornering!

**Man, I wish someone told me that when I first bought my 05 Impreza 2.5 RS wagon. Hehe, I was taking a corner a little quicker in the snow than I should have and instead of the expected front-end plow (my previous cars were FWD), the arse came around, memories of my first car, a 78 Chevy Malibu Classic. I just shouted: RALLY! and continued on my way :)

I've never had any problems driving in the snow, no matter what type of driveline, however, the Subie has been the most stress-free while driving on snow/ice/rain/mud. I highly recommend it. I bought it last Dec. in CT so I got some very hilly snow driving in and it was exemplary. In MI, where I live, I live on a barely maintained dirt road. I'm last on the list for snowplowing and rain will turn my road to slick, thick mud. The first thing I noticed was the the car tracked straight as an arrow on this mud. My previous cars shimmied and slide their way down the road. :)

kaboomie

thanks John you mean you find them worse cornering on slick roads than front wheel drive cars?

John wrote:

northern minnesota...-30..three feet of snow...winter 6 months long..

best four wheeler i have ever driven...i've had explorers,expidition, blazer 4x4, ford150 4x4truck...

Nothing!..an i mean nothing comes even close to AWD in a my legacy and forester

i have nokian tires...and with AWD..the forester is incredible..Safest car i have ever driven.

YES - but only to go. AWD does not help you stop as all cars have brakes on all four wheels :-)

-- Vic Roberts Replace xxx with vdr in e-mail address.

AWD is fantastic for going. As others have already said, stopping is another matter. That said, I liked my older 4WD Loyale where all the wheels locked into 4WD when you pushed a button.

Not worse, different. Simplest way to think of this would be oversteer (awd) vs. understeer (fwd). My original comment refers to if you're taking a turn and give it too much gas, the rear wheels will break free and spin you around if you're not careful, as soon as you lift off the gas you're golden. This is the same characteristic my RWD Cutlasses (pl. Cutlai?) had. On FWD, the front wheels simply slip and you continue in the direction the car's momentum is taking you, not where your steering, which is just as bad.

Knowing this and having driven RWD and FWD in all kinds of winter weather with the most idiodic and unsafe drivers in the country (Boston, how'd ya guess?), I'll take my Outback any day.

locked into 4WD when you pushed a button.

Hi,

I've intentionally tried to get my 4wd Loyale stuck in the snow (hard to do in SoCal, but just once in a while we get enough in the local mtns to have fun!), and I couldn't even feel anything until it was deep enough to touch the rear diff. It kind of hunts and pecks on icy fire roads looking for a rock to grab--I don't know if the AWD systems are smoother or not in a situation like that.

I, too, like the idea of hitting the button when I need it vs driving everything all the time when I don't. Most of the time, 2wd is plenty, and I'd guess out of 150k miles, I've had 4wd engaged fewer than 500. But I don't live in snow, ice and perpetual rain country!

Rick

Sure it does! Slam it into reverse and hit the gas..!

*ducks*