First encounter on snow not a good one

I pulled my 2016 Legacy off the road onto a dirt parking lot covered with snow and, presumably, slush. (Here in the Nawtheast we got a few inches of snow, sleet, and freezing rain overnight Monday.) That mess didn't feel good under the tires, so I tried getting out of it -- and couldn't. Forward a bit, shift to reverse and go back a bit, but no way was I getting any traction. I was both frightened and embarrassed: this shouldn't be happening to a Subaru! With its wheels spinning, I saw the icon light come on for Vehicle Dynamics Control, and remembered what I had read in the 10,000 page manual (yes, I read the manual): TURN IT OFF under these conditions. I turned it off, and with only *some* difficulty I got the car back up onto the clear road surface. Yikes! I won't be doing that again.

The tires are stock Goodyear Eagles. I know, not the best.

Reply to
Howard Lester
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Great tires, but NOT in snow!!!

Reply to
clare

Do you mean that Subaru sometimes uses stock tires that aren't M+S rated?

Patty

Reply to
Patty Winter

"Patty Winter" wrote

Patty, these Goodyears (Eagle LS2) are ordinary "four-season" tires, but the sidewall does say M+S. Clare is right, they are not well reviewed for ice and snow.

Now, maybe I should "give these Goodyears a break," as even the fancy Nokian

4-seasons (with the snowflake symbol on the sidewall), mounted on my old 2004 Honda Accord, could barely get through slush (with I think an ice base) on my level, paved driveway. So again, I don't know what was underneath the snow and slush I encountered yesterday. I'm just grateful to have gotten out on my own.

Howard

Reply to
Howard Lester

After a big snow, all the vehicles you will see in ditches or stuck off the road are AWD or 4WD. I learned my lesson driving through a field and running into a snow drift which lifted the wheels off the road.

Ice under regular tires is always iffy.

Reply to
Frank

Some who drive AWD or 4WD vehicles think they can drive through any type of snow/ice without a problem. I see some of them driving far too fast on a snow-covered highway as if they think they are immune from sliding or worse.

All-season tires are just fine for three seasons. That said, our '14 Forester and '15 Outback have the factory all-season tires and both my wife and I never had a problem driving in the snow here on Long Island. We've had some bad storms. We picked up our '14 Forester two years ago today (we've put 42,000 trouble-free miles on it thus far). We had two VWs prior to that, none with AWD. We had a pretty bad winter that year, it was perfect timing to get the Forester.

Reply to
PAS

yes

Reply to
clare

We have 2 Foresters with all weather tires.

Thread got me thinking of 2 years ago when I went in for a test at the doctor. It was raining but changing over and when I came out after only an hour I felt slippage on the main highway and knew roads would be a problem. On the back two lane road, I was going down hill and cars had to get out of my way as they were trying to pass stalled cars in their lane. I can control my Forester but I can't control the idiots about me.

Reply to
Frank

"Frank" wrote

So the "immoral" of the story is I still shouldn't go where I've never gone before. ;-)

Reply to
Howard Lester

No X-mode with Legacy? I am surprised you're without winter tires for the season. All family vehicles are Subaru, Acura here. Always switch tires for the season.

Reply to
Tony Hwang

The 2016 Legacy is a heavy car, at 3,468 lbs.

All Subarus have gained a lot of weight over the years. The 2016 Forester is 3,296, much lighter but still heavy. Even the 2016 Impreza is much heavier than it used to be

2,910 lbs. My 2000 L coupe identical to the one on this picture weighs 2,730 and is a real beast in the snow. Unstoppable. Incomparable to my 2013 Forester XT. That is why I refuse to get rid of it.

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Basia

Reply to
abjjkst

" snipped-for-privacy@sbcglobal.net" wrote

I don't understand what point you're trying to make.

_ ... _

Tony, I think most people around here forgo dedicated snow tires. I've thought about it, and will go this full season without and determine the need. Tire stores around here are unwilling to store people's tires; we have to haul them back and forth. Or, I could store four tires on their own wheels, but, "at my age," I'm not going to be lifting tires onto the car anymore unless I absolutely have to. Yeah, I know, I could hire someone....

Reply to
Howard Lester

The point that a heavier car is more difficult to control in ice, snow, slush, is beyond you?

Basia

Reply to
abjjkst

A heavier car is more difficult to control in ice, snow. I thought this was obvious.

Basia

Reply to
abjjkst

My experience has been the heavier cars are easier to handle in snow (to a point) and I have switched back to using dedicated winter tires about 15 years ago. Still have only all-seasons on wife's car, but she's retired ans never hAS to go somewhere if the roads are bad. If WE have to go somewhere we take the Ranger.

Reply to
clare

If you go very slow gravity might help a little bit, but if you go faster inertia and poor traction on ice are against you. No way to cheat physics.

Basia

Reply to
abjjkst

More weight gives more traction. You have to remember you are not driving a sportscar, and you are not on dry pavement. Other than that,I'll take a big heavy car over a little one on bad roads (as long as I don't need to push it out IF I get stuck) when I just HAVE to get through Heavy and rear wheel drive is MY choice in snow and ice. YMMV. A lighter more agile vehicle is fine in lighter conditions.

Reply to
clare

If you want to try cheat physics I cannot help it.

More weight means more inertia. Once a heavier object moves it has more force, read: takes more counter force to control it, sway it, stop it, etc. A heavier vehicle is far quicker to outstrip whatever traction is provided by the tires... limits of grip are reached quicker.

I'll take a lighter vehicle on ice anytime, anywhere it is just easier to control.

Basia

Reply to
abjjkst

I have 3 cars with 2 sets of tires/wheels I have to deal with. I have air tools, good heavy floor jack. I switch them every season so far. I'll be 76 soon. Are you older than I? Biggest tire is 19" 245/255/19 on OEM alloy wheels with TPMS. Others are 17" and 16" tires.

Reply to
Tony Hwang

That is why we put on narrower snow tires. Like replacing 245/55/19 summer ones with 235/65/18 winter tires to give more traction.

Reply to
Tony Hwang

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