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02-28-2019, 02:27 PM | #1 |
Driving Sports TV Staff
Member#: 15542
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Kirkland, WA
Vehicle:2004 WRX |
RWD vs. AWD in Snow and Ice
How does driving technique differ between rear-wheel drive (RWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD) on a frozen lake? We flew to Wisconsin to join professional rally drive Patrik Sandell of the Subaru Rally Team to get some tips and compare differences in technique for the best performance in slippery conditions.
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04-11-2019, 03:41 PM | #2 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 499531
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Michigan
Vehicle:2013 Impreza 2.0 Silver gray |
This is good stuff for people in the midwest
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09-16-2019, 10:21 AM | #3 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 506390
Join Date: Sep 2019
Chapter/Region:
RMIC
Location: New Mexico
Vehicle:2005 Baja Atlantic Blue |
Informative
and fascinating!
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09-18-2019, 01:39 PM | #4 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 448622
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Vancouver, BC
Vehicle:2019 STI SportTech CWP |
Pretty cool.
One of the things my buddies notice the most when driving with me on the WRX/STI is how much speed and throttle you can do through turns. Especially in snow, slush or rain. They typically go I had a BMW before and it was downright scary in the snow, slush and rain. |
09-25-2019, 05:29 PM | #5 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 506784
Join Date: Sep 2019
Chapter/Region:
RMIC
Location: Idaho Falls, ID
Vehicle:2018 WRX Red |
rear wheel drive can be fun in snow if you have good enough tires.
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11-13-2019, 09:58 AM | #6 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 202923
Join Date: Feb 2009
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To Wisconsin!
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04-17-2020, 07:36 PM | #7 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 453267
Join Date: Aug 2016
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Very interesting video. Funny to hear him say the fastest way around the track is with the ESC system on.
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07-14-2020, 03:24 PM | #8 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 515530
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: Shakopee
Vehicle:1995 Legacy Wagon Green |
AWD is the only way to go, especially in northern tier states. Learned to drive in MN, and spent 20 years driving in AK, and would never own a RWD for a daily driver. Even on dry pavement and in a climes without snow, AWD is a safety benefit.
However, the drivetrain does little or nothing, especially on snow and ice, when braking. The only vehicles you see in the ditch in Alaska are 4WD/AWD! Studded tires are essential on ice covered surfaces. The Swedes and Finns, however, have established that braking distance with studded tires on bare pavement is actually longer than all-season rubber. |
07-14-2020, 04:03 PM | #9 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 437670
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: VT
Vehicle:2005 2.5 SC OB |
there is a reason why VT has the most Subaru registrations as a % of all registrations.
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07-15-2020, 11:11 AM | #10 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 177235
Join Date: Apr 2008
Chapter/Region:
NWIC
Location: Washington
Vehicle:2016 Focus RS 2002 WRX Wagon |
I drove a Coyote Mustang through a Northern New York winter (90+ inches of snow a year). It wasn't by choice and I did not have snow tires on it. I could get around, and if I had put snow tires on it I would have been confident that it could tackle any conditions. But our Subarus blew the doors off anything else up there
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04-01-2021, 11:18 PM | #11 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 523424
Join Date: Apr 2021
Chapter/Region:
RMIC
Location: Castle Rock, CO
Vehicle:2002 Impreza OBS Matte Silver |
I just got my first Subie (02 Impreza OBS) after daily driving my 01 Eclipse in Colorado. It’s almost scary how well Subarus perform in the snow and ice!
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04-05-2021, 02:16 PM | #12 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 470587
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Harrisburg, PA
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RWD is a bunch of fun in the snow and ice, but if you have to be someplace, give me an AWD any day. Had my first experience with an AWD in a bad snow storm this year. It was great to be cruising down the highway watching all the FWD idiots white knuckling it in the right lane.
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04-06-2021, 09:10 AM | #13 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 46500
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Idaho
Vehicle:So many I can't remember anymore. |
IMHO: RWD >fun than FWD in winter. AWD FTW.
However, above all else... good snows tires are the real answer. Traction is what matters most, even when your intent is to lose it. Makes its more controlable. Even "all-season tires" are just that.. better than a summer perf tire on snow, and better than a snow tires would be in dry hot roads. They're just mediocre, year-round. Balance. Give me a set of Hakka's or Nordmans on a Subaru (their systems, pure mechanical or new-electric-nannery are some of the best out there.) Gets me to work 60+mi each way on drifty hwys all winter and i can play all weekend if i want too. There's a reason i've owned over 20 subarus. Winter hits and Subarus shine. Maximum safety, maximum fun. Plus when the snow really piles up, its a different kinda traction you want under ya for fun anyway. Last edited by neko; 04-06-2021 at 09:22 AM. |
04-07-2021, 10:10 AM | #14 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 510765
Join Date: Jan 2020
Vehicle:2020 WRX STI |
Over my experience with various cars, if you're in the snow, an LSD goes a long way on 2 wheel drive cars. I was able to drive my 350z on 275 rear summer tires in 3-4 inches of snow with its crappy LSD. It was not fun, and there were numerous times where I was driving at a 45 degree angle and almost landed in a ditch, but I made it home. I'm actually surprised what the car was capable of.
In my opinion, with RWD as long as you have anything other than an open diff and actual snow tires, not winter performance tires optimized for cold dry/wet grip, you're going to be okay. With AWD you can get away with less optimized tires, just need to be mindful of stopping distances and take it slow. But AWD with snows are tanks, especially Subarus. |
04-15-2021, 03:30 PM | #15 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 438759
Join Date: Jan 2016
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: Altoona, Pennsylvania
Vehicle:2013 Impreza WRX Charcoal Grey |
What always bothered me about winter driving with rear wheel drive was not the snow it was essentially black ice. My last rear drive car was a 1989 Mercury and I remember a road trip to Kansas City in winter where we were encoutering spots on i-70 where the road had iced and been polished smooth. Things got real interesting a couple times but we were going straight so I kept the car pointed the right way. On another occasion when I had a ford Granada, very light freezing rain conditions, I had checked the road and it was okay at the stop light, but a mile later the car in a gradual curve it just snapped out from under me and I was looking at on coming headlights coming at me. I have never had an all wheel drive or front drive car try to snap spin like that in any circumstance I have encountered in 30 years with those.
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