YACT: Praise to Subaru, AWD, the Impreza, and Snow

[guapo337]

Well, it's officially winter time. It's been snowing all day up here in Maine, just north of Portland, and we've got about a foot of accumulation. Nice powdery stuff, like cocaine. Very good. Anyways, this is the first winter that I am driving a car that has "The Beauty of All Wheel Drive", and I must say, it is quite a beauty.

The car: 2002 Subaru Impreza 2.5TS. Manual Transmission. Bone stock.

The roads: Like lubed up glass. They are incredibly slippery.

The handling: 'Like butta'

Honestly, I feel SAFE in the car. I skid, I recover. It's beautiful.

Who else has a Subaru and lives in the Northeast? How's it performing today?

 

[Eli]

 

Like cocaine? Where the hell did that come from?

 

[guapo337]

Originally posted by: jumpr
Like cocaine? Where the hell did that come from?

Powder.. Cocaine.. Fine powder.. Cocaine.. Addictive.. It's all the same white powder to me.

 

[isekii]

if you had upgraded the rims to lets say 17" with Z-rated tires, AWD wouldn't have done anything for you.

you're luck you were on stocks.


I wonder how those Escalades and such with 22" rims with Low Profile tires do in the snow.

 

[guapo337]

Originally posted by: isekii
if you had upgraded the rims to lets say 17" with Z-rated tires, AWD wouldn't have done anything for you.

you're luck you were on stocks.


I wonder how those Escalades and such with 22" rims with Low Profile tires do in the snow.

And the point of "upgrading" the rims to negate the AWD would be...?

We've got wheels with hubcaps. The car is meant to drive places, not get bitchez.

 

[NEWKILLA]

not good at all

we got blasted out on long island and there

were a lot of idiots who think jus cuz they got 4WD

they can do 50 --yea ya can but jus try stopping

ive got a lifted 90 bronco--this stuff was BUTTA

 

[Cyberian]

Originally posted by: guapo337
Well, it's officially winter time. It's been snowing all day up here in Maine, just north of Portland, and we've got about a foot of accumulation. Nice powdery stuff, like cocaine. Very good. Anyways, this is the first winter that I am driving a car that has "The Beauty of All Wheel Drive", and I must say, it is quite a beauty.

And just how many winters have you been driving?

 

[guapo337]

Originally posted by: Cyberian

Originally posted by: guapo337
Well, it's officially winter time. It's been snowing all day up here in Maine, just north of Portland, and we've got about a foot of accumulation. Nice powdery stuff, like cocaine. Very good. Anyways, this is the first winter that I am driving a car that has "The Beauty of All Wheel Drive", and I must say, it is quite a beauty.

And just how many winters have you been driving?

That would matter... Why? One, if you really want to know. Last winter I drove a 99 VW Beetle. Quite a change, eh?

 

[FuZoR]

lol i slipped my first turn on dads jeep... yeah yeah i was the moron that thought im in a 4x4 pfft. ;-) but quickly learned my lesson after the first slight slip.

my audi didnt slip at all last night... though the snow wasnt as slippery/slushy as today.

 

[Cyberian]

Originally posted by: guapo337

Originally posted by: Cyberian

Originally posted by: guapo337
Well, it's officially winter time. It's been snowing all day up here in Maine, just north of Portland, and we've got about a foot of accumulation. Nice powdery stuff, like cocaine. Very good. Anyways, this is the first winter that I am driving a car that has "The Beauty of All Wheel Drive", and I must say, it is quite a beauty.

And just how many winters have you been driving?

That would matter... Why? One, if you really want to know. Last winter I drove a 99 VW Beetle. Quite a change, eh?

Just wondering what you have to compare the Subaru with.
I drove RWD cars for so long that an AWD would have been like a revelation.

 

[xEDIT409]

4WD > AWD....

 

[Jejunum]

Originally posted by: guapo337
Well, it's officially winter time. It's been snowing all day up here in Maine, just north of Portland, and we've got about a foot of accumulation. Nice powdery stuff, like cocaine. Very good. Anyways, this is the first winter that I am driving a car that has "The Beauty of All Wheel Drive", and I must say, it is quite a beauty.

The car: 2002 Subaru Impreza 2.5TS. Manual Transmission. Bone stock.

The roads: Like lubed up glass. They are incredibly slippery.

The handling: 'Like butta'

Honestly, I feel SAFE in the car. I skid, I recover. It's beautiful.

Who else has a Subaru and lives in the Northeast? How's it performing today?

w00t subaru! be careful on those stock tires they SUCK

www.nasioc.com/forums!

 

[JulesMaximus]

Bah, you people kill me. I grew up in the stuff. First car was a 1973 SAAB 99. Excellent weight distribution, 4 spd manual, FWD and heated seats. That car was the best in on snowy roads. I used to drive my Mom to work when it was really bad and she couldn't get her Mercury Grand Marquis out of the driveway in upstate NY.

But hey, I live in San Diego now and I'll be driving 15 minutes to the beach tomorrow to go surfing while you people are shoveling your driveway!!! Cheers! :beer:

 

[Shockwave]

Expedition.
Yeah, 4WD is nice in winter

 

[Rallispec]

Originally posted by: isekii
if you had upgraded the rims to lets say 17" with Z-rated tires, AWD wouldn't have done anything for you.

you're luck you were on stocks.


I wonder how those Escalades and such with 22" rims with Low Profile tires do in the snow.

yeah no kidding. I've got Z 17's (kuhmo's) on my car... and while thier better than the Contintals i had before-- they're still AWFUL in the snow. So freaking slick, i just slide everywhere on the snow. I could barely make it out of my driveway (less than 3 inches of snow) I'm gonna invest in a set of 15" rims and a good set of all weather Tires for the winter.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: Rallispec

Originally posted by: isekii
if you had upgraded the rims to lets say 17" with Z-rated tires, AWD wouldn't have done anything for you.

you're luck you were on stocks.


I wonder how those Escalades and such with 22" rims with Low Profile tires do in the snow.

yeah no kidding. I've got Z 17's (kuhmo's) on my car... and while thier better than the Contintals i had before-- they're still AWFUL in the snow. So freaking slick, i just slide everywhere on the snow. I could barely make it out of my driveway (less than 3 inches of snow) I'm gonna invest in a set of 15" rims and a good set of all weather Tires for the winter.

Why would bigger wheels be worse in the snow???? More width?

 

[Rallispec]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: Rallispec

Originally posted by: isekii
if you had upgraded the rims to lets say 17" with Z-rated tires, AWD wouldn't have done anything for you.

you're luck you were on stocks.


I wonder how those Escalades and such with 22" rims with Low Profile tires do in the snow.

yeah no kidding. I've got Z 17's (kuhmo's) on my car... and while thier better than the Contintals i had before-- they're still AWFUL in the snow. So freaking slick, i just slide everywhere on the snow. I could barely make it out of my driveway (less than 3 inches of snow) I'm gonna invest in a set of 15" rims and a good set of all weather Tires for the winter.

Why would bigger wheels be worse in the snow???? More width?

2 things from what i've noticed driving different cars with different size tires..... first, larger tires are wider. So they almost act like snowshoes-- sitting on top of the snow, rather than digging into it. So you lose a lot of traction that way.

Second-- Z rated tires tend to have much less tread (which is better pavement - more actual rubber making contact)... however, in the snow--thats not a good thing (its a bitch in the rain as well)


edit-- from my experience at least, which has mainly consisted of driving light, front wheel drive cars in the snow. Thier are a lot more things that effect how a car handles in the snow beyond the tire.

 

I have a 04 2.5ts. I'm up in upstate ny, so we have some snow on the ground. I have been driving in show for years, but never with awd.
The stock bridgestone re92's are still on the car. They are defiantly not great in the snow at all, but feel as good as any all season I've ever driven in the snow.
The awd makes snow driving a totally different thing, you can go through most anything. Very soon the snows go on, then the true test comes.

Why would bigger wheels be worse in the snow???? More width?

Typically you want a thinner tire with a softer, larger sidewall, to break through the snow, slush and ice crap.