My AWD auto history: 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse with a 'cold air intake', giant side-mount intercooler, a 2.5" turbo-back Buschur exhaust, and running 16.5 PSI of boost. It had an LSD rear diff. I don't know what the center diff was.
2000 Subaru Outback with 5-speed, and an LSD rear diff. It had a 'silly putty' center diff. When new, the rear LSD was so tight that the front wheels would slide across the center line at slow speeds on 90 degree turns with snow on the ground. I got good at power-oversteering that winter.
2006 audi a4 AWD Turbo with a Torsen diff.
2012 Subaru Impreza Sport Limited and Outback Premium.
2016.5 Mazda CX-5.
In the early years, I ran Bridgestone Blizzaks. The Eclipse ran Pirelli somethings, and the CX-5 has Michelin X-ice 2's.
I've driven all but the audi on black ice, pebbly ice, dry snow (shallow and deep) snowball-packing shallow and deep snow, and soaking-wet shallow and middling snow. With the only exception being the a4, which was awful in slippery conditions, plowing horribly in slow-speed 90 degree turns, all the cars and tires ran as expected. The Eclipse would spin, spin, spin when the turbo spooled up. The 2000 Outback was a monster in all types of snow, even pulling a two-place snowmobile trailer over packed snow with slush underneat, on lake ice. It didn't have enough power to power slide, and was so light that it could be moved off line with other tire tracks.
The 2012 Outback is too slow and heavy to do much, and with a dreadfully soft suspension, dead steering, and non-performing sway bars it's unremarkable, but NOT confidence inspiring.
The 2012 Impreza was astounding in its ability to flash through any type of snow, at extreme speeds, and never left the line it was on, no matter the depth of other tire tracks. But the dayum thing could NOT be made to powerslide. The electronics prevented it. The high overall gearing of the CVT made starting out in deep snow somewhat difficult.
The 2016 CX-5 has a very low 1st gear, and a very rear-biased AWD, making this car my favorite for actually driving in slippery stuff. Power slides are easy to start and modulate. In deep sticky snow, it starts off with confidence. It yanks my boat up slippery weed-cluttered boat ramps with no drama.
Great AWD would have LSD diffs front and rear. Most current street-oriented cars have open diffs front and rear, which makes their AWD capabilities reliant on programming. Most are front-wheel biased, which give the most dynamic safety, but with less than ideal ultimate traction. Spinning tires are slowed down with brakes, which quickly overheat, triggering the computers to let them run wild.
All of us have been brainwashed to believe that Subaru's 'symetric AWD' is superior, but in my experience it's no better than competitors. There's a ton of videos showing Subarus climbing ramps better than others, but if you really watch what's happening, there's much trickery going on. There shouldn't need to be for a superior product.
I'm a driver, not a passenger. I want to control a car, not just suggest where it goes. I believe Subaru's choices save many poor drivers from themselves. I believe there are much better choices for those who know what under and oversteer are.
And as a final word, there's no more important knowledge than that snow/ice tires save lives, under braking or avoidance maneuvers, and that AWD allows the unwary to get stuck deeper, quicker, having no other safety advantage. Front-wheel drive teachs fools when the road is dangerous.
2000 Subaru Outback with 5-speed, and an LSD rear diff. It had a 'silly putty' center diff. When new, the rear LSD was so tight that the front wheels would slide across the center line at slow speeds on 90 degree turns with snow on the ground. I got good at power-oversteering that winter.
2006 audi a4 AWD Turbo with a Torsen diff.
2012 Subaru Impreza Sport Limited and Outback Premium.
2016.5 Mazda CX-5.
In the early years, I ran Bridgestone Blizzaks. The Eclipse ran Pirelli somethings, and the CX-5 has Michelin X-ice 2's.
I've driven all but the audi on black ice, pebbly ice, dry snow (shallow and deep) snowball-packing shallow and deep snow, and soaking-wet shallow and middling snow. With the only exception being the a4, which was awful in slippery conditions, plowing horribly in slow-speed 90 degree turns, all the cars and tires ran as expected. The Eclipse would spin, spin, spin when the turbo spooled up. The 2000 Outback was a monster in all types of snow, even pulling a two-place snowmobile trailer over packed snow with slush underneat, on lake ice. It didn't have enough power to power slide, and was so light that it could be moved off line with other tire tracks.
The 2012 Outback is too slow and heavy to do much, and with a dreadfully soft suspension, dead steering, and non-performing sway bars it's unremarkable, but NOT confidence inspiring.
The 2012 Impreza was astounding in its ability to flash through any type of snow, at extreme speeds, and never left the line it was on, no matter the depth of other tire tracks. But the dayum thing could NOT be made to powerslide. The electronics prevented it. The high overall gearing of the CVT made starting out in deep snow somewhat difficult.
The 2016 CX-5 has a very low 1st gear, and a very rear-biased AWD, making this car my favorite for actually driving in slippery stuff. Power slides are easy to start and modulate. In deep sticky snow, it starts off with confidence. It yanks my boat up slippery weed-cluttered boat ramps with no drama.
Great AWD would have LSD diffs front and rear. Most current street-oriented cars have open diffs front and rear, which makes their AWD capabilities reliant on programming. Most are front-wheel biased, which give the most dynamic safety, but with less than ideal ultimate traction. Spinning tires are slowed down with brakes, which quickly overheat, triggering the computers to let them run wild.
All of us have been brainwashed to believe that Subaru's 'symetric AWD' is superior, but in my experience it's no better than competitors. There's a ton of videos showing Subarus climbing ramps better than others, but if you really watch what's happening, there's much trickery going on. There shouldn't need to be for a superior product.
I'm a driver, not a passenger. I want to control a car, not just suggest where it goes. I believe Subaru's choices save many poor drivers from themselves. I believe there are much better choices for those who know what under and oversteer are.
And as a final word, there's no more important knowledge than that snow/ice tires save lives, under braking or avoidance maneuvers, and that AWD allows the unwary to get stuck deeper, quicker, having no other safety advantage. Front-wheel drive teachs fools when the road is dangerous.