Subaru AWD better than our Full time 4wd on ice and snow?

[RonMAIDEN]

If I was driving on snow over half the time then snow tires would be on my list of needs but even in places that snow in the continental US you still are seeing a lot of pavement driving and on pavement snow tires really aren't ideal so on my AWD Eclipse I had a set of agressive all season and in the 6 winters I drove it around the mountains and our front range I never had any issues with snow or ice and when the pavement was dry I still had veyr good performance from my all seasons.
I've been driving in Colorado since '86 and never owned a set of snow tires but my new Duratracs do have the snowflake symbol on them and have been doing an excellent job on the snow and ice.

 

[WoodKnuckle]

How's this for some WRX action>

YouTube - Subaru WRX STi izvelk smago/ Subaru pulls out truck.

 

[JBgotM]

My Subaru has only been stuck in the snow one time. I was going down a country road I had absolutely no good reason to be on. I called my wife to bring the 4Runner and straps to I could pull it out. The 4Runner got stuck when it tried to get close to where the Subaru was. It took a large John Deere tractor with a loader on it to dig them out, then pull them out.

BTW, both vehicles have brand new snow tires on them. The only reason either one got stuck was that they were bottomed out on the frame.

Honestly, my subaru is much less comfortable in the snow (Ohlins track suspension on the subaru) than my wife's 4Runner, but it is extremely capable and a ton of fun.

 

[JohnsD90]

The best was his Land Rover Defender 90. I think it was the baja mud tires and the weight that made it so good in the snow and ice. I drove in when there was a sheet of ice on the road and I could barely get the tires to spin. I got out of the truck and I saw tire marks imprinted in the ice.

I Concur, mine never had an issue in snow or ice. As much as i love the 4runner the 90 wouldn't drift around corners on wet or snowy conditions, granted it is an AWD 90 and a 4H 4runner.

 

[scottm]

BTW, both vehicles have brand new snow tires on them. The only reason either one got stuck was that they were bottomed out on the frame.

I guess it depends on the snow too. Heavier vehicles do better in deep stuff over solid surface, I've pushed hood-deep fresh snow with my Land Cruiser on Blizzaks, the 4R should do the same.

 

[JBgotM]

I guess it depends on the snow too. Heavier vehicles do better in deep stuff over solid surface, I've pushed hood-deep fresh snow with my Land Cruiser on Blizzaks, the 4R should do the same.

This was about 18" of packed snow that had been around a while then covered over with a layer of ice. Once it started to sink down in, the tires of both grabbed and dug down until the frame was resting solid. Then all 4 wheels on both vehicles were free spinning. Blizzaks on both.