AWD Vs. 4WD

[David Dildine]

I'm going to be buying a new vehicle within the week. I don't want to own a huge SUV because I live in pavementland, Washington D.C., and only chase for one month of the year. I always find myself spinning wheels on dirt roads in tornado alley. I'm leaning towards Subaru as my solution.

I'm wondering if any Subaru owners can attest to their vehicle's standard all-wheel-drive performance on the muddy county roads of middle America. Thanks.

 

[Jason Foster]

Sub.

David:

Since I too am in the DC area....go with the Subaru. They are expensive here, but if you stick with the dealers, you'll get a good one. You might want to try Maryland versus Virginia, the standards for car sales are better on the MD side, but prices are a little less in VA. Forrester seems to be the best suited for DC region and the plains. The legacy outbacks overhands are too long in my opinion for practical use in the plains, and since they are essentially the same mechanically, you bet better MPGs with the lighter Forrester. An Impreza would better your MPGs, but space is a premium for long haul.

Subaru have great resale in DC too, but I figure you'll get one and beat it to death rather than worry about resale.

 

[Greg Campbell]

Have you looked at an AWD CR-V? I've no idea how competent they are in the mud, but Honda builds them in the US (and elsewhere - check the VIN), and they are priced similarly to the Forrester. The Subaru is 100% imported from Japan (For better or worse.) Fueleconomy.gov shows EPA estimated mileage for recent models to be a push.

 

[scott r currens]

We have had a 2002 CRV-EX for four years. It is a great vehicle with a decent AWD system. It won't get you out of deep mud but it can handle most chase situations. In February I purchased a 2006 Forester X. I have tried the AWD in deep snow and muddy roads. It blows away the AWD in the CRV. I can't say enough about the Subaru's AWD. I love it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooQRxlChvMw


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foZI5lfvX80&feature=related
At 1:37 the forester has two wheels in the air and still sends enough power to the opposit wheels to power out of the ditch. How many AWD systems can do that?

 

[Gene Moore]

My wife has an AWD Subaru. So far it's been a good vehicle with no problems. It's a nice car to ride in, easy to park and turn, but still comfortable for a long trip. It's a bit low, so getting in and out of it too many times can be a pain in the back. This is our second one, the first one we owned when we lived in the mountains of New Mexico. It has great traction and did well in the snow until it got up to the grille. The newer models have more power and acceleration than the older models. Gas mileage is about 26-28 MPG, sometimes a bit higher on trips.

As a suggestion you might look at the AWD Ford Escape, the used one's can be had pretty cheap. The V6 model has great power, probably more than is needed. The 4 cylinder gets much better gas mileage through, but won't win the all important race to get from one red light to the next.

 

[Robert Rohloff]

David, I had a 2005 Subaru Forester XT turbo and loved it, the AWD saved me when I was blown off the road in 2007. Wife and teens complained about space so I bought a Honda Ridgeline AWD pickup and it is a great ride. Still miss the pick up of the subi with the turbo.....................The road I was blown off was muddy red clay and the subi never missed a beat......great car on slick roads.....

 

[Ryan McGinnis]

Some of the Subarus have stability control systems as well, which would be of great help in keeping the car stable during unexpected hyrdroplaning situations or sudden patches of mud in gravel roads.

 

[Mark Farnik]

David,
I've had a 1998 Forester S since February 2008 and it's proven to be a great vehicle, both for everyday driving and for chase use. I've put just shy of 30,000 miles on it in the 15 months I've owned it and it's never given me any problems. It's not as quick or as fuel efficient as the newer models, but it's still pretty gutsy for a four cylinder and gets decent (23 mpg combined) gas mileage. The only complaint I have about it is the interior's a little snug (this was remedied in the 2003 and newer models, however).

The reputation of Subaru's AWD is well deserved - my Forester sticks to the road like Krazy Glue and it takes some serious standing water or total pig grease mud to get it to lose traction. Heck, there's been a couple of times where I've accidentally gotten into some 6"+ mud and by just putting it in 1st gear, the transmission almost completely splits torque 50/50 front rear and acts like a pseudo low range, which helped me crawl out of the mud. Not something I'd reccomend trying at home, though.

If you're looking to purchase a new vehicle, I would seriously consider purchasing a 2009 Forester. There's a very good reason it was chosen as Motor Trend's 2009 Car of the Year.

A nicely equipped 2.5X model could be found for around $20k-22k, though I dare say that if you really looked around, you might be able to find one for as little as $18k.

Good luck with your search, and hopefully you'll find yourself a nice little Forester

 

[Adam Lucio]

I love the AWD and 4WD on my new Expedition. It handles the snow and mud like a champ.

Might I also suggest buying yourself a nice set of these

Putting the right kind of tires on will make a HUGE difference. It came with Z rated tires [summer/performance] on it and I had worse traction with my 4WD on this truck than I did with my rear wheel drive van. Since I put these bad boys on I have never slid once and so far they've handled the mud very well!

 

[Jerry Prsha]

I own three vehicles...

I own three vehicles... Two four-wheel drives and one All-Wheel drive. I feel safe in all of them. I think All-Wheel drive is best for normal driving because it's always on. If something starts to slip, you're probably not even going to know it.

On the other hand, if you actually slide OFF the road, That Four-Wheel drive is going to be your choice.

Just don't slide off the road! ​

Ever roasted all four tires at the same time? It's a rush! You end up going sideways sometimes...

 

[Sam Stone]

The AWD system in the Subaru is a true 50:50 torque split system, it's active ALL the time, and has limited slip differential in the rear. The CRV, Escape, etc...90% of all 'cute utes' use a primarily-FWD drivetrain with a power takeoff to send power to the gear. They're fundamentally inferior to the Subaru system because they only send power backwards when there is slip detected, and the power they can send is usually limited, around 30% torque bias to the rear. So, there's a delay, and the end effect is never really the same as what the Subaru can achieve.

Audi Quattro is arguably a step up from the Subaru setup, as the center differential that handles the front/rear torque split is a mechanical device, whereas the Subaru's is fluid...so the Audi system has even less 'delay' to it. No LSDs on Audis though, but they do have 'electronic differential lock' that uses ABS to stop spinning wheels when you're stuck, and the newer ones have EXCELLENT ESP systems...they're a little spendier and not exactly SUVs though (however, an A4 avant can hold a ton of stuff, has awesome AWD, is quick, and gets great mileage).

Sam

 

[Jason Foster]

I'm currently trying to buy a Sub. something like this one:

Dave:

Let me know if you want some leads on Subs. in the area.

 

[Derrick Herndon]

Forester

I have been chasing with a 2002 Forester since 2004. I have the S with the Auto tranny. I would prefer to have the manual tranny as MPG is slightly improved plus you have more control for getting out of trouble but the wifey needed an auto. IMO the Forester is the perfect chase vehicle. Plenty of room to store gear, enough room for 4 people (though the back IS snug for some on the 2002 and earlier models), AWD for getting out of mud (and snow here in Nebraksa) but the fuel economy of a 4 cyl engine (24 MPG hwy for me). The engine still has plenty of power for me. I have been in mud a couple of times, including a "limited maintenance" farm road going uphill, and have never gotten into anything I could not get out of. Keep in mind that some of the Foresters (including mine) have a huge sunroof so a hail guard is a must! If you get a 2002 or older be aware that there were issues with head gaskets going at higher mileages (>100,000 miles). Other than this issue they are very reliable.

 

[scott r currens]

I have been chasing with a 2002 Forester since 2004. I have the S with the Auto tranny. I would prefer to have the manual tranny as MPG is slightly improved plus you have more control for getting out of trouble but the wifey needed an auto. IMO the Forester is the perfect chase vehicle. Plenty of room to store gear, enough room for 4 people (though the back IS snug for some on the 2002 and earlier models), AWD for getting out of mud (and snow here in Nebraksa) but the fuel economy of a 4 cyl engine (24 MPG hwy for me). The engine still has plenty of power for me. I have been in mud a couple of times, including a "limited maintenance" farm road going uphill, and have never gotten into anything I could not get out of. Keep in mind that some of the Foresters (including mine) have a huge sunroof so a hail guard is a must! If you get a 2002 or older be aware that there were issues with head gaskets going at higher mileages (>100,000 miles). Other than this issue they are very reliable.

Do you have a picture of your hail guard? I am still building one for my massive sunroof.