Question about Subaru Forester AWD?

[Anonymous]

So this is my first car and it's my first AWD car and I bought it for that reason. I bought a Subaru Forester and we have an incline driveway and there was still some snow in it. It wasn't completely cleaned off but there wasn't that much snow on it but when we try to drive down it wouldn't go past and it kept slipping and turning it was losing traction. I expected better but is this how AWD supposed to be like or could it be another issue maybe with the tires even though they told me that the tires were recently replaced? If anyone has a Forester please let me know if you have this issue.

[Anonymous]

It was probably ice. And nothing will help with ice. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

Yeah I have a Forester too and ice is going to be slippery regardless. Just go slow and tap the break.

[Anonymous]

I have an inclined driveway and awd makes a huge difference in snowy/icy conditions. I just can’t go up in fwd but awd does the trick. However even an awd won’t work if all 4 wheels are on a slippery surface at the same time. You would need chains for that.

[Anonymous]

Subaru Forester's X-MODE is the dedicated snow setting, activated via a console button or touchscreen (under 25 mph) to optimize AWD, engine output, and braking for low-traction, icy, or slushy conditions. It includes Hill Descent Control and, on higher trims, a "Deep Snow/Mud" mode that allows wheelspin for momentum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So this is my first car and it's my first AWD car and I bought it for that reason. I bought a Subaru Forester and we have an incline driveway and there was still some snow in it. It wasn't completely cleaned off but there wasn't that much snow on it but when we try to drive down it wouldn't go past and it kept slipping and turning it was losing traction. I expected better but is this how AWD supposed to be like or could it be another issue maybe with the tires even though they told me that the tires were recently replaced? If anyone has a Forester please let me know if you have this issue.

The tires that come on it suck in snow. Michelin Cross Climate 2s are very well liked in the Subaru community.

[Anonymous]

Another Forester owner here. The D on AWD is for "drive" as in sending power to the wheels. It gives you traction when starting or going uphill in snowy conditions where a non-AWD car might spin its wheels.

AWD does nothing at all when you are braking. Specifically, it does not prevent the tires from slipping as you try to brake-tap down a slippery hill.

If your car has descent assist (mine does not) it can help maintain slow speed as you descend, but a normal driveway is probably not long enough to really engage anything but the brakes.

[Anonymous]

I have an impreza, and admittedly, I'm nervous to drive in this.

It's caked on ice without any street visibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It was probably ice. And nothing will help with ice. Sorry.

+10

[Anonymous]

With our Outback, the X-mode definitely has helped us keep going in our neighborhood roads this week.

As PP noted, 4WD and AWD do NOT help with stopping.

It is important to manage the car's momentum in this week's road conditions. Not too slow and not too fast.