Enjoyed the AWD today

Heading out with a group kayaking, somebody local mentioned you can drive right to the beach at the spot.

 

Two of the folks that already arrived hopped into their SUVs and made their way to the beach.

 

First was a decent drop from pavement ramp to sand, then tight turn in soft stuff (SUV with decent mud tires was stuck while in 2WD), through a small stream bed (on the beach) and then finally the water.

 

Figured since everything was soft wouldn't be a huge deal if I touched in a spot or two, and the soft stuff looked like fun.

 

Pleased to report other than maybe kissing the undercarriage tray on the way down, going slow and on an angle got me through just fine, although I did crabwalk a bit in the soft stuff as I climbed a slight incline.

 

Don't think I would have made it through the soft stuff without AWD. Yeah, the ground clearance of an XT would have been handy, but there's too much fun to be had on the pavement with the Bilstein SpecB RevAs that are currently on the car.

 

Sad to say first time on the beach with the Subaru, and the car is nearly four years old!

Let any air out of the tires for the sand?

 

How do you like the RevAs? I was reading some nice things about RevCs...but I might be a bit more comfort oriented than some

 

Joe

Didn't bother with lowering air pressure, since it was hard sand above and hard sand below, just made sure I had some speed. Goosing is in the soft stuff is what made the car break loose, hehe.

for all soft sand, you'd need to bleed air. Had my car out on sand dunes @ Silver Lake. Got some weird looks from jeep / suv drivers.....

If you think that was fun wait until you get it in the snow.

Heading out with a group kayaking, somebody local mentioned you can drive right to the beach at the spot.

 

Two of the folks that already arrived hopped into their SUVs and made their way to the beach.

 

First was a decent drop from pavement ramp to sand, then tight turn in soft stuff (SUV with decent mud tires was stuck while in 2WD), through a small stream bed (on the beach) and then finally the water.

 

Figured since everything was soft wouldn't be a huge deal if I touched in a spot or two, and the soft stuff looked like fun.

 

Pleased to report other than maybe kissing the undercarriage tray on the way down, going slow and on an angle got me through just fine, although I did crabwalk a bit in the soft stuff as I climbed a slight incline.

 

Don't think I would have made it through the soft stuff without AWD. Yeah, the ground clearance of an XT would have been handy, but there's too much fun to be had on the pavement with the Bilstein SpecB RevAs that are currently on the car.

 

Sad to say first time on the beach with the Subaru, and the car is nearly four years old!

 

last time I checked 4wd got you out of a stuck position. I highly doubt your awd prevented you from getting stuck. I'd pay you $100 to take your driveshaft off and go through that same situation again. If you don't get stuck, I get my money back (but since you would be rolling front wheel drive you'd probaly get stuck.) So I retract and say you should pull your front transaxles.

and when your awd wagon gets stuck in grass, you know there is know hope. I had my bumper sitting on the edge of the road with my rear right tire idling in the air over a ditch and the other three tires sitting on grass and it would'nt budge...

last time I checked 4wd got you out of a stuck position. I highly doubt your awd prevented you from getting stuck.

 

Absolute rubbish. AWD can prevent a car from getting stuck, compared to 2wd. That's the point - as he's driving along the front AND rear tires seek out friction. There may have been times (hard to prove) where only the front or rear tires were what was keeping him going thru the sand.

Oh, I've had tons of fun in snow and dirt before, just never had the opportunity to drive on a beach yet.

last time I checked 4wd got you out of a stuck position. I highly doubt your awd prevented you from getting stuck. I'd pay you $100 to take your driveshaft off and go through that same situation again. If you don't get stuck, I get my money back (but since you would be rolling front wheel drive you'd probaly get stuck.) So I retract and say you should pull your front transaxles.

 

4wd allows you to go further than 2wd before you get stuck.

 

Everyone gets stuck one day. But with 4wd, it's less likely, or at least, a 2wd vehicle WILL get stuck in places a 4wd one won't. Simple logic.

i got bored and tested my 2.5i sedan out on the sand one day...just foward and backwards at first then got confident (perhaps too confident) and made a loop....hit some real soft stuff at the pt my wheels were turned the most and she slowed and sank in...so pushed in the clutch and eased it back out w/ some gas...then a little more and a little more until it was revvin quite high but i didnt move so i stopped and got out to assess...i had about 3/4in of clearance to the frame...after my panic subsided i realized the wheels were still turned so I got back in straightened em out and with a little rockin back and forth was able to her free her from the deadly grip of the loose sand....all was well and good minus the fact wen i had revved it earlier I roasted the clutch to the pt smoke came out from under the hood and the car now stunk like burnt clutch...needless to say ive had my fill of drivin on the beach

i got bored and tested my 2.5i sedan out on the sand one day....all was well and good minus the fact wen i had revved it earlier I roasted the clutch to the pt smoke came out from under the hood and the car now stunk like burnt clutch...needless to say ive had my fill of drivin on the beach

 

When I worked at Brookhaven National Lab I drove my '93 Legacy everywhere. Guys would try to follow in the 2wd lab trucks and get stuck all the time.

The best was the wide, smooth dirt road with the 90 degree turn and plenty of run out. I'd practice my "Scandanavian flick" every day. The only scary occasion was in my wife's '97 Outback. I overcooked the turn a bit and ended up sideways as a tractor trailer was coming the other way.

With good tires I don't think you can get these cars stuck without the car sitting on it's frame. As long as the weight is on the wheels it will go.

4wd allows you to go further than 2wd before you get stuck.

 

Everyone gets stuck one day. But with 4wd, it's less likely, or at least, a 2wd vehicle WILL get stuck in places a 4wd one won't. Simple logic.

 

The classic way to put this is, "4wd just lets you get stuck in worse places."

I'm a little sad there aren't places around here where I can enjoy the car's AWD prowess. In fact, I've never had it on anything worse than wet pavement.

....all was well and good minus the fact wen i had revved it earlier I roasted the clutch to the pt smoke came out from under the hood and the car now stunk like burnt clutch...needless to say ive had my fill of drivin on the beach

I smoked my clutch pretty good a month after I got it, snowed pretty good and I was was trying to pull out of a spot on a small side street. The car would start to pull out but then slide down the snow since it was a little high on the sides. The stock tires just couldn't get any traction. I wasn't paying attention and slipped the clutch for too long and stunk myself out pretty good. It hasn't snowed like that since I got better tires so I am looking forward to driving in some more piles.

I'm a little sad there aren't places around here where I can enjoy the car's AWD prowess. In fact, I've never had it on anything worse than wet pavement.

 

Plenty of fun to be had on wet pavement.

I smoked the clutch after buying my car, too. I pulled into a large dirt section and tried to do a 4-wheel burn out. I failed.

 

I suppose, Trout - but there's something about a sedan crawling thru 10" deep snow drifts...

Plenty of fun to be had on wet pavement.

 

You just have to drive too fast to do it:cool: Like in my GC8 Impreza, 70+ into a downhill decreasing radius turn on the Taconic state Parkway during a downpour. Good thing I had both lanes.

With the right set of turns, I can have plenty of fun at 25 mph on wet roads. Apply throttle to taste.

Find a good farm field and tear it up!

I drove around my county(Isle of Wight, VA) earlier today and happened to find some very smooth dirt roads covered w/ a bit of gravel. There are usually no cars to be seen. There only a few houses where I played around. Let me tell ya, I have never had that much fun in my car! I did find myself sliding through a few turns, kinda made me a bit nervous at first, but once you get the hang of it you have so much fun. I loved looking in the mirror and seeing nothing but dirt. I pushed it up to 75MPH on a few straights, but I couldn't convince myself to push it any further. I live in a huge rural area full of farmland with a ton of lakes. The roads are insane, I see a ton of 20MPH caution signs for upcoming curves. Its awesome.

I enjoyed AWD too on soft sand. I was trying to find inlaws beach rental at Hampton Beach, NH to drop off my brood. The side streets end right on the loose sand so I drove right onto it in 6"+ deep of loose stuff so my 2 yr old daughter could see the ocean better. The beach tractor sweeper did not look happy.

 

The AWD had no issue mustering its way out. So I got some use out of it this summer

Got photos coming soon for proof, although they were taken on the hard sand right down by the water.

i took my ex girlfriends 97 lgt out in the snow and had a blast . awd is the way to go