Legacy GT LTD and snow traction...

I'm wondering how it'll behave in the snow - will it grip like crazy with the awd or will the 45/55 torque split make it harder to drivein the snow? - Mike

On a curve in a fast speed? On hard acceleration? All I can assure you after owning two Subarus and been with thru 5 winters is: do not take AWD for granted! Drive like everybody else on the slippery stuff - SLOW.

Harder to drive than what? Your Subaru will grip much better than any 2wd car with similar tires, however the power of the 2.5T combined with the rear LSD will allow you to kick the rear end out if you want. Just be easy with the throttle and you will be fine. And remember, AWD only gives you an advantage in acceleration. Braking and turning traction will be the same as a 2wd car. -Nick

You guys don't get as much snow down there, so you should be fine. If you lived more in the snow belt I'd say get snows or at least better all seasons, but down in the city you'll probably be ok. With subie's even with the re-92's you'll be able to take right off in anything, but you'll have to be careful taking corners or stopping. With good snows they are amazing.

[quote name='Nick']Harder to drive than what? Your Subaru will grip much better than any 2wd car with similar tires, however the power of the 2.5T combined with the rear LSD will allow you to kick the rear end out if you want. Just be easy with the throttle and you will be fine. And remember, AWD only gives you an advantage in acceleration. Braking and turning traction will be the same as a 2wd car. -Nick[/quote] Snow traction compared to a FWD car, not to go fast or to do anything stupid, but to just get to from A to B. The last thing I want is the rear to snap out - I had the rear come around me once because the rear tires I had were almost bald. Luckly nothing happened, but it taught me to keep meaty tires on my car at least through the winter. BTW.... I thought AWD had the advantage in bad weather. (I'll continue this post when I get home later) - Mike

AWD does have an advantage in slippery (or any really) weather because you have twice as many wheels providing power to get you going. If you drive normally I guarantee you will have no problems. However, like any AWD car, you do have the ability to get some power-on oversteer if you are heavy with the throttle in turns. This can be very fun for an experienced driver. As I said above, just be easy with the throttle and you will be fine. You will have a LOT more grip than your old FWD car during acceleration, but braking and turning will be the same. To get more braking and turning grip, you need snow tires. -Nick

get snows. all that power going to crummy tires will make them spin. get snows.

It's gotta be better than my '95 Z28.... :wink:

I drove my WRX through 2 winters, and the legacy has basiclly the exact same setup powertrain wise as the WRX. I will say the AWD deffinetly helps, I live around D.C. and when it snows it can snow hard. I was out driving around just to drive around because it was so much fun. You can go the speed limit on roads when their is snow, just plan on stopping a lot sooner and taking corners slower. I find the best way around a corner is to start the turn then power oversteer through, this will get the backend to come around then you power out into a straight line. Just practice a few time so you don't power into the curb or snow mound :) Also I would really like to get some snow tires this year, the last two winters I ran on RE92's in the WRX. The RE92s are decent snow tires, but I would like something a lot better :)

[quote name='kanoswrx']The RE92s are decent snow tires[/quote] You're kidding right??? In Montreal, 4 seasons are unacceptable for the harshness of our winters (quantity of snow + cold weather).

Considering every new day in new england could be a different season, maybe even sometimes in the same day, I'd suggest not getting snows.

[quote name='Deer Killer']Considering every new day in new england could be a different season, maybe even sometimes in the same day, I'd suggest not getting snows.[/quote] No. Even on dry ground, as long as it's cold out, winter tires are better than all seasons. Anywhere north of, say, Baltimore winter tires are your best bet from December to March. -Nick

The 5-speed manual transmission use a viscous-type locking differential with torque distribution configured at a 50/50-split front-to-rear. I've driven both the auto and the manual in the snow. I prefer the manual because of the increased control I have over starting wheel torque (2nd gear starts). All Subarus "go" well in the snow! Like they're saying the real difference is the bite of the tires. I use Michelin Spot A/S as one of the best balances between summer and winter tires.

[quote]Snow traction compared to a FWD car, not to go fast or to do anything stupid, but to just get to from A to B. The last thing I want is the rear to snap out - I had the rear come around me once because the rear tires I had were almost bald. Luckly nothing happened, but it taught me to keep meaty tires on my car at least through the winter. BTW.... I thought AWD had the advantage in bad weather. (I'll continue this post when I get home later) - Mike[/quote] I drove my dad's Audi A6 once and the turn into my neighborhood from the main road is like angled like this "/__". As I turned, the rear end began to slide but then the quattro caught the Audi and everything was back to normal. From my experience, AWD doesn't make big corrections, but it can help you out if you drive slowly. The driving is also more easier since you don't spin the tires at every stop, you can get uphill without problems, and the handling is more secure. I would imagine Subaru is the same since they tout themselves as the all-weather specialists.

il collaudatore are you sure that it was AWD not stability control ? For stability control one must buy VDC. Krzys

[quote name='krzyss']il collaudatore are you sure that it was AWD not stability control ? For stability control one must buy VDC. Krzys[/quote] I don't think it was stability control because I know that the Germans have some switch that can allow you to disable it and I'm pretty sure his Audi doesn't have one. I don't think Audi even has a stability control program like BMW's DSC or the VDC... unless it is bundled with the quattro system.

Time to reopen this thread. Since I began skiing again back in 1990 I have not had snow tires on any of my cars. Up until my 98 GT Wagon my Honda Civic's were fine for all the winter driving I did here in NE. My son was on Okemo's race team so we were driving all over the State of VT during the winter, never had snow tires. Even with the SUbby's I have never had snow tires. I have a large number of stories about winter driving from white outs, to ice covered roads, to, it snowing all day for a race at Pico and then hopping in the Subby and driving past the SUV's that were stuck in the parking lot. All without snow tires. But now with 250 plus HP (MBC set at 15psi) I was wondering about the need for a better tire.

[quote name='Max Capacity']But now with 250 plus HP (MBC set at 15psi) I was wondering about the need for a better tire.[/QUOTE]If I was in your situation, driving through Vermont's frequent winter conditions as often as you are, I would definitely get a set of winter tires maybe something like the Nokian WR that may be more suitable for driving in other states where the winter is milder, such as CT. I'm not sure what you are trying to prove saying that you get by fine with all-seasons such as the OEM RE92. Is it because you want to save money? To me, the need for winter tires is evident in your situation but that's just my personal opinion.

my only problem w/ a subaru in the snow is that my boss knows I have no excuse not to come into work on bad snow days. Many times, i was the only one able to come in...

This is my first Subaru, but, I've had 2 Audi Q's (4 jeeps as well) as well as an assortment of FWD and RWD autos. With homes in MA and ME, I've driven in my fare share of snow over 35 years of driving. I don't know if that qualifies me as an expert but here's my take. There's nothing like AWD to get you through it. One thing I've noticed is that with AWD (without stability control), if you're under power and your wheels start to spin, the whole car tends to drift sideways. Whereas, with FWD and RWD, only the powered end drifts. I mention this because with RWD especially, you compensate by steering in the direction of your drift to bring the car back in-line. Whereas, with AWD, I've found it best to just slowly let-up on the gas pedal (this seems to me to be the best technique with FWD as well). The best advise is "take it slooow" and apply pressure to the gas pedal as if there were an egg between your foot and the pedal. My wife, being a southern gal, felt uncomfortable driving whenever it snowed. So one time during a snow storm, we went to an empty parking lot and I had her explore the limits of her car (and her driving ability) during acceleration, turning, and braking. Infact, we'll probably do this again with her new car.

I can't convince myself to purchase snow tires in Rhode Island. We'll get some good storms and all sorts of ice, but we never have snow pack, so I'll stick with re92 until someone gives me a really good reason....

[quote name='Z4']I can't convince myself to purchase snow tires in Rhode Island. We'll get some good storms and all sorts of ice, but we never have snow pack, so I'll stick with re92 until someone gives me a really good reason....[/QUOTE] Because a set of four is probably cheaper than your deductible. In Chicago, someone will probably need snow tires about 8-10 times per season. But at those times, I don't want to be hindered in any way. The RE-92s in the snow are a for-real hindrance, I'm sorry to report. You can get around fine, but if you sport an exuberant driving style, it will need to be reined in...significantly. Kevin

[quote name='TeeLoo']If I was in your situation, driving through Vermont's frequent winter conditions as often as you are, I would definitely get a set of winter tires maybe something like the Nokian WR that may be more suitable for driving in other states where the winter is milder, such as CT. I'm not sure what you are trying to prove saying that you get by fine with all-seasons such as the OEM RE92. Is it because you want to save money? To me, the need for winter tires is evident in your situation but that's just my personal opinion.[/QUOTE] That could be, saving money. I have looked at the WR and will look at them when the RE's wear out. I have an Audi buddy who swears by his Hak's. I spend a lot of time driving in snow as well as snow storms. I just haven't seen the need the spend the money. I drive about 27,000 miles a year, most of it during the winter. I will give you that with this car I may need to becareful. It is raining today and with the instant boost to 15psi with a push on the pedel, this car spins the tires easy in 1st gear. Just had it jump sidways in 1st gear while coming through a intersection. I need to learn my limits. :)

[quote name='aikibob1']The 5-speed manual transmission use a viscous-type locking differential with torque distribution configured at a 50/50-split front-to-rear. I've driven both the auto and the manual in the snow. I prefer the manual because of the increased control I have over starting wheel torque (2nd gear starts). All Subarus "go" well in the snow! Like they're saying the real difference is the bite of the tires. I use Michelin Spot A/S as one of the best balances between summer and winter tires.[/QUOTE] Actually, it's very easy to start in 2nd gear with 5EAT. In any mode (Auto, Sport, manual), just hit the "+" button and it'll start in 2nd gear. I actually prefer the non viscous coupling AWD in snow (VTD or Active). With my 5MT Forester in very slippery conditions, I could feel the front slip and then the rear slip in an oscillating pattern as the VC would lock and unlock. I would still be making forward progress, but it's an eerie feeling. That's a consequence of the VC being a passive system. But in any event, any type of Subaru AWD works wonders in getting you started in snow. Just don't forget that AWD gets you going but won't help you stop any sooner. Ken