Have both a forester and wrangler, they each have their own beauties but can honestly say I feel equally comfortable driving either in snowy conditions on the road. Off road is different purely for protecting the vehicle, higher ground clearance and skid plates are a game changer.
Tires are more complicated than people often think. It’s more than just the tread that makes a tire a winter/snow tire vs off-road tire vs summer performance tire vs all season. The tire compound is also very important as well! So your typical off-road tire is designed to be a certain level of soft at certain temperatures. A snow tire is designed to stay softer (and therefore have more grip) at much lower temperatures.
Couldn’t be more correct. I have a brand new set of Goodyear ultra terrain tires on my Tacoma, and while they are excellent tires overall, they suck on slippery surfaces. Specifically hard packed snow and ice.
Yup, totally agree. I have a set of Conti AT and I consider these my 3 season tire not my snow/ice tire. I just got home from my long weekend and I installed my Bridgestone Blizzacks due to the snow and ice storm. I had no issues but CHP was forcing everybody without dedicated snow tires to put on chains and I witnessed multiple vehicles from Subaru, Toyota trucks and 4runners , other 4wd trucks all having chains on all 4 tires and they had AT tires.
I have an 01 Subaru outback. We just got a fifth wheel RV not too long ago on a very snowy day. Well, the people got to our property and got stuck at the bottom of the driveway (it's a giant long hill) that was covered with snow and ice. Basically, I pulled an F-350 with a giant tralier hooked to the back up a hill with my little stock Subaru. Badass cars.
I don't have a dedicated snowtire, but I did throw some Michelin Crossclimate 2's on there which are 3 peak mountain snowflake rated. Difference has been insane in winter. Never going back to a regular all season tire.
Thank you for the video, it is NOT a boring video at all. I am currently owning 2002 Subaru Forester in Canada, it is stilling working. All Subaru fans enjoy these type of videos. Keep up the Good Work!
"I know these videos aren't that entertaining" It was for me, very interesting. I've always wondered how a Subaru would fare on a pure sheet of ice. You've answered my question -> much better than what any other car would do. Thanks for making this video!
You won’t regret it. Toyota and Honda can’t compete with Subaru in the awd department. The value per dollar is through the roof on the forester. You can get a base model for $24,000. You won’t get awd on a rav4 or crv until you pass the $30,000 dollar range.
@@lil_lei_og Halfords, Tesco, etc all stock it during the colder months. You spray it on wait a few minutes, it makes the tyre rubber tacky and you slowly drive off as soon as the snot or ice has gone and your back on tarmac the spray will wear off. It works well.
I was a dirt track Speedway official. One thing I learned that has helped me so much is tire pressures. I live in the northern plains. I run my Suburban and other vehicle tires about 20 psi during the winter driving on snow and ice. The lower than normal pressures make a huge difference in traction on these slippery conditions. When travel survival can be a matter of life and death here (-50 F wind chills and blizzards) tire wear is a secondary concern.
20 psi is lower than I ever dare go, I usually go down to 29 psi (normally at 32). Have you had any problems damaging the tires going over bumps or potholes at such low tire pressure?
Not true. I have the cheapest street tires you could ever get on my 2000 Subaru legacy and went off roading/mudding with a Jeep. The Jeep got stuck in a mud puddle and I made it through just fine.
@@ellisteben You clearly had enough grip for the conditions. This video is showing AWD on ICE so assume the comment was directed towards conditions that need different tires for their conditions. Your cheap tires worked for your situation, doesn't make his statement any less true.
I have a 2018 Outback so it was nice to see this from 4 years ago. I only have all season tires on. Fortunately I live on an arterial that gets cleared for buses and emergency vehicles. I stay away from side roads. We get snow and ice and sub freezing weather here in Spokane WA. East side of the state close to north Idaho border.
Great video. You explained the test parameters, showed what you experienced, and did not try to sell us on any certain product or results. That was a good honest observation of your experience. Thumbs up! I have never owned a Subaru, but I highly respect their reliability and winter capability. I enjoyed your video.
Just wanted to comment and say thank you for making this video!! I saw it back in 2021 when I was first looking at cars and dreaming. Your video sold me on Subaru and Foresters. Three years later and I just became the proud owner of a Forester 😁 Winter can be brutal here so I'm excited to feel safe driving around for once!
Does not do too bad with those tires . As a former rescue person , I was often given trouble about my studded tires on all four corners ( on a two wheel drive ) . Everybody referred to as my Swedish four bye four . I mentioned that they were not only good for getting moving , but steering and stopping . After a rare ice storm where our aid cars and ambulances could not move , my van stepped up . Also shortly after the state came out with a directive that if ambulances and aid cars had studs , they had to be on all four corners . They have been trying to outlaw them here for at least 40 years . Going on wrecks where the vehicles rolled over and slid down the roadway with jagged metal cutting groves in the road , I think the damage studs do is minimal . Also semis and buses with chains on have to do considerably more damage . For crazy places that do not allow studs I wonder if anyone makes garnet tires ? They would have ground up walnut shells imbedded into tire while making them . If you have an accident in heavy rain , you can get a ticket for bald tires . I always thought you should get a ticket for not having snow tires in snow , or studs on ice . New cars with nanny controls do help the high percentage of driver with little to no skills . So I guess that is a good thing overall .
Subarus are technically advanced because they spend all their money on engineers. They made a decision thirty years ago not to have a design and styling department. And it shows.
Excellent video, young man. I lived in Reno Nevada for 10 years and i know all about ice and all about Subarus being the best snow vehicles. Thanks for sharing. Subscribed for life!
I live in a very “hilly” town in the mountains of British Columbia. Spent many winters being worried about the slipping and being stuck or not being able to stop in time. Bought a crosstreck in 2017 and decided to put a set of Nokian studded winter tires on. That was the best winter ever!! I love winter driving now 🥰
We did the exact same thing. I was driving in Edmonton after an ice storm. Most people could barely move, and I was doing 70kph. I felt I could have gone faster, but I did not want to be stupid. When I got out to help a JEep who hit the ditch, I could barely stand on the road surface there was so much ice.
@@sharpuslf that was wise of you. going faster is always dramatically easier than stopping, or worse turning. and people dont tend to find those things out the easy way
@@bradhaines3142 Agreed. On the way back there was a sharp left hand turn that a Jeep without studs went straight instead of left. When I got out to see if he was ok, I could barely stand on the icy road...no joke.
Haha my first thought was the neighbour across the street watching this guy drive up and down his driveway yelling the her husband "Jerry, the Subaru guys doing it again"
Hehe! Boys and their toys. I do the same experiments in the winter. I’m actually super impressed how the Subaru handles this. A+. I had the KO2s on my truck and, while they performed amazingly on loose dirt, gravel and sand, I found them more than disappointing in snow, ice, mud and even just wet road surfaces. I think they are tailored towards Baja style environments. I switched them for a set of Falken Wildpeak A/Ts and started pulling cars out of ditches for fun 😊
My experience had been that in extremely slippery conditions, starting off in second gear (manual mode) and easy on the gas pedal should help the Subie get going a little easier..... Oh, also, don't forget to turn the vehicle stability control feature off too....
Those tires are great for loose snow and slush, but for ice and hard snow you're much better off with a softer winter tire with embedded silicate (or some similar compound) that can still flex in extreme cold and create friction on the ice. Same for any vehicle, of course. Oops- just watched to the end and you said exactly the same thing. Too late, I'm not deleting all this! Carry on though.👍
my first winter with my '18 XT Forester. i live in north dakota. i am so excited to see how this x mode handles in the winter. i hade an outback from 2007 till a few months ago. i know how awesome Subaru does in the upper midwest winters. that lift on your Forester is awesome
@@lisalee2885 the more i see the crosstreks the more and more i like them. i suppose by the time im ready for another vehicle the crosstreks will have turbos as an option. i paid 22,800 for what i have
Zues Toots: Problem is most states (that actually get snow "like MN/MI/WI) studs are illegal! Edit for others: Nobody Gives a F*** that Nevada or Arizona allows studs...the only snow they get is in mountains... We are talking about states that get snow at 1000ft above sea level...Not 7000ft up a FKN MOUNTAIN... If you drive up a mountain in the winter without Studs/Chains you deserve what you get.
I have a 2017 Outback (purchased Dec. 2016) and never used X-Mode until Yesterday (1/18/24)! Wow! It really works! I have just all-season tires (here in Connecticut). Suspect my next car will be another Subaru!
I have a 2015 Outback, with Gislaved Nordfrost snow tires ,with factory installed studs, very impressive in deep snow and pretty good traction and braking on ice.
That's correct. I lived in Canada for many years and never owned an awd. I drove fwd cars but in winter had a second set of wheels with Blizzak ice tires and later Michelin ice tires. I have often passed jeeps and other awd vehicles with all season tires (some with low profile tires!) stuck on hills. It's all in the rubber. And my superior skill LOL.🤣 PS. But I'd love to have a Subaru.
If I’m not mistaken, I believe the BFG A/T KO2 is actually winter rated. I put a set on my old Grand Cherokee and they were fantastic and very predictable in winter and ice. BUT, I’ll definitely agree that a dedicated ice tire like the ones you mentioned would be more specialized and have even more traction. I’ve heard stellar reviews of the Blizzaks and I currently have Hankook iPike ice tires on my Infiniti and they do outperform the BFG on ice. Tires definitely make a difference, also skill. I too have noticed the consequences of overconfidence in the ditches lol. I’m also liking the Subaru here! 🙂
@@I_Santos_ once you drive on ice with a blizzack, you will wonder WHY you didn't get them before. BFG tires on a Jeep are the BESTEST!! never had any issues, got talked into goodyear and those were the absolute WORST AT tires we ever had, wore horribly, performed even worse and chucked them and went back to BFG...
Subarus are awesome in ice and snow, if youre in traffic and they stop in front of you on an ice hill, youll usually drive past everyone even if you need one side of the car slightly off of the road for traction, sometimes all you can use for traction is the drunk bumps on the side of the road that the dot puts there.
As far as i follow your content... CVTs are not that bad. They are economical and they do not limit your offroad capabilities. And even now in the 2019 Forester the CVT can simulate low gears while X mode is on. I dont understand why people dislike it so much. Oh and great content btw.
@@MrRedskins0021 in my comment I was speaking about the TR580. The TR690 in the Legacy/Outback/Forester XT is beyond my experience. You just have to change your CVT fluid every 30k. And there are some things to know when driving a CVT. Its not just like an auto trans.
I‘m about to get a Subaru as the main winter car for my wife with just winter tires and off road for us both in the summer. Got a Golf/Rabbit 6 for the suburbs. She’s starting driving again after a major gap bc of an (rollover) accident… thank you very much for the video
I live in Canada. Never use X-mode but so glad I have it when I really need it. Turn it on. Light on the gas pedal and let the computer do its thing. Never failed me yet. Good winter tires are a must in my climate.
A/T tires are not great for these conditions at all, are you high? those giant lugs will give you so little traction on ice as clearly seen in this video, clearly u have never driven on A/T tires on ice. snow they are amazing sure, but snow does not = ice you twat. i run those exact A/T tires in the summer for off roading, but for the winter i swap over to my studded set and i have almost the same kind of driveway this dude has. with studded a regular fwd civic could do this, with less issue to.
@@michaelxcx So now we have a genius expert on hand. Yes, given the conditions on the road because he's not on his driveway. You can get the best tires there are, and you can still be a lousy driver if you don't know how to drive in ice and snow. We need to give you a star, Michael.
I had a set of Bridgestone Blizzak tires on a Volvo S60 and they were incredible, but I kept them on their own wheels and switched them out if the weather wasn’t forecast to be bad, so they would last longer. Once they wore down any, the tire performance deteriorated. A set of Blizzak tires on a Subaru Forester would be great I bet. I had a. Jeep Rubicon with front and rear lockers and Jeep states to never use studded tires when lockers are engaged . Of course you could if you went only straight I guess, but if you turned , you’d gave to disengage the differential lockers .
Actually, do your research... The Symetrical AWD is one of the most if not the most simple awd system. It just has VDC to help you with the Diagonal sections.
Cool video. Too bad you can’t have too much fun there in CT... go north a couple hundred miles for some fun! I’ve got the general attic 12’s (ones you mentioned), they’re okay. Next season is probably their last, then going to blizzaks. I’ve got an outback with x-mode and I’ve noticed it does pretty good for every day driving, and surprisingly well in deep/new territory. Had about 14-16” a couple weeks ago and went through it, and through the 3’ bank at the end of the driveway! I had a forester (15’), and like the outback better actually. Keep the videos coming!
@Rob MD Just picked up a like new set off CL for $450 today. 12/32 tread, DM-V2 on steel rims. They barely have been used. Installed them and they’re great. Have WS70 on the family van and work great in with FWD as well.
Great video. I always equate tires with work boots. My leather work boots with the hard rubber Vibram tread is like an A/T tire. great for mud, turf, sand, and mileage but I fall down on any ice. My Sorel winter boots with the soft rubber tread is like a winter tire. Great traction on hard packed snow, that I just slide and not land on my ass.
A few years ago there was an ice/snow storm, lasted for 2 weeks. The whole city (PNW with lots of hills) was covered in 1-2" of ice for most of the time. I drove over 2000 miles providing roadside assistance service in my 1999 ford explorer with 200k miles on the OD. Never got stuck, I had to pull vehicles, including subarus. I got called to countless subarus in ditches, totaled from sliding into curbs, or stacked up with other vehicles. At least half the accidents were subarus, because people are over confident in them. Not all subaru drivers drive like they don't value their own lives, but it appears most do. I like the cars from a technical standpoint, but I would not buy one used (head gasket and differentials and transmission go bad on all of them) and I would never drive a $40-60k depreciating asset in bad conditions, when a $3k dollar 4x4 can do it with more mass (safety) and with tires that have 4" of sidewall to soak up the pot holes and bumps inorder to not get pinch flats. Drive safe, it is not only your life you risk but everyone elses around you.
well the tires are easily fixed (as you see on this subaru) but you're right that some people dont understand limits. though ive never heard the head gaskets are an issue, only the transmission and those arent as bad as some. only higher maintenance (such as very close tire diameter)
So you would put your family in a 3k dollar vehicle in bad weather and leave the newer more expensive, safe vehicle in the garage? Safe travels Mr. King.
Tires do matter. I replaced my worn out factory tires with Hancook tires and they were a disaster on ice. I parked it once to go skiing and the wind blew the car across the parking lot.
Wow ,a Subaru Forester and a completed set of winter tires VS. sleet and ice on driveway. Subaru can managed to go up of the driveway. It is Amazing fun......!!!
@@HighjakSecondary all tires are categorized as either winter, all weather, all season, or summer. your 3PMSF K02 "all terrain" tires are categorized as "all weather", regular non severe snow rated "all terrains" are categorized as "all seasons". they just have more aggressive treads to be in a sub category called "all terrain"
Impressive right? With proper ice/snow/winter tires it would probably dominate that ice. I can’t see a 2wd vehicle without studded tires or momentum or both, getting up that driveway without great difficulty or at all. Subaru AWD (all wheel drive) AWD (Always Wins Duh).
@@afcgeo882 you are literally the very first person to say that... Lead me to ONE, just ONE SINGLE source that says what you just said and I'll even consider taking you seriously
I was driving a Subaru AWD station wagon on The evening of January 1st 1995. I came around an S curve and hit a patch of black ice. The car went sideways off the road like the hand of God grabbed it, went up on its side and slid for hundreds of yards with my head banging off the window till I hit a culvert pipe and that blasted the car back into the middle of the road. Don’t put too much faith in AWD.
Have a 2018 Forester with winter tires in southern Wisconsin. I will sometimes go out with it and run my errands during the occasional snow storms, just for the joy of how it handles in the winter weather.
Dont confuse xmode and hill descent control... hill descent control comes on with xmode, and operates automatically in conjunction. Xmode is designed to help in any low traction condition.
Awesome video - Thanks for sharing! I'm in the market for an AWD vehicle, Ascent or Toyota Sienna or Highlander. Haven't seen a video yet that shows anything that can beat the Subaru AWD.
@@davidlodiemyer5698 i don't heavily use it. In this case you can trust me as it is a proven fact that studded tires are the best on ice. it is common sense.
@@itsdimitriymedvedyev As a swede, ive never owned a car without studded winter tires. Drove a car without studs once. once....... But to be fair, i probably hated it because i still drove as if i had studs, therefore i had higher speed going into roundabouts and such
@@IMxNOTxAxHIPPO nice. Here in Canada I always get studded tires. I feel the people who think they are noisy are just lame. Safety/reliability and grip > not really loud, adaptable, and will go away in a while sound. I also had non-studded ones but they feel sort of the same as summer/3-season tires. They obviously handle better in the snow compared to summmer/3-season tires but aren't much better than studded on ice. We get a-lot of snow, but also quite a bit of sunlight, so the snow melts and by next morning, it turns into ice and I notice the truck sometimes slips a bit more compared to studs.
Video cracked me up. Just got a 14 Forester, its icing like cray here in MO, and I was getting side ways everywhere I go. My girl "be careful honey you don't wanna wreck your new car"lol. Great suspension, like the after market wheels you got. Thanks for the video and i am sure ur nieghbors love the activity 😁😎🤘
@@cainele2010 no. Snow tires are softer, less tread depth and spacing (more rubber on the ground) and more sipes. You're not fooling anyone else so why fool yourself.
I have a 2019 Forester Touring. It works like a charm in the Rockies in snow. I love it...bought it for extra safety on rain, snow and ice although I live in Texas. Sure has helped lately. And, with with Nokian winter tires, it just ups the safety too! I have those on now and we have had a major storm in Texas. Discount Tire swaps out my tires before a ski trip and I leave them on for 2-3 months until late spring/ early summer. Sure works for me. I did not buy this vehicle to race with...not made for that!☺️
On my front wheel drive I always reversed up an incline that was snowy or icy and that nearly always worked, now I've a RAV4 all wheel drive so it will be interesting to see how it handles the slippery conditions but here in Ireland we don't get extreme weather conditions very often and I only got the Toyota for its reliability and I needed the extra height for getting in and out of the car
The ice/sleet/frozen rain is what we generally get during the Winter. My driveway is like your first part near the street and finally levels off in the garage.
More tire pressure versus less is better on ice and snow. Siping is the primary tire feature that gives tires wet and snow traction, while the leading edge of the sipes and tread blocks is where traction comes from. Cut sipes done by a machine do better than molded ones, and large tread blocks and voids are the bane of traction. John Sipes, who invented siping working as a butcher at a slaughterhouse in the 1920s, noted that slices in the soles of his boots aided traction when walking across blood soaked floors. These same tiny cuts also worked well for tires. Just as the Intuits have 50 names for snow, there are a lot of tires and strategies to find success. Extremely deep light snow of a foot or more lends itself to flotation tires with low pressure to run atop of the snow. Less snow depth and roadway driving you want to maximize tire pressure (door placard +2 to 3 psi) so the tires do a better job of cutting through to the hard pack. Lastly, one of the best solutions for those who face a variety of conditions on and off road is having MT or AT tires siped at a tire shop. It's literally the best of both worlds, especially if you are in an area that experiences lots of heavy wet snow.
Wow! 1st off great video. An icy driveway like that is tough, it could be impossible at times. The attempts you made after your first two successful attempts, you seemed to be trying to make it fail. Theres a slight difference in how you applied throttle and your steering input. Not sure if that was to show how not to climb an icy driveway. But, if you creep with VDC on and X-Mode off and counter the direction in which the ice tosses the frontend, it would certainly be the best approach. Nonetheless, this was very informative.
Change your tires to a Nokian snow/ice tire for the ultimate traction on ice/snow. There are many good brands but none can beat price/quality/performance of Nokian this far.
I have a driveway similar to yours where it goes uphill and then there's the house. Bought my first Subaru about 10 years ago and can count on one hand the number of times I have cleared the snow in the driveway since.