Do you have a set of winter tires?

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

Just wondering if you still find it necessary despite the AWD.

I have studded snows all the way around, basically because they were free.
The singer in my band bought them for his girlfriend, and while SHE had
all the traction she needed, someone slid into her and totalled the car.
They wouldn't fit the replacement, so I got them.

I was delivering newspapers when I got the tires, and would start at
~1:45AM. For some reason that winter saw a LOT of snow, and about 10 days
or so when it would snow, then rain, and then FREEZE! Between the tires
and the AWD, nothing stopped me. I took my Mazda out in the first freezing
rain storm, got going sideways down one road, narrowly missed a tree and
had to put the car in first gear and PUSH to get it going again! And that
was with Hankook iPike winter tires!

Now I am the Dell Field Service rep for this area, and put the S00b (89 GL
Coupe) on the road right about now...still with the studded snow tires.
Invaluable!

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

Even with AWD, you really have 2 wheels (one in front and one in back)
powering with open diffs. And 3 wheel drive with a rear limited slip diff.

And of course, AWD/4WD might help you get going better, but it doesn't
help you stop.

A lesson a lot of people seem to ignore. However, with the AWD, even with
an AT stopping is a lot better than 2WD...

 

[Cameo]

Just wondering if you still find it necessary despite the AWD.

 

[Dean Hoffman]

Just wondering if you still find it necessary despite the AWD.

I've just been running the all seasons. I live in Nebraska. We
do get snow, freezing rain, etc. but not as much as other places.

 

[1 Lucky Texan]

Just wondering if you still find it necessary despite the AWD.

Even with AWD, you really have 2 wheels (one in front and one in back)
powering with open diffs. And 3 wheel drive with a rear limited slip
diff.

And of course, AWD/4WD might help you get going better, but it doesn't
help you stop.

 

[VanguardLH]

Just wondering if you still find it necessary despite the AWD.

I just get one set of tires to use in all weather conditions. I don't
get [near] baldy tires. The tread is needed for grip when driving in
snow (not ice) and to channel out water when driving in rain. I don't
put on fat (wide) tires due to the plowing effect in snow. Skinnier
tires handle better in deep snow. I just go with all-weather tires and
keep the overall profile the same as for the standard tire & wheel to
eliminate any problems with tire travel. Of course, these tires are
used for a wide range of driving conditions on roads and not at the
extremes of pushing the SUV to its off-roading limits.

You may need knobby snow tires if you are continually driving on
unplowed unpaved roads or making your own roads. You didn't specify
WHICH Subaru model you are asking about. Some have more ground
clearance than others hence are more util for off-roading. Outbacks
have 8.4-8.1" ground clearance, Foresters have 7.5", and the Legacy only
has 5.9". More ground clearance is a boon to off-road adventurers but a
bane to roadgoers (due to exaggerated "dancing" due to more roll, dive,
and squat in cornering or avoidance manuevers).

Few SUV owners actually beat their beast to test just how nasty an
off-road experience they can survive before calling the nearest farmer
to yank their vehicle out of the muck. Even rarer are roadgoers that
actually test their vehicles and practive regularly to get used to when
understeer turns into oversteer, making skid turns or deliberate
spinouts of repeatable rotation, when to crank the wheel into the skid
and just the moment when to crank it back, and so on. Their "practice"
is their everyday driving to and from work, not performance practicing
to push the handling for emergency manuevers or racing.

If it's your intention to actually go hard off-roading then you need to
get tires that are appropriate for the terrain where you intend to play.
You never mentioned HOW you will be using the vehicle for the majority
of its use and when, if ever, you will be pushing it beyond your
everyday roadgoing use. For example, snow on roads is a different
situation than snow on unpaved and uneven roads, like forest logging
paths.

 

[Dean Hoffman]

And of course, AWD/4WD might help you get going better, but it doesn't
help you stop.

Something people here in Nebraska seem to forget every year. We
have plenty of vehicles in ditches after the first slick stuff hits the
roads every winter. You'd think Nebraska was in the heart of Dixie the
way people drive at first.

 

[Tim Conway]

Something people here in Nebraska seem to forget every year. We have
plenty of vehicles in ditches after the first slick stuff hits the roads
every winter. You'd think Nebraska was in the heart of Dixie the way
people drive at first.

AWD and ABS can give a false sense of security where you're not as careful
as you should be. We have that here in south central PA too. I just have
all season tires, but granted, snow tires would be better. I had Blizzaks
for a while, but they wear out too quickly especially if you leave them on
year round. Now I have Goodyear Triple Treds and have been happy with them.

 

[Wiess]

Yes, for both vehicles. I have them installed now and will remove them in
April. Stopping and turning are important to me.

Just wondering if you still find it necessary despite the AWD.

I just get one set of tires to use in all weather conditions. I don't
get [near] baldy tires. The tread is needed for grip when driving in
snow (not ice) and to channel out water when driving in rain. I don't
put on fat (wide) tires due to the plowing effect in snow. Skinnier
tires handle better in deep snow. I just go with all-weather tires and
keep the overall profile the same as for the standard tire & wheel to
eliminate any problems with tire travel. Of course, these tires are
used for a wide range of driving conditions on roads and not at the
extremes of pushing the SUV to its off-roading limits.

You may need knobby snow tires if you are continually driving on
unplowed unpaved roads or making your own roads. You didn't specify
WHICH Subaru model you are asking about. Some have more ground
clearance than others hence are more util for off-roading. Outbacks
have 8.4-8.1" ground clearance, Foresters have 7.5", and the Legacy only
has 5.9". More ground clearance is a boon to off-road adventurers but a
bane to roadgoers (due to exaggerated "dancing" due to more roll, dive,
and squat in cornering or avoidance manuevers).

Few SUV owners actually beat their beast to test just how nasty an
off-road experience they can survive before calling the nearest farmer
to yank their vehicle out of the muck. Even rarer are roadgoers that
actually test their vehicles and practive regularly to get used to when
understeer turns into oversteer, making skid turns or deliberate
spinouts of repeatable rotation, when to crank the wheel into the skid
and just the moment when to crank it back, and so on. Their "practice"
is their everyday driving to and from work, not performance practicing
to push the handling for emergency manuevers or racing.

If it's your intention to actually go hard off-roading then you need to
get tires that are appropriate for the terrain where you intend to play.
You never mentioned HOW you will be using the vehicle for the majority
of its use and when, if ever, you will be pushing it beyond your
everyday roadgoing use. For example, snow on roads is a different
situation than snow on unpaved and uneven roads, like forest logging
paths.

 

[John McGaw]

Just wondering if you still find it necessary despite the AWD.

Since I live in a place now where winter weather is not too horrible for
too long I don't have and probably won't ever have winter tires on my
Subaru. But, when I lived in Anchorage, Alaska and only had a FWD VW, I
only had studded winter tires mounted for one season, finding that they
just didn't help as much as really careful gentle driving did. That and the
tendency of the tires to toss their studs at the least provocation
guaranteed a short life for them.

 

[Cameo]

I've just been running the all seasons. I live in Nebraska. We
do get snow, freezing rain, etc. but not as much as other places.

Yes, but you don't have hills. Big difference!

 

[Cameo]

Since I live in a place now where winter weather is not too horrible
for too long I don't have and probably won't ever have winter tires on
my Subaru. But, when I lived in Anchorage, Alaska and only had a FWD
VW, I only had studded winter tires mounted for one season, finding
that they just didn't help as much as really careful gentle driving
did. That and the tendency of the tires to toss their studs at the
least provocation guaranteed a short life for them.

I take it that you now live in the Pacific NW as I do. I managed the
prior two winters with my Honda Accord without snow tires but this time
I put them on the front drive wheels. They do help in packed snow but
are not much help during slick conditions, unfortunately. In such
instances I wish I had them studded, but I've had similar studed tire
exprerience to yours in the past. Those studs just don't last very long.
I am considering buying a Legacy or Impreza and that's why I am asking
my questions here.

 

[John McGaw]

I take it that you now live in the Pacific NW as I do. I managed the prior
two winters with my Honda Accord without snow tires but this time I put
them on the front drive wheels. They do help in packed snow but are not
much help during slick conditions, unfortunately. In such instances I wish
I had them studded, but I've had similar studed tire exprerience to yours
in the past. Those studs just don't last very long. I am considering buying
a Legacy or Impreza and that's why I am asking my questions here.

No, I don't live in the Pacific NW. My present location is in Eastern
Tennessee but in the merely hilly portion -- not up in the 'mountains'.
Snow here tends to fall, lay for a day or so, and then melt in pretty
quickly. Bad icing is not a common occurrence. I grew up and learned to
drive in the NE where winter conditions tended to be bad and was taught
'gentle' winter driving. To paraphrase the old-time automotive writer Tom
McCahill "drive as though there are raw eggs between your feet and the
pedals". This advice has served me well and I can say that not once between
1980-1997 in Alaska did I arrive late to work because of the weather.
Whether getting to work is a good thing or bad is left as an exercise for
the reader...

I suspect that if I was living in a location with really bad road icing
conditions I'd invest in a set of the flat band-type tire 'chains' which
are are quick to apply and remove when needed but would stick with good
all-season tires. Studs are definitely out with me unless I take up
frozen-lake racing in my dotage.

BTW, when I drove out of Alaska in late 1997 I was in a 1991 Mazda Miata
with high-performance Dunlop tires, not a 4WD or AWD, although having one
might have been useful at least once when the early blizzard blew through
Yukon Territory. There _are_ limits beyond which good driving practices
will not move you and a long steep hill covered with shiny ice is one of
them. <g>

http://johnmcgaw.com/image/day5b.jpg

 

[Chicobiker]

Just wondering if you still find it necessary despite the AWD.

My opinion is yes. It's too easy to get going with AWD. Stopping
(and turning) is the problem. I just put the cheapest set I can find,
as the Subaru doesn't need any help to get going. I just put Goodyear
Nordic tires on mine last week. (2010 Outback).

And don't skimp, put em on all 4 wheels. You'll find yourself going
around in circles with only two.

 

[Big Jim]

No Need for overpriced winter tires on a subie!

 

[clare]

No Need for overpriced winter tires on a subie!

Depends where you are and where you want to go. But of course
"overpriced" tires are not required, summer or winter, on any
vehicle.

That's why the winter tires on my PT are 15" instead of 16, and on the
Mystique they are 14 instead of 15. Higher profile tires are always
available for lower price than low profile tirea of larger rim size
and same rolling diameter.

 

[Frank]

No Need for overpriced winter tires on a subie!

I agree. Unless you live in an extremely bad area and need the little
extra traction from special tires, I would not waste my money.

 

[AD]

Just wondering if you still find it necessary despite the AWD.

If the wear is a concern the fake winter tires are marketed as
"Performance winter"
and might be a good choice for neitherlands between the snow and
sunbelt, wearing a little
better than ice tires or snow tires.

Perf winters are probably a good choice for the skigoing kaulifornia
bottom dwellers also
(the locals in sierras are probably run winter tires unless they are
stick with pickups/suvs
for which i don't believe you can always get winter tires)

To stop questions like that subaru could just ditch the symmetrical
awd layout
and switch to the 325xi setup. rwd normally, awd after 2 seconds of
wheelspin.
Something like that.

But my guess is more three letter electronic crutches are on the way
instead.

 

[Cameo]

To stop questions like that subaru could just ditch the symmetrical
awd layout
and switch to the 325xi setup. rwd normally, awd after 2 seconds of
wheelspin.
Something like that.

Is that how Honda CR-V does it?

 

[Yousuf Khan]

Just wondering if you still find it necessary despite the AWD.

I have put snow tires on my FWD Pontiac G5, but none on my Sube.
However, snows make a huge difference on the Pontiac. Whereas I would be
tiptoeing around just the corners of my street, I can take them pretty
much at summer speeds.

The AWD on the Sube gives me some of the same advantages, but I think I
would be able to stop a lot quicker if I did have snows on them too.
Might even be able to corner a bit faster.

Yousuf Khan