Volvo AWD and Subaru AWD

[Tmuldoon]

Hello,

Would someone be able to tell me the difference between Volvo AWD and
Subaru AWD, and don't be afraid to dumb it down!

I do mostly city driving, but on weekends head out to ski hills. In
the summer - out into the mountains where the weather can change
quickly.

Volvo is much more expensive. Subaru says they have 'true' AWD.

I checked Youtube and saw some comparison tests - seemed to setup in
favour of one car or the other.

Anyone have both cars and noticed the difference?

Thanks for you comments!

Tmuld.

 

[AS]

They say a picture is worth 1000 words...

I am aware the vehicles in the video wont be the latest incarnation of
each company's awd system.

 

[bigjim]

Volvo vehicles are slightly bigger. Subaru cheaper and more reliable

 

[JD]

Hello,

Would someone be able to tell me the difference between Volvo AWD and
Subaru AWD, and don't be afraid to dumb it down!

I do mostly city driving, but on weekends head out to ski hills. In
the summer - out into the mountains where the weather can change
quickly.

Volvo is much more expensive. Subaru says they have 'true' AWD.

I checked Youtube and saw some comparison tests - seemed to setup in
favour of one car or the other.

Anyone have both cars and noticed the difference?

Thanks for you comments!

Tmuld.

One is made by Volvo and the other is made by Subaru...

Seriously, the Subaru has a locking centre diff. I don't believe the Volvo
does

 

[Jan van Beers]

They say a picture is worth 1000 words...

I am aware the vehicles in the video wont be the latest incarnation of
each company's awd system.

The Volvo in the video ist not awd, the rear wheels don´t move when he
tries to free himself when stuck uphill.

Cu
Jan

 

[Your Name]

The Volvo in the video ist not awd, the rear wheels don´t move when he
tries to free himself when stuck uphill.

Cu
Jan

Didn't you listen to what the presenter was saying? What - don't you
speak Swedish? ;-)

It was a Volvo XC70 - it is AWD (part time: normally it is 95% to front
wheels and 5 to the back, but it "senses" when to change distribution,
up to 50/50 I think). Obviously it doesn't do it very well, or at least
*didn't* do it well. What I've heard is that originally the XC70 had
Volvo's own center diff. In 2003 they dropped it and started using one
from Haldex. So later models shouldn't exhibit this behaviour.

 

[AS]

The Volvo in the video is awd, but your statement just confirms that the
volvol awd system for that car does not work as well as it should.

 

[Tony Hwang]

Hello,

Would someone be able to tell me the difference between Volvo AWD and
Subaru AWD, and don't be afraid to dumb it down!

I do mostly city driving, but on weekends head out to ski hills. In
the summer - out into the mountains where the weather can change
quickly.

Volvo is much more expensive. Subaru says they have 'true' AWD.

I checked Youtube and saw some comparison tests - seemed to setup in
favour of one car or the other.

Anyone have both cars and noticed the difference?

Thanks for you comments!

Tmuld.

Hmmm,
I live in Alberta in the Foothills(Calgary). Driving to mountains
ski hills is usual week end activity. AWD, 4X4, whatever, without proper
winter tires, you're doing a half job. Most ones in the ditch is Jeep
with idiotic drivers who think 4X4 is invincible. AWD with all season
tire is just as good as 2 wheel drive with GOOD winter tire. Me and wife
do not switch tires but for my kids(daughter and son), they both drive
Subaru and in winter they switch to Michelin X Ice. We buy tires at Costco.

 

[bigjim]

Winter tires are a waste of money. I never had a problem in snow ice
with GOOD all seasons.

 

[JD]

It seems to me that you gnerally have no idea wat you are talking about most
of the time. An all-season tire loses traction at about -4C where a good
snow tire is good at -25C. A good ice radial will give you grip on ice you
can barely stand up on.

An all-season is useless in more than 10cm of snow, below about -5C or on
ice. Incidently, it is a pretty useless summer tire too.

 

[Tony Hwang]

Winter tires are a waste of money. I never had a problem in snow ice
with GOOD all seasons.

Hmmm,
Pardon my language, that is pure BS!

 

[JD]

Hmmm,
Pardon my language, that is pure BS!

What's pure BS about that?

 

[Tony Hwang]

What's pure BS about that?

Yeah, your statement.
Do you live in COLD SNOW country?
I don't need to argue with you. You already showed your ignorance.

 

[kaboom]

Yeah, your statement.
Do you live in COLD SNOW country?
I don't need to argue with you. You already showed your ignorance.

**Well, talking about ignorance, it was bigjim that said Winter tires
are a waste of money, not JD. That said, the only car I've ever had
winter tires on was a rear-wheel-drive '79 Malibu. All my other cars
were either FWD or AWD and I've never had a problem driving either
type on snow or ice with all seasons.

As for snow country, I've spent all of my driving years in CT, then MI
and then back to CT. I spent 11 years in the tropical state of
southeastern Michigan (yearly snowfall avg. 41 inches) and have now
returned back home to the Berkshire mountains of Connecticut with a
yearly snowfall avg. of 75 inches.

 

[Grolsch]

I guess it mostly depends on what you're up against in the winter. Me, Live
on the coast (Vancouver Island), and while we get a dump or two of snow each
winter the biggest driving challenge is the wet roads. The Goodyear Ultra
Grip Ice tires I used to run are the worst rain tire I've ever had. While
the Goodyear Triple Treads I run now are the best wet tire I've driven and
perform very well in the snow, especially the wet slop we get out here.

It's not a one size fits all scenario.

Grolsch

 

[Tony Hwang]

**Well, talking about ignorance, it was bigjim that said Winter tires
are a waste of money, not JD. That said, the only car I've ever had
winter tires on was a rear-wheel-drive '79 Malibu. All my other cars
were either FWD or AWD and I've never had a problem driving either
type on snow or ice with all seasons.

As for snow country, I've spent all of my driving years in CT, then MI
and then back to CT. I spent 11 years in the tropical state of
southeastern Michigan (yearly snowfall avg. 41 inches) and have now
returned back home to the Berkshire mountains of Connecticut with a
yearly snowfall avg. of 75 inches.

Hi,
Typical winter temp. out here is -30F. Roads are usually black ice.
Poorly charged battery has slush inside. That shows how cold it is.
Further up North from here, they never shut of engine in winter time.

 

[JD]

Yeah, your statement.
Do you live in COLD SNOW country?
I don't need to argue with you. You already showed your ignorance.

You're right. You don't. There is TONS of information around all-seasons
and how poor a compromise they are in any weather; tons. If you think
otherwise, you are the ignorant one.

 

[bigjim]

Shows you know nothing using meaningless metric statistics. In US
driving from deserts to mountains I've found good all seasons to work
on ice and snow just fine. The vehicle and driver are more crucial
than the tire. So you can waste money if you want but I'm smart
enough to see through the hype. You probably think DRL's are good
too!

 

[JD]

I do think DRLs are good. They make you visible and are proven to reduce
accidents because of it.

The driver is more crucial than the vehicle or the tire, but an all-season
is a compromise. Would I bother with a winter tire somewhere where it never
really gets that cold and snows a couple of times per year? No. But to
state a winter tire is a waste of money is right up there with your
statement that engine knocking is normal.

 

[alf]

It seems to me that you gnerally have no idea wat you are talking about most
of the time. An all-season tire loses traction at about -4C where a good
snow tire is good at -25C. A good ice radial will give you grip on ice you
can barely stand up on.

but looses the action on what? I went once to the north Michigan state.
It was -6F (-21C), roads were black but covered with a slippery thin
layer of a salt. To my surprise, I was able to carve quite aggressive
corners at high speeds on all-season Continentals.

and I am still look for raw data showing exact speeds/surface type
(tarmac/deep snow/shallow snow/ice/slush)/tire combinations where the
car is loosing control/traction for braking/acceleration/cornering.

are such available?