Subaru Owners

To anyone who has or currently owns a subaru - How does the tacoma compare to a subaru in snowy conditions? This will be my first winter in 5 years not driving a subaru, which I’m a bit anxious about. Both the Subaru and now my tacoma have studs on them, I also have about 200 lbs in my bed. Keep in mind that I am an experienced driver and know how to handle snowy conditions.

Side note - IMO my outback was the best car I've ever driven in the snow. Parking lots at the mountain are testament to this. I guess we'll find out when the snow finally flys in the PNW.

 

I have owned many cars, and nothing compares to a Subaru in the snow. That being said - my 2WD Tacoma does fairly well in the snow, but the Tacoma being a truck gives the back end the ability to surprise you when you least expect it.

If you are driving in the snow quite a bit, 4WD is the way to go on a truck. The 4WD Tacomas handle snow much better than the 4WD F150s or the 4WD Dodge Rams (from my experience).

 

if yours is a 4x4 with studded tires, i'm guessing you won tbe able to tell much of a difference between your old suby and your tacoma.

I was looking for two vehicles before I bought my truck. the first was a 1st gen xcab v6 manual (which I ended up with) and the 2nd was a Impreza GC 2.5rs. Found the truck first, so I got it. I'm happy with it.

I go to school about 10 miles off of Lake Erie, so there are many times where we would get at least 6" in a night for a while. I naturally go out and play in the snow. Of the vehicles that are out, I mainly see 4x4 trucks.

 

I drove an outback before my Tacoma and my gf has a Forester now(which I debadged the other day). The big thing (obviously) is the ground clearance. I don't put any sand in the back, but I do have a cap on it. About this time of year, I put it into 4x4 and don't take it out till the spring. The bottom line for me is that they all handle well in the snow, compared to my bro's Altima. The Tacoma feels much heavier to me than either of the Subarus, so you do need to drive it differently. Having a manual tranny is pref in my mind whatever you're driving in the snow. For the Rockies, with all the snow and road closures, the Tacoma is absolutely the perfect vehicle. You see tons of them up here. But you also see tons of Subarus. She wants an outback for her next vehicle, but I'm trying to talk her into getting a DC Tacoma. We'll see!

 

Imagine its the similar to comparing my Taco DC 4x4 to wifes fwd Mazda 3s, both w/ Blizzaks. Just as in summer, on snowy roads a car is lower to the ground, so can corner better, and lighter so can brake shorter than the truck. But you can haul more and blast thru 18" of pow no problem.

By the sound of your setup, you shouldnt have any problem getting to the mtn.

 

my taco does very good with snow tires!! but when it comes to the best vehicle for snow it the landrover!!!!

 

Not to be rude, but comparing the handling characteristics of a Mazda3 to a Subaru (any model) is like comparing a butter knife to a steak knife. The Mazda3 is an excellent car, but it is FWD (front wheel drive). The Subaru vehicles are all full time AWD (all wheel drive). The driving characteristics of each on a slippery surface are very different.

(that is not taking into account the lower center of gravity from the boxer engine or the more even distribution of weight)

 

My point was the car vs truck w/ winter tires driving in snowy conditions. Minus acceleration, your typical handling (tracking, braking, cornering) is dicated more about the tires than number of drive wheels. Obviously Subies have awd, but its a reasonable comparison as both are cars w/ winter tires, about 1000 lb lighter than the truck and the center of gravity is a foot lower.

 

Ah, I see your point - very true. Tires make all the difference in the world. That is why my 2WD truck does very well in the snow/ice. It has tires that do well in those conditions.

Cheers!

 

I had an old Sub GL, and that car was a BEAST. I beat the sh*t out of that car, and all it seemed to do was take the abuse. My uncle has a farm, and when I was younger we would get drunk to go "field hopping". He would get pissed, but it was a blast. That car was one step away from a demo-derby car. The only problem that was ever posed was ground clearance.

On snowy roads Subbie vs. Taco. Damn that's hard one, but I'd have to give the nod to the Taco. Hell, I own one!

 

We have already been getting tons of snow up here in Alaska. These trucks work awesome in the snow. Have never driven a subaru in the snow but I am pretty sure they are the best for those conditions. I have the stock tires that came with the truck and I do just fine in the snow.

 

My tacoma handles great in the snow! My wife drives an Outback, so we have the best of both worlds!

 

Thanks for all the feedback. It finally snowed here so I got a chance to test out the truck for myself. I knew the truck would hold it's own in the snow but I was pleasantly surprised how well it really did! It stopped as fast, if not faster than my subie! This was surprising considering the added weight of the truck and that I didn't even have my studs on yet. The added ground clearance and weight was a welcomed improvement, The subie would get tossed in the deep ruts and think slushy snow, where the truck is able to just plow through. I’m even more excited for winter and all my trips up to the mountain!

 

Stick with the Tacoma 4x4. I have the truck and my wife drives a wrx wagon. The wrx works great but there is not enough clearance for the deeper stuff and it looks so small compared to all the other vehicles out there. with snow tires on it i think that the wrx has an edge but i'd rather get hit in the tacoma than in the wrx anyday. there are a lot of crazy stupid drivers in california...
saw a wrx get hit by some dude in a range rover last year...no one hurt but wrx was not driveable.