4x4 vs. AWD

Neither are as much fun to drive in the snow as my old rear wheel drive BMW-3series!

 

Not true!! -- the car will of course do better on winter tires, but to call it a "death trap" is a huge mis-label. Plus if you accelerate too much for the given conditions, and play around in the winter with almost any car, you may DIE in that car

 

All this AWD Talk... gotta go get me a Ridgeline. Murder it out. BRB.

 

BTW -- YOU CAN"T GET A MT on the OB in the US -- Canada --yes US NO

 

I beg to differ. Have you ever driven full on ultra high performance summer compound tires in cold conditions with snow and ice? I have and I will never do it again. If you make a habit of it you could surely kill yourself or someone else.

 

Now you are talking about a "car" with a truck bed hung on it's unibody construction.
My opinion --the Ridgeline should be in it's own class -- of course then the critics would have Nothing to compare it to.
Probably a nice vehicle (notice I did not call it a car or a truck)! When I ordered my Tacoma -- I could not see myself taking a Ridgeline in the woods to haul fire wood --on a regular basis . It is a Suburban dwellers -"sort-of-a-cartruck"!

 

I truly will not do such stupid behavior!-- maybe that's why I am still around since 1947. Exactly why I feel I will have two great means of transportation!

 

Couldn't agree with you more. Just got rid of my 2008 Outback XT

 

Haha no worries, I found the button to disable traction control just fine!

 

I sold my 05 Subaru WRX to get my Tacoma. I was very impressed with the AWD system and I never really had any issues on snow covered roads. In fact I was able to make it up hills that others couldn't. The downfall was the clearance. The only time I ever got stuck was when I high centered on an unplowed road.

I ran summer tires and had high performance all season for winter.

I have yet to drive the Tacoma in the snow, but I can say you will be hard pressed to beat the Subaru AWD system. Just my .02

 

My outback was a 2007. Not a bad car, but far from great. I wouldn't buy another Subaru, but that's more because a small truck fits my life better. Because no matter how you slice it filling your car with produce is just a way to make it a mess. With my truck, who cares if there's still mud on the pumpkins?

^^ ditto both of these comments! ^^

I had an autobahn burning grey market BMW 5 series. With it's summer performance tires on I got stuck, and I mean leave it in the middle of the road stuck, on 1/4" of crusty snow. With studded snow tires and 200# of salt in the trunk it was an unstoppable tank. So yeah, tires do make a difference.

 

I hear you. I would buy another one for my wife or another WRX/STI as a toy. I got tired of using mine like a truck too. HD Runs and towing are more convenient in the Taco.





Keeping the thread on topic: AWD>4x4 in snow/inclement weather, but for truck stuff Tacoma>Subaru. YMMV.

 

Meh, AWD is great when its like snowy roads in a more urban type environment.

Basically in the city I would rather AWD, but in more rural regions 4x4.
AWD is better for when its snow covered roads but maintained, city streets etc that get plowed but still might have a few inches.
But anything deep rather have 4x4 for the ground clearance and depending where you are (where I go sledding/cottage country) you need 4Lo usually as its deep, heavy snow with inclines etc.

Thing is you can't really run 4x4 unless you have the conditions that allow wheel slip. AWD is always on, monitoring the wheels. So in cities where you can have patchy plowing its better since if you hit a slippery patch the system will sense which wheels to send power to.

My parents have a forester, thing is great in the snow in the city, not bad in the cottage country. But my jeep was way better for cottage country and I imagine the truck will be as well (first winter with it)

 

Just leave it in 4hi and call it a day, nothing to worry about.

 

Right on brother -- I After reading this thread -- I truly feel I am making the right choice in getting my new, and 1st Tacoma, to pair with the wife's car --the Subaru Outback. I just wish I could have got something like the Surbaru "Eyesight" system on the Tacoma --I would have paid extra for that --not their overpriced floormats and mudguards.. That is a whole different topic!

 

The wife bought a Subaru Crosstrek last summer, for a small crossover it's got 8.7 inches of clearance and goes like hell in the snow while getting 29 miles to the gallon. It's an impressive little vehicle. This year I'm gonna swap the 18 inch rims out to 15s and put some General Grabbers on it. I think it will make it even better in the snow and of course make it look better.

 

I currently own a 1st gen tacoma and a 16 rav4, and where I live we currently have a foot of snow on the ground and the rav with the center diff lock on was able to get around no problem. But the tacoma in 4hi and a locked rear end is just Fucking Awesome!!!

 

Subaru with good winter tires will kick ass on just about everything on a snowy road. I look forward to bad weather when I'm driving my Forestor.
You have to be more aware of road conditions driving the Tacoma, 2wd and a frosty corner can make for exciting moments.

 

My wife just bought a 17 STi a few months ago. Car is f@cking awesome. I love taking it out on the mountain roads!

 

Maybe we should start a thread "Those that own a Subaru and a Tacoma"? Sounds like there are more here than I would have guessed!