Subies out of control!

[billski]

So much to my amazement, yesterday I saw one subie on Route 89 Vermont on it's SIDE atop a four-foot plowed snowpile roadside. A few minutes later, I saw another Subie gone about-face 180 degrees and slid into a ditch/snowpile. I was surprised; it's usually SUVs.

Then Big Jay comments on another one.

Hard to believe, isn't it, that you get some overconfident, underskilled drivers behind the wheel of these snow machines, eh? I don't often see that - I always thought only sensible people bought subies!

BTW, another weekend with snowcovered roads, my new Blizzaks gave me a great feeling of control and security. Still need to drive prudently to conditions.

 

[Geoff]

I have neighbors with a Forrester. They'd always driven Saabs and VWs with Nokians and had their Saab rear ended and totaled last spring when they were visiting family down in the flatlands. The first storm with their new Forrester with stock tires, they immediately went and put Nokains on it. I would imagine that most flatland Subaru owners run nothing but the stock all season tires on the things. The AWD system doesn't help when you have to brake or corner. It doesn't surprise me that the same people who put SUVs upside down in the median strip are doing it with Subarus thinking they're invincible because they have an AWD car.

 

[riverc0il]

Yup. AWD without snows and over confident drivers on bad roads are not a good combination. Not good with any AWD vehicle be it SUV or wagon or AWD sedan. Need to put snows on those puppies or else the full snow handling potential is left on the table.

 

[mondeo]

I always thought only sensible people bought subies!

In CT, some of the most obnoxiously slow drivers are in Forresters and Outbacks. Not sensible, just slow. Like 35mph around a corner marked 35 on dry roads. At that point, you're just being stupid. If I can take it at 90+, you can take it at 55.

But WRX and STI drivers are a bit different (They take those corners, on occasion, at 90+ ;-).)

 

[Glenn]

You get over confident; I did a bit this weekend. I had throw out the anchor getting off an exit and the ABS let me know it needed to work overtime on my request to bring the speed down to a manageable level. All was well though; just took me a moment to remember that I need extra time in the snow to bring a two ton object to a slower level of speed.

 

[Geoff]

In CT, some of the most obnoxiously slow drivers are in Forresters and Outbacks. Not sensible, just slow. Like 35mph around a corner marked 35 on dry roads. At that point, you're just being stupid. If I can take it at 90+, you can take it at 55.

But WRX and STI drivers are a bit different (They take those corners, on occasion, at 90+ ;-).)

In Vermont, you go the speed limit. Every hick town now has rented a sheriff to get 50% of their speeding ticket revenues. They're pulling people over for speed limit + 5 mph. I've given up. I use my cruise control on the secondary roads these days.

 

[mondeo]

In Vermont, you go the speed limit. Every hick town now has rented a sheriff to get 50% of their speeding ticket revenues. They're pulling people over for speed limit + 5 mph. I've given up. I use my cruise control on the secondary roads these days.

No argument there. Plymouth Union (I think that's the town - last 35 zone on RT 100) has got to be the worst on the way up to Kmart. Gotta be a cop sitting there better than 50% of the times I go through. At/below 40 indicated before I hit the speed zone, on cruise control until I get back to the 50.

 

[hrstrat57]

subies in snow

Several years ago I was driving back from King Pine after a day of skiing to the dorm we used to stay at in Tuftonboro NH.

Was driving in about 6 inches of freshies on RT 171 in one of my many Subarus (white Legacy GT wagon maybe?) and looked down at the speedo and it read 60!!!!

Looked at the car full of kiddies I had in the car (3 or mine and my next door neighbors kid who was on the holiday with us) and slowed down.

Subarus sure do go like snowmobiles.....but if you have to stop they go into the woods just like any other car.......

You really have to fight to pay attention they go soooooo good in the snow....

 

[BigJay]

Yep yep!

Twice this weekend... I just couldn't believe it!

Problem is that if you get stuck going up 242, you'll never start up that hill... and backing up isn't the best option...

Conditions weren't bad at all... barely any snow... but white... And i was driving up with my oh-so-traditionnal FWD car at 45mph after passing him... And it wasn't reckless... believe me, if i drive "recklessly", my gf in the passenger seat will tell me right off! lol!

Anyhow... i'm not saying that all MASS Suby are the same... just happened this weekend and it ticked me off!

SUVs upside down in the middle of the highway... just points out the fact that a bigger car doesn't make you a better driver... And SUVs are not better in snow.

 

[deadheadskier]

Yup. AWD without snows and over confident drivers on bad roads are not a good combination. Not good with any AWD vehicle be it SUV or wagon or AWD sedan. Need to put snows on those puppies or else the full snow handling potential is left on the table.

yep

In our house, the FWD Hyundai with snows does better than the AWD Subie without

 

[jaja111]

I can't really say that my WRX is any better than a FWD car with snowtires. The only real difference comes in deep snow on side roads, parking lots, etc. AWD will get you moving in a straighter line, but after that (throttle neutral), things aren't all that drastically different from any other similar sized car. (maybe slightly less chance of oversteer?) Its still only got four tires touching the road, and the snow on that road is the same for everyone.

 

[WoodCore]

Any AWD Subaru with regular "all-weather" tires is good in the snow, it will climb hills and won't get stuck. However, add 4 snow tires (4 -Blizzaks on my 96' Outback) and the braking and lateral control improve x10. Regardless, a driver with experience driving in these conditions makes the biggest difference, hands down.

 

[bigbog]

...cars vs drivers...?

Drivers....they do the driving, they choose the tires, they choose to do tune-ups, they choose to drive like on bare, dry pavement...on it goes. Especially SE or Southern drivers....are mentally Out There!...have never driven with the conditions...and don't wanna either..:lol:
Even dry powder, many times ground down becomes slick....especially when the temps are still cold...everything underneath is still frozen.
$.01

 

[snoseek]

In CT, some of the most obnoxiously slow drivers are in Forresters and Outbacks. Not sensible, just slow. Like 35mph around a corner marked 35 on dry roads. At that point, you're just being stupid. If I can take it at 90+, you can take it at 55.

But WRX and STI drivers are a bit different (They take those corners, on occasion, at 90+ ;-).)

I will agree with this. I cringe anytime I'm on a two lane highway behind a Subaru.


About time we had a car thread that wasn't a Subie circle jerk lol

 

[Glenn]

About time we had a car thread that wasn't a Subie circle jerk lol

LOL! :lol:

 

[drjeff]

I will agree with this. I cringe anytime I'm on a two lane highway behind a Subaru.

About the only thing worse is getting stuck behind an old Volvo station wagon

About time we had a car thread that wasn't a Subie circle jerk lol

Isn't it a bit tough for many subie owners to have one of those anyway? :uzi: :lol:

 

[Swamp Dog]

I put my Honda CR-V into a snow bank yesterday. The road we were on was a steep decline, with a 90 degree turn at the bottom, almost back at the main road. I was creeping along because the road still had some snow on it. When the road turned, the car did not. BAM! It was almost surreal as the whole thing unfolded. We had time to discuss the upcoming impact. Weird!

Luckily the snow bank was fresh powder and not a frozen block of ice. Almost half of the front end was buried, past the tires and halfway up the hood. A woman stopped and gave us a shovel, then a man in a Tahoe stopped and pulled us out. Great people in this neck of the woods.

Also, this road is a residential side street, one that I usually avoid because it is residential. But I needed a safe place to pull over and get the ice off the wiper blades. All of this happened about 5 miles from home!

We're fine, the car is fine, and we made it to N. Conway after all. I wish I had taken some pictures of the car, that's all.

 

[mlctvt]

It's definitely the tires. Both our Subaru’s came with horrible Bridgestone RE-92 tires that absolutely suck in almost every condition but are especially bad in snow and ice covered roads. I took them off immediately sold them online and bought a set of summer tires and 2nd set of rims with real snow tires, problem solved

 

[ctenidae]

"Subies Gone Wild," Special Edition 2-Disc set, yours for only $19.99 plus S&H. Call now, don't delay!

 

[BeanoNYC]

I would love to get snow tires for my subie but I'm worried about tread wear and handling down here when there's no snow on the ground. I admittedly know nothing about snow tires.