Subaru vs Ford in Snow (Milwaukee, West Allis: 2014, living in, price)

[jdhpa]

I frequently see posters mention that Subaru's are great for driving in snow. I've never driven a Subaru, and am wondering why it's so popular. Can anyone give specific examples of how a Subaru is better at driving in snow than a Ford? I've driven Fords for a long time. I'll probably be getting a new car in another year or two, if Subaru is objectively better at snow driving I would take a close look at them.

Thanks in advance...

[glass_of_merlot]

I can't tell you how a 4 wheel drive ford handles in snow. I only have a Ford fusion. However, my subaru is amazing. I have never got stuck. Driving and finding parking in the city (chicago) is hard in the winter and if you find one it is usually snowed in. But I have been able to plow right through. Something my fusion couldn't do.

[GraniteStater]

It comes down to an engineering advantage of the AWD system. You combine it with snow tires and it is by far the best option at its price point:

"In a Subaru vehicle, the Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive optimizes traction and balance because it is laid along the length of the vehicle. The location of the Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive along the centerline increases balance through weight distribution giving a Subaru vehicle optimal performance and control.
Subaru's are great in the snow because of their center differential and possibly also because of the layout of the all wheel drive (AWD) platform. The center differential, which allows the power to go both to the front and rear wheels, sometimes at different speed, is a locking type."

I've driven Subaru's for over 10 years from northern New England, Upper Midwest, and Ohio Valley. It is great for snow, rain, and any type of bad weather. Make sure to research overall reliability ratings for model year. Some are rated better than others. They have a big advantage compared to other cars I've driven on snow packed and icy roads.

[GypsyPeak75]

I have both a Subaru Forester (AWD) and a Ford Explorer (4WD). Both do well in the snow. The big difference? A previous poster alluded to it; that is, the Subaru is a lot cheaper.

[Hemlock140]

We traded in a 2014 4WD Ford Escape on a 2020 Subaru Outback. While we don't get that much snow, maybe 3-4 times a year, the Escape system was not great. It was not full time 4WD, but rather changed the percentage to front and back based on conditions and slippage, and did slip enough that you noticed and worried going on hills. The Outback seems to just go, without worry in snow.

[Schiben]

I've spent quite bit of time driving my wifes old 2012 Legacy. It was pretty amazing in the snow... with caveats.

It's great as long as your tires are good. When the tires on my wifes Legacy were bad (worse than I thought) it was terrible in the snow. The important thing is good tires. A Ford with AWD and good tires will be more than good enough in the snow. The major difference is that the Ford systems (last I knew) were Haldex systems. It's based off of computers and clutches and does it's best job to guess where to send power. But from my experience doesn't always get it right.

[Bitey]

IMO Subaru is coasting on its prior reputation and for most models their AWD systems aren't any better than their competitors any more. The notable exception is the STi which still uses mechanical limited-slip diffs front center and rear, but it's not a very practical daily driver. Pretty much any AWD system is adequate for snow duty especially in the flat parts of the state. Dedicated snow tires installed seasonally will help get the best out of any AWD system, particularly in the driftless area.

[TRlaura]

Rarely does a day go by when I don't curse Subaru for ceasing to build 4WD vehicles. I believe the last one went out the door in 2002. There really are not many non UAW built crossovers left with a 4WD option

[dcisive]

I'm not at all sure where you folks are getting some of you misinformation. But it doesn't take much research in particular with reviewers online on Youtube in particular, that put ALL vehicles through their paces in very difficult traction situations. You WILL find that with ALL all wheel/4 wheel drive vehicles out there, that the Subaru has the tendency to be the most sophisticated and reliable vehicle dealing with loose rock, ice and snow conditions above pretty much ALL competition. Their Symmetrical AWD tech has some advantages regarding sensing slippage of a given tire and allowing the tire with traction to save the day getting things rolling again.

I don't own a Subaru currently, but back in the early 80's my wife and I were newly married and living in the West Allis area. She worked downtown Milwaukee at that time and was driving our 4wd Subaru DL wagon. Not as sophisticated as they are today, but still remarkable. She loves to remember the story of one day she left work and there had been a mini blizzard that hit the area and near NOTHING was moving on the interstate as she made her way west to get home. She was able to just mow her way with the Subaru while others either slid and got stuck or weren't moving. So I'd have to say without doubt one of the 1st choices one should make if they are concerned about bad weather conditions is with a Subaru. Just get on Youtube and watch some of these testers. it's quite impressive......

[Bitey]

^^ Your wife's early 1980s Subaru had a conventional 4WD system with a locking center differential that could only be used safely on low-traction surfaces and only below highway speeds. The automatic/full-time AWD systems are a far cry from the crude systems of 40 years ago. If a locking center diff is what you want, you need a honest-to-god truck.