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Recently moved from SoCal to Texas. It's colder here than I thought it would be, and I think the wife and I need another vehicle. We both retired, so don't really need two cars. The house we bought in North Texas has a steep driveway, and with this "wintery mix" we're getting from Canada, the roads a re slick with ice. Considering a Subaru for it's reliability and safety, but what I want is 4WD, not AWD. Don't need four-wheel-drive in the summer, but in the winter or in severe rain events I'd like the option to put it in four wheel drive, but it seems Subaru, like most SUV-type vehicles, it's All Wheel Drive all the time. Don't want a pick-up or huge SUV. Does Subaru make a vehicle with selectable four-wheel drive?
Subaru does not make a selectable 4x4. All are AWD (except for 1 that is RWD). You're likely looking at Jeeps, Bronco, or Land Rovers for 4x4 SUV/Trucks that aren't huge (there are more - these just off the top). The Toyota Land Cruiser used to have it as well. Not sure if it's still an option. But also not exactly a small SUV.
I'd think if fuel economy is the big factor - a smaller Subaru w/ AWD may still be more economical than a larger SUV that you can switch out of 4x4.
All that said - ice is a different animal. AWD may help more than FWD/RWD in certain weather conditions - but AWD isn't going to be completely immune to the effects of ice. I've had my Outback slide right off the driveway in the past.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Why not AWD? Our Outback is getting 28 around town and 34 on the highway, with full time AWD. They have done AWD for so long that it's not really causing them a loss of MPG as it would on vehicles that are available in 2WD or 4WD. It's nice to be able to just drive and not have to worry about putting it into 4WD when needed as in my F150. Also, the Subaru has X-Drive, which is amazing. In our last snow, after it got packed by traffic and then froze, I had to go down the hill. With X-Drive on even on that steep hill I had to step on the gas to move, gravity was no longer an issue. I didn't have to use any brakes until I got to the bottom. In my truck I would have used 4 Wheel Low, and probably still slide a bit when braking.
Does Subaru make a vehicle with selectable four-wheel drive?
All Subarus are AWD and 4 cylinder engines. The more affordable Subaru's are naturally aspirated with either 2.0 liter (152 hp) or 2.5 liter (182 hp) engines.They all come with CVT and some models comes with Manual Transmission (MT) but that may only last for a few more months. Automatic Transmission is not an option except for the 2 door sport car.
For 2024 model year (which may come as early as May 2023) Imprezas will be only 5-door hatchbacks and no manual transmission. Legacys which are $2800 more are slightly larger and only come as a sedan. Crosstreks, Foresters, and Outbacks are all SUVs.
If you absolutely don't want AWD, but must have 4WD your only choice for a non turbocharged 4 cylinder vehicle are from Mitsubushi (Outlander - starts at $27,595 and Outlander Sport- starts at $22,99) or several Mazda models.
Mazdas are at least $900 more expensive than a Subaru, but some people prefer them because they don't have continuously variable transmission (CVT) and are slightly more powerful than Subarus with more torque, The signature Mazda automatic transmission combines all the advantages of a CVT, automatic, and manual. A widened lock-up range radically improved torque transfer to give you the direct feel and intimacy of a manual transmission.
Mazda does not have a 2.0 liter engine, they only have 2.5 liter engines.
Base Subaru engine without turbo: 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 152 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque
Base Subaru engine without turbo: 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque
Base Mazda engine without turbo: 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 191 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque
2023 MSRP Hp Trans Model Trim
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MT Manual Transmission for family Subaru (model year 2024 is likely to come very early in 2023 and MT may no longer be offered)
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$19,795 152hp 5MT Impreza Base Sedan
$20,295 152hp 5MT Impreza Base 5-door
$23,645 152hp 6MT Crosstrek Base
$23,995 152hp 5MT Impreza Sport 5-door
$24,795 152hp 6MT Crosstrek Premium
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CVT (model year 2024 is likely to come very early in 2023)
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$21,095 152hp CVT Impreza Base Sedan - to be discontinued for model year 2024
$23,195 152hp CVT Impreza Premium Sedan - to be discontinued for model year 2024
$23,695 152hp CVT Impreza Premium 5-door - to be discontinued for model year 2024
$24,595 152hp CVT Impreza Sport Sedan - to be discontinued for model year 2024
$27,395 152hp CVT Impreza Limited 5-door- to be discontinued for model year 2024
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$21,595 152hp CVT Impreza Base 5-door============== entry level, non-glamorous reliable transportation with practical hatchback
$24,395 182hp CVT Legacy Base
$24,995 152hp CVT Crosstrek Base
$25,095 152hp CVT Impreza Sport 5-door
$26,145 152hp CVT Crosstrek Premium
$26,395 182hp CVT Forester Base ============== personally, I think this is the best value for your money| more cargo space than Crosstrek
$26,695 182hp CVT Legacy Premium
$27,995 182hp CVT Crosstrek Sport
$28,395 182hp CVT Outback Base
$29,395 182hp CVT Forester Premium
$29,495 182hp CVT Crosstrek Limited
$30,695 182hp CVT Outback Premium
$30,965 182hp CVT Forester Sport
$31,445 182hp CVT Legacy Limited
$33,075 182hp CVT Forester Limited
$33,495 182hp CVT Outback Onyx Edition
$34,020 182hp CVT Forester Wilderness
$35,295 182hp CVT Outback Limited
Last edited by PacoMartin; 02-01-2023 at 01:54 PM..
Don't forget the tires! If you don't have appropriate tires on the car the transmission options it happens to have won't prevent slipping on ice. If very icy conditions only happen once or twice a year it probably won't be worth buying an entire vehicle because of it or even buying a set of studded tires and swapping them out winter/summer.
If the steep driveway you chose to buy or the local roads are really that bad, best to leave the car in the garage and shift your day to a Plan B. Ice cleats for shoes are cheap. If you know ice is likely, maybe best to leave the car parked somewhere safe, put on a set of cleats, and walk up/down the drive instead.
I've driven various types of 4WDs for decades on the job. There's a limit to what they'll do, particularly on ice. I've owned Subarus for 25 years. Yes, they're great for snow and on wet surfaces but there's a limit to them too. The right tires and knowing what you're doing make a big difference, but part of knowing what you're doing means you know when to leave the car parked and deal with the resulting inconvenience. You say you are retired. You have to ask yourself whether getting on the road on that particular day is so vital you're willing to risk expensive car damage, personal injury, or death to you or someone else.
Last edited by Parnassia; 02-01-2023 at 02:35 PM..
Totally agree with Parnassia re the tires. You can have any drive system made, but if you're driving on conventional all-season tires, you're not going to get adequate traction in slush, snow and ice. High quality winter tires will make a big difference with their specialized tread design and rubber compound, and for best traction on ice - high quality metal studded winter tires.
Totally agree with Parnassia re the tires. You can have any drive system made, but if you're driving on conventional all-season tires, you're not going to get adequate traction in slush, snow and ice. High quality winter tires will make a big difference with their specialized tread design and rubber compound, and for best traction on ice - high quality metal studded winter tires.
Before someone else mentions it, putting chains on late model Subarus can be problematic and are not recommended. Part of that is due to limited tire clearances. There are "tire socks" but they probably wouldn't help on serious ice. Not sure I'd bother messing with all that just for a temporary weather situation.
Thanks for all the responses, there's a lot to think about.
Describe your steep driveway? With winter tires, I can get up pretty much anything in a FWD car unless the snow is so deep that it bottoms out. A barrel of sand and a shovel might be a better investment.
Describe your steep driveway? With winter tires, I can get up pretty much anything in a FWD car unless the snow is so deep that it bottoms out. A barrel of sand and a shovel might be a better investment.
I use a hand crank garden spreader instead of a shovel. Every fall I get buckets of sand off a beach and stockpile them somewhere warm and dry so they don't freeze. This wouldn't be practical to maintain a driveway through our long cold snowy winters, but hand spreading might be fine for infrequent ice events in TX. I use sand to make walkways around the house less treacherous and also store a bag full in the car in case I get stuck somewhere away from home. Unlike de-icing products its free and leaves no chemical residue to harm the soil or plants.
Last edited by Parnassia; 02-05-2023 at 01:29 PM..
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