It is true that four wheel drive doesn't solve all of the issues when driving on snow and ice, but it certainly helps. However, it is not a fix for lack of driving skills, overconfidence, recklessness and stupidity. On my way home from work on Friday I saw an area where two cars had collided and slid into the ditch along with a short bus. In another location a full size pickup truck was deep into the ditch, and in another place the police were blocking a lane with a small pickup truck on the side of the road.
I can say that the difference between driving my Subaru compared to driving my old Corolla or Camry is like night and day. It's not just easier to get out onto the highway with the Subaru. Even once I was out on the highway with the Corolla it was a white knuckle drive into town. The car was being pushed from side to side by patches of compacted snow and ice, it was hard to stop without sliding and hard to get going again without spinning my wheels. This is my first winter driving the Subaru and it feels like a luxury. So far there's been no slipping, sliding or spinning. The only thing I feel happening under me on the drive to work is vibration from rolling over the compacted snow and ice. I attribute this to not only AWD but also due to the fact that the Subaru is longer and wider than the Corolla, the tires are wider and it is heavier.
I miss driving my Corolla, but after driving it for 23 years it was time to give it up. I prefer driving small cars and the Subaru Forrester feels like a big tank to me, but it is a more reasonable car for conditions in the Pacific Northwest. When I lived in Southern California I owned various small cars. I've owned multiple Triumph Spitfires which I loved, a Porsche 914 and a Porsche 911, along with a Datsun 240Z. Small cars with manual transmissions are just more fun to drive even if It's an econobox instead of a sports car.
I can say that the difference between driving my Subaru compared to driving my old Corolla or Camry is like night and day. It's not just easier to get out onto the highway with the Subaru. Even once I was out on the highway with the Corolla it was a white knuckle drive into town. The car was being pushed from side to side by patches of compacted snow and ice, it was hard to stop without sliding and hard to get going again without spinning my wheels. This is my first winter driving the Subaru and it feels like a luxury. So far there's been no slipping, sliding or spinning. The only thing I feel happening under me on the drive to work is vibration from rolling over the compacted snow and ice. I attribute this to not only AWD but also due to the fact that the Subaru is longer and wider than the Corolla, the tires are wider and it is heavier.
I miss driving my Corolla, but after driving it for 23 years it was time to give it up. I prefer driving small cars and the Subaru Forrester feels like a big tank to me, but it is a more reasonable car for conditions in the Pacific Northwest. When I lived in Southern California I owned various small cars. I've owned multiple Triumph Spitfires which I loved, a Porsche 914 and a Porsche 911, along with a Datsun 240Z. Small cars with manual transmissions are just more fun to drive even if It's an econobox instead of a sports car.
