Legit this the type of real content we wanna see… thanks! Everyone else posts the same videos of “here’s the features here’s the window sticker, here’s the power seat controller and the cargo net…good stuff
Love this video and thank you for sharing all the fun videos on your Subaru. I tested my 2023 OBW during Friday’s blizzard in IL and I was able to drive with confidence and felt really safe. Grateful to have this vehicle for the harsh winters.
I just got a crosstrek wilderness. I live in Montana. It was -30 F yesterday, it’s -17 F right now. The snow is compacted down to ice on most of the roads. Here’s how my drive went yesterday. I park outside but I bought the factory block heater. The car started fine with the auto start app. It got to normal water temp quickly but it took me going 70mph on the freeway to get the oil temp to normal. The eyesight system didn’t work after the first hour drive but started working after turning the car off then on again. The apple car play refuses to connect, even after manually trying to connect it. I’m going to try to restart my phone today and see if that works. Surprisingly no squeaks or rattles, even with all the ice. The traction and ice performance is incredible. I’m now the fastest thing on the road haha! Other than other Subarus of course. Great snow car overall but the tech seems to be a weak point in the extreme cold.
I live in Minnesota, and the eyesight system shuts off on a cold outdoor start when the temp is something like 10 below F, whether the windows are clear or not. After the interior warms up, Eyesight works normally no matter what the outside temperature. Not sure the reason for this, or if it is something wrong, but it is such a rare occurrence that I dont really worry about it. Even with 4 year old all season factory radials the car is very good in slippery conditions.
Nice, thanks for sharing your experience. You always put out some really great "real world experience" videos which helps see these things in action. I'm in MN and was really disappointed this storm missed us. We haven't really had any snow yet this year and I've been anxious to get my 23 OBW out to play in it to see how it does first hand!
I have a Subaru Crosstrek 99 sports all wheel drive. I have no problem with the all wheel drive and I never got suck or slip off the road. No problem climbing up the hill and down hill while it was in little rock, arkansas. I had it for 3 half years now it has 56,865 miles into Subaru Crosstrek.
Nice to know my Outback is well equipped to handle this mess, but she's a beautiful pavement princess and will reside in the heated garage when conditions degrade to this.
This is an excellent contribution! I lament that I live in Myrtle Beach, SC, and haven't the chance to drive my 2023 Subaru Forester Wilderness in snow. Fortunately, there's plenty of offroad sand to slide around in.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! That sand sounds fun! After making this a couple days ago I since had decided to then borrow 5 other Subaru models and trim levels, basically all with a different factory tire to see how they compared. The only consistent tires are the Geolander G015s on the Wilderness models. Including a Forester Wilderness, I’ll post those over the next week or two and in the order I filmed them. 🙂
My pleasure! I have 2 videos of different Foresters in the snow that I’ll make public within the next 1-2 weeks. When the snow falls, I think you’ll be thankful you’re in a Subaru! 🙂
I have a 2023 Forester Wilderness I just bought this last fall. Here in Minnesota, it has been in the - single digits, feeling like -24 degrees out. The roads look icy (but MnDOT does a good job of salting them) and every person out here in their trucks and SUVs are driving like 55 mph. I'm blasting past everyone at 65 mph with no issues. The thing is a tank with great traction and just a really comfortable ride on all the bumpy roads and terrain. I love Subaru. I will say, they do need an infotainment center overhaul. I love the design in my Forester. It's not the full touchscreen. It has physical buttons and knobs. But my Android Carplay will disconnect at random and that has been disappointing. But overall, love the brand and would highly recommend one!
Nice video showing real-world, real-time experience of driving your OBW through the snow! I think your EyeSight System turned off because it was having trouble seeing through the windshield. Might be worth doing a separate video showing when one might want to turn off Traction Control versus just leaving it on all the time. Some say the Traction Control should be turned off when driving in deep snow, but I don't know if that's right or not. Looking forward to your video trying out different tires in the snow. It would also be interesting to see a video about how the OBW handles in the snow with different air pressures, as some off-roaders greatly reduce the air pressure to increase traction. Of course, if you do that, you also need to carry an inflator to re-inflate the tires before high-speed freeway driving. I'd also like to see a video about how to reduce or eliminate windshield wiper chatter in cold conditions like what you were experiencing. I frequently clean my windshield and use the Rain-X windshield wiper fluid which seems to reduce the chatter, and thoroughly clean the wiper blades with alcohol swaps to get rid of road grime.
I’m glad you liked it and thank you for sharing all the insight regarding dropping tire pressure and the alcohol tip! I’m sure if situations were worse dropping PSI could make the difference if needed, hopefully someone reading your comment benefits from that someday! So I ended up driving 5 new Subarus (2 Crosstreks, 2 Foresters, and another Outback) I’ll try to make them all public over the next 2 weeks, and in order I filmed. Spoiler alert, the Geolanders did better than Avid GTs, Bridgestone on the Base Forester, and the Falkens. At least in my own testing and experiences! 🙂
My experience on TC after two winters in my OB19 is to run it in normal mode as long as possible, X-mode when it's very slippery and TC Off only when you are stuck. I have studded winter tires and separate summer tires. The worst driving experience was slush on an icy road. Too much slush to get the studs down to the ice. It was like aqua planning but already from the slowest speed. I managed with X-mode alone but not in a straight line 🙂
I’ll echo your observations. I have 4k miles on a 2024 Outback Wilderness and just went through our first significant snow of the season (3-4” completely unplowed since this area doesn’t get enough snow to warrant more than a handful of plows for the entire county). Every new AWD/4x4 vehicle I get I take to the same parking lot and test its behavior on slick surfaces out. I like to know how the vehicle’s systems behave before I have to find out in accident avoidance or serious weather conditions. I will describe the Outback Wilderness on stock tires with one word: boring. That’s intended mostly as a compliment. In normal or in snow/dirt mode, it’s unflappable in the slick stuff. Snow mode keeps tire spin to a minimum, but regular allows a very slight amount of spin. The only way to get the tail out is to get up to speed and then crank the wheel and let off the gas. At that point, the stability systems go to sleep and you can slide it out, but as soon as you apply power, the computer tries, almost always successfully, to straighten the car back out. Under full power, the wheel can be cranked full lock left or right, and the car will go almost dead straight ahead or perform a very slow turn in the direction you suggest. I understand now why people love these in areas that see more snow. This is no fun at all. Safe. Predictable. Boring. It’s an appliance for the road. And that’s high praise. My Jeep is more fun, but I never know if I’ll make it through or not, even with true 4WD and locking differentials. If I absolutely have to get there and back in bad weather, the Outback is the tool of choice.
Still have to where I am. We have dirt roads no salt. So the fule trucks, trash trucks, ups have to chain up. I run crossclimate2s.. the oem tires on the non wilderness ones are horid on snow packed roads.
Just an FYI since I know you keep an eye on inventory and discounts, Treasure Valley Subaru has new Forester Wilderness models in stock with anywhere from $2400 to over $2800 off. It brought a well equipped geyser blue one down to $34,500 range.
I’ve noticed that while driving in a blizzard, the eyesight will disengage on our Outback and Forester. The loaner Outback Wilderness that we have, the eyesight has also disengaged while driving through the blizzard that we just had. Drive safe, Bro !
I sold Subies back in 2010 when the Eyesight system was just coming out and we were always trained and told by the manufacturer, that when the system cannot see well enough to do it’s job, then it shuts off automatically, but the cameras keep looking and when they can see well enough again, it comes back on. Happens with rain, snow, fog, smoke, etc. If you are having a hard time seeing the road, the Eyesight probably is also. Thought some may find that info interesting.
Also, got the Subaru Outback Wilderness here in Washington State, it's great on wet roads! I drive to California a few times a year, and going through Shasta Mountain, I couldn't feel safer. The OBW has never let me down and it's very comfortable on long drives. I set the adaptive cruise control to latch onto a big 18 wheeler and drove that way for a few hours until the truck exited. lol
Thanks for posting. Your videos are informative and I've been following you since you started with your OBW. Thanks again for another great video. I wanted to ask if you treated or weatherproofed your OBW underbody with any rustproof coating or spray? Thanks
I really appreciate your support! No, I never have. I’ve not heard much concern with these rusting underneath like old Toyota frames, so I’ve never worried about it. I have started getting it washed every few weeks during the winter, basically once I can see salt building up on the paint, then I’m sure it’s even more so underneath. Also, last time I did a clip of filming underneath the car a few months ago I didn’t any concern on the under body from its first two winters. 🙂
I live in northern Indiana and I plan on purchasing a 2021 Subaru crosstrek bc of those winter months. I was contemplating for the longest on buying Mazda, Honda, or even a rav4. But the Subaru symmetrical awd is what really sold me. I just want to have more control on those winter roads
My 2013 Legacy has been a gem in the snow. I'm running a set of CrossClimate 2s (my wife's 01 Legacy has the vredestein version of them). I have a spare set of wheels with Blizzaks for when things get crazy but, honestly, haven't needed them for two or three years now.
This is a light snow day for us in Minnesota lol wouldn’t call it a serious snow day let alone a blizzard. I have driven my Honda civic front wheel drive in -60 f during a winter vortex with complete white out conditions and literal spears of ice and snow. I just had winter tires on my Honda civic.
Yeah the front defroster specifically is actually pretty intense. I probably need to clean if not replace my blades soon. They’re the originals and now over 2 years old. 😅
How about heavy falling snow vs 1pre collision braking’. How to drive the car when it’s freaking out due to the the falling snow causing the the ‘eyesight?
Experiencing the same conditions in Colorado. Was driving and my breaks had that same sound and locked up when I tried to stop and press on the breaks. I thought the dealership messed it up that same day I cause I took it to get oil changed 😂😂😂
Quattro, symmetrical Awd, I-vtm4, sh-awd. Are among the best awd systems out there. Must be talking about the AWD system on the CRV not being great. Because the pilot Awd is REALLY good.
Yeah, you’re right! Thanks for adding that! I’m referring to the more basic or older cross over AWD systems or the current platforms that having aging technology. A lot of people who view my videos don’t have the newest vehicles and were Subaru has had the same system for quite a few years my statements are more directed to the population of those who comment their experiences and owned vehicles on my videos. 🙂
When you start the vehicle it should always be on. When you push the button to turn it off there will be a light that pops up on the dash board that shows you it’s currently disabled. 🙂
I’ve heard a few people on the forums have tried them and enjoyed them! I think the biggest issue I’ve heard was from the weight MPG took a noticeable drop.
@@AutomotiveAnonymous208 unfortunately, yes, it’s a noticeable difference. Like 1-3 mpg depending on vehicle. I have a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4x4 and if you aren’t aware there is no low range, no way to engage 4x4, it’s full time. I lost 1-2 mpg, but omg I haven’t had any troubles anywhere anytime in any way lol. But with driving a Jeep I’m not supposed to care about mpg lol. I don’t really if I could afford it lol. I’d love to see how the Outback Wilderness does with KO2’s, preferably KO3’s when they become available, both off road, on road, and in severe snow conditions.
You could likely find more info/experiences about the OBW on the BFGs on a social media Wilderness forum! I appreciate you sharing your experience with the GC! 🙂
Officially, the National Weather Service defines a blizzard as a storm which contains large amounts of snow OR blowing snow, with winds in excess of 35 mph and visibilities of less than 1/4 mile for an extended period of time (at least 3 hours). More b.s. "reporting". In N.D. this is good visibility.
They were Yokohama Geolandar G015 tires. Stock they come T rated but when I bought my Geolandars mine came as H rated from Discount Tire. Literally nobody that I have seen online talk about that though. I think 99T vs 102H I don’t know
No, as mentioned below mine are the stock G015s. But after making this video I borrowed 5 new Subarus ( Crosstrek’s, Foresters, and another Outback wearing 4 different tires, geolanders, falkens, Bridgestone, and Avid GTs) and shared more of my thoughts with the different tires. I’ll post those 5 videos over the next week or two. I also afterwards drove a 2020 STI with Blizzak winter tires, and that was fun! But I didn’t film that one.
@@myckeee When I recently replaced the OEM tires, I also noticed that Discount Tire and others offered the H-rated tires instead of the T-rated OEM tires. I didn't really know if there would be any difference between the H-rated tire or the T-rated tire. I think the H-rated tire is for higher speed driving, but I've been happy with the OEM tires, so with my replacement tires I stayed with the T-rated tires. At most tire shops, both were priced the same, but at some the H-rated tires were more expensive. Here is what Google AI says about the difference between the two ratings: ==================================================== The difference between an H-rated tire and a T-rated tire is their speed rating. H-rated tires are safe up to 130 mph, while T-rated tires are safe up to 118 mph. T-rated tires are often recommended for family sedans and vans. H-rated tires are used on some passenger cars, sports cars, coupes, and some light trucks. Tires with higher speed ratings generally handle better at higher speeds and slower speeds. However, a difference in speed rating shouldn't cause issues unless you're driving at top speeds or if your vehicle is all-wheel drive. According to a Reddit user, T-rated tires have a higher mileage warranty than H-rated tires. T-rated tires have a warranty of 65,000 miles, while H-rated tires have a warranty of 50,000 miles.
Here I'm sitting in Saudi Arabian convencing myself that I need to buy a AWD SUBI Outback or STI ( If i can affford it and I can't ) because of How it handles in snow
Oh gosh, lol. I get that. And both of those models are quite fun! Do you guys get snow in your area? Thanks for watching my video from across the world! 🙂
I’ve heard a lot of people report that. In my own experience owning a 2.0 Crosstrek and my OBW I’ve always averaged at rated or better MPG. Driving style has a lot to do with it, but equally so I’d say the environment and speeds that others are driving in. There’s a lot of variables. 😬
Lol, that is a bit of a stretch. But when I went out for the drive I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, and then to name it afterwards. 😅🤷♂️ I’m glad you’re enjoying yours!
Driving too fast for conditions applies to braking and hitting objects . It matters not the traction abilities , most all passenger vehicles brake distance on snow and slippery roads are the same.
My experience on TC after two winters in my OB19 is to run it in normal mode as long as possible, X-mode when it's very slippery and TC Off only when you are stuck. I have studded winter tires and separate summer tires. The worst driving experience was slush on an icy road. Too much slush to get the studs down to the ice. It was like aqua planning but already from the slowest speed. I managed with X-mode alone but not in a straight line 🙂
All wheel drive…symmetrical…is the best out there. We have two subies in our driveway…and that’s why. But don’t forget, the all wheel drive does not change the laws of physics. You can still spin out, get stuck, go off the road. It boils down to winter driving skill.
Y’all are getting some of the storm that we got a few days ago. It’s so funny when I’m having to go from our mountains, down highway 2 into Wenatchee, all of the non Subaru vehicles are in the slow lane driving 40-45 mph. In the fast lane are the Subie’s traveling 60-65mph. Yesterday morning I had a meeting for an upcoming WORD retreat. I turned the heater on in our garage. It was 44 degrees inside the garage but after I turned on the heater Friday night, by Saturday morning it was 51 degrees in the garage, but Minus 16 degrees outside. Our high temperature for Saturday was 2 degrees F. After our meeting I took our “loaner” Outback Wilderness to our church parking lot in Wenatchee. I put the Subie into Xmode, deep snow and mud, thus taking off the traction control. I had a Blast cutting cookies and sliding around the large parking lot. It was a kick in the pants ! When I decided to come home, I simply put the Subie in Xmode, sand and dirt. I really like that once I put the Outback into Xmode, when it disengages above 25mph, it reengages when I get below 25mph. On our own Outback and Forester, we have to manually turn the Xmode on every time. I like that the new Subie’s does it automatically. It’s a good upgrade over our Subaru’s. We got about 18” of fresh powder here at the house, but Wenatchee only got about 10”. It’s been so cold here that the county and the city haven’t put anything on the roads to melt the snow. So we’re all driving on compacted snow and ice. Just because you have an AWD or 4WD, you have better traction, it still takes you longer to stop. A few times I’ve felt the ABS doing its job to get me stopped. I’ve got what sounds a feels like a wheel bearing going out on our pickup, so I’ll call Ford to schedule an appointment to get it fixed. If a heavy duty wheel bearing is available, I’ll have Ford do both sides. The rear wheel bearings are a common failure on both 2010 and 2011 Ford Ranger’s . If one side is failing, the other side is getting close to failure as well, so they might as well replace both at the same time. Because our Ranger is mainly used for work around our property, I can understand why the bearings are prematurely failing. I put adjustable air shocks on the rear of our pickup so I can haul heavier loads, which I do. Before adding the air shocks, I could only get about 1/2 a yard of topsoil in the bed. I now haul just over a full yard with 70# of air in the shocks. During the winter, I always put 260# of sand bags over the rear axle for better traction.
UMM Ya, you need snow tires. on the factory tires in a"blizzard" or icy roads covered in a layer of snow like your doing here, your going to end up spinning out into the opposite lane of traffic and just sliding through stop signs and red lights, you cant just "relax like your sitting in a recliner" or expect to be able to accelerate or brake with a lot more confidence just because you have all wheel drive in those conditions..get snow tires and it will be a totally different beast and much much safer.
Lol, you’re right, probably not many around here due to the range decrease. But they definitely have an impressive traction control system! I’ve driven a few including the 1,000HP plaid, and my brother has a Model Y so I can’t ignore their upsides.
Legit this the type of real content we wanna see… thanks! Everyone else posts the same videos of “here’s the features here’s the window sticker, here’s the power seat controller and the cargo net…good stuff
Lol. I’m glad you enjoy it! 😁
I agree more Subaru content too. There isn’t enough Subaru content out there.
Best car for everything, specially winter storms👍💯
Absolutely! 😎
Love this video and thank you for sharing all the fun videos on your Subaru. I tested my 2023 OBW during Friday’s blizzard in IL and I was able to drive with confidence and felt really safe. Grateful to have this vehicle for the harsh winters.
I have used that line before "Nothing looks better covered in snow than a Subaru"
Nice! Don’t mind me using your line. 😜
I just got a crosstrek wilderness. I live in Montana. It was -30 F yesterday, it’s -17 F right now. The snow is compacted down to ice on most of the roads. Here’s how my drive went yesterday.
I park outside but I bought the factory block heater. The car started fine with the auto start app. It got to normal water temp quickly but it took me going 70mph on the freeway to get the oil temp to normal.
The eyesight system didn’t work after the first hour drive but started working after turning the car off then on again. The apple car play refuses to connect, even after manually trying to connect it. I’m going to try to restart my phone today and see if that works. Surprisingly no squeaks or rattles, even with all the ice. The traction and ice performance is incredible. I’m now the fastest thing on the road haha! Other than other Subarus of course. Great snow car overall but the tech seems to be a weak point in the extreme cold.
Well said! Great snow car, but not class leading in its tech and reliability with electronics always working. 😅
I live in Minnesota, and the eyesight system shuts off on a cold outdoor start when the temp is something like 10 below F, whether the windows are clear or not. After the interior warms up, Eyesight works normally no matter what the outside temperature. Not sure the reason for this, or if it is something wrong, but it is such a rare occurrence that I dont really worry about it. Even with 4 year old all season factory radials the car is very good in slippery conditions.
Been driving my 24 Impreza thru the snow in northern Illinois. What a beast, even compared to my 2011 outback lol. :)
That’s awesome! 😎
Nice, thanks for sharing your experience. You always put out some really great "real world experience" videos which helps see these things in action. I'm in MN and was really disappointed this storm missed us. We haven't really had any snow yet this year and I've been anxious to get my 23 OBW out to play in it to see how it does first hand!
You’ll get your turn! 😉
Hey I'm in MN too and also have a 23 OBW and also was really hoping that storm was going to hit us! Instead it's just cold...
I have a Subaru Crosstrek 99 sports all wheel drive. I have no problem with the all wheel drive and I never got suck or slip off the road. No problem climbing up the hill and down hill while it was in little rock, arkansas. I had it for 3 half years now it has 56,865 miles into Subaru Crosstrek.
1/16/23
And with out using x-Mode on and I have no problem climbing up hill and down or around the curb.
Very nice, thanks for sharing your experience! I’ll post my 2 Crosstrek in snow videos soon. 🙂
Best all around SUV❤/ Wagon.
Wow awesome Subaru 😊
Thank you! It’s pretty fun in the snow lol. 😀
Excellent vi😅deo. Be careful 😮😮
Nice to know my Outback is well equipped to handle this mess, but she's a beautiful pavement princess and will reside in the heated garage when conditions degrade to this.
This is an excellent contribution! I lament that I live in Myrtle Beach, SC, and haven't the chance to drive my 2023 Subaru Forester Wilderness in snow. Fortunately, there's plenty of offroad sand to slide around in.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! That sand sounds fun! After making this a couple days ago I since had decided to then borrow 5 other Subaru models and trim levels, basically all with a different factory tire to see how they compared. The only consistent tires are the Geolander G015s on the Wilderness models. Including a Forester Wilderness, I’ll post those over the next week or two and in the order I filmed them. 🙂
60 mph on snow covered roads...wow
Thanks. I got a 2023 forester & haven't got enough snow 2 try yet @ NYC
My pleasure! I have 2 videos of different Foresters in the snow that I’ll make public within the next 1-2 weeks. When the snow falls, I think you’ll be thankful you’re in a Subaru! 🙂
I have a 2023 Forester Wilderness I just bought this last fall. Here in Minnesota, it has been in the - single digits, feeling like -24 degrees out. The roads look icy (but MnDOT does a good job of salting them) and every person out here in their trucks and SUVs are driving like 55 mph. I'm blasting past everyone at 65 mph with no issues. The thing is a tank with great traction and just a really comfortable ride on all the bumpy roads and terrain. I love Subaru.
I will say, they do need an infotainment center overhaul. I love the design in my Forester. It's not the full touchscreen. It has physical buttons and knobs. But my Android Carplay will disconnect at random and that has been disappointing. But overall, love the brand and would highly recommend one!
Great insight! And I couldn’t agree more about the infotainment and Subaru capabilities!
@artistgamer3040 slow down!
Nice video showing real-world, real-time experience of driving your OBW through the snow! I think your EyeSight System turned off because it was having trouble seeing through the windshield. Might be worth doing a separate video showing when one might want to turn off Traction Control versus just leaving it on all the time. Some say the Traction Control should be turned off when driving in deep snow, but I don't know if that's right or not. Looking forward to your video trying out different tires in the snow. It would also be interesting to see a video about how the OBW handles in the snow with different air pressures, as some off-roaders greatly reduce the air pressure to increase traction. Of course, if you do that, you also need to carry an inflator to re-inflate the tires before high-speed freeway driving. I'd also like to see a video about how to reduce or eliminate windshield wiper chatter in cold conditions like what you were experiencing. I frequently clean my windshield and use the Rain-X windshield wiper fluid which seems to reduce the chatter, and thoroughly clean the wiper blades with alcohol swaps to get rid of road grime.
I’m glad you liked it and thank you for sharing all the insight regarding dropping tire pressure and the alcohol tip! I’m sure if situations were worse dropping PSI could make the difference if needed, hopefully someone reading your comment benefits from that someday! So I ended up driving 5 new Subarus (2 Crosstreks, 2 Foresters, and another Outback) I’ll try to make them all public over the next 2 weeks, and in order I filmed. Spoiler alert, the Geolanders did better than Avid GTs, Bridgestone on the Base Forester, and the Falkens. At least in my own testing and experiences! 🙂
My experience on TC after two winters in my OB19 is to run it in normal mode as long as possible, X-mode when it's very slippery and TC Off only when you are stuck. I have studded winter tires and separate summer tires. The worst driving experience was slush on an icy road. Too much slush to get the studs down to the ice. It was like aqua planning but already from the slowest speed. I managed with X-mode alone but not in a straight line 🙂
I’ll echo your observations. I have 4k miles on a 2024 Outback Wilderness and just went through our first significant snow of the season (3-4” completely unplowed since this area doesn’t get enough snow to warrant more than a handful of plows for the entire county). Every new AWD/4x4 vehicle I get I take to the same parking lot and test its behavior on slick surfaces out. I like to know how the vehicle’s systems behave before I have to find out in accident avoidance or serious weather conditions. I will describe the Outback Wilderness on stock tires with one word: boring. That’s intended mostly as a compliment. In normal or in snow/dirt mode, it’s unflappable in the slick stuff. Snow mode keeps tire spin to a minimum, but regular allows a very slight amount of spin. The only way to get the tail out is to get up to speed and then crank the wheel and let off the gas. At that point, the stability systems go to sleep and you can slide it out, but as soon as you apply power, the computer tries, almost always successfully, to straighten the car back out. Under full power, the wheel can be cranked full lock left or right, and the car will go almost dead straight ahead or perform a very slow turn in the direction you suggest. I understand now why people love these in areas that see more snow. This is no fun at all. Safe. Predictable. Boring. It’s an appliance for the road. And that’s high praise. My Jeep is more fun, but I never know if I’ll make it through or not, even with true 4WD and locking differentials. If I absolutely have to get there and back in bad weather, the Outback is the tool of choice.
This is an awesome write up! Thanks for sharing your experiences. 🙂
Back in the old days, people had to rely on chains to get around in snow.
Still have to where I am. We have dirt roads no salt. So the fule trucks, trash trucks, ups have to chain up. I run crossclimate2s.. the oem tires on the non wilderness ones are horid on snow packed roads.
Just an FYI since I know you keep an eye on inventory and discounts, Treasure Valley Subaru has new Forester Wilderness models in stock with anywhere from $2400 to over $2800 off. It brought a well equipped geyser blue one down to $34,500 range.
That’s awesome, thanks for sharing your insight! I’ve seen some of their ads before, they seem like a cool group. 🙂
I’ve noticed that while driving in a blizzard, the eyesight will disengage on our Outback and Forester. The loaner Outback Wilderness that we have, the eyesight has also disengaged while driving through the blizzard that we just had.
Drive safe, Bro !
No Eyesight in the 1980s.
I sold Subies back in 2010 when the Eyesight system was just coming out and we were always trained and told by the manufacturer, that when the system cannot see well enough to do it’s job, then it shuts off automatically, but the cameras keep looking and when they can see well enough again, it comes back on. Happens with rain, snow, fog, smoke, etc. If you are having a hard time seeing the road, the Eyesight probably is also. Thought some may find that info interesting.
@@christopherthompson6334 The only time that the Eyesight has problems with our Subie’s is during blizzards.
I have a 2013 outback and live in Wisconsin I wouldn't drive anything else Subaru is the real deal when it comes to driving in winter conditions 👍
They’re like a cheat code, they make driving in snow almost too easy! 🙂
Also, got the Subaru Outback Wilderness here in Washington State, it's great on wet roads! I drive to California a few times a year, and going through Shasta Mountain, I couldn't feel safer. The OBW has never let me down and it's very comfortable on long drives. I set the adaptive cruise control to latch onto a big 18 wheeler and drove that way for a few hours until the truck exited. lol
That’s awesome! I’m glad to hear you’ve also had a great experience with it.
Thanks for posting. Your videos are informative and I've been following you since you started with your OBW. Thanks again for another great video. I wanted to ask if you treated or weatherproofed your OBW underbody with any rustproof coating or spray? Thanks
I really appreciate your support! No, I never have. I’ve not heard much concern with these rusting underneath like old Toyota frames, so I’ve never worried about it. I have started getting it washed every few weeks during the winter, basically once I can see salt building up on the paint, then I’m sure it’s even more so underneath. Also, last time I did a clip of filming underneath the car a few months ago I didn’t any concern on the under body from its first two winters. 🙂
I live in northern Indiana and I plan on purchasing a 2021 Subaru crosstrek bc of those winter months. I was contemplating for the longest on buying Mazda, Honda, or even a rav4. But the Subaru symmetrical awd is what really sold me. I just want to have more control on those winter roads
Crosstrek’s do great in the snow! I have 2 Crosstrek videos like this that I’ll make public within the next week or so! 🙂
My 2013 Legacy has been a gem in the snow. I'm running a set of CrossClimate 2s (my wife's 01 Legacy has the vredestein version of them). I have a spare set of wheels with Blizzaks for when things get crazy but, honestly, haven't needed them for two or three years now.
I’m glad to hear that! Thanks for sharing your tires and how they’ve worked out for you guys. 🙂
the outback can push snow over the hood really easy.
A Subaru in its natural habitat.
Exactly! 👆
This is a light snow day for us in Minnesota lol wouldn’t call it a serious snow day let alone a blizzard. I have driven my Honda civic front wheel drive in -60 f during a winter vortex with complete white out conditions and literal spears of ice and snow. I just had winter tires on my Honda civic.
The windshield wipers didn't seem to do a good job, does the defroster have plenty of power with warming the windshield?
Yeah the front defroster specifically is actually pretty intense. I probably need to clean if not replace my blades soon. They’re the originals and now over 2 years old. 😅
How about heavy falling snow vs 1pre collision braking’. How to drive the car when it’s freaking out due to the the falling snow causing the the ‘eyesight?
Experiencing the same conditions in Colorado. Was driving and my breaks had that same sound and locked up when I tried to stop and press on the breaks. I thought the dealership messed it up that same day I cause I took it to get oil changed 😂😂😂
Lol! 😂 Be safe out there!
We can’t see the lanes over but Harriet(my subi) is holding it down for me.
You're not going to beat the Subaru AWD system for the money.
It truly is remarkable in winter conditions. In my opinion it’s like a cheat code to winter driving lol. 😂
Quattro, symmetrical Awd, I-vtm4, sh-awd. Are among the best awd systems out there. Must be talking about the AWD system on the CRV not being great. Because the pilot Awd is REALLY good.
Yeah, you’re right! Thanks for adding that! I’m referring to the more basic or older cross over AWD systems or the current platforms that having aging technology. A lot of people who view my videos don’t have the newest vehicles and were Subaru has had the same system for quite a few years my statements are more directed to the population of those who comment their experiences and owned vehicles on my videos. 🙂
I currently have an Acura RDX with sh-awd after having 4 Subaru's and its just about as good my Subaru's in the snow.
Great insight, thanks for sharing your experience!
I have a Forester. How do you know when traction control is on or off?
When you start the vehicle it should always be on. When you push the button to turn it off there will be a light that pops up on the dash board that shows you it’s currently disabled. 🙂
I have KO2’s and they do outstanding. How do you think they would perform on the wilderness?
I’ve heard a few people on the forums have tried them and enjoyed them! I think the biggest issue I’ve heard was from the weight MPG took a noticeable drop.
@@AutomotiveAnonymous208 unfortunately, yes, it’s a noticeable difference. Like 1-3 mpg depending on vehicle. I have a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4x4 and if you aren’t aware there is no low range, no way to engage 4x4, it’s full time. I lost 1-2 mpg, but omg I haven’t had any troubles anywhere anytime in any way lol. But with driving a Jeep I’m not supposed to care about mpg lol. I don’t really if I could afford it lol. I’d love to see how the Outback Wilderness does with KO2’s, preferably KO3’s when they become available, both off road, on road, and in severe snow conditions.
You could likely find more info/experiences about the OBW on the BFGs on a social media Wilderness forum! I appreciate you sharing your experience with the GC! 🙂
Officially, the National Weather Service defines a blizzard as a storm which contains large amounts of snow OR blowing snow, with winds in excess of 35 mph and visibilities of less than 1/4 mile for an extended period of time (at least 3 hours). More b.s. "reporting". In N.D. this is good visibility.
I hear you, I have a coworker from N.D. And I’ve heard some stories lol. 😬
what tires do you have? tires make more of a difference than AWD
Stock G015 Geolanders! 🙂
Tires > Drive train. But you can always put the proper tires on AWD and really be ready for anything.
Did you have winter tires?
They were Yokohama Geolandar G015 tires. Stock they come T rated but when I bought my Geolandars mine came as H rated from Discount Tire. Literally nobody that I have seen online talk about that though. I think 99T vs 102H I don’t know
he mentions here 12:03
And my vehicle is a 2018 Outback 2.5
No, as mentioned below mine are the stock G015s. But after making this video I borrowed 5 new Subarus ( Crosstrek’s, Foresters, and another Outback wearing 4 different tires, geolanders, falkens, Bridgestone, and Avid GTs) and shared more of my thoughts with the different tires. I’ll post those 5 videos over the next week or two. I also afterwards drove a 2020 STI with Blizzak winter tires, and that was fun! But I didn’t film that one.
@@myckeee When I recently replaced the OEM tires, I also noticed that Discount Tire and others offered the H-rated tires instead of the T-rated OEM tires. I didn't really know if there would be any difference between the H-rated tire or the T-rated tire. I think the H-rated tire is for higher speed driving, but I've been happy with the OEM tires, so with my replacement tires I stayed with the T-rated tires. At most tire shops, both were priced the same, but at some the H-rated tires were more expensive. Here is what Google AI says about the difference between the two ratings:
====================================================
The difference between an H-rated tire and a T-rated tire is their speed rating. H-rated tires are safe up to 130 mph, while T-rated tires are safe up to 118 mph.
T-rated tires are often recommended for family sedans and vans. H-rated tires are used on some passenger cars, sports cars, coupes, and some light trucks.
Tires with higher speed ratings generally handle better at higher speeds and slower speeds. However, a difference in speed rating shouldn't cause issues unless you're driving at top speeds or if your vehicle is all-wheel drive.
According to a Reddit user, T-rated tires have a higher mileage warranty than H-rated tires. T-rated tires have a warranty of 65,000 miles, while H-rated tires have a warranty of 50,000 miles.
why are the windshield wipers on a subaru so bad? they constantly get iced.
That’s a good question! 🙄
Here I'm sitting in Saudi Arabian convencing myself that I need to buy a AWD SUBI Outback or STI ( If i can affford it and I can't ) because of How it handles in snow
Oh gosh, lol. I get that. And both of those models are quite fun! Do you guys get snow in your area? Thanks for watching my video from across the world! 🙂
Iv'e heard often that they (Subarus- especially the bigger ones like outback, forester,etc) DO NOT get near the advertised MPG..... TRUE OR NOT??
I’ve heard a lot of people report that. In my own experience owning a 2.0 Crosstrek and my OBW I’ve always averaged at rated or better MPG. Driving style has a lot to do with it, but equally so I’d say the environment and speeds that others are driving in. There’s a lot of variables. 😬
Clevelander here - calling this a blizzard is a bit of a stretch 😂. You hit what, 1.5” of snow covered roads, max? Love my OBW btw
Lol, that is a bit of a stretch. But when I went out for the drive I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, and then to name it afterwards. 😅🤷♂️ I’m glad you’re enjoying yours!
@@AutomotiveAnonymous208 Thanks for responding so quick. Will continue to watch your content brotha
Driving too fast for conditions applies to braking and hitting objects . It matters not the traction abilities , most all passenger vehicles brake distance on snow and slippery roads are the same.
Why turn traction control off when using x mode?
Just for fun. I just wanted to try different settings and see what noticeable differences I could detect. 🤷♂️🙂
My experience on TC after two winters in my OB19 is to run it in normal mode as long as possible, X-mode when it's very slippery and TC Off only when you are stuck. I have studded winter tires and separate summer tires. The worst driving experience was slush on an icy road. Too much slush to get the studs down to the ice. It was like aqua planning but already from the slowest speed. I managed with X-mode alone but not in a straight line 🙂
👍🏻👍🏻 You drove through a actual blizzard to arrive at Disney land so you could on thrill rides ?
Lol no, the distance trip was a few weeks ago. The snow has been these past few days. But it’s nice to know that you could do that if needed. 😂
You got to get rid those cheap Yoko tire and buy Michelin CrossClimate or Perelli WeatherActive
All wheel drive…symmetrical…is the best out there. We have two subies in our driveway…and that’s why. But don’t forget, the all wheel drive does not change the laws of physics. You can still spin out, get stuck, go off the road. It boils down to winter driving skill.
... and winter tires 🙂
Take a shot everytime he says subaru awd
Hahaha 😂
I actually feel that my 2006 STi was much better on snow and ice than my Outback Wilderness
That’s interesting! Yesterday I got to drive a 2020 STI on Blizzaks. That was pretty neat!
Y’all are getting some of the storm that we got a few days ago.
It’s so funny when I’m having to go from our mountains, down highway 2 into Wenatchee, all of the non Subaru vehicles are in the slow lane driving 40-45 mph. In the fast lane are the Subie’s traveling 60-65mph.
Yesterday morning I had a meeting for an upcoming WORD retreat. I turned the heater on in our garage. It was 44 degrees inside the garage but after I turned on the heater Friday night, by Saturday morning it was 51 degrees in the garage, but Minus 16 degrees outside. Our high temperature for Saturday was 2 degrees F.
After our meeting I took our “loaner” Outback Wilderness to our church parking lot in Wenatchee. I put the Subie into Xmode, deep snow and mud, thus taking off the traction control. I had a Blast cutting cookies and sliding around the large parking lot. It was a kick in the pants !
When I decided to come home, I simply put the Subie in Xmode, sand and dirt.
I really like that once I put the Outback into Xmode, when it disengages above 25mph, it reengages when I get below 25mph.
On our own Outback and Forester, we have to manually turn the Xmode on every time. I like that the new Subie’s does it automatically. It’s a good upgrade over our Subaru’s.
We got about 18” of fresh powder here at the house, but Wenatchee only got about 10”.
It’s been so cold here that the county and the city haven’t put anything on the roads to melt the snow. So we’re all driving on compacted snow and ice.
Just because you have an AWD or 4WD, you have better traction, it still takes you longer to stop. A few times I’ve felt the ABS doing its job to get me stopped.
I’ve got what sounds a feels like a wheel bearing going out on our pickup, so I’ll call Ford to schedule an appointment to get it fixed. If a heavy duty wheel bearing is available, I’ll have Ford do both sides. The rear wheel bearings are a common failure on both 2010 and 2011 Ford Ranger’s .
If one side is failing, the other side is getting close to failure as well, so they might as well replace both at the same time.
Because our Ranger is mainly used for work around our property, I can understand why the bearings are prematurely failing. I put adjustable air shocks on the rear of our pickup so I can haul heavier loads, which I do.
Before adding the air shocks, I could only get about 1/2 a yard of topsoil in the bed. I now haul just over a full yard with 70# of air in the shocks.
During the winter, I always put 260# of sand bags over the rear axle for better traction.
Do the update to your infotainment screen it’s much easier to use
Great suggestion, I need to get around to doing that! 🙂
UMM Ya, you need snow tires. on the factory tires in a"blizzard" or icy roads covered in a layer of snow like your doing here, your going to end up spinning out into the opposite lane of traffic and just sliding through stop signs and red lights, you cant just "relax like your sitting in a recliner" or expect to be able to accelerate or brake with a lot more confidence just because you have all wheel drive in those conditions..get snow tires and it will be a totally different beast and much much safer.
Great insight! Shortly after filming this I drove a 2020 STI on Blizzaks, that was a pretty fun experience. Snow tires definitely are where it’s at. 🙂
Is an actual blizzard diifferent than a reg blizzard. Hey at least you didn't say literally
That’s a fair point, lol. 😂
You probably won’t see a Tesla. 😉
Lol, you’re right, probably not many around here due to the range decrease. But they definitely have an impressive traction control system! I’ve driven a few including the 1,000HP plaid, and my brother has a Model Y so I can’t ignore their upsides.
I told work the car wouldnt start so i can take the Subi snow driving.
Hahaha 😂
Not a blizzard!!!
Yeah for sure! It sounds like the weather ended up being much worse in other neighboring areas. 😬
Not a blizzard
Back in the old days, people had to rely on chains to get around in snow.