My first AWD experience (snow!)

[CigarJohnny]

Randy, I think I'd be too afraid for my life to share the road with Southerners when there is snow of ice on the ground. I'm well aquainted with how they drive (or cannot drive) when there is snow on the road since I have many relatives in the southern states who used to live up north. The stunts they pull (the natives, not my relatives) due to lack of experience on snow is just plain frightening! Good Luck on your adventures!!

[Aredubjay]

Originally posted by CigarJohnny
Randy, I think I'd be too afraid for my life to share the road with Southerners when there is snow of ice on the ground. I'm well aquainted with how they drive (or cannot drive) when there is snow on the road since I have many relatives in the southern states who used to live up north. The stunts they pull (the natives, not my relatives) due to lack of experience on snow is just plain frightening! Good Luck on your adventures!!

Yes it is a fearful experience, especially when the young'n's consider a 2x4 F150 or Silverado with a couple of bales of hay in the rear end to be a foul weather vehicle, capable of tearing through snow and over ice at great speeds.

Although I am a native Kentuckian, I had some driver training in the heart of a mean Nebraska winter. Of course, in Nebraska, you don't have to worry so much about hills that go / one way and \ the other, with S curves at the top and L curves at the bottom.

Of course the snow fall that Kentucky might get is headed here too, but just like Randy (or maybe he just rubbed his bad luck off to me this year) my beautiful SVx is in the shop awaiting, yes you guessed it, a new tranny. The third one this 12 month period! So now I know it will snow.
Oh well at least I have Helga, my 4x4 GL.

-G <me and Helga-ready to truck in some snow >

[Earthworm]

Originally posted by Mr. Pockets
Plus the Justy does a pretty damned good job in the stuff anyway.

I second that!

http://dcss.dyn.dhs.org/pics/snowjusty.jpg

My first experience with the SVX in the snow:

AWESOME!!!

We got 11" of snow in one day here in LI NY, and I took it out in the morning when there was about, say, 5" on the ground. The plow had made a kind of 20" wall against my car, but i just put the keys in, warmed it up, left all the defoggers on, came out 5 minutes later, and put the wipers on...and it was ready.

Put it in drive, press the gas, and it just CRASHED through that wall of snow. Everything was awesome, can track perfectly straight if you want, but go to a turn and push the gas a bit and the end just slides out...its so fun. From a stop, turn your wheel all the way to one side, punch the gas, and watch the car do doughnuts faster and faster. Going up a grade in my area that most 4 cyl cars cant even get up in perfect weather was no problem for the SVX.

The only problem was coming to a stop. The brakes really terrified me. From 10 MPH to completely stopped, took maybe 5 seconds with the ABS going faster then I ever heard it. It wasn't always that bad, but it was definitely...uncomfortable.

Also, I think its important we all say what tires were on our cars for these experiences. Mine are stock sized Toyo FZ4 Proxies. All season, cheap, wear well, quiet...best i've ever seen in any car...takes a LOT to make them squeal.

PS - My moms Quattro needed to be partially dug out. Yup, the SVX could break through the snow, but an A6 can't...hmmmmmm.

Also, funny moment. This woman with a Pathfinder around the block from me was trying to get out of her driveway. Her rear tires were spinning like crazy. So I was thinking, what a loser...what a poser to buy an SUV with no 4WD...thats the whole point! So I drove over to her and said "Hi...is your 4WD broken?" and she said "Oh hi hun...I don't know how to turn it on! (preceded to laugh)...my husband takes care of all that technical stuff for me." And then I told her how to do it, and she looked at the transfer case, and said "Oh dear...this is too complicated for me...imagine if I break something! No, i'll just leave it alone." And I was like okay bye. Then I went home and watched her for an hour try to make it up the block...****ing idiot lol .

Randy, you have to go around 11AM, when all the snowplow drivers are sleeping, all the 9-5ers are at work, when the snow has had some time to pile up, and the old people haven't begun to retrieve their prescriptions...oh yeah, and go to housing tracts, they always are plowed last, if at all. Speaking from experience,
Tim

[MartyMcFly]

Well, it's also pretty cold here in Austria at the moment.
Yesterday it was heavily snowing.

But my SVX is garaged since beginning of November.
Like Mr. Pocket said: the salt and the disintegrating roads aren't worth it.

I use my 125 horsepower Legacy as my winter car and it's fun too
AWD is king in winter!

I think I will warm up my SVX for a snow drive next time.

mfg hrc

I once had an AWD Eagle Talon, that I put really skinny rims,
and studded snows on. They stuck out of the wheel-wells a little too, so you can imagine how it looked and handled. Boy was that fun in the winter! I wonder if the SVX would be the same? I'm looking for some snow tires for the stock rims, now that I have these beautiful Konig wheels, does anyone have any suggestions; besides the expensive kinds? (Nokian, Blizzak)
TIA
Tim

How much snow do you get per year where you live?
Is your car appreciated over there?

Tim

get wintermaster snow tires. Cheap. Works.

- Ca$h

[svxy]

We also had snow and it was my first time with the SVX in the harsh elements. It was like it had to much power, it was nothing to get all 4 tires spinning wildly. It was fun but if it came to serious movin' I'd take the Outback(company car) every time.

I had loads of fun driving in the snow, but my folly (no flames about my foolishness please) recently found the limits of the svx.

I drove my svx on snowy roads above 10000 feet in Alma, CO a week ago.
I was going snowshoing and just driving along back roads heading as close to the snowy peak I could see. I saw an unplowed side road (duh!) with about 8-10 inches of snow on it. Well, I couldn't help testing the svx a bit. Lo and behold it plowed along really well, going a mile along the road, snow scraping the botom the whole way.
However, the bottoming out eventually got the better of me when I straddled a snowmobile track that was harder than the sandy snow under each tire. The svx refused to move. After much shoveling, I was able to turn the car around and drive out without further incident. But I will not head into an unplowed road like that again without a clear exit strategy.
So it is a formidable machine, but the low clearance has it's limits.
-macjack

[MartyMcFly]

@Pearlywhites1992

yes, we have got alot of snow around here each year.
Austria is a skiing, boarding nation.
When I remember correct, Austria won the Nation-Cup the last 10 years.
Nearly no ski-race without an austrian-medal.
We have got the alps here. We share it with Switzerland and Italy.

SVX's are very rare in Austria. I have never met one, even ever seen one on the road (altough a dealer next to me sold the most SVX's in Austria, 8 pieces)! Don't know where they all gone?
I LOVE my baby.

I know some German and Switzerland SVX-driver and hope to meet some in 2003.

One for sale in Austria at the moment:

http://www.mobile.de/cgi-bin/search....ache=1&x=0&y=0

mfg hrc

I've been meaning to ask this around but was too embarassed. Does AWD supposed to let the rear wheels slide in snow when turning? I was very disappointed how slippery my SVX was in the past winters. Going straight is okay but when I make a turn, I don't feel any traction. Is there any obvious symptom of failing differentials?

Kul Ride,

An AWD vehicle will still slide in slick conditions (rain, ice, slick snow) and even more so when turning. But if you suspect your AWD of malfunctioning take it in and have it looked at.

The true test is of course flooring it from a stop in the snow. If your tires just spin and you dont go anywhere - or if you end up going terribly sideways, there's a good chance your AWD is not working properly.

But since you've stated it goes straight without a problem, chances are you've just been driving in slippery conditions. Most winter conditions are slippery conditions and should not be taken lightly, even in a such a fine beast as the SVX.