AikinutNY Posted May 18, 2005 Share Posted May 18, 2005 I plan on purchasing Subaru this year either a Forester, Outback wagon or a Baja. There seems to be a lot of snow during the ten months of winter up here, ranging from 36"/ year in Chaumont to 100"/ year around Tug Hill Region. Most of my driving will be on plowed, but not cleared roads just below freezing. My daily drive is 30 miles each way. Is there very much difference between the Forester and the Outback/Baja in performance in the snow? Is the high output engine needed for towing? What options should I purchase and put on, besides an engine heater for the -40 degree days. What about tires? Any thing to change? Size or tread pattern? Are there any really good online or catalogs for parts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outback_97 Posted May 18, 2005 Share Posted May 18, 2005 Hello, I'll offer my advice All other things being equal, there's probably not a lot of difference in the different platforms w/r/t snow performance. Models with the LSD (limited slip differential) in the rear may be advantageous. Whether that's available depends on the model and trim level, and what model year we're talking about. Are you looking at buying new or used? A dedicated set of snow tires is probably your best thing to get, as the stock tires on Subies are "all seasons" which try to do a decent job in all conditions, but don't excel at any one thing as a result. An engine heater would be very good also if it sees temps that cold. I don't have any info on towing, by the high output engine you mean the turbo variants, correct? I don't think there's much if any difference in the max towing capacity with the turbos, maybe someone else can comment on towing. Couple of websites: www.1stsubaruparts.com www.subaruparts.com Also Subie Gal (Jamie) posts on here and has a link to a Subaru parts website in her signature but I can't remember it at the moment. Hope you find one that you like, I'd be happy with any of those. They are great for snow areas. Good luck! Steve (700 inches of snow in the Cottonwood canyons this year ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddythedog Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 I had a 97 Outback Wagon, which was a dream in the heavy snow we get in northern New Mexico, and it always drove better than my Jeep Cherokee (4x4). I would get a set of real snow tires, had those and didn't regret the purchase. Just make sure to get all 4, any variance in tire size in any AWD vehicle will ruin your transmission. Some tire stores will sell you only 2 for the drive wheels, as most cars are only 2 wheel drive. DOn't skimp or you'll regret it. I used an engine block heater to avoid super cold starts in the mornings. They aren't expensive and plug into a house outlet. There shouldn't be any real difference in the Outback or Forester, Baja, etc. They are all relatively similar. Also, I'd stick to stock tire size, other sizes will mess up your speedo and odometer. Don't know about towing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99obw Posted June 1, 2005 Share Posted June 1, 2005 I am partial to the Legacy platform, both plain 'ole and Outback. FWIW my experience has shown that good snows (preferably with studs) on all wheels makes a much bigger difference than AWD in most driving conditions in this part of the world. AFAIK We get around 80-90" a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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