As many others have have described, this vehicle handles extremely poorly on icy roads. It feels as though the back end is going to come around on you any second.
My first experience with it was on a local patch of black ice on a highway drive. The roads were otherwise dry except this one area. When I hit the icy stretch, the car immediately began to float. I assumed it was just very icy and I was being pushed around by the ruts. Slowed way down and carried on. I didn't have a true icy roads condition again until the next winter.
My second experience was another highway drive heading home from skiing. Again, icy highway all black ice. As soon as I would reach 30mph, the car would feel like it was riding on hockey pucks. I was constantly correcting to keep the car from spinning. Other cars were flying by (probably 50-60mph). It was the most white knuckled, terrifying drive I have ever experienced. I have driven in some very bad conditions before and this topped it all. After this drive, I vowed to only drive it again to get to a tire store, which I did and I put nice M+S tires on it the very next day.
Again, I didn't have an opportunity to drive on icy conditions until the next season (2016 now), since I moved to a warmer dryer area. First day back on ice and the car behaved exactly the same as it did with the original tires. Squirrely, floating, and terrifying at any speed above 30mph.
Following this experience, I searched around a bit online to discover that I was not the only one having the same issue. I went to talk to the Subaru dealership in Spokane thinking that they would be familiar with the issue since there were so many complaints online. The guy blew me off and said that since there were no lights indicating on the dash the car was behaving as it was supposed to and there was nothing he could do. He told me I needed to put studs on the car. He clearly had no interest in helping me.
I have driven many cars in the snow in all sorts of conditions. I can honestly say that this car handles the worst of any car I have ever driven. It is not safe. The problem is exacerbated due to the fact that the car handles fine in any condition but ice. Meaning that you can be driving along perfectly comfortable at 50mph, but then have the road pulled out from under you if you hit the smallest patch of ice. It gives a false sense of security. Ironically, I would trade this car for my old 2WD Hondas any day. They handle better.
I am going to try having an alignment done to see if it helps. I really hope that it does solve the problem, because I like the car in all other ways. If the alignment does not work, I will be selling the car immediately. It's just not safe and it is disappointing that Subaru is not willing to acknowledge and help find a solution.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
As many others have have described, this vehicle handles extremely poorly on icy roads. It feels as though the back end is going to come around on you any second.
My first experience with it was on a local patch of black ice on a highway drive. The roads were otherwise dry except this one area. When I hit the icy stretch, the car immediately began to float. I assumed it was just very icy and I was being pushed around by the ruts. Slowed way down and carried on. I didn't have a true icy roads condition again until the next winter.
My second experience was another highway drive heading home from skiing. Again, icy highway all black ice. As soon as I would reach 30mph, the car would feel like it was riding on hockey pucks. I was constantly correcting to keep the car from spinning. Other cars were flying by (probably 50-60mph). It was the most white knuckled, terrifying drive I have ever experienced. I have driven in some very bad conditions before and this topped it all. After this drive, I vowed to only drive it again to get to a tire store, which I did and I put nice M+S tires on it the very next day.
Again, I didn't have an opportunity to drive on icy conditions until the next season (2016 now), since I moved to a warmer dryer area. First day back on ice and the car behaved exactly the same as it did with the original tires. Squirrely, floating, and terrifying at any speed above 30mph.
Following this experience, I searched around a bit online to discover that I was not the only one having the same issue. I went to talk to the Subaru dealership in Spokane thinking that they would be familiar with the issue since there were so many complaints online. The guy blew me off and said that since there were no lights indicating on the dash the car was behaving as it was supposed to and there was nothing he could do. He told me I needed to put studs on the car. He clearly had no interest in helping me.
I have driven many cars in the snow in all sorts of conditions. I can honestly say that this car handles the worst of any car I have ever driven. It is not safe. The problem is exacerbated due to the fact that the car handles fine in any condition but ice. Meaning that you can be driving along perfectly comfortable at 50mph, but then have the road pulled out from under you if you hit the smallest patch of ice. It gives a false sense of security. Ironically, I would trade this car for my old 2WD Hondas any day. They handle better.
I am going to try having an alignment done to see if it helps. I really hope that it does solve the problem, because I like the car in all other ways. If the alignment does not work, I will be selling the car immediately. It's just not safe and it is disappointing that Subaru is not willing to acknowledge and help find a solution.
- Patrick B., Spokane, WA, US