Subaru AWD with X-MODE vs Sheet of Ice!

[@peterpettigrew4410]

Neighbor probably like "Haha honey look! This idiot hasn't been able to park on his driveway for half an hour now"

[@ja10ni]

xD

[@rc412scaler]

Once you own a Subie there's no going back. I love them.

[@kingofbrutaltheocracy9201]

WhAts A HeAdGaSkEt?!

[@justinmartin8887]

Yea there is no going back. To a Subaru, that is.

[@stephenfreyseng1748]

Have both a forester and wrangler, they each have their own beauties but can honestly say I feel equally comfortable driving either in snowy conditions on the road. Off road is different purely for protecting the vehicle, higher ground clearance and skid plates are a game changer.

[@w.e.s.]

I agree ive got 5 vehicles a camaro a torino a few chargers and this sibaru ove had for 3 years i use everyday

[@matth4069]

@T Smith lol maybe if your version of off road is a dirt road. Any trails and you'll crack your oil pan kid.

[@porsche558]

Tires are more complicated than people often think. It’s more than just the tread that makes a tire a winter/snow tire vs off-road tire vs summer performance tire vs all season. The tire compound is also very important as well! So your typical off-road tire is designed to be a certain level of soft at certain temperatures. A snow tire is designed to stay softer (and therefore have more grip) at much lower temperatures.

[@HighjakSecondary]

Jesse James Correct. Silicone levels are important.

[@anonymouse7095]

Couldn’t be more correct. I have a brand new set of Goodyear ultra terrain tires on my Tacoma, and while they are excellent tires overall, they suck on slippery surfaces. Specifically hard packed snow and ice.

[@MyRealName]

people overlook this very often

[@davidlodiemyer5698]

This should be the only answer because its correct.

[@andreasm2882]

Yup, totally agree. I have a set of Conti AT and I consider these my 3 season tire not my snow/ice tire. I just got home from my long weekend and I installed my Bridgestone Blizzacks due to the snow and ice storm. I had no issues but CHP was forcing everybody without dedicated snow tires to put on chains and I witnessed multiple vehicles from Subaru, Toyota trucks and 4runners , other 4wd trucks all having chains on all 4 tires and they had AT tires.

[@eggpod4567]

I have an 01 Subaru outback. We just got a fifth wheel RV not too long ago on a very snowy day. Well, the people got to our property and got stuck at the bottom of the driveway (it's a giant long hill) that was covered with snow and ice. Basically, I pulled an F-350 with a giant tralier hooked to the back up a hill with my little stock Subaru. Badass cars.

[@terryjenner2156]

that basically roasted your drivetrain but good on ya.

[@SconnieFish]

​@terryjenner2156 How do you know? I've pulled 3/4 ton trucks out of the ditch and across lakes plenty. I've got a manual transmission, and to boot even if this guy has an auto, 4EAT transmissions are just about indestructible.

[@Medevicerep]

I’ve run snow tires on my Subaru in the past. The combination of symmetrical AWD and snow tires unstoppable!

[@matthewtaylor3301]

I don't have a dedicated snowtire, but I did throw some Michelin Crossclimate 2's on there which are 3 peak mountain snowflake rated. Difference has been insane in winter. Never going back to a regular all season tire.

[@masan7452]

Just get studded snow tires and you're all set

[@JDMHaze]

The sound of the snow being crushed as he was going up the driveway was very satisfying to me for some reason

[@TheNortheastAl]

ASMR

[@rexx_1592]

It is for everyone. I live in a snowy state and I “can’t” get tired of it😂 It’s just always satisfying!

[@robertlee3778]

"I know these videos aren't that entertaining" It was for me, very interesting. I've always wondered how a Subaru would fare on a pure sheet of ice. You've answered my question -> much better than what any other car would do. Thanks for making this video!

[@4toes1nose]

I’ve lived in Southern Nevada all my life I have only seen snow in pictures or on TV, and yet I still watch this video for some strange reason.

[@GraceEngineering]

I was a dirt track Speedway official. One thing I learned that has helped me so much is tire pressures. I live in the northern plains. I run my Suburban and other vehicle tires about 20 psi during the winter driving on snow and ice. The lower than normal pressures make a huge difference in traction on these slippery conditions. When travel survival can be a matter of life and death here (-50 F wind chills and blizzards) tire wear is a secondary concern.

[@chipsdubbo5.56]

20 psi is lower than I ever dare go, I usually go down to 29 psi (normally at 32). Have you had any problems damaging the tires going over bumps or potholes at such low tire pressure?

[@henryzabel1746]

Does not do too bad with those tires . As a former rescue person , I was often given trouble about my studded tires on all four corners ( on a two wheel drive ) . Everybody referred to as my Swedish four bye four . I mentioned that they were not only good for getting moving , but steering and stopping . After a rare ice storm where our aid cars and ambulances could not move , my van stepped up . Also shortly after the state came out with a directive that if ambulances and aid cars had studs , they had to be on all four corners . They have been trying to outlaw them here for at least 40 years . Going on wrecks where the vehicles rolled over and slid down the roadway with jagged metal cutting groves in the road , I think the damage studs do is minimal . Also semis and buses with chains on have to do considerably more damage . For crazy places that do not allow studs I wonder if anyone makes garnet tires ? They would have ground up walnut shells imbedded into tire while making them . If you have an accident in heavy rain , you can get a ticket for bald tires . I always thought you should get a ticket for not having snow tires in snow , or studs on ice . New cars with nanny controls do help the high percentage of driver with little to no skills . So I guess that is a good thing overall .

[@henryzabel1746]

Sorry for my horrible display of my poor computer skills . Is that you , MRS. Johnson ? (My fourth grade teacher ) @M F

[@GracefullyExpensiveK]

Just wanted to comment and say thank you for making this video!! I saw it back in 2021 when I was first looking at cars and dreaming. Your video sold me on Subaru and Foresters. Three years later and I just became the proud owner of a Forester 😁 Winter can be brutal here so I'm excited to feel safe driving around for once!

[@Loong97]

Thank you for the video, it is NOT a boring video at all. I am currently owning 2002 Subaru Forester in Canada, it is stilling working. All Subaru fans enjoy these type of videos. Keep up the Good Work!

[@chitpaul]

You can apply liquid snow chain to the tread, it makes it tacky and gives extra grip. Worked well for me last year in the snow and ice.

[@lil_lei_og]

WHERE DO YOU GET THIS LIQUID SNOW? AND DOES IT WEAR OFF WITH TIME?

[@chitpaul]

@@lil_lei_og Halfords, Tesco, etc all stock it during the colder months. You spray it on wait a few minutes, it makes the tyre rubber tacky and you slowly drive off as soon as the snot or ice has gone and your back on tarmac the spray will wear off. It works well.

[@SM-McKraken]

@@chitpaul I'm sure that stuff's great for the environment. 🙄

[@mixflip]

I'm diggin Subaru foresters more and more. I like that lift kit too.

[@josiahmeissner4218]

Your kidding right?

[@mixflip]

@@josiahmeissner4218 actually not kidding at all.

[@josiahmeissner4218]

I personally think that Honda or Toyota is a better looking car.

[@quantumleap4023]

@@josiahmeissner4218 Yeah those *two* cars are great.

[@serenityinsilence]

You won’t regret it. Toyota and Honda can’t compete with Subaru in the awd department. The value per dollar is through the roof on the forester. You can get a base model for $24,000. You won’t get awd on a rav4 or crv until you pass the $30,000 dollar range.

[@q-bert6454]

Neighbors are thinking “ what the hell is that guy doing? Knock it off!”

[@joelrheault8910]

Haha my first thought was the neighbour across the street watching this guy drive up and down his driveway yelling the her husband "Jerry, the Subaru guys doing it again"

[@fiveminutesslots3329]

Me too, hahahahahaha!

[@AStanton1966]

It could be worse, he could be during this with studded wheels or chains. Imagine the racket?

[@DayOFFChannel]

offroad subaru in my channel

[@tc6578]

My experience had been that in extremely slippery conditions, starting off in second gear (manual mode) and easy on the gas pedal should help the Subie get going a little easier..... Oh, also, don't forget to turn the vehicle stability control feature off too....

[@abysswalker2403]

if only i didnt have to pull a fuse to turn off vdc in my '14 impreza!

[@gemster18]

Thank you guys. This is my first Subaru, and have to say, I love it

[@wsalas13]

Just a big kid with expensive toys playing on the ice...good stuff!!

[@saif890000000]

wsalas13 none of your business

[@wsalas13]

@@saif890000000 Stfu b!!!!

[@johnrodriguez2608]

Expensive? Lol

[@bioheart09]

@@johnrodriguez2608 lol right. A whole 2020 sub is around 20k tho 🤣🤣 tires around 2k maybe?

[@krisgrafili6780]

@@bioheart09 lol in Norway they would take 50k for it... Way too expensive

[@rajeshr5140]

Without the correct tires, a subaru cannot be a subaru

[@persimmonss]

It would be hard to drive with just the left tires

[@ellisteben]

Not true. I have the cheapest street tires you could ever get on my 2000 Subaru legacy and went off roading/mudding with a Jeep. The Jeep got stuck in a mud puddle and I made it through just fine.

[@45eno]

@@ellisteben You clearly had enough grip for the conditions. This video is showing AWD on ICE so assume the comment was directed towards conditions that need different tires for their conditions. Your cheap tires worked for your situation, doesn't make his statement any less true.

[@freedomonline4988]

@@persimmonss 😂😂😂😂😂 it would be weird to drive outside without the right tire

[@martincheruiyot]

@@persimmonss ha ha ha

[@JefferyAHoward]

Great video. You explained the test parameters, showed what you experienced, and did not try to sell us on any certain product or results. That was a good honest observation of your experience. Thumbs up! I have never owned a Subaru, but I highly respect their reliability and winter capability. I enjoyed your video.

[@thomasschwarting5108]

Quite impressive!!

[@michaelpuderramirez2331]

Excellent video, young man. I lived in Reno Nevada for 10 years and i know all about ice and all about Subarus being the best snow vehicles. Thanks for sharing. Subscribed for life!

[@sabrinanierras7737]

I'm from Reno and I have a '19 Crosstrek. I second that!

[@Giobemo]

Those tires are great for loose snow and slush, but for ice and hard snow you're much better off with a softer winter tire with embedded silicate (or some similar compound) that can still flex in extreme cold and create friction on the ice. Same for any vehicle, of course. Oops- just watched to the end and you said exactly the same thing. Too late, I'm not deleting all this! Carry on though.👍

[@WarriorsPhoto]

For someone that hasn’t lived in snowy conditions for years. This was a fun video. I remember having these concerns. LOL

[@customwoodshiftknobs9322]

Best thing I've done is buy dedicated studded tires to swap on for the winter months.

[@vicranger6876]

I had a set of Bridgestone Blizzak tires on a Volvo S60 and they were incredible, but I kept them on their own wheels and switched them out if the weather wasn’t forecast to be bad, so they would last longer. Once they wore down any, the tire performance deteriorated. A set of Blizzak tires on a Subaru Forester would be great I bet. I had a. Jeep Rubicon with front and rear lockers and Jeep states to never use studded tires when lockers are engaged . Of course you could if you went only straight I guess, but if you turned , you’d gave to disengage the differential lockers .

[@paplex8696]

Came here for the car stayed for the ice cracking sounds

[@joelarson6884]

You should do this test with a real snow tire. It would be very interesting to see a snow tire compared to an all terrain with 3PMS symbol.

[@zuestoots5176]

a studded winter would go up that no problem

[@misters2837]

Zues Toots: Problem is most states (that actually get snow "like MN/MI/WI) studs are illegal! Edit for others: Nobody Gives a F*** that Nevada or Arizona allows studs...the only snow they get is in mountains... We are talking about states that get snow at 1000ft above sea level...Not 7000ft up a FKN MOUNTAIN... If you drive up a mountain in the winter without Studs/Chains you deserve what you get.

[@tjlovesrachel]

Mister S only in the off season...

[@misters2837]

tjlovesrachel well MN and WI... BOTH prohibit studded tires...which we BOTH get a shit ton of snow! (And I had heard more bans were coming)

[@tjlovesrachel]

Mister S even in the winter season?

[@notslickgaming6015]

Impressed with those KO2s. I run michelin xice xi-3 in the winter and have zero issues on bare ice.

[@donwalls8192]

I have a 2018 Outback so it was nice to see this from 4 years ago. I only have all season tires on. Fortunately I live on an arterial that gets cleared for buses and emergency vehicles. I stay away from side roads. We get snow and ice and sub freezing weather here in Spokane WA. East side of the state close to north Idaho border.

[@barbryll8596]

I live in a very “hilly” town in the mountains of British Columbia. Spent many winters being worried about the slipping and being stuck or not being able to stop in time. Bought a crosstreck in 2017 and decided to put a set of Nokian studded winter tires on. That was the best winter ever!! I love winter driving now 🥰

[@sharpuslf]

We did the exact same thing. I was driving in Edmonton after an ice storm. Most people could barely move, and I was doing 70kph. I felt I could have gone faster, but I did not want to be stupid. When I got out to help a JEep who hit the ditch, I could barely stand on the road surface there was so much ice.

[@bradhaines3142]

@@sharpuslf that was wise of you. going faster is always dramatically easier than stopping, or worse turning. and people dont tend to find those things out the easy way

[@sharpuslf]

@@bradhaines3142 Agreed. On the way back there was a sharp left hand turn that a Jeep without studs went straight instead of left. When I got out to see if he was ok, I could barely stand on the icy road...no joke.

[@sharpuslf]

@@bradhaines3142 Oh wait...I already told that part....well in my defence...this thread is a year old hahahaha

[@steve0826]

Snow tires, snow tires, snow tires. Any car will do well.

[@ConkysFlippinAdventures]

I have a driveway similar to yours where it goes uphill and then there's the house. Bought my first Subaru about 10 years ago and can count on one hand the number of times I have cleared the snow in the driveway since.

[@gregnixon1296]

I don’t know why i enjoy watching cars on ice as much as i do.

[@DellesSimon]

Me neither buddy! 😁

[@jeffwisener1378]

Tires do matter. I replaced my worn out factory tires with Hancook tires and they were a disaster on ice. I parked it once to go skiing and the wind blew the car across the parking lot.

[@willssmall5067]

At the end of the day it's still a great Subaru.

[@newfie-dean5803]

Until it blows the head gasket or the CVT transmission gives problems.

[@schnitznschnatzn]

Hehe! Boys and their toys. I do the same experiments in the winter. I’m actually super impressed how the Subaru handles this. A+. I had the KO2s on my truck and, while they performed amazingly on loose dirt, gravel and sand, I found them more than disappointing in snow, ice, mud and even just wet road surfaces. I think they are tailored towards Baja style environments. I switched them for a set of Falken Wildpeak A/Ts and started pulling cars out of ditches for fun 😊

[@geraldarcuri9307]

Subarus are technically advanced because they spend all their money on engineers. They made a decision thirty years ago not to have a design and styling department. And it shows.

[@jjellen5804]

Why do they mostly all burn oil then?

[@JR0906]

People are lazy about their maintenance

[@ryanjennens1481]

my first winter with my '18 XT Forester. i live in north dakota. i am so excited to see how this x mode handles in the winter. i hade an outback from 2007 till a few months ago. i know how awesome Subaru does in the upper midwest winters. that lift on your Forester is awesome

[@lisalee2885]

Oh Lucky...I'm wanting a Sub cross trek....what price did you pay?

[@ryanjennens1481]

@@lisalee2885 the more i see the crosstreks the more and more i like them. i suppose by the time im ready for another vehicle the crosstreks will have turbos as an option. i paid 22,800 for what i have

[@Romulan112]

Great video. I always equate tires with work boots. My leather work boots with the hard rubber Vibram tread is like an A/T tire. great for mud, turf, sand, and mileage but I fall down on any ice. My Sorel winter boots with the soft rubber tread is like a winter tire. Great traction on hard packed snow, that I just slide and not land on my ass.

[@WiltonGal]

I have a 2017 Outback (purchased Dec. 2016) and never used X-Mode until Yesterday (1/18/24)! Wow! It really works! I have just all-season tires (here in Connecticut). Suspect my next car will be another Subaru!

[@davidwood2387]

It’s always the tires 🛞 . I took off my factory tires on my Subaru, and went with good year 9 out of 10 rated all weather and it was a great improvement in traction.

[@DCOURTS1984]

Love that tire/wheel set up...looks great

[@Desert10075]

Subarus are awesome in ice and snow, if youre in traffic and they stop in front of you on an ice hill, youll usually drive past everyone even if you need one side of the car slightly off of the road for traction, sometimes all you can use for traction is the drunk bumps on the side of the road that the dot puts there.

[@BazColne]

Excellent. Those tyres look like they'd snap at you as you walk by.

[@isaack5141]

I've had mg 2009 forester for 6 years now and its been through its paces yet ive still never had any major issues best car ive ever owned

[@marcelgoyer6075]

I have a 2015 Outback, with Gislaved Nordfrost snow tires ,with factory installed studs, very impressive in deep snow and pretty good traction and braking on ice.

[@gwot]

those tires are amazing without studs, must be so much better with studs! but too bad studs are illegal in my area.

[@marcelgoyer6075]

Here in Quebec, we can use studded tires from December till the end of the winter...

[@sasksunseekers5699]

I have those mounted on my STi almost takes the fun out of winter...awesome tire even without the studs!!!

[@gl2005z]

Danlop gradtrek Ice 02 охуенные шины!

[@derricklogan2058]

The fact is, is that it doesn't matter what vehicle you have, you can slide on ice! It's a good thing that he is in his driveway.

[@moonsapling]

As far as i follow your content... CVTs are not that bad. They are economical and they do not limit your offroad capabilities. And even now in the 2019 Forester the CVT can simulate low gears while X mode is on. I dont understand why people dislike it so much. Oh and great content btw.

[@MrRedskins0021]

My wife's Legacy's CVT had to be replaced after three years. That's too fast to lose a transmission.

[@moonsapling]

@@MrRedskins0021 in my comment I was speaking about the TR580. The TR690 in the Legacy/Outback/Forester XT is beyond my experience. You just have to change your CVT fluid every 30k. And there are some things to know when driving a CVT. Its not just like an auto trans.

[@alansach8437]

Defective transmission, not a defective TYPE of transmission.

[@inttruders]

@@christopherderasmo5041 I would not just watch TFL for Subaru content. I would take a look at others as well. TFL has an axe to grind with Subaru.

[@simd510]

​@@inttruderswhy do you say that?

[@robbabcock_]

Sweet! I just got a 2021 Crosstrek a couple weeks ago so I'm exploring the AWD capabilities!

[@lisalee2885]

Oh I'm jealous...I want a powder blue one 😃 Can I ask the price you paid?

[@garrettsurfboards]

wonder how the blizzaks would do? I literally can't get mine to lose traction haha

[@zombanator3000]

Yea.. AT mud tires suck for anything other then mud

[@MisterTwister88]

Garrett Alexander Literally?

[@ekimzaga]

Nokian hakkapalitas are awesome and I'm running studless too. Traction on snow is unreal

[@aquarioamico6604]

Blizzaks may not be sexy, but they are awesome!

[@drgreenthumb808]

I know you didn't just say blizzaks AREN'T sexy... Blasphemy

[@lil_lei_og]

THANK YOU FOR THIS! I HAVE A 2017 FOZY AND LIVE IN THE BAY SO I WAS WONDERING HOW THE XMODE ACTUALLY WORKED. NOW I HAVE SOME VISUAL KNOWLEGE. :)

[@itsdimitriymedvedyev]

try studded tires. they really help trust me

[@davidlodiemyer5698]

Never trust a guy who heavily uses the words " trust me "

[@itsdimitriymedvedyev]

@@davidlodiemyer5698 i don't heavily use it. In this case you can trust me as it is a proven fact that studded tires are the best on ice. it is common sense.

[@IMxNOTxAxHIPPO]

@@itsdimitriymedvedyev As a swede, ive never owned a car without studded winter tires. Drove a car without studs once. once....... But to be fair, i probably hated it because i still drove as if i had studs, therefore i had higher speed going into roundabouts and such

[@itsdimitriymedvedyev]

​@@IMxNOTxAxHIPPO nice. Here in Canada I always get studded tires. I feel the people who think they are noisy are just lame. Safety/reliability and grip > not really loud, adaptable, and will go away in a while sound. I also had non-studded ones but they feel sort of the same as summer/3-season tires. They obviously handle better in the snow compared to summmer/3-season tires but aren't much better than studded on ice. We get a-lot of snow, but also quite a bit of sunlight, so the snow melts and by next morning, it turns into ice and I notice the truck sometimes slips a bit more compared to studs.

[@saliston]

In my state studded tires are illegal

[@ericg2167]

I live in Canada. Never use X-mode but so glad I have it when I really need it. Turn it on. Light on the gas pedal and let the computer do its thing. Never failed me yet. Good winter tires are a must in my climate.

[@garylantz3322]

Cool video. Too bad you can’t have too much fun there in CT... go north a couple hundred miles for some fun! I’ve got the general attic 12’s (ones you mentioned), they’re okay. Next season is probably their last, then going to blizzaks. I’ve got an outback with x-mode and I’ve noticed it does pretty good for every day driving, and surprisingly well in deep/new territory. Had about 14-16” a couple weeks ago and went through it, and through the 3’ bank at the end of the driveway! I had a forester (15’), and like the outback better actually. Keep the videos coming!

[@HighjakSecondary]

Gary L. Thanks!

[@robmd3851]

Go with the blizzak for sure! It's like velcro in the winter.

[@45eno]

@Rob MD Just picked up a like new set off CL for $450 today. 12/32 tread, DM-V2 on steel rims. They barely have been used. Installed them and they’re great. Have WS70 on the family van and work great in with FWD as well.

[@garylantz3322]

45eno : Oh nice, that's a good deal! What vehicle do you have the DM-V2's on?

[@45eno]

Gary L. On my fathers 2016 CRV. He was thrilled with the difference. It was over 50% off tire rack prices.

[@terryjenner2156]

what is the point. any vehicle will have great difficulty gaining traction on pure ice without studs.

[@bradmacdonald7626]

did you lift this hog? looks like more than the standard 8.7" ground clearance.

[@HUhurdler]

Yes, he lifted it. 2” I believe. Addresses in other videos.

[@stephenjung6582]

I was driving a Subaru AWD station wagon on The evening of January 1st 1995. I came around an S curve and hit a patch of black ice. The car went sideways off the road like the hand of God grabbed it, went up on its side and slid for hundreds of yards with my head banging off the window till I hit a culvert pipe and that blasted the car back into the middle of the road. Don’t put too much faith in AWD.

[@tjseverino6374]

I've never seen anyone so excited to own a Subaru.

[@laurenmccormick6614]

Tj Severino you apparently do not live in Vermont! I’m on my second outback. Ima chick who loves her Subaru. It is the unofficial car of Vermont

[@quantumleap4023]

I guess you've never heard of anyone who owns a 22b Impreza wrx. I think anyone who owns one of those loves there subie a lot more than this guy.

[@HCHR-z9w]

This kind of car just save my family life in Texas! Thank you ...Thank you.. Thank you...!! SUBARU

[@fadiskaf1736]

Nice set up on this Subaru. You have a decent clearance, and great tires given the conditions.

[@michaelxcx]

A/T tires are not great for these conditions at all, are you high? those giant lugs will give you so little traction on ice as clearly seen in this video, clearly u have never driven on A/T tires on ice. snow they are amazing sure, but snow does not = ice you twat. i run those exact A/T tires in the summer for off roading, but for the winter i swap over to my studded set and i have almost the same kind of driveway this dude has. with studded a regular fwd civic could do this, with less issue to.

[@fadiskaf1736]

@@michaelxcx So now we have a genius expert on hand. Yes, given the conditions on the road because he's not on his driveway. You can get the best tires there are, and you can still be a lousy driver if you don't know how to drive in ice and snow. We need to give you a star, Michael.

[@michaelxcx]

@@fadiskaf1736 expert is correct. genius i dont think so, but glad i could educate you. knowledge is power brah! mission accomplished.

[@airmanma]

@@michaelxcx Studded tires are illegal in my state. Tears the roads up.

[@Wism0r]

I‘m about to get a Subaru as the main winter car for my wife with just winter tires and off road for us both in the summer. Got a Golf/Rabbit 6 for the suburbs. She’s starting driving again after a major gap bc of an (rollover) accident… thank you very much for the video

[@jdm1039]

Careful walking / goofing on that ice. I slipped and broke 3 ribs on an icy parking lot.

[@jdm1039]

@mojo mojo I only answer people not named mojo mojo

[@jdm1039]

@mojo mojo screen name close enough.

[@Uranusfog]

I tore all the ligaments in my left knee and now have a drop foot. Watching him slide around like that was extremely nerve wracking!

[@codymoncrief8478]

I highly recommend Hankook I Pike. They have a wider variety of sizes that fill the gaps for some Subaru’s with odd-size tires, and actually make pretty darn impressive off-road tires along with being a very grippy studless snow tire. I have a set on an old school 4x4 truck, and I absolutely thrash them both on and off the road. They grip everything I’ve gone over, and hold up very well to rocks and stumps and curbs without damage or puncture . Naturally, when I put tires on my Subaru, it had a dumb factory wheel/tire size and they were the most “off-road” tires even made in my size. They don’t scream “off road” visually, but they function as such. They are fantastic. Darn cheap too!

[@thomasardizon1430]

I sell these cars and x mode isn’t designed for going UP an icy hill. However It does work well for going down an icy hill

[@dakotamorgan6594]

Dont confuse xmode and hill descent control... hill descent control comes on with xmode, and operates automatically in conjunction. Xmode is designed to help in any low traction condition.

[@Misterwhistle]

I just purchased Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10 studded for my Outback. They work great in snow and hard pack, but have yet to try them on bare ice. Roads will plowed on the lake soon. I’m looking forward to trying them out.

[@stevenpeterson7234]

Nice Subaru 👍, I'm a tacoma guy, I own a 2010 tacoma TRD off-road. Washington got some ice and snow and let's just say I had some fun as well 😀.

[@FlyTyer1948]

Nice to know x-mode works. Thanks for the video.

[@papabits5721]

A set of snow tires would have crawled up there like it was dry

[@trevcam6892]

That's correct. I lived in Canada for many years and never owned an awd. I drove fwd cars but in winter had a second set of wheels with Blizzak ice tires and later Michelin ice tires. I have often passed jeeps and other awd vehicles with all season tires (some with low profile tires!) stuck on hills. It's all in the rubber. And my superior skill LOL.🤣 PS. But I'd love to have a Subaru.

[@I_Santos_]

If I’m not mistaken, I believe the BFG A/T KO2 is actually winter rated. I put a set on my old Grand Cherokee and they were fantastic and very predictable in winter and ice. BUT, I’ll definitely agree that a dedicated ice tire like the ones you mentioned would be more specialized and have even more traction. I’ve heard stellar reviews of the Blizzaks and I currently have Hankook iPike ice tires on my Infiniti and they do outperform the BFG on ice. Tires definitely make a difference, also skill. I too have noticed the consequences of overconfidence in the ditches lol. I’m also liking the Subaru here! 🙂

[@savannahsmiles1797]

@@trevcam6892 it does make a tremendous difference

[@savannahsmiles1797]

@@I_Santos_ once you drive on ice with a blizzack, you will wonder WHY you didn't get them before. BFG tires on a Jeep are the BESTEST!! never had any issues, got talked into goodyear and those were the absolute WORST AT tires we ever had, wore horribly, performed even worse and chucked them and went back to BFG...

[@alexblazquez2277]

I love this gen of Forester with that little lift. Looks so good.

[@MisterPo]

Nice video! Any plans on doing a post CVT replacement video? I'm curious to hear if there are any noticeable differences/improvements post swap.

[@HighjakSecondary]

MisterPo Yeah I’ll probably try to do that soon.

[@HighjakSecondary]

Posted! :)

[@guttedxx]

Picking the right snow tires can be quite hard. I do not claim to be a tire expert but from reading lots of professional snow tire reviews is I wanted to share my thoughts. There's some snow tires that perform very well below freezing but perform just ok above freezing. . Some perform well on fresh unpacked snow but do "poorly" on wet slush snow. Some perform great on hard packed snow but on a day with no snow wanders around the road because the compound is too soft. There's just so many variables. So try to remember that when you hear some says X brand snow tires "sucks". There's a lot more behind it.

[@CovesPhotographyBrampton]

Love the rims. Look great on the forester.

[@dgunearthed7859]

Now see my dad gave me faulty advice. He said in the snow/ice, you want the opposite of psi as you would for mud/sand. He said if you pump the tire pressure to more than you normally keep it, it makes the tire for lack of better word skinnier like a knife so it can cut through the ice, giving you better traction. Would you be able to do a video testing that? I don't live in ice world

[@gk5891]

It depends. Low pressure to maximize surface area for traction (ice, or snow when hard ice is underneath). High air pressure to minimize surface area when you need to cut through light snow to get to a hard surface without ice underneath.

[@davidstennett598]

If you had snow tires on you'd have no problems. Those "mud" tires look cool, but they're useless in anything but mud ...

[@cainele2010]

these are not "mud" tires they are all terrain and they perform better in snow/ice than most of the winter tires out there

[@zepter00]

cainele2010 bullshit ..AT tire

[@RealityGutPunch]

@@cainele2010 no. Snow tires are softer, less tread depth and spacing (more rubber on the ground) and more sipes. You're not fooling anyone else so why fool yourself.

[@bryanmartinez6600]

@@cainele2010 Falken Wildpeak AT3W do better they're an all season tires but designed for traction in wet and snowy conditions.

[@joewoodchuck3824]

Chains or studs, if those are still made, are the only things that can really help when the conditions are like this.

[@williamgibbs71]

Video cracked me up. Just got a 14 Forester, its icing like cray here in MO, and I was getting side ways everywhere I go. My girl "be careful honey you don't wanna wreck your new car"lol. Great suspension, like the after market wheels you got. Thanks for the video and i am sure ur nieghbors love the activity 😁😎🤘

[@SethWDuncanCOB]

As far as utility is concerned, how does your previous Forester compare to your newer one. Do you like the CVT?

[@stevelink21]

Seth Duncan Interesting video, and yes, I’m wondering about that too,since I’m a new Subaru Forester user in snow (but not ice)!

[@JakeDrives1]

I just helped some friends of mine shop for a forester this weekend.. I was showing them 2012-15's because that's what they could afford. I explained why I find the older ones superior compared to the new Electronic AWD and CVT. We found a mint 2013 limited 2.5x with 40,000 miles. I said it's a must buy, imo you won't find a cleaner, better generation of forester. They bought it and pick it up Wednesday. We took it on ice during our test drive and they were blown away by it's performance. Can't go wrong with the older Subaru systems!

[@JakeDrives1]

@@afcgeo882 Somewhat... but anything is better than a CVT. The newest ones aren't bad but out of my friends budget.

[@P00katube]

Subaru needs to get rid of the POS CVT and install a TRUE 9 speed automatic transmission for optimal low end torque for better traction control on icy pavement.

[@gratefultube]

So happy with our '18 Outback. "The best advertising makes you glad you bought."

[@panchogarcia8703]

May i ask you. My 2001 forester with 2.0 engine can do that too.

[@scottjohnson8316]

Man I hate to say it but I almost thought you were gonna slip slide into that tree! I remember in my old 2006 Subaru Sri coming home from Connecticut in one of the worst snow/ice storms I’ve ever seen on stock summer tires and locking up the diff 50/50 and it got me home safe!

[@kingofbrutaltheocracy9201]

A few years ago there was an ice/snow storm, lasted for 2 weeks. The whole city (PNW with lots of hills) was covered in 1-2" of ice for most of the time. I drove over 2000 miles providing roadside assistance service in my 1999 ford explorer with 200k miles on the OD. Never got stuck, I had to pull vehicles, including subarus. I got called to countless subarus in ditches, totaled from sliding into curbs, or stacked up with other vehicles. At least half the accidents were subarus, because people are over confident in them. Not all subaru drivers drive like they don't value their own lives, but it appears most do. I like the cars from a technical standpoint, but I would not buy one used (head gasket and differentials and transmission go bad on all of them) and I would never drive a $40-60k depreciating asset in bad conditions, when a $3k dollar 4x4 can do it with more mass (safety) and with tires that have 4" of sidewall to soak up the pot holes and bumps inorder to not get pinch flats. Drive safe, it is not only your life you risk but everyone elses around you.

[@bradhaines3142]

well the tires are easily fixed (as you see on this subaru) but you're right that some people dont understand limits. though ive never heard the head gaskets are an issue, only the transmission and those arent as bad as some. only higher maintenance (such as very close tire diameter)

[@mikecurtis889]

So you would put your family in a 3k dollar vehicle in bad weather and leave the newer more expensive, safe vehicle in the garage? Safe travels Mr. King.

[@tomfilipiak3511]

I think you are full of do do!!!

[@wsnow555]

I just lease Subaru 2020 outback. I don't know what it will do in the winter yet but the little snow we had so far it went through just fine .

[@fjbT2024]

Why would you put k02's on a forester?

[@RKHarm24]

The ice/sleet/frozen rain is what we generally get during the Winter. My driveway is like your first part near the street and finally levels off in the garage.

[@MrWizDad]

Awesome video - Thanks for sharing! I'm in the market for an AWD vehicle, Ascent or Toyota Sienna or Highlander. Haven't seen a video yet that shows anything that can beat the Subaru AWD.

[@beverlysnider1155]

Jeep AWD quadra-trac

[@tomhecht6068]

Collect sand from the side of the street during the spring and spread it on your driveway during the winter. It adds traction.

[@stefandenic7144]

Does anyone in the US use winter tires? What's the matter with you folks, that's not that expensive.

[@HighjakSecondary]

How many times does this need to be said for Christ's sake? These are 3PMSF rated BFG KO2s...

[@Schwing27]

I don’t think Stefan even watched the video.

[@ozzierabbit587]

Have a 2018 Forester with winter tires in southern Wisconsin. I will sometimes go out with it and run my errands during the occasional snow storms, just for the joy of how it handles in the winter weather.

[@mikebolton2388]

Same. Not the only one I guess

[@_baller]

Def need legit soft snow tires for ice

[@toddlavigne6441]

and you don't need AWD...just good snow tires

[@vh2636]

I live in Austria and tires with only a snow flake symbol are not considered genuine winter tires and you will pay a fine if you drive with them in winter. They are just not safe enough for driving in winter.

[@hfarthingt]

$3 bag of saltmelt > $20,000 sophisticated AWD system

[@moonsapling]

Actually, do your research... The Symetrical AWD is one of the most if not the most simple awd system. It just has VDC to help you with the Diagonal sections.

[@hfarthingt]

Umbra says Weak troll reply. Simple, spend $3 and save tens of thousands!

[@rickmuha4278]

Just bought a 2023 outback XT looking forward to the winter

[@johnmehaffey9953]

On my front wheel drive I always reversed up an incline that was snowy or icy and that nearly always worked, now I've a RAV4 all wheel drive so it will be interesting to see how it handles the slippery conditions but here in Ireland we don't get extreme weather conditions very often and I only got the Toyota for its reliability and I needed the extra height for getting in and out of the car

[@damonthomas8955]

This makes me so happy to have studded tires on my current jalopy, even though my Subaru is laid up right now.

[@manbearpig2164]

Nice ground clearance

[@alansach8437]

It's all about the tires. If all four wheels are on ice, AWD doesn't help much. What good does switching power from the wheels with no traction to the wheels with traction when none of them have traction? Tires are what give you traction. Tires made for the ice give you traction, those that aren't.....

[@HighjakSecondary]

Yeah... because only have 2 drive wheels would be just as good... face palm.

[@MrNismopro]

Wow! 1st off great video. An icy driveway like that is tough, it could be impossible at times. The attempts you made after your first two successful attempts, you seemed to be trying to make it fail. Theres a slight difference in how you applied throttle and your steering input. Not sure if that was to show how not to climb an icy driveway. But, if you creep with VDC on and X-Mode off and counter the direction in which the ice tosses the frontend, it would certainly be the best approach. Nonetheless, this was very informative.

[@davidhannan2023]

We are moving to the Ozark Mountains in a couple months, this would be GREAT for us because our road is about a 30 degree slope but our driveway is flat. Gets into the 60’s in the winter so can’t put on snow tires so this Subaru would work GREAT! Just had some nasty ice the other day and the salt truck slid sideways off the road!!

[@skateboarding118]

Imagine coming home drunk to that driveway 😂

[@kanethompson708]

😅

[@geniemedford9200]

I have a 2019 Forester Touring. It works like a charm in the Rockies in snow. I love it...bought it for extra safety on rain, snow and ice although I live in Texas. Sure has helped lately. And, with with Nokian winter tires, it just ups the safety too! I have those on now and we have had a major storm in Texas. Discount Tire swaps out my tires before a ski trip and I leave them on for 2-3 months until late spring/ early summer. Sure works for me. I did not buy this vehicle to race with...not made for that!☺️

[@Honestandtruth007]

Wow ,a Subaru Forester and a completed set of winter tires VS. sleet and ice on driveway. Subaru can managed to go up of the driveway. It is Amazing fun......!!!

[@gwot]

thoes are "all weather" tires, imagine it on true winters tires!

[@HighjakSecondary]

gwot No... they’re “All-Terrain” tires.

[@gwot]

@@HighjakSecondary all tires are categorized as either winter, all weather, all season, or summer. your 3PMSF K02 "all terrain" tires are categorized as "all weather", regular non severe snow rated "all terrains" are categorized as "all seasons". they just have more aggressive treads to be in a sub category called "all terrain"

[@WRXDEMON]

Impressive right? With proper ice/snow/winter tires it would probably dominate that ice. I can’t see a 2wd vehicle without studded tires or momentum or both, getting up that driveway without great difficulty or at all. Subaru AWD (all wheel drive) AWD (Always Wins Duh).

[@gwot]

@@afcgeo882 you are literally the very first person to say that... Lead me to ONE, just ONE SINGLE source that says what you just said and I'll even consider taking you seriously

[@biggranny000]

Mud terrain and all terrain tires are pretty terrible in snow and ice, the large lugs are designed for mud and sand, not snow. For Snow you want a lot of sipes and small blocks so it acts like a claw, plus you'll take a massive hit to your mpg, noise, and it probably handles terrible on road. Regardless, Subaru's AWD system is very impressive. If you had snow tires you would of got up without any issues.