Subaru with X-Mode in deep powder snow!

BFG KO2 All Terrain tires: amzn.to/2B74II2
15" Gunblack wheels 5x100 +15mm: amzn.to/2Muw2AQ
Cusco front Tow Hook I used: amzn.to/2ymjua3
Rexing V1 dash cam: amzn.to/2QfPyYf
2015 Subaru Forester 2.5i Limited
Wilco Offroad Hitchgate Solo spare tire carrier video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkaJG...
Lift:
ADF 1.75" / 1 6/8" lift spacers in front
ADF 1.875" / 1 7/8" lift spacers in rear
ADF 2" Rear Multi-link spacers
King standard height springs (+.25" to .50")
Music Produced by : Aries Beats - kzbin.info/door/NV8...
Promoted by : CRFC - kzbin.info/door/QLZ...
• Licence:
Creative Commons - Attribution 3.0 Unported- CC BY 3.0
creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Subaru with X-Mode in deep powder snow!
Some affiliate links above.

[@charlesebyjr2925]

I’m over 70 years old and I don’t have any reason to be concerned about snow, however thanks for the entertainment, 😊

[@JonDZ_Adventuring]

During a snow camping trip in January, I got stuck in deep snow and damaged something in the transmission assembly. It was either the CVT or the center differential. The symptoms were a loss of traction during WOT (wide open throttle). After trying to fix the problem, thinking it was probably a dirty wheel sensor, I finally took it into a Subaru dealership. I was really shocked when they told me my CVT was only putting down 80% power and needed to be replaced. I won’t know the exact reason, but I figured I melted the center diff leading to it binding up, thus letting me lose traction left to right upon heavy acceleration. Laying into the gas while trying to escape snow was probably the cause of that. I was doing similar things as in the later half of your video. I urge anyone to avoid laying into their gas pedal. Even older subaru’s are vulnerable. Take powerofyourbrains for example. He also melted a center diff in an older Subaru.

[@honestycounts9352]

use WINTER tires, not 'All-Terrain' tires. Winter tires use a softer rubber that grabs the snow 50% more.

[@andrewdaoust3463]

Ko2's arent bad in the snow though. They are snow rated.

[@CbrF4i600cc]

U think he don't already know?

[@burnsideforeva]

I run 100 percent studdless in the winter . 100 times better than my all terrain summer tires

[@k.garcia7472]

Iowa! Nice...moved to Iowa City over a year ago from Texas and tomorrow I get my tires and ADF lift all done.

[@mattsterpiecenjmaflva9956]

Took my 100% stock Forester Sport out in 6 inches of snow a few weeks ago. It didn’t bat an in the slightest🔥🤙🏻👊🏻😎

[@arrobayimail6997]

love these Subaru Forester videos, thanks for bringing us these videos

[@stardog2112]

I had a 1984 VW turbo diesel Quantum with 5 speed and 4 wheel studded snow tires, had not problem with anything. Never got stuck.

[@wg5768]

That's what I'm talking about,some real snow. Your best video yet! Any vechicle that bottoms out on the undercarriage will get stuck,no fault of your Subaru.

[@HighjakSecondary]

Thanks! Yep, you nailed it. Thanks for watching!

[@johnfarel3152]

@@HighjakSecondary yes and you're absolutely right to point out that not all snow is the same. It's one thing to drive through 15 inches of powder on a flat road but driving through multiple layers of snow, some of which has frozen and thawed, is a completely different story; the weight of the lower layers here makes it much more difficult.

[@michaelt.3805]

Man, I wish we got that much snow here in Kentucky. Good video man, good music to.

[@DesigNate21]

Holy cow man, you are making awesome videos! I cant believe you live in my state, we are getting tons of snow here. I would love to come see you in action sometime or go out get stuck.

[@MrLacoyota]

This kind of car just save my family life in Texas! Thank you ...Thank you.. Thank you...!! SUBARU...a 2003 MODEL

[@RKHarm24]

Like I have said we have ICE/SLEET/Frozen Rain here, not much snow. When I had my Dodge PU 2wd, I kept mud grips on it because we had horses and it was my daily driver and chore vehicle. In the winter I kept 2 used tired mounted on wheels with HD cross bar chains mounted on them. I could use my small floor jack, speed wrench/ratchet and change out the back tires under 30 minutes start to finish. I made some pocket money pulling people out of ditches, up driveways/hills on the roads, flat ground. With the HD rear bumper and Class IV receiver hitch, any scratches I got, I just used spray paint to repair. I had waivers for the people to sign. They hooked up to their vehicle, unless it was a lady in distress. I guess the arthritis now is from slipping, busting my butt when I was younger. I busted it a bunch of times.

[@oddballcreations5105]

Airing down will help immensely and deeper snow for the maybe half inch of ground clearance you lose you will gain a ton of flotation and traction

[@HighjakSecondary]

I'll give this a shot next time.

[@oddballcreations5105]

@@HighjakSecondary on my forester I will drop down to as low as 12 psi in very deep snow, it may scare some to go that low and I wouldn't suggest going that low but even dropping down to 20 will help out amazingly

[@strix4667]

Subarus are beasts with the right tires! Awesome ride!

[@RKHarm24]

HENRY ought to be 4 wheelin with DAD. Playing in the SNOW.

[@AMF96]

Looked to me like it did real well! I’m planning on getting one of these this year, so nice to see how it does in some deep snow.

[@simplesubie8248]

Airing down helps my sti alot in deep snow..the lsd diffs dont hurt either. Very cool fozzy man!

[@gwot]

how deep are we talking about? I've plowed through wet snowbanks up to the top grill and still didn't struggle.

[@Xphelon]

That's exactly how i got my goofy behind stuck in the mountain snow for two freaking nights.....So stupid i was....That was a hard lesson that was learned extremely hard Man..

[@frankambrose878]

Nice job dude. Never get tired of seeing one the finest all wheel dive cars in the world do it's thing. Long lve the mighty Subaru

[@TheMikejobo]

Thats awesome! Cant wait to get skid plates on my RAV4 to try the same thing.

[@davidwayne9982]

FINALLY- someone on here that knows the difference between WET and POWDERED snow... I've had so many on here-- IT"S SNOW either way- yes- true- but WET SNOW IS NOT "just" snow-- it's a PAIN IN THE ASS waiting to happen.. Powder is almost NOT like snow- as it doesn't STICK and cause the issues wet snow (and ice- which it quickly becomes)..will do.

[@irbeast69]

Rest In Peace brother. You will always be remembered

[@thebeast9606]

Ayyylien007 ???

[@anthonyjulson8840]

Well......my car can DEFINITELY do that😅😅😅 (22 Forester Wilderness). I love your build man!

[@frankambrose878]

Subaru, forever!!!

[@Leatherkid01]

At least u got the flexibility of the rubber as the KO2 are winter/cold weather rated all weathers vs standard all seasons truck tires. :) that stuff, u need studded winters tho.

[@TheRicresch]

The final countdown

[@kurisutofusan]

I love it. This is from this song: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2nRlod7bJllaqs

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Great video! I live for days like this with my forester. Got 4 Nokian snow tires and I thinking about nokian studded snows when my current set wear through. Maybe not enough snow to justify those here in westchester ny. Keep up the fun times

[@MemphisMojo15s]

Wow, y'all average 22" a year? That's crazy. I'm in the Appalachian mountains around WV/VA and right where I'm at we average 56" overall. Ohio River Valley...I guess some people just hear the word north and automatically assume more snow 💁

[@tornado34]

Guys, I live in Scandinavia so Nokian winter tyres rule out here - they are beyond awesome. Just remember, non studded winter tyres are designed more for snow than ice. They are designed to ’clog up’ with snow inbetween the treads - nothing sticks to snow better than snow itself. Whereas the studded winter tyres, are designed to cut through the snow and grip on ice with the stud tips. They of course work on snow, but non studded Nokian snow tyres will out perform studded, when head to head in snow only. You just need to choose the right tyre for your conditions. Hope this helps.

[@Samlol23_drrich]

@@tornado34 it absolutely does. At the end of the day I wound up getting the non studded for all of my cars. Just getting ready to make the swap.

[@jgingras2615]

That looks like a regular January Tuesday in Québec: can't wait to try that in my new 2020 Outback XT. X-Mode wasn't available on the 2011 Impreza 2.5 I traded in, but I have a feeling I'm gonna enjoy it A LOT!!! (if the COVID let me outta the house ;-)

[@johnmadsen37]

MT tires work amazing in snow.

[@KeepMovingJa]

Keep these videos coming. I live in Jamaica and we definitely don't get snow lol ....but what we do get is flooded roads. Love Subaru going to get the newer one with X mode ( already owned 3 already one wrx and 2 Forestors). Love the mods on yours you don't see any of them nodded like this out here.

[@HighjakSecondary]

Thanks for watching!

[@seanmcseanson]

Buddy throw some proper winter tires on her. It matters. Fun video.

[@MemphisMojo15s]

A KO2 is rated as a real snow tire. The mountain snowflake symbol is on the sidewall. Honestly, you wouldn't get any better than the KO2 for all weather conditions combined.

[@solidcaptures2313]

@@MemphisMojo15s hey, just curious, I don't see the snowflake symbol on the sidewall? Is it really rated as a snow tire?

[@HighjakSecondary]

@@solidcaptures2313 Yes, these are 3PMSF rated tires.

[@jtomtl]

U need a tank to cross this kind of snow, good performance from a AWD crossover

[@douglasdever6134]

Love snow, one reason why I moved to the mountains of Idaho. The new Subaru Forester really impresses me. But I'll keep my big GMC for those super nasty drives.

[@Robsbrd99]

Any car that can go in over a foot of snow is great in my book.

[@Rrronster]

Have you had any of the weird wobble/vibrations at a certain speed/RPM like some others have experienced after their lift? Or did you use the CVT spacer from the get-go?

[@michaelmax5161]

The only snow I saw in the last two winters was half of that you got on your rear window... So my outback is still waiting for such fun... Greetz from Germany! ✌️

[@toeshifter]

Nice video! So maybe I missed it but when were you using X-mode? When you were semi stuck in deepest part did you try X-mode with low gear? Thanks.

[@walterkraft666]

Awesome video

[@theejoeylee]

I need this car in N wisconsin. We got 58-60" last month ALONE! I have a 2wd 5 speed ranger. It sits 5-6 months of the year & i walk

[@ticker511]

Joey put a set of chains on the Ranger and you would drive circles around that Subie. I'm a Northern Minnesota logger and this is what we do, play in the snow.

[@theejoeylee]

@@ticker511 I think studs & chains are illegal here...

[@MichaelSmith-uv6ns]

Ranger lol. No thanks

[@JeffSpehar-ov1cn]

Michelin Cross Climate work great in snow also.

[@thinker2328]

Thumbs for the donuts and shovel pick up. Noice

[@eggr17ify]

Tow hook setup? I see a spare and spare gas tank also with a red hook?

[@house21212121]

after the cvt failure, are you still considering getting rid of the forester?

[@arthurd6495]

awesome video

[@cocacolagrl100]

How much snow has to be on the ground before the plows come through.? I drove my forester in the snow last year ..only in a few inches and it drove like there was nothing on the pavement ..it was amazing. Such a difference from my Scion tC. I was afraid of the snow for the last 13 years. Now I’m not

[@Azerick123]

How did you get the 1 6/8 on the front from ADF? Did you have to get the 1" lift plus two sets of their 3/8" spacers for the front? And if so, how come you went with that over just doing their option of 1.5" in the front with the 1 7/8 in the rear?

[@FlowJunkee65]

Now THAT depth of snow makes me paranoid because I just have a stock 2022 Forester Premium with no spacers, no skid plates, and no snow tires and I was just reading that Subaru discourages Forester owners from using snow chains UNLESS they are a specific "S" type or something? And, I've been in some cars when we're sliding on ice on a road in the mountains at high elevation, moving toward the edge of that road -- it's got to be the scariest place in the world you'd ever want to be.

[@rozchristopherson648]

Nice video !!! 😃👍

[@WyattRatmane92]

I’m wanting to buy a new Forster and would like to know what lift and rim and tire setup you have because I’m going from an Srt8 Jeep to a more mpg friendly Forester and would like to mod it like this. I can’t go without modding anything lol.

[@billysmith5721]

snowing like hell outside. testing my 2020 forester sport blew through snow banks taller then my license plate. last winter had a 2013 4 door Camry Le very bad in snow

[@Jason-kv7cm]

Haha same here. Finally snowed in NYC and tested x mode on my 18’ black edition forester

[@HandsONreviews4u]

Make a video how you hooked up the spare to the back of your car....looks kool

[@HighjakSecondary]

There is a video on the Wilco Hitchgate Solo already on the channel page. :)

[@rmleider]

do you think an outback xt could get through that deep snow too?

[@georgecurtis6463]

One can find the limit of any vehicle if given the opportunity. It's up to the driver to have some smarts. Even when using my jeep cherokee in the snow on fire roads in the sierras, it had its limits. I knew its limits and my limits. My subarus toughest test was during a storm traveling the road along the Russian river. Couldn't see the road from all the rain and mud. The subi never seemed to loose traction or skip a beat. That's all I ever want out of it. 2001 outback and still going strong.

[@simd510]

Still going strong?

[@georgecurtis6463]

@@simd510 absolutely !

[@simd510]

@@georgecurtis6463 nice! I'm thinking about getting the 2024 outback as a long term car. I hope it lasts

[@ianrkav]

What part of the US is this?

[@hacksinfoexperiments7876]

Crazy, crazy, crazy... 👍

[@foresterboy2011]

Hey HJS, are those Subaru's really as good as people say they are ??? Please let me know as I want a forester or crosstrek myself. UK fan

[@22aj55]

I was hoping for some snow here in the U.K to test out our recently purchased Forester 2.0 diesel manual model but it’s been 20 degrees Celsius plus, crazy weather for February! Oh well there’s always next year. Love the videos.

[@HighjakSecondary]

Thanks for watching! A diesel manual sounds awesome!

[@RKHarm24]

I don't think my Cooper All Season could cut the mustard/snow.

[@manuelacostaapodaca1453]

Are you with the X mode on or off what tires do you have is lifted or not

[@johnl.8616]

How does having tires like that effect your MPG?

[@Sonyyy871]

What kind of xmode do you have and recommend? Or do you like a smaller tire size vs dual?

[@KomengDeBatiste]

If this normal or is this heavy snow? Living in the tropics, I cant imagine how challenging it is just to get around in snow. I drive an old Tribeca but it wont see action like this for sure.

[@billysmith5721]

i have stock tires what tires do you recommend

[@megasavertube1871]

Why dont you test deep snow or other features to truly see if they help☺️ Just interested to see how helpful they are

[@Giobemo]

Love the music- is that "The Vinyl Cow Town" by Evropa? 😁

[@HighjakSecondary]

This one is from Aries Beats. Link in the video description.

[@justinmetzler6183]

Greetings! I recently moved to Anchorage, Alaska, and am in the early planning phase of getting my 05 Forester lifted with the ADF 2" lift kit. I will have dedicated snow tires I will be running in the winter, but I am noticing that for my summer outdoor outings, I am on quite a few service roads with little to no road maintenance. Wanted to get your input on all terrain tires that would get me a bit more off-road capability without making the vehicle too much louder or rougher riding. The forester is my daily driver so will be spending most of its time on-road with an outdoor/camping outing twice or so a month during the summers. I see that you have the BFG KO2s. I've heard mixed reviews on its ride and road noise, and wanted to get your honest take on it. I am also considering Firestone Destination A/T, Yokohama Geolander A/T G015, General Grabber ATII, as well as the Toyo Open Country ATII as potential alternatives if any of them give me better everyday road manners and quieter ride with a bit of sacrifice on sheer off-roading prowess. Thank you for your time in advance! Cheers

[@dominicfischio851]

i have a 2003 tacoma with KO2’s, and a crosstrek with blizzaks. the blizzaks seem to do a little better in snow & ice, but the KO2’s are pretty damn good in the snow. the KO2’s are surprisingly smooth & quiet on paved roads, and are phenomenal tires. i highly recommend them overall. that being said, the blizzaks are better in pure ice & snow performance. good luck & happy driving!

[@brandonmiller318]

Grabber at2s do much better that ko2s

[@fredsausage2688]

That snow's deeper than it looks, A fellas got to have a good set a meats.....looks like central Washington or The midwest.

[@HighjakSecondary]

Iowa

[@fredsausage2688]

@@HighjakSecondary Thanks to you folks we eat good in this country !

[@nicolec7290]

It’s bad ass

[@insanegnyc]

Get a takeda air intake and a nameless exhaust. Better fuel economy and power if you don’t mind the extra sound drone

[@MetaView7]

can you make a video of the spare tire? position the camera at the back then go for a drive... and see if the tire mount bounces?

[@HighjakSecondary]

I might be able to do this. It does bounce ever so slightly, more so now than it did when I first installed it though. I believe you can buy the rubber washer/bushing from Wilco to replace the existing one and that should snug things up again.

[@pitbullgamer8116]

I have a very hard time getting my crosstrek stuck in snow the AWD and xmode works get

[@leenoble6536]

Do you have a lift kit installed as well? If so, what did you go with? It looks great! I've read about some rub issues with those K02s.

[@HighjakSecondary]

Yeah, 2" roughly all around. I did a video specifically on the lift and it's on my KZbin channel. Give that look.

[@maxrobbins8872]

My Subaru is a 2014 Subaru Forester, 2.5 I, premium, with no X mode. Can X mode be installed even though my car did not come with it?

[@saif890000000]

Did Subaru ever fail at AWD test?

[@paule2658]

What happened to the general artic tires you had on? Think it would worked in this stuff?

[@HighjakSecondary]

Paul E That was a different car. My old 2010. Definitely not. They were smaller and not 3PMSF rated.

[@mikiii880]

8:01 Why would you turn off VDC? Isn't it designed to solve the issues of open differentials with wheels slipping in both front and rear axles?

[@HighjakSecondary]

No, it's not. What you're referring to is a separate electronic system ironically called "LSD". By pressing the VDC button you're disabling the portion of VDC that will limit the throttle applied by the driver. When in slippery conditions wheel spin is desired.

[@eisiebuddaie3551]

8:13 was that a rock hitting your frame when d/s front wheel started to spin?

[@HighjakSecondary]

No, there are no rocks out there.

[@EricCKeys]

Maybe some traction mats could've gotten you out quicker with less shoveling?

[@michaeldelrossi4487]

did you mount a full size spare to your tailgate, or is that a kit you can buy aftermarket for the Subaru!

[@HighjakSecondary]

It's on a Hitchgate Solo - there's a video discussing this on my channel page.

[@barbryll8596]

Fresh powder is one thing.....wait till it turns to slush!!

[@markb3756]

Beautiful snow covered area. That looks like so much fun! I had always heard that Subaru's are good for snow, now I know. Have been looking at a 2009 Subaru Tribeca, super nice car!

[@01KINGKENG]

How do you like those tires. I’m looking to get some good tires for my RAV4. I drive 45 minutes away for work and when I come home there’s now plow truck. You are your own plow truck? Need an answer ASAP lol

[@dolfowolfo1]

I ended up getting the Falken Wildpeak A/T tires. They aren't quite as beefy as these, but still have amazing all year round performance.

[@simd510]

What model rav 4 do you have and how does it do in the snow? I'm deciding between a subaru vs rav 4.

[@JimmyMeatwhistle]

get winter tires, not all terrain or mud tires, they suck in the snow. I live in the Canadian Rockies and use nokian hakkapeliitta 8 studded tires on my gen5 4Runner and 3rd gen Forester. like night and day

[@MGAFFY]

What kind of shovel is that? I need me one of those for the snow lol

[@fjb4932]

Grain shovel. For shoveling corn, wheat, ( snow ), etcetra ...

[@beemanseawa8726]

But how hard is that 4 cylinder working to ploughing through that snow,show rpms.6 bolts instead of eight on valve covers blown gaskets what’s all that about ? Am I misinformed?

[@HighjakSecondary]

Beeman Seawa Even floored we weren’t going much over 4K RPM.

[@Gantzz321]

yeah backing up in that depth of snow you definitely want the wheels straight or expect to go nowhere fast

[@knightryder3757]

Your problem is you make the same mistake all rookies do.... You're trying to advance while your wheels are turned. What you have to do is advance and reverse in short STRAIGHT cycles until you create a straight runway. THEN and only then once you have good speed and momentum can you concider turning your wheels. I wouldn't have needed a shovel. ;)

[@GrantZPrice]

wire chains maybe?

[@brianforgit8509]

What suspension were you running on this?

[@HighjakSecondary]

Too many details to list. There is a dedicated suspension video on my channel page detailing everything though. :)

[@alwayspointnorth]

Why don't you close your door when you get out. Never been in snow is there a reason?

[@HighjakSecondary]

Personal preference/habit. I'm typically getting right back in anyway and I dislike closing the doors with all the windows up with the only set of keys still in the ignition. Wearing gloves and bulky warm clothes is clunky and I've accidentally hammered the lock button before and closed the door.

[@delicatessen5670]

Why is ODOT not sufficiently keeping up on this snow?

[@HighjakSecondary]

Oregon? Ohio? I live in Iowa and we've been getting dumped on so crew are definitely behind here.

[@delicatessen5670]

@@HighjakSecondary Oregon is a mess right now. Then again, it didn't give us much warning.

[@HawkinaBox]

Wow, that's such a great idea. PLOW SNOW WITH YOUR CAR!!! I'm gonna try that one of these years. XD

[@mikemichaels1875]

Are you related to the Donner party?

[@HighjakSecondary]

I hope not, but I will eat almost anything if I'm hungry enough.

[@wildbill23c]

Put tracks on the Subaru, problem solved LOL.

[@HighjakSecondary]

William Todd I’ve always wanted to do this.

[@RKHarm24]

Cable Chains

[@JohnAvantiBK]

Whatch my How to drive in the snow with a 2012 Subaru Outback 3.6r. when ever you are bogged you drive in low gear. You allowing wheel spin by putting it in drive.

[@HighjakSecondary]

Johnny Franco There is no low gear. It’s a CVT. X-Mode however, which is already on for all of this as mentioned in the video, is already adjusting the CVT to apply a lower ratio. Even so, I want wheelspin. This is deep snow that you’re not going to get through without it.

[@todtalk3912]

How do you know you dont have the best subaru, x mode lol. I think they only put it on the cvt models from about 15 plus, prob to make up for the crap tranny. I'd rather have an older solid 2010 like I do. Heated seats n power everythiing, (i personally love that subaru puts shocks on the hoods, its great to work on and they are good shocks, 12 years old technically 13 made in 9/09 and they still hold the hood up perfectly). My buddy had a chevy suv and the shocks for the rear hatch thing were always needing to be replaced. Point is, I love subaru. FYI find yourself an older one that needs a timing belt replaced grab yourself a water pump and a couple other cheap parts while ur in there and you will have another easy 100k miles left.

[@AZdroptop]

Ok, so I am a little embarrassed to call what we had in Tucson the other day snow now. :) Fun stuff Brother! Glad to see you are gaining more and more subscribers.

[@HighjakSecondary]

Rick Hutton Haha! I love that vid of yours though! Still great fun.

[@travisconfer9076]

Down here in Tucson as well. Was super excited to see snow, but so sad to see it melt before I even left work.

[@kjamesjr]

Thats like... snow chain snow. No AT's or dedicated snow tire is going to make it through that. Need to chain up and go slow.

[@83Goldy]

I love this video. Great job bro. If you want to have more fun, Traction Control OFF. 😜

[@HighjakSecondary]

VDC was off the entire time :D