Subaru near Baton Rouge Wins Hands Down on Rain, Ice Traction Test

Traction is of paramount importance when driving on wet and icy roads. The ability of the car to keep its treads on the asphalt can mean the difference between an uneventful drive and a highway mishap. In fact, in the latest U.S. Avoider Study that surveyed around 29,000 vehicle owners, performance topped the list of requirements for the luxury market. 

 

So Xcar Films put together a simple trial for the three types of wheel drives: the all-wheel drive (represented by the Subaru Impreza), front-wheel drive (represented by the Renault Megane RS 275 Trophy), and rear-wheel drive (represented by the BMW 120d). The trial consisted of three tests: wet roads, icy roads, and high-speed bend on wet roads. 

For the record, driving on wet or icy roads, no matter the vehicle, demands nothing less than safety protocols first. Wheel drives give the driver that extra edge in making sharp turns and regaining control. After a long day on the testing grounds, the Impreza-with its Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive (AWD) system-came out on top. 

The drivers of the test cars agreed that the Impreza handled its own well, both with the AWD system on and off. The Impreza's driver added that AWD was made for these extreme driving conditions, distributing power to all four wheels for better stability and handling. Given that it's Subaru, however, AWD goes one step further.

Subaru's Symmetrical AWD stays true to its name. If you cut the drivetrain in half lengthwise, you'll see that one half is the mirror image of the other half. This symmetry is accompanied by smart technology, where the system allocates more power to the wheel that needs a bit more traction. This activates the moment the wheel makes contact with an adverse road condition.

AWD also mitigates understeer and oversteer, two factors that were present in the front and rear-wheel drive cars in the test. Understeer and oversteer are common causes of skid-type accidents, when the driver fails to make that timely turn. Non-AWD cars would often reduce the skid by turning opposite to the skid, but it takes some degree of skill to pull this off. 

Subaru dealerships near Baton Rouge like Baldwin Subaru offer all models equipped with the Symmetrical AWD, including the Impreza. The BRZ, however, uses a rear-wheel drive system. Nevertheless, Subaru offers their innovative AWD as a standard to all their models instead of a separate add-on. 

Rest easy in a Subaru near Baton Rouge, knowing that its AWD can take on the worst of driving conditions and roads across Louisiana. All that the car would ask of you is some driving discipline.