Subaru Crew - Meet The Members II

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  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Now I know how to tie knots. Too bad they didn't show how to do a bow-tie! (I'm kidding...)

    paisan: so you beat me to it, eh? Fuggetaboudit! :-)

    Ken: just drive faster! Or stay at work (the boss will think you're pulling overtime).

    Dale: forgetting the chat was bad, but forgetting an anniversary would have been much worse!

    -juice
  • francophilefrancophile Member Posts: 667
    I'm glad *somebody* knows how to tie them. I flunked out of Webelos (sp?) because I could not for the life of me figure out how to do it.

    As for carrying lots in my trunk:
    - a plastic shopping bag containing a few old t-shirts used as rags
    - An old throw rug in case I have to work on the car on less-than lovely ground
    - A tire iron
    - A couple of bungi cords
    - A lead- and plastic-faced hammer, a holdover from my days of driving cars with knockoffs. Very handy tool for a variety of things.
    - leatherman (in glovebox)

    Cheers,
    -wdb
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    ..got my Drive yesterday. Finally!
  • kate5000kate5000 Member Posts: 1,271
    Hi

    I was kind of silent lately... believe it or not even was not checking Escape or Aztek topics! Still being Forestless... I talked to the body shop suggesting that they tell me which parts are delayed, so I could try to use Subaru Rep's (Patti) or Wholesaler's (Darlene) help to get the parts. They told me they only get parts from the nearby dealership and would not do it any other way. Now I regret I went with that shop. I guess the main reason Subaru dealer highly recommended that shop was because they have an exclusive agreement on parts with them. Arrgh.

    On a brighter note, we're contemplating building a small vacation home in Sierras, specifically in Angels Camp area (those damns stocks let us down big time, so it's time to get into real estate, right?). The main reason to stick with Angels Camp is that there is a Subaru-Isuzu dealership right there, called "49ers" I think ;-) :-). Soobs are very popular in Calaveras County.

    What do you guys think? Vacation home or a loaded VDC for everyone in a family (plus WRX for hubby)?
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    You only live once—do it all!

    Bob
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That's right, I have plenty of bungee cords.

    Still no Drive, though.

    Kate: buy the WRX. Mortgage the vacation home and make it a rental so you can tax-deduct the interest.

    Awards have started for the Rex. Autoweek named it "Most Fun" of the show!

    -juice
  • amishraamishra Member Posts: 367
    There's a preview of the WRX in Friday's Jan 19th National Post (here in Canada).

    The writer is amazed at it's control, and says its going to leave some people behind at the lights. Nothing new here :)

    -- ash
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    Last two issues in a row of CAR have had wonderful things to say about it. "It's your best mate, always there, backing you up..." "riding down the road on a wave of mutual flattery." Try to get writing like THAT out of C&D.

    Plus the December issue had a shake down and a photo of the STi. Tasty!
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I'd tell that body shop to go screw themselves and have it towed elsewhere that will SATISFY THE CUSTOMER! Give me the phone # of that shop, i'll give em a piece of my mind....ARRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!

    -mike
  • dannykadannyka Member Posts: 115
    Dale - Congrats on the 26th! Hmmm... I wonder if you could get wireless on the Palm and do the chat? Hmmm...

    Kate - Hang in there on the Forester. Angels Camp seems like a really neat place, unfortunately I haven't been there in awhile and don't remember that Subaru dealer... (about an hour out of Stockton, right? Oh well.) However, I agree w/ Juice. Get the vacation home, rent it out, and get the WRX and deduct the trips up there for rental maintenance.***

    -Dan

    *** Of course, you should consult your tax attorney and not count on any of what I'm saying. (Have to protect my bee-hind :-)
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I think it was Car of Europe that also listed it as an affordable supercar, putting it on the front page to boot.

    -juice

    PS paisan: you gotta see "The Pledge". A Trooper figures prominently into the story, since it's Jack's ride, with even a little off road excursion
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I heard the Axiom is his supercar in it and the family drives a trooper as the family cruiser or something! I will definitely attend it :)

    -mike
  • drew_drew_ Member Posts: 3,382
    Every Friday
    5-6pmPT/8-9pmET
    "FRIDAY FREEWAY"
    Car Trivia Chat
    This chat is a place to meet others with similar interests, play Car Trivia, and talk cars. Ask about our Upcoming Winner's Circle!

    Click here:
    http://www.edmunds.com/edweb/chat/freewaychat110300.html


    Drew
    Host
    Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
  • jpb57jpb57 Member Posts: 4
    needs some advice. AWD versus FWD--we currently have an Acura Integra which, other than lousy ground clearance, goes like anything in Western PA snow and slush--it is FWD. How does AWD compare? Second--wife wants leather seats. According to my sources, about $1500 extra on factory order. We have a 6-year-old who is good, but, face it, she is 6. It WOULD make the car look great inside. What does anybody think? Anybody have the leather seats in an S (not a premium, pls--we don't do moonroofs). Third, can somebody explain to me (layman's terms, pls) why the Forester is on this week's Edmunds best buy? We're ready to order--is this like the best time? And would our dealer know that? Thanks in advance for any help! Paul
  • FrankMcFrankMc Member Posts: 228
    I live in South-Central PA and up a fairly good sized hill. When I had front-wheel drive cars and we got an unplowed snowfall I used to park at the bottom of the hill and walk the 1 mile up to my home. I had a work buddy with a Subaru that used to rave about his, but I thought he was well a little carried away. My wife then started working nights on the weekends, and I figured "It can't hurt" so in the Fall of 1995 I bought her an AWD Impreza. I was simply amazed at the difference it makes in the snow. My Hill was basically unclimable with a 4" unplowed snow with my FWD cars, since we bought the subaru I have gone up my hill with an 8" unplowed hill with NO SLIPPAGE whatsoever. (I don't know what the limit is yet. The other larger storms were plowed before I got home). I bought myself a Subaru in the summer of 1997, and my wife says to everyone "Once you've had AWD, you will never go back".
    I will pass on the leather question, since I have cloth. Hope this helps

    Frank
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    What ever kind of snow your Integra can handle, a Subaru will handle easier and safer. And, most likely the snow your Integra can't handle, a Subaru can.

    Last winter, in my neighborhood, I watched an Integra driver get absolutely nowhere trying to climb a long hill in the snow. He finally gave up and parked it. My Sube took that hill like it was a dry highway.

    Bob
  • jpb57jpb57 Member Posts: 4
    Thanks, Frank and Bob, for the input! We also have a Toyota 4WD--no problems. How are we going to be in AWD versus the 4WD. Anybody have anything else? Paul
  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    G'day
    I have a 7yo and 4yo. Both are good kids but accidents happen and I can tell you that leather is a whole lot less drama on the clean ups than cloth. Definitely worth the money.

    As to AWD, it is definitely worth it for poor traction conditions and dramatically improves handling in all situations other than dry bitumen where difference is insignificant. It is not however the full on, climbing rutted mountain tracks capability of a lockable diff 4WD. It will take you any place on a track that I have found, limited by ground clearance. If the potholes are car eating size, forget it in anything car based and switch to your Landcruiser or whatever. Perhaps even walk!?

    Hope that helps

    Cheers

    Graham
  • subaru_teamsubaru_team Member Posts: 1,676
    Any chance you can get your shop to give up the name of the dealer they are ordering from? Also, if you call us with your VIN, we can call the dealer and see just what is on order and get "low down" on availability. We can still try to get your parts expedited at least to the dealer. With your VIN and the name of the shop, we can push a bit.

    Cars or vacation homes?? I think I like Dan's approach.

    Have a great weekend! Snow is on the way here. Wheehooo! I'm going to hit the road ;~}

    Patti
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    Hi guys when I read about the long wait for parts on some of these posts i am getting a little gunshy some of the parts that have been backed up are pretty common parts such as struts and suspension parts, the wait that kate has been experiencing is totally off the wall. I have owned Hondas since 1976 and never ever had more than a few days wait for anything 90% of the time the dealer has the parts right in stock. I just hope the reliability of the Subaru outweighs any long wait for parts as i am still gung ho to buy.
  • francophilefrancophile Member Posts: 667
    I think I would still talk to Patti and/or SOA. There is NO WAY you should wait any longer for your car simply because of a sweetheart deal between the body shop and the dealer. Shame on them! Get the dealer's bell rung by SOA.

    My 2 cents,
    -wdb
  • calessancalessan Member Posts: 18
    Hi all,

    I just wanted to check in because I've posted a few times but haven't introduced myself.

    I bought an '01 Forester S in December (some of you might remember that my windshield was chipped the very next day... ugh). I had posted that I bought it at Fitzgerald's in MD, and had a great experience there and got a great price ($200 under invoice), but that post disappeared during the Town Hall upgrade. I looked at Fitzgerald's inventory on-line, saw the exact car I wanted, called to confirm that it was still in stock, went in the next day, test drove, and had the keys in my hand 3 hours later. Incredible!

    I love this website - you all are very helpful! I went to Fitzgerald's because of the recommendations here. This is my first new car, and the first car I've cared about! I had a used '94 Corolla before (a dealer car, no less, with 17,000 miles on it when I bought it in '95 - I didn't know what that meant back then...) My whole experience buying the Corolla was so awful, I mean TERRIBLY awful, it could not have been worse. So all my years with that car were marred. This time I did it right. I read about car buying for a few months, starting in October, and that's when I found this site.

    For 2 1/2 months, I was dead set on buying a RAV4. I am so glad I had such an awful time getting SEVERAL Toyota dealers to give me a straight answer on delivery times, cub that's what ultimately changed my mind (and the next day I bought my beautiful red Forester). Key point - I wanted my new AWD car before moving to MA, and the RAV4 was nowhere in sight. I also couldn't ignore the Forester's consistent rating in Consumer Reports. I thought about that everyday during those few months. And now I definitely know I wouldn't feel as safe in the RAV4 without the ratings to back it up, especially with all the snow and sleet we've been getting here in MA. (And we're expecting a foot of snow tonight! Well, I did move here for the cold and the snow...)

    So... I'm keeping up with the Subaru Crew, and although I know very little about car care and after market toys and stuff like that, I hope you don't mind my questions! (right now I'm debating whether or not to start using Rain-x. I was all set to use it, but now I'm torn after the recent discussion on that!)

    I might become a car nut without realizing it...

    Cristina
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Well the snow is falling. I just drove up from philly to NYC. Not too bad a drive in my Trooper. It was me, an outback, and an audi cruising up the Turnpike doing about 50-60mph. No problemos! AWD rocks!

    -mike
  • lucien2lucien2 Member Posts: 2,984
    Weee!!

    Auto Show was great fun, thanks to all who attended. We got snow, pretty unexpectedly, last night. Took Kirsten up to a big empty high school in the OB and had some fun. I am no expert by any means, but I showed her what I have learned so far at performance driving school, and the lot was one big skidpad. We had loads of fun. Spun once, got sideways a lot, but it was a good learning experience for both of us. I got to practice, and she got to feel what losing control is like without risking any damage. I truly understand the benefits of shuffle steering. As I got the car sideways, I was able to bring it back without overcompensating (most of the time :) ). Kirsten was caught out a couple times as she tried the traditional hand over hand thing. The car reacted faster than she was able to.

    NEway, lots of fun. We must have done 20 laps around the main drive.
  • hammersleyhammersley Member Posts: 684
    ... and although most of us will never claim to be experts, I have found that there's enough aggregate knowledge & experience amongst these Subaru nuts that even if we don't know an answer, *somebody* can point you in the right direction. So dive right in, the water's fine!

    Cheers!
    Paul
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    paisan: different movies, I guess. Jack Nicholson drive the Trooper in "The Pledge", but there is no Axoim, or Antonio, for that matter.

    Paul: you'll love the Subie in the snow. You'll actually start HOPING for more snow, which means less traffic! We just got 5" the other night and it simply was not enough to challenge it. Boring, almost. It only gets fun around 8" or more.

    Leather for a 6 year old sounds good. Easy to wipe clean. Your front seats are heated to boot.

    I'm not surprised Edmunds listed it as a best buy, but that won't change any time soon. As the 2001 model year goes on it's only likely to get better, though you shouldn't expect any rebates (Forester never had any). In other words, now is as good a time as any.

    Cristina: congrats. My friend Lisbeth has the same color Forester. She was set on a CR-V until I took her for a ride in mine in the snow and ice.

    -juice
  • francophilefrancophile Member Posts: 667
    Juice said:
    We just got 5" the other night and it simply was not enough to challenge it. Boring, almost. It only gets fun around 8" or more.

    Juice, 1/2" is all it takes to have fun - just turn the wheel and step on the gas! I was out yesterday practicing using the handbrake to rotate the back of the car in turns. What a hoot!

    Although I'm sorry to have missed you all at Baltimore, I had quite an eventful day Saturday. 9" of snow here, plus I got a call from my son in Texas, telling me that I am now a GRANDFATHER. Abigail decided to come a couple of weeks early. Mom and child are fine, and I'm ecstatic.

    Cheers,
    -wdb
    (now officially a "geezer")
  • subaru_teamsubaru_team Member Posts: 1,676
    Abigail is a great name!
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Yesterday I had my first experience in being questioned about Subaru's and how they handle. Considering we had just had a few inches (only 6 Juice, sorry) I was able to tell the gentleman the truth. The car rode GREAT!! He did have one question which I was unsure how to answer so I figured I would turn to this knowledge base. What do they mean when they say you are riding the clutch, and when driving a stick in heavy city driving should you shift into neutral or just depress the pedal while keeping the car in gear? Sorry if this may be a simple answer, and I admit to felling foolish to even ask it after driving stick for 13 years, but like I say to my wife "I just drive the car, I'm not sure how everything works."
    Thanks,
    Mark

    PS.. Christina welcome and congratulations. As you can see you are not the only one in the dark when it comes to cars.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Fair enough, WDB, but only if you try.

    BTW, I've concluded that Sandy does not oversteer any more than before with the 18mm rear sway bar and the front strut tower brace. The thicker rear bar reduces roll, and supposedly can increase oversteer, but my guess is the front brace cancels that out.

    Bottom line is the handling is still pretty neutral, with the ability to kick the tail out in turns, all easily controllable with the throttle.

    Another conclusion - the Nitto NT460s are not as bad in the snow as I thought they would be. You still have to try to break traction. No problem getting around at all, you don't even notice 5" of snow are even there under normal driving.

    WDB: uh-oh, does that mean we'll see a vinyl top on your GT sedan at our next meet?

    -juice

    PS WRX will be @ Philly!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Mark: riding the clutch is when your foot is on the clutch while in gear. You should, of course, remove your foot completely.

    When you stop, shift into neutral and again release the clutch.

    Someone said it best when they said you only put your foot on the clutch when it's on the way down or on the way up.

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Photos from the Baltimore auto show are up here:


    http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=1400062&Auth=false


    I gave up on homepage.com. Too slow, servers down often, poor quality pictures. Check out these, they're much better. I'll start putting stuff there from now on.


    -juice

  • subaru_teamsubaru_team Member Posts: 1,676
    The information that Juice provided is excellent (as usual). In our manual transmission, you'll notice that there is a place to the left of the clutch to rest your foot. Some folks might think that it is okay to rest your foot on the pedal as long as it is not depressed, but you would be surprised at how that can impact the wear.

    One additional note: Try not to rest your hand on the shifter You can cause increase wear on the forks/syncro's.
  • natescapenatescape Member Posts: 176
    I had great fun the other day. We had a couple of inches last week (then 8 or 9 this weekend, but the street was plowed by the time I got the driveway shoveled, and I didn't wanna compact the snow with my Forester) in MA. My father-in-law drives a Ford F350 (a MONSTER truck with a V10) and always scoffs at my puny 4-banger Sube.

    Well, he backed out of my driveway in the 2 inches of snow, then tried to go up the hill. Nuthin' but spinning for a bit, and about 10 seconds later he finally managed to get going. When I went out about 30 minutes later in my car, I didn't slip AT ALL. *insert wry smile*

    After the storm yesterday, my wife took the car to the grocery store. She said the Forester NEVER slipped and that it really inspired confidence that she's never had in her FWD vehicles. She also said the store was practically empty, and that of the 6 other cars that were there, three were Foresters and one was an Outback.

    Guess us Sube owners were the only ones confident enough in our cars to head out. :)
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I'm telling you, a couple of inches is not enough. The 12" storm last year was much more fun, and still hardly a challenge.

    Go out early, before the plows are out, and it's a ball. It's true, the only cars you see are Subarus.

    -juice
  • miksmimiksmi Member Posts: 1,246
    I might become a car nut without realizing it...

    Cristina, The answer is yes, it happens best of us. ;) Pre-00 GT wagon (wife's), cars for me were point A to point B appliances. Those days are long gone, thanks so Subaru (our 2nd, actually), the GT's suspension, and this forum. Oh, and congrats on the Forester. My wife's folks live in a Boston suburb and I'm envious of their and your snow.

    WDB, congrats on the new granddaughter!

    ..Mike

    ..Mike

  • amishraamishra Member Posts: 367
    Too much snow kind can limit your ability to have fun, because it slows you down.

    I.e. 1" to 2" of snow is enough to make a parking lot plenty slippery, and do 360s, donuts, etc. You can really get going fast and have a blast.

    However, when I took my Outback into a parking lot with a foot and half of snow, I couldn't get moving fast enough to really enjoy it. Yes, I could still do a 360, and four wheel drifts, but the speed wasn't there...

    Not to mention afterwards I had snow trapped in the wheels, causing the car to vibrate at higher speeds.

    -- ash
  • FrankMcFrankMc Member Posts: 228
    A little before 8am I had snow blowed the driveway (210 feet), but they had only plowed one lane of the road I live on (about a mile out of town up a fairly steep hill). They had plowed the uphill lane.. I needed to go down the hill, should I have...
    a) driven on the wrong side of the road - or -
    b) driven on the correct side of the road unplowed.

    All the subaru guy have the right answer.... The unplowed side... Although when I was coming back I did drive up the plowed side (there are a few turns that have limited visibility.. and I don't want a head-on)

    Naturally there was no problem.
  • peterson10peterson10 Member Posts: 116
    Oh boy, manual transmission talk!
    While I agree that its probably good practice to put the car in neutral at stop lights and the like, I'm not convinced that there is any "real-world" reason to favor this over holding the clutch "full in". I'm eager to be better educated, so chime in, but with the clutch pedal fully depressed there should be zero friction on the plates. In fact, when you think about it from a "wear" standpoint, putting the car into neutral at a stoplight requires two additional clutch engagements over simply keeping the clutch fully depressed (in gear or otherwise). I often wonder if that small amount of wear adds up over time.

    Personally, I typically pop my car into neutral as I approach the stop sign/light and allow the weight of the car and some light cadence braking to bring me to a "fuel efficient" stop. If I'm at a red light I keep the car in neutral (usually with the hand brake lightly engaged) until I see the other light turn yellow, and then I get ready to move.

    BTW, when I moved to me new neighborhood six years ago I was the lone Subaru driver. Today I count eight (not including my two).
    YetAnotherDave
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    Clutch diaphram (pressure plate) and take-out bearing wear, that's why you don't keep the clutch down at a light.

    Also leg cramping for cars with heavy-duty clutches. ;-)

    -Colin
  • drew_drew_ Member Posts: 3,382
    I finally managed to tape the MB stayling alive TV commercial and thought you all may enjoy the screen captures and video clip of the ad. Love that rollover test part! Note that 3rd row seat dummies were also used in the 40mph rear end collision test. For that test, MB uses a ram with a barrier that extends the full height of the vehicle, rather than just one that is rear bumper height: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/Albumlist?u=137587

    Video clip (1.7 MB - 22 fps with sound): http://www.off-road.com/mbenz/Staying_Alive.avi

    Enjoy!

    Drew
    Host
    Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards

    P.S. juice, great pictures! FYI, it's the CL-class coupe, not the S coupe ;-)
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Interesting point, Ash. I had ice accumulate with the dirty steel wheels.

    I put a coat of wax on the new alloys - now it doesn't stick. Try it, works like a charm.

    Frank: actually it's secret answer c. You take the long way, on local roads that are completely unplowed. ;-)

    I got 107k miles out of the original clutch on a FORD using that technique. That says a lot!

    That's right, Drew, they keep chaning their naming scheme. As soon as I figure it out, boom. C240 has a 2.6l engine, for example.

    -juice
  • drew_drew_ Member Posts: 3,382
    I have no idea why MB went with the C240 name instead of C260. Perhaps it's because in Germany they have the C270 CDI (Common Rail Direct Injection Diesel) and they wanted more of a differentiation with the names? Strangely, I think the E240 does have a 4-cylinder engine!
  • fandcfandc Member Posts: 51
    I was taught neutral when you're stopped, parking brake on. A friend's father, who was a mechanic, educated me as to the wear on the pressure plate and thrust/throw-out bearing if you kept the clutch pedal on the floor. Got a Volvo 123GT to 180,000 miles, a 626 (RWD - great car) to 128,000 and even a Camaro to 108,000, each with the original clutch when I got rid of 'em.

    (I also learned not to work on a wiper motor just after turning it off - they get real hot!)

    Shuffle steering works to a certain extent in a skid. If the back end is coming around real fast, shuffle steering doesn't let you correct it fast enough so you have to go back to hand-over-hand. An instructor at Skip Barber showed me that one, 'cos I was trying to use shuffle steering. On the skid pad, Skip Barber uses Dakota pickups, V8, RWD with used race tires. Great fun!

    Took the school with my son so that I'd have peace of mind, knowing that he knew how handle a skid or any other emergency situation. Now he's trying to 'borrow' the GT for a rally or rallycross. I knew there was a catch.
  • francophilefrancophile Member Posts: 667
    There is a narrow window of time in which it is probably better to continue to hold the clutch pedal down at a stoplight. But it's not very long! For example, if you come to a stop and notice that the light is about to change, just hold the clutch in for a few seconds and wait for it. Otherwise, neutral and clutch out.

    Cheers,
    grandpa who has driven a WHOLE LOT of clutch cars
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    An interesting point was brought out at the Baltimore Auto Show, that I had forgotten about: Not all cars that "are" AWD, are truly all-wheel-drive. Case in point: the Chrysler AWD mini-vans. When you put these vehicles in reverse—they revert to FWD. You have to wonder about "rocking" one of these vehicles to get unstuck in snow—AWD/FWD, AWD/FWD, AWD/FWD, AWD/FWD, AWD/FWD, ...

    I had heard some time ago, that this was the case with several so-called AWD vehicles. I'm pretty sure the Subaru AWD system works in reverse, but what about some of the others, such as: Rav4? Highlander? RX300? and Mountaineer?

    And then there's the on-demand AWD vehicles such as the CRV, and MDX—what about them?

    Bob
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Congratulations! That's great news!

    Bob
  • drew_drew_ Member Posts: 3,382
    I have a Grand Voyager LE AWD and the system is definitely AWD in reverse. It's not a very fancy system with open front and rear differentials, and a centre viscous coupling diffy, but it gets the job done quite smoothly. The system (made by an Austrian company) is actually similar to Subaru's manual tranny AWD system except for the initial 90/10 torque split vs. Subaru's 50/50 split, I've driven the van in a foot of snow with no problems except for the occasional scraping caused by the snow/ice hitting the under carriage. I also enjoy periodically punching the gas pedal fairly hard (while on wet roads) when the light turns green, and taking off, leaving all of the FWD vehicles spinning their drive wheels. :-) This works especially well uphill when the vehicles' weight transfers back even more so. The non-traction control equipped FWD cars (and large pickups for that matter) don't have a chance against my van :-)

    With no traction management (open differentials), when starting on a slippery (snow/ice covered) uphill slope, I do occasionally hear one wheel start to break loose and spin faster than the other. I've also nearly been stuck a couple of times while driving up my driveway (split mu surface; only the right side of the driveway was snow covered) with power leaking to the wheels without traction on one side. I had to back down the driveway and gain some momentum at the bottom. No such problems with the ML, of course. The large and fairly open tread tires practically "laugh" at 2 feet high snow plowed to the side of the road.

    Yes, the RAV4, Highlander, RX300, etc. AWD systems all work in reverse as well. The Acura MDX's system is rather interesting since it is really only a much more sophisticated and faster reacting adaptation of the Honda CR-V's system. The system sends some power to the rear wheels when accelerating, but reverts to FWD when coasting or only until slippage is detected. There is no centre differential, so the system cannot turn on continuously on dry roads, and you're basically 2WD or 3WD during turns. I'll take a permanent 4WD/AWD system anytime, thank you.


    Drew
    Host
    Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Drew, do you know if the MDX does not activate the rwd above 20mph? I read somewhere once you are over 20mph, it automatically disables no matter what wheels are slipping.

    -mike
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    I was talking to a mechanic at the Baltimore Auto Show, (a friend of Juice's, whom we ran into) who works a Chrysler or Dodge dealership, and he was certain that the AWD doesn't work in reverse. I too questioned him, but that's what he said.

    Bob
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