Plain Jane AWD daily driver

[Eagle]

"It feels like the entire car, wrapping around you in a single motion, evenly slips in and out of a corner as one."

"There’s no big drama about it. Subarus have viscous differentials, sort of juggling the power around the corners of the car, and it all sort of meshes and globularizes into unified motion. It’s not abrupt. It’s not sharp. It’s creamy peanut butter plastering over all the little holes on a piece of bread."

Get the Impreza with the new global architecture.  You will not regret it.  Not like the old flexy flexy.  So smooth in a 4 wheel drift it is silly fun with all elec off.  While DSC is nice for the city -> it feels like crap on ice and snow.  Tried to get the car out of sorts and the thing just did not want to slip on very slippery sheet ice.  Perfect daily driver for my wife -> but def get the stick with high tech snows.  100% rally inspired for sure.  Low COG.  Major fun.

Any other good AWD cars that are fun?

https://jalopnik.com/why-every-car-enthusiast-needs-to-drive-a-subaru-imprez-1792710820

[SlatchJim]

We owned a 93 legacy wagon for years. That thing was a snowmobile. There's a reason they're so popular in snowy climates.

[laszlo]

I used to have a game of counting every time I saw a Subie in the Gorge. Needless to say that got old fast, since every second car on the road is a Subaru. Finally just bought one, a '99 Outback, which is still running strong even though my wife uses it as a farm vehicle.

[Eagle]

Yeah quite a few Subies here as well.  This is what a basic non-turbo viscous Impreza can do vs a locked 5 cyl Quattro.  Lightweight slip sliding fun!  With the Subie it is a no-brainer -> the Symmetric does most the thinking.

Note:  Do not try with a heavy high COG vehicle.  A guy was trying to drift his Range Rover and he completely lost control.  Going straight ok but quick turns not so much.  Danger.   

https://youtu.be/9kT8x0uui2o

[johnysmoke]

Had an 02 WRX bugeye, ie a little silver wagon with a turbo and stick, solid rack up top could tie all kinds of toys onto it. Had tons of fun in that thing, used to love smoking bmws off the line on my morning commute. Had my license revoked at least twice, three tickets in a year in Massachusetts and they suspend, until I found a traffic lawyer who was good at getting tickets dismissed.
Took me a long time to get competent at driving it, ended up in a few ditches from driver error early on in my ownership. Would have benefited from a few autocross courses but never got that organized. The last few years I owned it got everything dialed in well, upgraded wheels, tires, and suspension. Could drift it pretty well at that point. Rode like it was on rails until it would start to get slideways, broke traction but was predictable on where it would exit and line back up. Could initiate turns and donuts in the snow using pretty much just the throttle.
My wife absolutely hated it and the body started to rot out. Had also turned into a bit of a rattle box under my ride hard and put away wet modus operandi. The performance suspension, low profile wheels and tires, and aftermarket pipes were exhilarating, for about 45 minutes at a time, then mental fatigue would start to set in from the harsh ride and noise. Was always kind of stuffed into it as well, not very comfortable, and not much space inside Eventually traded in for a 2012 Outback with a stick, which I disliked, only kept for a year. Now drive a soccer mom car which can't get out of it's own way, but is extremely comfortable, and I'm probably good with that until some type of midlife crisis. But if Subaru offered a mid sized wagon with a turbo and stick that was slung low, like the Levorg wagons they get in Europe, I'd buy one tomorrow.

[eastbound]

my forester is the best car ive ever driven on highway snow---and ive lived at altitude in utah nad colo for years--gfot plenty of experience drivng good and bad snow cars

wherew the subaru excels is in real life circumstance---like when driving 50 mph on highway snowpack--or up to a 18" of untracked powie--it just wont spin out

[Eagle]

The current Impreza has a way more torsionally rigid frame that will be used on other models.  The 2018 Crosstrek also now has it.  Waited for that before getting a Subie.  The frame does not flex much.  Am now waiting for the WRX to get it.  That thing should be bomber when it does.

But was able to get the DSC to 4 wheel drift on slick ice but not so much on 12" of snow.  Silly traction control stepped in and stopped the car.  But with DSC off that thing drifted like a champ just like in the vid.  Super super predictable and so mega easy to catch and modulate.  Major fun.

Also tried to get it to slip on sheet ice up an incline with DSC on and off -> but had absolutely zero wheel spin with winter rubber.  So really am completely sold on the mech 50/50 split of the simple viscous drivetrain.

Would say that in all the cars we have ever driven the Boxster S handles the best on dry -> and the Impreza the best on ice and snow.  Both can be tossed around with super low COG engines.  S and WRX would be perfect stablemates @ around 300hp.  Did also track an Elise but it felt like a harsh go cart.  But that was my other option.  The S was way better overall.

No doubt when finally old and can no longer ski nor SB -> will probs be ok to be chauffeured up to the mtns by an autonomous vehicle with DSC always on. 

[Eagle]

My buddy has an Evo which he enjoys but rallies an Alfa in Mex.  But from my take the WRX might be the right AWD enthusiast ticket once it gets the global platform.  The STi is much too garish over the top with that silly fin -> whereas the WRX more sensible.  But would recommend peeps try out these Subies as they are way more fun and safer than many cars without 50/50 full-time AWD.  Even in rain like we get in Van.

A new model WRX might be a bit more that simple plain jane -> but would probs be my AWD daily driver if needed to commute.  The 2018 is a fun car but does lack the new stiffer safer frame.  Ok but would wait if possible. 

https://youtu.be/ztW1VHMVIwI

[blackeye]

I would again buy a plain jane legacy wagon in a heartbeat. Levorg for North America? Anyone? Hello?

[Eagle]

Hmm?  Interesting that Levorg.  But for some odd reason no plans for stick.  Shame.  Subaru should really consider the market for something like that in NA.

[Eagle]

"Unfortunately, you will have to wait on both until the WRX/STI gets a complete remodel for the 2020 model year. That’s when the performance models will get the new Subaru Global Platform (SGP) and the STI will most likely get the new 2.0-liter FA motor with power upgrades."

https://www.torquenews.com/1084/should-you-buy-newly-redesigned-2018-subaru-wrxsti-or-wait-all-new-2020-sti

Sounds like no new WRX global platform for a while.  Shame.  It is markedly noticeable as soon as you drive down the street.  Very big advancement in safety - road dynamics - and general enjoyment.  Better in near every way.  Pic of Levorg below.

"Subaru’s new-generation all-wheel-drive models will be the safest vehicles the Japanese automaker has ever built."

https://www.torquenews.com/1084/5-amazing-facts-about-subaru-s-global-platform-revised-crosstrek-rides-it

[p06781]

I love my 05 subi legacy Gt 5mt ! So much fun .

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[mrbig]

Had a WRX Wagon manual. Fun. Room for boards inside.

Traded in for a 2005 Legacy GT mit der turbo. Loved dusting Porches. A true Q-Ship.

Alas the turbo grenaded. Turns out I was not alone..

Still fun while it lasted!!

[p06781]

Had a WRX Wagon manual. Fun. Room for boards inside.

Traded in for a 2005 Legacy GT mit der turbo. Loved dusting Porches. A true Q-Ship.

Alas the turbo grenaded. Turns out I was not alone..

Still fun while it lasted!!

Switched the vf40 turbo for a bnr 16g at 65k because of the fragility of the vf40.  I'm at 170k now and still pulling hard !

[Tom]

My wife had the 98 Legacy wagon that she was going to keep until it died and then get a new Outback (basically the same car). She gave up waiting because it never needed any work so she gave it away and got a new one. Her friend still hasn't had to spend any money fixing it.