How well does a 2011 WRX handle snow?

[Incline Wine]

Brand new to the USMB forum. I have a 2009 outback. While at the Carson City dealer for a 60k major tune up last week, I was admiring a WRX. Since I live in the Lake Tahoe area, I occasionally have to deal with maybe 12" of new snow to get down my street to where it has been plowed. The Outback does pretty good now that I have studded snows for it. If I traded it for a WRX will I have trouble with the snow?

[gbhrps]

Incline Vine,

 

One, the WRX sits much closer to the ground than an OBW. You are familiar with how much snow you typically have to deal with, so consider this first.

 

Two, you would be wise to swap out the tires and rims on a WRX for winter, and go to a narrower rim and as narrow a winter tire as will safely fit on the rim. You only have to watch some winter ralleye car races (many WRX's in the field) to see the super narrow tires they run. Yes, they stud them.

 

I have had 4 OBW's over the years, a 97, an 04, an 07 and now a 12. I put under sized snow tires on separate rims for every one of them and found that the cars were crazy glued to the road in snow and ice.

 

Because of the wheel size change in the 04 OBW (2nd generation OBW's went to 16 inch wheels from 15 inchers on the 1st generation OBW's) I let myself be talked into going with the same winter tire size as the car came equipped with, a 225/60/16. BIG mistake that lasted less than a month. At speed the tires rode up on top of the snow as if they were aqua planing. I traded them off for a set of 195/60/16's and the sure footedness was back. In snow the narrower tire cuts down into the snow and doesn't ride up on top. Much better traction.

 

Hope this makes your decision a little easier.

[Incline Wine]

Yeah, that's what I was afraid of. The lower clearance will make it difficult to get down the street while waiting for the plows to show up. The OBW is a great car, as far as reliability and slick road capability goes. I see quite a few WRX's in town and was hoping they could cope, but I have to get to work in the winter, so I will have to forego the more exciting car, it seems.

[WoodsWagon]

What about a forester XT? Up until this year they had a de-tuned version of the wrx engine, so you could have the ride height and the power.

[1 Lucky Texan]

What about a forester XT? Up until this year they had a de-tuned version of the wrx engine, so you could have the ride height and the power.

 

 

^^^excellent suggestion

[fishy]

My friend has a 2012 Sti sedan and it's not as low to the ground as you might think. It's certainly lower than a Outback or Forester but it's not as low as other small sedans are and the limited slip diffs and snow tires make it basically unstoppable in any reasonable amounts of snow.

While the Sti and WRX are small cars with super-powers they ARE still smaller cars and if you're dealing with a foot or more of snow on a regular basis you're probably wise to stick with an Outback or Forester for the extra height. The Forester has better approach, departure, and breakover angles if you get ambitious off road sometimes.

 

[Incline Wine]

What about a forester XT? Up until this year they had a de-tuned version of the wrx engine, so you could have the ride height and the power.

 

The thought has crossed my mind. My goal in trading up from the OBW is to have more of a driver's car and I am not sure the Forester XT fills the bill. Power is great, but handling is also important to me. Past cars include a Carrera 4S and a super charged Z28. I am partial to manuals, also. I should know this, but is the XT available with a stick?

[1 Lucky Texan]

[Incline Wine]

Hmm, that could work!