AWD Car in KC winter weather

[supastudio]

So it's 100 degrees out, but I'm in the market for a new car coming this December.  Since I live in this unique KC climate, I am looking for an AWD car for when winter comes with snow and ice.  I'm leaning towards the 2012 Subaru Legacy or Impreza.  Both cars are symmetrical AWD and both get at least 31 MPG Highway (KC driving is 90% highway anyways). 

Anyone here have experience with Subarus? Any other suggestions for an AWD car? MPG is more important to me than power.  Not looking for an SUV or crossover.  I just don't like the concept of driving an SUV or Minivan.

[smh]

Audi?

[KansasCityCraka]

I have driven both Subaru's and Audi's/VW's a lot. If you are not looking for luxury and just something comfortable and more affordable go with Subaru. Subaru's are the only AWD cars that can convert enough power to a single wheel to keep the car moving. It is a 3 year old video but nothing has changed in the competitors majorly since then. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooQRxlChvMw

Also, Subaru's are a lot cheaper to fix should they break down. I love my Audi A4 but if I was not able to fix it all myself it would cost quite a bit to have a mechanic work on it. The other plus is that Subaru Boxer engines can last over 200K miles with just regular maintenance without a problem. IMO subaru's are some of the best bang for your buck cars out there.

I personally would go with the Legacy over the Impreza just due to the fact that you get more car and do not lose gas mileage over the Impreza.

If you do however want a bit more Luxury you can find 08-10 Audi A4's with less than 30K miles under $25K with warranty's. The downside to an A4 is that you will have to buy premium gas for it. Where the Subaru will use regular gas.

[KC_JAYHAWK]

I've had an Audi A4 Quattro for 4 years and it has never got stuck in snow or going up steep hills.  I love it.  My last car was front wheel drive and I would get stuck all the time going up hills (you know that slide when your front wheels start spinning and the car starts sliding toward the curb  ).  Never in my A4.  It goes straight and never slides around. 

[slimwhitman]

  Since I live in this unique KC climate, I am looking for an AWD car for when winter comes with snow and ice. 

I have been driving a '81 Datsun for over a decade.  It is old school with rear wheel drive and none of that modern traction control, anti-lock brake, or other stuff.  It has classic heavy in the front, light in the rear issues. 
I drive it every day in the winter in KCMO streets and have never been stuck.  Not once.  AWD is for people that do not know how to drive, or live in the country....or are wimps that are scared to get stuck.  Any front wheel drive car with good tires should never get stuck with a competent driver.
Cowboy up.

[supastudio]

Yeah, seems to me everyone I ask always mention Subarus and Audis for AWD and nothing else.  KansasCityCraka, I have seen that video and it always makes me lean towards the Subaru. Unfortunately, the Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami has delayed the new model Legacy and the brand new 36 MPG Impreza by four months so I'm not going to be able to test drive anytime soon.

How is Audi dependability? Don't know any Audi owners. Is it like VW?

[tacitus]

I've owned a couple of subarus - but i'm pretty utilitarian, so I don't have any experience with an Audi, Volvo, etc to compare/contrast it with. I would like to mention that subarus (along with Porche) use a boxer engine, which helps to lower the vehicle's overall center of gravity. The boxer engines also provide more torque to horsepower ratio (good for climbing, accelerating, etc). They're also all aluminum block, aluminum heads, etc.. this helps reduce internal mass, so more energy ends up coming out of the crankshaft.

There are a couple of drawbacks to that engine design, however:

1) Some iterations of the engines are known for piston slap when you start them, until the motor is warmed up a bit (90 seconds, maybe). This is partly due to subaru using especially short piston skirts to save internal mass. The sound can get worse with age. However, unless it's an extreme case it's only "cosmetic" -  no damage is actually being done.

2) Boxer engines tend to leak oil a little more. I think this is mostly because the valve covers are sitting horizontally, and thus those particular seals are constantly exposed to oil. I try to convince myself it's really a rust-prevention feature.

3) Some iterations of these engines use solid bucket lifters in the valve train. This saves mass and reduces moving parts - but, again, can be louder. I don't know if new models use this technology or not. 

Since you're buying new, I'd presume the issues I bring up will either be fixed or will occur far enough in the future (such as oil leaks) that it won't matter. Good luck.

[KansasCityCraka]

Yeah, seems to me everyone I ask always mention Subarus and Audis for AWD and nothing else.  KansasCityCraka, I have seen that video and it always makes me lean towards the Subaru. Unfortunately, the Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami has delayed the new model Legacy and the brand new 36 MPG Impreza by four months so I'm not going to be able to test drive anytime soon.

How is Audi dependability? Don't know any Audi owners. Is it like VW?

VW owns Audi so they run a lot of the same stuff. VW calls their AWD system 4 Motion and Audi calls it Quattro. I love my Audi and always plan to own one. They are pretty reliable however if something does go bad on the car it will cost more to fix than your average American or Asian car. Do I think Audi's are worth it though? Yes, I do. The main issues on Audi's would be replacing the Timing Belt, Radiator, and a few other minor things around 70-75K miles. I would recommend doing preventative maintenance on an Audi. If a Timing Belt breaks on a Turbo Audi it will do some major damage so its best to just do preventative maintenance. Audi/VW engines can pass 200K miles without an issues as long as you keep up on the maintenance. Which people should do on all cars but most people neglect it.

I have owned my Audi for a year now and have had no issues and it has over 90K miles on it now. My dad owns a VW Passat and it has over 160K miles on it and he has only had to replace the radiator. Just like any car with proper maintenance and care it can last a long time.

If you tell me your price range I would certainly be able to help you in looking online at some Audi's or maybe even VW's. 

[skim82]

I've heard such mixed reviews of Audi's so it's nice to get some direct owner experiences shared here.

I always loved the a4 quattros, but I still remain extremely cautious of their reliability.  I've had 3 friends who I trust tell me never to buy an Audi.  They've had a lot of electrical and mechanical problems.  One of them did not have a warranty and he swore he spent more on maintenance than on the car payment every month.

However, I remain open to the idea of an Audi, although right now I'm leaning towards the Hyundai Sonata 2.0t Limited and the new Infiniti G25x.  The g25x is an all wheel drive model that has a smaller engine than the g37x. 

[KC-wildcat]

Infiniti G and M Series both have awd ("x") sedans.  I've got the G35x. Great in the snow. Not great mpg.  Probably around 21.  New line of infinitis G37x and M37x may have better mph. Not sure.

[KansasCityCraka]

I've heard such mixed reviews of Audi's so it's nice to get some direct owner experiences shared here.

I always loved the a4 quattros, but I still remain extremely cautious of their reliability.  I've had 3 friends who I trust tell me never to buy an Audi.  They've had a lot of electrical and mechanical problems.  One of them did not have a warranty and he swore he spent more on maintenance than on the car payment every month.

However, I remain open to the idea of an Audi, although right now I'm leaning towards the Hyundai Sonata 2.0t Limited and the new Infiniti G25x.  The g25x is an all wheel drive model that has a smaller engine than the g37x. 

I personally believe Audi/VW cars are very reliable. I think they get a bad wrap because if they do break they are more expensive to fix than an American or Asian car. It will cost more to own an Audi over a Subaru or Hyundai. Infinities cost close to the Audi price. I am a firm believer in "you get what you pay for". The Audi and Infiniti will be more luxury and more refined of a car and overall in their driving. But the others are good too, they just do not have all the features. If all you are looking for is a car to drive to work and to the store you may not need a more expensive option like the Audi or Infiniti. If you use your car for cruises and longer journeys than around town often I would go with a nicer car.

[supastudio]

Seems like Subaru is still the best fit for me. I don't need a flashy car or all the luxury items more expensive models offer. MPG and price are my top priorities and the Impreza or Legacy will be the two cars I'm going to decide on. The 2012 Impreza gets 36 MPG while the Legacy gets 31 MPG. The Legacy has more space but also more expensive. It's a toss up on which one to get: the better MPG or the bigger car. I don't mind the styling of either so that's not a factor. My current car is a 99 Civic and is comparable in size to the Impreza. I have already test driven the Legacy and noticed the difference the size makes on my driving style. Any insight on the Impreza vs. Legacy choice?

2010-2012 Legacy


2012 Impreza (they are already calling it the baby legacy)