We finally had a 12" snow since we've had the RDX. After sliding around and digging out various wheels, it's now parked at the front of the development. I guess I didn't understand the AWD system that well. I figured that torque would be transferred to the wheel that was slipping. Not the case in this condition. I would slide the back end onto near bare pavement, gun the throttle, and only the front tires would spin. Same the other way around with the rears buried. Very dissapointing. If only there was a way to electronically lock the 4 wheels to drive like in a standard 4x4. I wouldn't be stuck right now. I guess I need to add a Jeep to our garage for these situations.

 

idk about the rdx but i had to turn off the vsa to get more power to get out the snow

 

this thread goes along the lines of what some of us have noticed; we need a subaru test on rollers for conclusive evidence.

although power CAN be diverted to the rear...the biggest hinderance of that happening is in slippage/snow situations, where there is FWD bias...if some power can goto the wheels in the front, there is no explosion of power to the rear, even tho you need it.

quick solution, vsa off and leave it in first or 2nd thru sport mode...see what happens

 

Real solution, get snow tires....VSA does not help you to get more traction. The way to get traction is to get friction with the road; you can achieve that by putting dirt, or getting chains, or snow tires.

That being said, the RDX is not a 4x4, is not a "real" SUV, not an off-roader, so I don't think you can expect to be plowing through snow with this car.

 

It even states right in the RDX owners manual to turn OFF the VSA when stuck in deep snow to get more torque to all the wheels. Then turn the VSA back on ASAP once freed.

 

Behold, the Power of Subaru: WRX STI tows semi out of snow
Kind-a funny video when you see the Peugeot driving through after the semi gets help
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/20/b...now/#continued

 

Turn off VSA. If you're still having problems its either you or your tires.

 

It's not me or the tires. Yes I had the VSA off. Yes I had it is sport mode- tried in both 1st and 2nd gear. The problem is that I need this system to provide power to more than just one wheel at a time. Front right or rear right just doesn't get you out of deep snow. I though until now that if slip was detected in one wheel that the AWD system would bias the power toward a wheel that would get traction. In my experience this time, the wheel with the least resistance would be the only one to spin. I dug myself out today and drove into town. Over the plowed road with light snow it did quite well. When I returned home to the bottom of our development, which has become my new parking place, I got stuck again.

 

snow tires snow tires....probably wont benefit much from them in NC, but they would give you the traction that you need.....in the meantime, just wait for the snow to melt in a couple of days

 

Normally I would suggest snow tires, but living in NC, I wouldn't bother with them, or a Jeep for that matter. I don't think you get enough snow there for either to be worth it. Everything is probably paralyzed there anyway, just wait it out till the roads are plowed.

 

Those are both good suggestions. And a good excuse to not go to work tomorrow. Thanks.

 

The RDX SH-AWD works remarkably well in most snow conditions with 6 inches of snow or less on OEM tires while they’re still relatively new. Yeah, a foot is a bit much for it to tackle. True snow tires will bump this up big time. Not to reiterate, but turn off the VSA if having problems in some serious white stuff and in most cases you'll be fine.

The SH-AWD with VSA really shines its abilities (IMO) in the rain and minor slick conditions. It keeps the vehicle on track. Also, it's awesome when ripping into a corner on dry pavement like one of those super curvy highway on/off ramps!

 

Twelve inches unplowed means there can be three foot drifts. No vehicle you would want to drive on a sunny summer day is going to do well in those conditions. Really, a real 12 inches unplowed is not really drivable in other than a lifted 4x4.

(Don't let the DFW fool you, I grew up in Canton, OH.)

 

12inches of unplowed snow would be hard for any car/truck/suv with only All Seasons and 5.5inches of ground clearance.

 

While we might have a great car in the snow, other people may not, so I don't drive if the conditions are too bad.

 

Corduroygt, not to be rude, but you sound like my girlfriend. She refuses to go out in the rain (we don't have snow in New Orleans). When ever it rains she skips her classes. I tell her all the time, "the world just doesn't stop because it is raining, and what are you going to do when you have a job".

For me the main reason I got the RDX was to be higher from the ground than my civic. Being higher allowed me to get around better when it floods here. Which it already has flooded here in New Orleans atleast 3 or 4 times since I got my car in october, damn I live in a freakin bowl.

 

Driving in rain is NOTHING like driving in the snow. I can understand corduroygt's decision to stay in WHEN the conditions are bad. I have driven in blizzards with random whiteouts and it is not fun; in fact, it is quite scary.

 

Look we can go on for hours debating this, but you are right. Driving in the rain is NOTHING like driving in the snow, except the same dangers exist: you can get hurt and your car wrecked. New Orleans and serounding areas, so much rain comes down and you can't see past the hood of your car. I have had to walk/swim home from school before, and I was also picked up from school in a boat in grammer school.
Check This Out!
http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2...ssued_for.html
And this was after hurrican Katrina, after we got a huge crap ton of money for flood protection and pumps (where did alot of that money go?). It is scary when you don't know if your car will make it through the intersection, and when you hear the water hitting the bottom of your car under your feet and coming over your bumper, or the stupid jacked up truck on the other side of the road is going to submerge your car from his wake of water.

To get back on subject, it just all comes down to how well prepared you and your car are to handle the situation.

 

6-8 inches of snow fell yesterday in Cleveland and my RDX with 6kmiles on my OEMs went just fine. Side roads were untouched and very bad. Traction control kicked in a few times here and there and I really always felt in control.

SO much better than my TSX and TL did. I'm very pleased!

 

To the OP, this article will confirm what everyone has told you and what you don't seem to believe (I don't think you do anyways)
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/29/p...l-wheel-drive/
Take it from a person living in New England, Tires, Tires, Tires.....Yeah, in your case is not worth buying a set for the rare snow event every three-five years..

 

I took the RDX up to a cabin last weekend and had a situation similar to the OP. The RDX did better than expected on the snow packed backroads but I just didn't have the tires to go up the driveway. I came to a spining stop and slid back a bit. I ended up with three tires on packed snow/ice and my left front on a clean piece of hard packed dirt. With VSA OFF in sport mode the right front tire spun away and the right rear occasionally gave a little spin but nothing from the one tire that could get me out. For giggles, I turned the VSA back ON and the left front tire came to life and I was quickly unstuck.

 

That situation is exactly the problem with the AWD system on this vehicle I was describing. If power was able to be equally distributed to all wheels or even to the wheel with traction, up the driveway you would have went. Since my recent experience I have decided to use this vehicle much differently in snow. In all other conditions like rain, hard pack dirt, gravel, and spirited driving the SH-AWD works great. I wish I would have taken video of the SH-AWD at work when I was stuck in the snow.

 

Get stuck again and take a video please!