Winter 4x4 - 3k ish (Impreza 1.5?)

[Scrubs]

As much as I love my M4, it was a complete pain in the arse trying to get anywhere in it during the mental snow we had in Scotland last year. Have bought winter tyres for it to get fitted in a month or so, but fancy getting myself something to compliment it on the driveway.

Looking for 4x4, but not fussed on it whether it is an estate or an SUV etc.

Dealer near my has popped up with two black Subaru Impreza's 1.5 4x4 hatchbacks.


https://www.gumtree.com/p/subaru/subaru-impreza-1....


..and


https://www.gumtree.com/p/subaru/subaru-impreza-1....


Only difference between them seems to be a few thousand miles. Never owned a Subaru, but wondering if they would be decent options
and if anyone has any experience of them? Should I be looking at something else? Quite like the look of them in black. Watched a few youtube
videos and they seem to keep moving well in the snow.


Any thoughts appreciated.

[Tomo1971]

Plenty of video's on youtube showing that a 2wd car (with winter tyres) can be better than 4wd with normal summer tyres.

To get a huge difference you would still have to get either all weather, or full on winters on the subaru.

[Scrubs]

Tomo1971 said:

To get a huge difference you would still have to get either all weather, or full on winters on the subaru.

That's true. Although last year I borrowed the brothers older S3 Quattro for a day during bad snow and even on his summers the car never had any problems getting moving.

[colin79666]

The first one seems to already have a set of winter boots on so I'd go with that one of the two unless something pops up in person. Tow bar on the second one is also a potential warning sign.

[Scrubs]

colin79666 said:

The first one seems to already have a set of winter boots on so I'd go with that one of the two unless something pops up in person. Tow bar on the second one is also a potential warning sign.

Cheers for all the replies.

That's a good point Colin, well spotted Sir! Going to give them a call tomorrow about getting to see it.

[rossub]

0-60 in 14 seconds though. That would do my head in.

There’s a 2 litre version that is sub 10 seconds.

Edited by rossub on Sunday 23 September 13:42

[Toed64]

Umm...that's rather a lot of money for a 10 year old 1.5 hatchback...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Subaru-impreza-1-5r/123...

The bigger engined versions are much nicer to drive.

[kurt535]

Tomo1971 said:

Plenty of video's on youtube showing that a 2wd car (with winter tyres) can be better than 4wd with normal summer tyres.

To get a huge difference you would still have to get either all weather, or full on winters on the subaru.

- naw....i have a 2wd fwd with crossclimates all round. it struggled like hell in the snows this year whereas my little CRV went across the Peaks just before they were impassable. 4wd was the difference.

[Ahbefive]

kurt535 said:

Tomo1971 said:

Plenty of video's on youtube showing that a 2wd car (with winter tyres) can be better than 4wd with normal summer tyres.

To get a huge difference you would still have to get either all weather, or full on winters on the subaru.

- naw....i have a 2wd fwd with crossclimates all round. it struggled like hell in the snows this year whereas my little CRV went across the Peaks just before they were impassable. 4wd was the difference.

Indeed awd makes the most difference, then winter tyres.

[dmsims]

Ahbefive said:

Indeed awd makes no difference whatsoever, but snow chains will

EFA

[ilikejam]

Almost identical plates on the two identical cars. Must have been fleet cars somewhere - worth considering potential treatment of pool cars by pool car drivers as well!

[Toed64]

dmsims said:

Ahbefive said:

Indeed awd makes no difference whatsoever, but snow chains will

EFA

Quick - you should write to JLR, Toyota and maybe even the UNIMOG bosses to tell them that they should pay you a commission for the fortune you can save them by advising them that they need not bother with 4x4 anymore!

[Ahbefive]

dmsims said:

Indeed awd makes no difference whatsoever, but snow chains will

What a very ridiculous thing to say.

[dmsims]

Ahbefive said:

dmsims said:

Indeed awd makes no difference whatsoever, but snow chains will

What a very ridiculous thing to say.

Without something providing extra grip - whether that be winter tyres or snow chains 4wd is just as useless as 2WD

[kurt535]

dmsims said:

Ahbefive said:

dmsims said:

Indeed awd makes no difference whatsoever, but snow chains will

What a very ridiculous thing to say.

Without something providing extra grip - whether that be winter tyres or snow chains 4wd is just as useless as 2WD

Without getting into off road thread hijack and then plastering our cars with those really classy 'One Life - Live it' stickers, bad weather, you are better off with 4wd. Several decades ago, as a squaddie, I saw a staff car get stuck on Salisbury Plain; visiting officer was berating pool driver for not getting close enough to troop inspection he was doing so, driver cracked on regardless and got hopelessly stuck in white chalky morass. Well, PBI had to get the rupert out. By the end, we were covered wet chalky crap. If the rupert had showed up in a Lightweight (he didn't cos they didn't have heaters of note and it was february), he would have been fine and we wouldn't have spent 2 weeks wet from minute 1 of the exercise.

[cheesesliceking]

dmsims said:

Ahbefive said:

dmsims said:

Indeed awd makes no difference whatsoever, but snow chains will

What a very ridiculous thing to say.

Without something providing extra grip - whether that be winter tyres or snow chains 4wd is just as useless as 2WD

Tell that to my SAAB with winters that couldn’t get off my very sloping drive whilst my WRX with all seasons had no trouble. Maybe I’m just lucky?
Or maybe... just maybe... it’s the extra set of driven ducking wheels that helped??

[Ahbefive]

dmsims said:

Ahbefive said:

dmsims said:

Indeed awd makes no difference whatsoever, but snow chains will

What a very ridiculous thing to say.

Without something providing extra grip - whether that be winter tyres or snow chains 4wd is just as useless as 2WD

You obviously struggle with physics.

There is a difference between no grip and limited grip. AWD doubles up on that limited grip.