Early X-Type 3.0 V6 vs later models?
Discussion
Hi all,
Due to a change in circumstances I may soon have to consolidate down to one cheap car for a while, and these are on the list. Probably along with a 3.0 Legacy. I live in a place where it does generally snow at times during the winter and parts become a bit inaccessible when this happens, hence favouring an AWD car.
I've read a bit about these cars and gather that the earlier AWD system is better, but are the later cars a better overall package? If so, why? What did they do differently?
Due to a change in circumstances I may soon have to consolidate down to one cheap car for a while, and these are on the list. Probably along with a 3.0 Legacy. I live in a place where it does generally snow at times during the winter and parts become a bit inaccessible when this happens, hence favouring an AWD car.
I've read a bit about these cars and gather that the earlier AWD system is better, but are the later cars a better overall package? If so, why? What did they do differently?
I think as a cheap, sporty daily it'll be hard to beat, aside from the mpg. I'd be interested to know if the change to the AWD system on facelift cars is worth avoiding? Does the updated model as a package outweigh the older model or should I look for a 2003 or earlier car being that I do specifically want it to work in snow?
jamieduff1981 said:
I have a 2005 with DSC and Viscous Coupling - but only because I've changed the transfer box 3 times now and last time I just decided to forget the high expense/high effort new ones or full rebuilds and just bought a pre-2004 box for £150 and fitted it.
Whilst the car is really good in the snow (on winter tyres - it's as crap as anything else in snow on 225 section summer tyres), the DSC doesn't work as an alternative to the viscous coupling in practise. It's a system that nips the brakes to prevent wheel spin, but to prevent overheating the brakes (in ice and snow - heh heh) it has a half-arsed attempt at it before locking out the brake modulation function then just resorts to cutting power. It's completely useless. You're better turning the DSC off and just tweaking the hand brake to force some drive to the front wheels when on the post-2004 open centre differential.
With the viscous coupling it's much better. I should qualify the above and say that all that rear wheel spin hassle was on summer tyres. Fit winter tyres and the car is absolutely brilliant in snow. I used it to plow 14" deep snow from my driveway. I'd mushed through the worst of it by the time my wife started filming but you can see from the front bumper that it was much deeper in places to start with.
https://www.facebook.com/jamie.duff.75/videos/1015...
It's always fun to be able to get a dab of opposite lock on your own driveway. By the way it's snow covered grass I turned round on up at the end. With these tyres on the car is just superb on slippery stuff. In the above video it's doing this on the later open centre diff - so in summary get the best car you can regardless of age and invest in a set of tyres. If you happen to need a new transfer box, buy an older one. They're completely interchangable. The later one has a pup-spool inside in lieu of the viscous coupling is all.
The 3.0 Legacy would probably be even better in snow in truth, but what the X-Type has in its favour are very cheap parts so running costs are pretty modest.
I've had six Imprezas so fancy something different to be honest and Subaru parts prices can be stupid for bits you have to get from the manufacturer. I always use the right tyres in winter too, so that's not a concern. I didn't know you could just swap the transfer box, sounds like a bit of a best of both worlds setup?Whilst the car is really good in the snow (on winter tyres - it's as crap as anything else in snow on 225 section summer tyres), the DSC doesn't work as an alternative to the viscous coupling in practise. It's a system that nips the brakes to prevent wheel spin, but to prevent overheating the brakes (in ice and snow - heh heh) it has a half-arsed attempt at it before locking out the brake modulation function then just resorts to cutting power. It's completely useless. You're better turning the DSC off and just tweaking the hand brake to force some drive to the front wheels when on the post-2004 open centre differential.
With the viscous coupling it's much better. I should qualify the above and say that all that rear wheel spin hassle was on summer tyres. Fit winter tyres and the car is absolutely brilliant in snow. I used it to plow 14" deep snow from my driveway. I'd mushed through the worst of it by the time my wife started filming but you can see from the front bumper that it was much deeper in places to start with.
https://www.facebook.com/jamie.duff.75/videos/1015...
It's always fun to be able to get a dab of opposite lock on your own driveway. By the way it's snow covered grass I turned round on up at the end. With these tyres on the car is just superb on slippery stuff. In the above video it's doing this on the later open centre diff - so in summary get the best car you can regardless of age and invest in a set of tyres. If you happen to need a new transfer box, buy an older one. They're completely interchangable. The later one has a pup-spool inside in lieu of the viscous coupling is all.
The 3.0 Legacy would probably be even better in snow in truth, but what the X-Type has in its favour are very cheap parts so running costs are pretty modest.
Edited by jamieduff1981 on Friday 25th June 14:09
Not particularly interested in lowering the car but looking around for replacement shocks, there doesn't seem to be many options, one of which being KW V1 coilovers, but wouldn't want to make it too harsh.
Gassing Station | Jaguar | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff