How Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive is Different
Many all-wheel drive systems found on other vehicles don't start as all-wheel drive. These systems are adapted from 2-wheel drive to be all-wheel drive. Each Subaru model, unlike most other vehicles in its class, starts out as all-wheel drive. This allows us to build a system for holding the road unlike any other offered. Power is fed directly from the engine, through the transmission, then to the driveshaft and then delivered to each wheel in the most direct route possible. The result is constant traction for continual confidence.
Subaru Symmetrical AWD vs. Front-Wheel Drive-based AWD
All-wheel drive systems adapted from front-wheel drive typically
feature a transverse-mounted engine.
This engine configuration requires additional drivetrain
components to transfer power through several 90-degree turns
in order to get it to the rear wheels. This increases weight,
reduces efficiency and makes creating a symmetrical layout
virtually impossible. Also, these systems are often 2-wheel
drive under most conditions -- the rear wheels only engaging
when the system detects wheelspin. By then, you've already
sacrificed some control.
Subaru Symmetrical
AWD vs. Rear-Wheel Drive-based AWD
Some all-wheel drive systems start with a rear-wheel drive platform that
is adapted to be AWD. This
system requires power to be sent to a differential with an
additional driveshaft that directs power to the front wheels.
This additional driveshaft reroutes power, changing its
direction so it can be sent to the front wheels. This extra
routing sacrifices efficiency, and the extra componentry creates
a drivetrain layout that is not symmetrical and balanced.
Often in such systems, most or all of the power is routed to the
rear wheels. When slippage is detected, the front
wheels are engaged, and by the time power is rerouted, further
slippage has already occurred.
Subaru Symmetrical
AWD vs. Front-Wheel Drive
A front-wheel drive system leaves the rear wheels without any power, so
they can't help you regain traction
if you encounter slippage. Also, if traction becomes loose when
you enter a corner, centrifugal forces that act on
your vehicle during a maneuver can cause the front to drift to
the outside. This effect -- understeer -- disrupts your
ability to steer and track confidently through a corner.
Subaru Symmetrical AWD vs. Rear-Wheel Drive
It's much easier for your vehicle to break traction if only two tires are required to handle all the engine's power. And if slippage occurs when only your rear wheels are engaged, your control is greatly compromised. The rear wheels can move sideways, out of alignment with the rest of the vehicle. You'll feel an unsettling loss of control, and possibly experience oversteer in a corner. In a worst-case scenario, a highly dangerous spinout may result if the rear wheels don't regain traction.
It's
much easier for your vehicle to break traction if only two tires are
required to handle all the
engine's power. And if slippage occurs when only your rear
wheels are engaged, your control is greatly compromised.
The rear wheels can move sideways, out of alignment with the
rest of the vehicle. You'll feel an unsettling loss of
control, and possibly experience oversteer in a corner. In a
worst-case scenario, a highly dangerous spinout may result
if the rear wheels don't regain traction.
The more your wheels are engaged with the road, the more control you
have. Some other AWD systems engage
all four wheels only when a loss of traction is detected. By
then, your control has already been compromised. Subaru
Symmetrical AWD keeps power routed to all four wheels all the
time, helping to better prevent slippage before it happens.
And if slippage does occur, its simple and efficient design --
with power flowing in one direction and minimal mechanical
components -- allows it to respond more quickly. It immediately
reduces engine power to the slipping wheel and gives
it to the wheels that have traction.
Because some systems lack the simplicity of Subaru Symmetrical
AWD, they therefore not only sacrifice
efficiency, but also can incur more wear and tear. The engine on
a Subaru is mounted longitudinally -- in line with
the driveshaft -- so power routes directly from the engine to
all four wheels. The components of some other systems
-- like those with transversely mounted engines -- needed to
change the direction where power flows are not needed
on a Subaru. Less components means less things to break down,
and it also means less power loss due to friction. And
with power continually flowing with maximum efficiency, you
experience the advantage of seamless traction whenever
you need it.
Wherever or however you drive, if you want action, you need
traction. Whenever you take off from a stop,
or accelerate out of a corner, getting power to the pavement and
holding the road is essential. If you lose traction
when accelerating, it takes away from the control you have over
the vehicle, and it robs the power you need to move
forward. Subaru Symmetrical AWD maximizes power delivery to each
of the four wheels and offers balance and stability
that help the vehicle take advantage of every bit of traction
available. Which in turn allows you to take advantage
of every bit of engine power available.
When danger steps into your path, the safest route is to step
right around it. Subaru Symmetrical AWD
routes power continuously to all four wheels, which means each
of your four tires are as fully engaged with the road
as possible at all times. Should you encounter a hazard, you're
more likely to have the traction to react and get out
of the way. While securely holding the road can make a decisive
difference in dry conditions, it's especially important
when road conditions are less than ideal. And because you need
exceptional control and poise to make that evasive maneuver
without overcorrecting, the balanced layout of Subaru
Symmetrical AWD helps give you the stability to act quickly without
making a bad situation even worse.