Review and photos by Mike Schlee
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Comparison Test: AWD vs FWD Family Sedans on Ice
Mecaglisse, QC – Okay, I know what you’re thinking: Subaru stacked the deck. They invited me out to Mecaglisse Motorsports Complex, which is a world-famous racetrack facility that transforms into a winter wonderland of snow and ice racing every winter, to test the revised 2013 Subaru Legacy against two of the segment’s bestsellers, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord Sedan.
Upon receiving the official invite, flags were immediately raised in my head, mental alarm bells went off, and a virtual referee’s arm was up in the air – offside! How can we test two front-wheel-drive (FWD) family sedans against an all-wheel-drive (AWD) legend? Where is the Fusion AWD, or even Suzuki Kizashi AWD? Well, the answer is, this event was less about highlighting Subaru’s mechanical all-wheel-drive systems but rather a showcase of the benefits of symmetrically even weight distribution from the car’s chassis design. Still skeptical? Read on.
We left the hotel on a frosty January morning with temperatures reading a balmy –30 degrees C. We were headed, in 2013 Subaru Legacy sedans, to Mecaglisse along cottage country back roads that had been plowed, but were still covered in a thick layer of hard-packed white snow. The Legacy felt planted in the snow thanks to the low centre of gravity and equal lateral distribution of its 1,594 kg, substantially more than the 1,441-kg Camry and 1,526-kg Accord. All of our test vehicles, the Legacy, Accord and Camry alike, had the same Bridgestone Blizzak tires installed on stock OEM tire sizes. The tires made the hard-packed snowy roads feel more like dirt roads in minus 30-degree temperatures. I could actually hear the tires ‘squealing’ over the snow during hard cornering.
    Comparison Test: AWD vs FWD Family Sedans on Ice. Click image to enlarge |
Once we arrived at the motorsport complex, it was time to perform a series of tests to demonstrate how important a well-sorted, balanced chassis really is to winter driving. First step was to disable all the stability and traction control systems in the vehicles. Like all modern Subarus, this cannot be achieved 100 percent as traction control can be turned off, but stability control is merely reduced. In the Honda Accord, all systems can be disabled and, surprisingly, so too in the Camry.
We all know that AWD helps a vehicle gain acceleration traction in the snow and ice, and during our one and only traction test during this comparison at Mecaglisse, it was readily apparent. On a moderate incline, the Legacy momentarily spun all four of its wheels as it fought for traction before slowly pulling away without any further issues. The Accord, on the other hand, would comically spin its front wheels while the rear wheels did not move an inch; it looked like the parking brake was engaged. AWD superiority proven. Moving on.
Once underway, AWD loses its immediate traction advantage, which is why many AWD systems direct power only to the front wheels when underway, and only distribute power to all four wheels when there is a traction crisis. For the record, Subaru’s Symmetrical AWD system sends power to all four wheels all the time, which comes at the expense of fuel economy, but never has to hesitate when losing traction. Although it can help with cornering and braking through throttle applications and engine braking, a vehicle’s chassis and the tires’ grip are bigger factors in how a car will handle in the snow. Can the Legacy’s chassis match its AWD traction? It was time to find out.
We had two versions of the Legacy, the 2.5i and 3.6R, to compare against a base Honda Accord LX and base Toyota Camry LE. We drove them to the limit, and sometimes beyond, through several winter tests that included a snow slalom, snow/ice skidpad, short snow track, long snow track, and braking tests. First up was a snow slalom ending with an emergency lane change maneuver. The Subaru Legacy was pitted against the Toyota Camry for this test. As should be expected, the Legacy was able to leave the line much faster than the Toyota thanks to the AWD system. However, once it reached the set of pylons used for the slalom course, the initial response to turning the wheel and cornering grip provided by the front tires of the Legacy was far more readily available than the Camry’s. Whereas the Camry felt slow to respond and unsettled, the Legacy’s reactions were very immediate and controlled. This had as much to do with all-wheel drive as chassis setup.
    Comparison Test: AWD vs FWD Family Sedans on Ice. Click image to enlarge |
However, once the slalom was completed, there was a last-second emergency lane change maneuver. This required stabbing the brakes, which would activate the antilock braking system, then turning hard left or right to simulate dodging another vehicle or obstacle in the road. Here, we were completely off the throttle so it was all up to chassis, brakes and steering to dictate how successfully the vehicles went through. Once again, the Legacy not only responded to inputs quicker but was able to achieve the emergency lane change maneuver more quickly and with less drama. One of the main reasons the Camry is reluctant to change direction is that it has a far larger percentage of its weight hanging over the front tires. This makes it even more prone to initial understeer (going straight even when you turn the steering wheel, or just not turning as much as you want) than the Legacy, which was apparent in this test. As well, the Legacy has perfect weight distribution side to side and a suspension set-up better suited for this all-important maneuver, whether out here on this carefully managed testing site, or out in the real world in the worst conceivable conditions.
One of the biggest surprises for all of us during this test was just how willing the Toyota Camry is to oversteer (back end trying to swing around past the front end) after the initial wave of understeer. Time a corner right, carry in your momentum properly, and the rear end will pendulum around more than the Legacy’s or Accord’s. The Camry’s love of oversteer actually made it fun to drive around the ice track; yes, I just said ‘fun to drive’ and ‘Camry’ in the same sentence. However, the Camry was the poorest to bite into corners and slowest to respond to inputs. It was easy to get the Camry’s chassis upset, which was fun for me in this testing environment, but would be downright frightening for the average motorist; thank goodness there is stability control.
Next up was the skidpad test (driving around in circles trying to ‘drift’ the car). Here, it was time for the Honda Accord to go up against the Subaru Legacy. On the sheer ice, neither car would turn much at all. However, once the vehicles began to slow down, the Legacy would be the first to regain grip, off throttle, thanks again to a more balanced fore-aft weight distribution. At that point, a stab of the throttle would have the Legacy drifting circles around the Accord, literally. While ‘drifting’ isn’t a maneuver you want to replicate on public roads, much less in the middle of winter, it is an indication of the car’s balance and controllable nature. At least the Accord had a handbrake that could be pulled to allow manual rotation for the vehicle; something a regular driver is not likely to use on the road, but is fun to play with on a closed course and a good emergency skill to learn.
At the end of this test we did some ice/snow brake tests at speeds ranging from 40 km/h to 60 km/h. At 60 km/h, the Accord required several extra car lengths to stop compared to the Legacy.
    Comparison Test: AWD vs FWD Family Sedans on Ice. Click image to enlarge |
Lastly, we took the Accord, Camry and Legacy out on two snowy racetracks. Here, the Accord felt more balanced than the Camry, which allowed it be hustled around the snow track once underway. It still was no match for the Legacy, mostly due to the AWD system in this instance, and partially due to the weight distribution advantage. With a smaller, lighter 2.5L H-4 engine, the Legacy 2.5i felt more balanced in the snow than even the larger-engined Legacy 3.6R (with a 3.6L six-cylinder), thanks to better front/rear weight distribution. In conjunction with smaller 205-width tires compared to 3.6R’s 225-width tires, the 2.5i was faster on a short, diamond-shaped track with high elevation changes and icy tight corners. But once we got on the larger full-sized track, the 3.6R’s torque and power quickly left the 2.5i behind.
After the event was over, I can safely state that the Legacy does trump these competitors on the loose surfaces thanks to its AWD and a bit of chassis dynamics. I think a lot of people have been shortchanging the Legacy’s performance due to its bland interior and exterior styling as well as modest power outputs. But, dynamically, the Legacy still has it, albeit a loose-surface road is needed to really showcase its talent. And, despite conventional wisdom, the costs associated with Legacy ownership are on par with the Camry and Accord. At a base price of $23,495, the Legacy actually undercuts both the Camry and Accord’s base MSRPs and is within 0.5 L/100 km in all fuel efficiency estimates, and if my experience with our long-term XV Crosstrek is any indication, these are not just pie-in-the-sky estimates, but offer competitive consumption in their respective classes. Now, if Subaru could just perform a complete overhaul of the interior and exterior, they would have a serious contender in the mid-size sedan market.
