Never really needed it, even going through snow that was far deeper than 6" with the stock Falken tires on my Limited.

But I don't see why it would disengage in reverse. It would be a pain to have to keep resetting it every time you have to reverse.

Given the better tires and ground clearance of the Wilderness, I don't think you'll have any issues, unless they plow a 5 foot pile behind you in a parking lot. There is much out there that wouldn't have trouble with that, not being able to get a run at it.

 

Also given the nature of how it functions, I don't think the direction of tire rotation will matter. It only redirects power as needed, applying brakes to a spinning tire. I don't think it matters which way it is spinning.

Also subconsciously, or even consciously, reversing shows defeat, so that may have something to do with videos only going forward.

I think there is an older YouTube video where they turn around in the snow to pull someone out. I don't recall if X Mode was engaged, but they had no issues backing out of the ruts and changing direction.

 

Also subconsciously, or even consciously, reversing shows defeat, so that may have something to do with videos only going forward.

Thanks for the responses. In the videos I saw, psychological defeat had nothing to with it. The test routes started with roads/trails covered with light snow (or snow previously packed down by other vehicles) and continued uphill onto trails, at higher elevation, covered with progressively deeper fresh snow. The testers kept going forward until they got stuck. If they did back up, it was downhill over the packed ruts they had just created; so no problems there, but not representative of the scenario I'm concerned with.

 

Subaru AWD already has good power distribution for snow travel.
I drive my MY'12 4auto in a foot+ of snow quite often in winter, as no local roads are plowed, and never had an issue.
I had an '06 Baja that ended up in a ditch in a snowbank with only the cab above the snow.
I drove it out without any problems or X-Mode.

X-Mode controls the throttle so it isn't forcing wheel spin, which is easy to do with a mildly trained foot.
It also keeps the CVT in a low ratio, which isn't applicable when going in reverse.
Unless you are planning on a long trip backwards, X-Mode in reverse, even if it were active, isn't going to make much difference in the short backup to get out of a parking spot.

What will make the biggest difference is how capable the tires installed are in the snow.

 

Unless you are planning on a long trip backwards, X-Mode in reverse, even if it were active, isn't going to make much difference in the short backup to get out of a parking spot.

Thanks for the response. Worse case scenario for me: Car parked in garage; head-in. ~75 ft driveway to curb. Driveway too narrow for turnaround. Heavy snow on driveway. Snowthrower is kaput. Emergency arises. Need to back out of the driveway before I can turn around to forward.

 

 

Have seen a video with xmode working in reverse. Hope this helps

 

Several videos out there with x-mode being tested on rollers both forward and reverse. Results are clearly different in reverse with xmode on vs off, so it definitely works in reverse.

The idea that X-mode only modulates throttle is wrong. It also affects how quickly power is sent to the front or rear and how aggressively the wheel brake vectoring is engaged.

 

^ - Sorry I didn't include the full list.
I doubt any of those features make a difference backing up a car over 6 inches of snow in a parking lot.

 

As said have seen xmode working in reverse, but should have said only advantage I can see is hill descent as if you start sliding backwards on slippery hill

 

Got it.
Frankly, going down a snow covered driveway isn't much of a challenge for any Subaru, provided the snow wasn't over several feet high and more like an ice brick wall than powder.
In this case, you are going to need a shovel rather than X-Mode..

A quote from motorbiscuit:
"The beauty of Subaru X-Mode is that it’s there when you need it the most. While most Subaru owners might never actually use it, it’s good to have for when you go on the occasional trip to the mountains and need to get off the beaten path to your favorite fishing or skiing spot. However, it’s not necessary to use it all the time, especially since that’s what the car’s standard all-wheel-drive system is for."

 

Frankly, going down a snow covered driveway isn't much of a challenge for any Subaru, provided the snow wasn't over several feet high and more like an ice brick wall than powder.

If you're backing up into deep soft snow, I think it would be dangerous if the snow is deep enough to cover your tailpipe. On my car, the bottom of the tailpipe is ~15" off the ground.

 

In this case deep snow/mud mode may make for am entertaining and theatrical exit from your driveway, lol.

 

I would be more afraid of black ice than 10" of snow. X Mode will help some with that also, as it will be about all you have.

Unless you have seriously siped tires, and even those have their limits. Black ice gives zero Effs

There is even a video on that with a guy in his driveway, on ice, though there wasn't anything in it or on the sides for him to hit.

It wasn't necessarily pretty, but he did manage to make it up the slope in X Mode.

@spinSub didn't say if the drive had anything boxing it in. Or a drop off etc. Just that there was no room to turn around. That could mean not driving in the yard.

I suspect maybe so, otherwise it may not be a big deal if you get into the snow on the side a little.

If not, in the case of black ice, I would be driving in the yard if I had to. An emergency is just that.

 

I would be more afraid of black ice than 10" of snow. X Mode will help some with that also, as it will be about all you have.
...
If not, in the case of black ice, I would be driving in the yard if I had to. An emergency is just that.

If there is black ice, it better be a REALLY bad emergency because you are very likely to have another - a car wreck.
There are no features on any car except perhaps for studded tires, that enable safe travel on ice.

X-Mode on ice isn't going to help you stop when you have zero traction.

 

I mean, I've backed over unplowed and plowed in snow in my old Honda Element with its AWD. I can't imagine a Subaru would have much issue. But I would really prefer to bash out head on so I can better see what I'm going through.

 

I have a long steep driveway. About two to three times a year, after a thaw and quick freeze, it can become a sheet of ice. Would Xmode offer any advantages of going up the icy hill?

(I do have 5 gallon pails of sand stationed at the top, middle and bottom, if all else fails)

 

@Wilderness X-mode is only as good the the tires traction ability on ice...

 

OK thank you, that makes sense. I will have Michelin X-Ice winter tires, chosen for that purpose.

 

I have good brand new dedicated winter tires, will I do better going up in in normal mode or snow sand X-mode, knowing that both have limitations?

We are expecting our first snow and maybe some freezing rain overnight. There should be zero issues going up the driveway after that, it is after there is a bit of snow pack on the gravel driveway, a partial melt, then a freeze, which can make it sheer ice.