[GMork]

The in Germany well known off-road magazine "AUTO BILD ALLRAD" aranged a benchmarking test for driving in the snow.

Sub-events were:

- slalom course in snow

- mountain section in snow

- ski slope uphill

Final rating after all sub-events:

1. Forester XT
2. Audi Q3
3. BMW X5
4. Range Rover Sport
5. Ford Kuga
6. Jeep Grand Cherokee
7. VW Amarok
8. Hyundai ix35
9. Lada Taiga (previous Lada Niva)
10. Quadix Buggy 800 4x4

To write any details would be too verbosely here.

All details can be read by using the following link, published by Subaru Germany.
Of course it's all in German.

http://www.subaru.de/fileadmin/downloads/modelle/forester/presse/Subaru-Forester-2.0XT-Winter-Vergleichstest-AutoBildAllrad-Nr-2-2014.pdf

 

[adc]

Thanks

 

[GeoJosh]

Very cool, thanks for sharing!

I assume they were using proper winter tires on all models to create a balanced test?

 

[X-Mode]

Thanks for posting this. Any chance that you could translate just a few of the highlights for each sub-event and what they liked about Subaru's AWD system. Thanks so much!

 

[GMork]

Very cool, thanks for sharing!

I assume they were using proper winter tires on all models to create a balanced test?

Yes, all were tested with the winter tires, which had been installed previously by the respective vendor.

 

[GMork]

Thanks for posting this. Any chance that you could translate just a few of the highlights for each sub-event and what they liked about Subaru's AWD system. Thanks so much!

Oops, that would be partly too difficult for me to translate all those technical car terms and special driving expressions - I admit, I am also a little bit too lazy for that.:icon_redface: :icon_wink:

Nevertheless I post some more details:

Reached percent ranges for deep snow, mountain road and curves (100% deep snow, ski slope = longest reached distance; 100% mountain road = fastest time; 100% curves, slalom course = fastest time):

ForesterXT: deep snow 88.2%, mountain road 100%, curves 100% - two times optimum, brings the win of the whole benchmarking test

Audi Q3 2.0 TFSI S-tronic: deep snow 100%, mountain road 94.2%, curves 97.7%

BMW X5 M50d: deep snow 82.5%, mountain road 97.4%, curves 97.4%

Range Rover Sport SDV6: deep snow 86%, mountain road 94.6%, curves 96.1%

Ford Kuga 2.0 TDCI PowerShift: deep snow 76.8%, mountain road 93.9%, 99.2%

Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 MJ: deep snow 78.1%, mountain road 92%, curves 95.6%

VW Amarok Canyon Automatic: deep snow 73.1%, mountain road 92.5%, curves 93.6%

Hyundai ix35 Automatic: deep snow 76.4%, mountain road 89.9%, curves 87.5%

Lada Taiga (Niva) 4x4: deep snow 56.5%, mountain road 83.3%, curves 87.8%

Quadix Buggy 800 4x4: deep snow 38.6%, mountain road 73.7%, curves 91.3%


Additionally a translation by sense of the final summary by AUTO BILD ALLRAD for the Forester XT:

"Two times optimum – against that even the Audi with its new record for climbing can’t achieve anything.
The Forester XT shows, that Subaru not only "can do center-differential”, but also hang-on-allwheel-drive.
Or is it finally the strong symmetrical powertrain, that the Forester is even without ESP such a manageable, harmonic and well controllable car?"

Sorry, but further detailed translations would become too time consuming for me.

 

[GeoJosh]

Sorry, but further detailed translations would become too time consuming for me.

Thank you for the translation.

Impressive that the XT was able to get 2nd in the hill climb and first in the other 2 tests.

 

[SuBooneru]

Pretty awesome. Thanks for sharing!

 

[sahunt]

It is not a very good test if they did not fit identical winter tyres to all the cars. Surprised the Kuga did as well as it did. I always assumed they had a pretty basic 4wd system.

-- Steve

 

[GMork]

It is not a very good test if they did not fit identical winter tyres to all the cars. Surprised the Kuga did as well as it did. I always assumed they had a pretty basic 4wd system.

-- Steve

In former times I had the same opinion as you have, i.e. to get an objective result by such a test, all cars should use the same tires.

But in a discussion in a German forum a longer time ago an engeneer for developing cars argued convincingly there, this wouldn't be correct.
Every car model would have its own specifications and by that the vendors would know in the best way, which tires would be the best ones for a car model in combination of price and driving quality.
I can't repeat all the details of that discussion, but as said, the arguments of the engeneer were convincing.

Of course sometimes a vendor doesn't find such a good combination.
Subaru is regarded here as such an example, because Subaru equipped in Germany in former times every Forester with Yokohama Geolandar tires and they got a lot of criticism for that - although I personally couldn't approve such criticism.
But beginning with the Forester 2008 every Forester comes here now with Bridgestone Dueler as OEM tires as far as I know.

For the described test all cars came with winter tires installed previously by the respective vendor.

 

[mjsub]

I find it interesting that Ford Escape (Kuga) did pretty well in the test. Also, it looks like Audi had performed more consistently than Subaru, 100/94/97 vs 88/100/100 and Subaru had a better tires. Was this test commissioned by Subaru?

 

[GMork]

Was this test commissioned by Subaru?

No, I absolutely don't believe so. :shake:

This test has been published at first in the named car magazin, only then Subaru Germany published it on its own website.

And especially AUTO BILD ALLRAD is known here as car magazin, which is very critically towards not German cars. :icon_rolleyes:
Some people even say, that this car magazin sometimes privileges German cars!
From that point of view it's astonishing, that a Subaru won this benchmarking test.

 

[dove_jj]

Awesome!!

Wish they had video of the tests though :icon_rolleyes:

 

[dove_jj]

Great Job Bing!!

"The cat is out of the bag - our legendary winter test is public. Because the new car picture 4WD is located at the kiosk. Ten all cyclists on the toboggan run, on the ski slopes, the off-road track and pylons slalom. And many other information about these all cyclists:"

 

[GeoJosh]

Wintertest: Wer ist der Beste im Schnee? - autobild.de

Google Chrome can translate the whole page... :rock:

Too bad the whole breakdown is not there, at least I don't think so.

 

[dove_jj]

I've messaged them on FB asking for the video.

 

[GMork]

Thanks for the link to test on the website of the car magazine.

That must be pretty new there, because AUTO BILD ALLRAD publishes tests only some time later on its website after the first release in the car magizine itself.
When I wrote my starting post it still wasn't on the website - at least I couldn't find it.

And as you said, it isn't the complete test as it was published in the car magazine itself.
The by Subaru Germany published test shows all sides inside of the car magazine.

Edited:

Use GeoJosh's link http://www.autobild.de/artikel/allradler-im-schnee-4x4-haertetest-4545529.html, then use there the button ZUR BILDERGALERIE (to picture gallery in English) in the picture at the top, showing all participating cars in the snow, the buggy in front.

Then click the pictures one by one, copy the text below of each picture in a translation program and you will get a lot of more informations in English for every tested car and for the process of the test.
Of course a translation program partly gives you only an approximate translation of the German words and sentences.