DCAWD.com

Intereting I would like to have seen X-Drive, 4Matic, and Quattro also in the line up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnIwHABsLrk[/video]

Found some more
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnrwrsOYstc[/video]

The traction and control exercises I have seen before, there are also a number of videos of why the symmetrical AWD systems work better than the others. These are usually on ramps with different degrees of slippage on each side. The traction control exercise above and others like it have more to do with understeer control more than "traction" control. Most of the other CUVs in the test (CRV, RAV4, Escape) are purposely designed with high levels of understeer. The enthusiast will have a strong dislike for such set-ups, but the general public is far more afraid of oversteer (even if they don't know what it is).

To be honest, both tests are a bit of a set-up. The Subaru will do better than all of these on those tests and anyone who understands the platforms will know that. Certainly the Quattro system will behave similarly if not better than Subaru's in some circumstances. BMW and Mercedes systems have their pluses and minuses as well. Cost and weight tend to be the negatives, while their performance tends to be similar to Audi's. How the differentials perform matters a great deal as well. How much slip do they allow, at what point do they lock fully and how and when do they transition between the two?

I've had several pucker moments in a Subaru, all involving mixed winter conditions where traction was uneven and the diffs wanted to force me OFF the road.

Add in systems that want to apply the brakes to a particular spinning wheel and you can see how things can go awry quickly.

For the 10-odd months I had a 2010 Forester, I was constantly impressed by its handling. I am a little surprised the Rogue did as well as the video showed, because it feels much more cumbersome and front heavy than the Forester did.