Symmetrical All Wheel Drive

Benefits of Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive System

The Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system is designed to optimize both traction and balance. The entire system lies along the centerline of the vehicle, balancing weight distribution between the two sides to help provide optimal performance and control.

You need balance and an even distribution of power for maximum traction, instead of the slip-then-grip alternative. Almost every Subaru comes standard with Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive for better stability, efficiency, and a quicker response to slippery conditions (BRZ excluded).

Benefits include:

• More control on perfectly dry pavement, especially during accident avoidance maneuvers.
• More control in rain, especially in hydroplane conditions where tires start riding on top of the water. Subaru AWD can pull power away from hydroplaning tires.
• More control during a tire blow out, because the all wheel drive system will pull power away from that wheel, reducing the likelihood of a skid.
• Longer lasting tires because they wear more uniformly since all the tires are working to move the car forward.
• Greater control while accelerating. In front-wheel drive cars, the front wheels have to steer and grab for traction, creating a creepy side-to-side tug in the steering wheel called “torque steer.” In a rear wheel drive car, when the tires lose grip you experience a dangerous “fishtail” where the rear end starts whipping back and forth.
• Quicker acceleration. When you get on the gas, weight shifts from the front of the car to the back, lifting the front wheels off the ground and starving front drivers of road bite. Subaru AWD moves some of the torque to the rear, where more traction is available.

Power and Traction

Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive sends power to all wheels simultaneously for maximum traction and acceleration. In slippery conditions, that power is actively distributed to the wheels with the best traction.

Efficiency and Durability

Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive has the engine mounted in-line with the drivetrain, helping provide a seamless transfer of power to all four wheels. Other AWD systems need additional drivetrain components to route the same power to the wheels, often using complex designs. More components tend to reduce vehicle efficiency and could add to higher maintenance costs.

Stability and Control

The balanced design of Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive helps enhance control and stability. With power being actively distributed to the wheels with the best traction, it helps to maintain a firm grip on the road, especially in low-traction conditions. Front-wheel drive vehicles generally understeer or push in a turn, while rear-wheel drive vehicles can often oversteer in a turn.

How it Works Together

Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, working with a suite of Subaru active safety systems like Electronic Brake-force Distribution and Vehicle Dynamics Control, helps to give you greater control and confidence on the road in almost any weather condition.