I'm hoping to get a few suggestions or reasons. Such as -- maybe AWD doesn't engage while in reverse, did you try the W on the gear shift or maybe a few pounds less air in the tires.

I grew up driving rear wheel stuff in the snow and can handle the slip issues but my California wife doesn't handle it well. It isn't the physical angle, she knows how to drive in the snow but it is the mental part of slipping that gets to her.


For 20 years I was a Jaguar driver of XJ6 models from the 80's to 90's. Those rear wheel drive cars were sleds in the snow and I was accustomed to it and would place cinder blocks in the trunk for traction.

Three years ago I got a 1995 Subaru outback AWD as my daily driver. I took the Khumo tires from the old Jag and put on the Subbie. The subbie tires went on the old Jag as I said bye bye to it. Never had any problem getting up my 90 foot - on-a-grade driveway in the Subbie. Actually our 95 Caddie Deville was pretty good about it.

My wife had been driving the 2002 S60 and in Sept she got a 2007 V50 and I got the S60. The snowblower worked hard to clean the driveway of the snow from the blizzard. Went to move the cars around and found that the S60 and the V50 did not do well getting up the drive. Each one I had to go to the bottom and get speed to make it up the hill. The S60 has fairly new tires.

The Subbie could start in the middle of the hill and just back up the driveway without any problems and did so on tires that have been driven on for @3 years. Neither Volvo could do the same.

I was very surprised because I thought the AWD on the S60 and V50 would do much better. Could it be that I was backing up the hill and the Volvo's are weighted differently than the Subbie. Could it be the Turbo would kick in and get the wheels spinning too fast? I can't say how old the V50 tires are but there is a lot of tread.

The curb weight of the Subbie is 2570 lbs. and the S60 / V50 is much heavier. The Khumos are Touring, the S60 and V50 are touring.

I am also thinking that the "W" selection can't be used in reverse. And we always park our cars nose down because it is easier than backing out onto the main road.

It just wasn't what I expected from the Volvo's.

I'm near Boston and live on a steep hill.
All Season Tires don't cut it unless you live in San Juan.
Mass allows studded snow tires in the winter and they are fabulous.
(Arctic Altimax)
They are noisy on dry highway but are the only things that work on ice,
other than chains.

Bill

Snow belt resident here-- I have 4 winter tires on dedicated rims for all my cars. Makes a world of difference. As soon as the ambient temperature goes to 5C or lower, the winter tires go on.

Not a snowbelt resident but always put Gislaveds on wife`s XC70. We don`t typically get a lot of snow thru the winter but when we need snow tires, we REALLY need them. It`s gives my wife the extra edge when you know that 90% of the cars on the highway are running "all seasons".

I wasn't a big believer in snow tires until I got dedicated winter tires. Holy cow - it's amazing the difference.

Even though CT winters are not unbearable, I won't go without winter tires again.

When I was a kid in the fall all cars went and got snow tires on the rear. Very rarely was there a problem with getting stuck. Plus back then they didn't plow donn to the pavement and didn't use any sodium chloride on the roads.

Tires make all the difference, go with a proper Michelin or Continental in my opinion. I am unsure about the V50 but I know the S60 awd should be the same haldex as what is in the mid 2000's cross country and these awd systems lock the front and rear axles together while in reverse. The car should be an absolute beast in the snow when in reverse as a result. I do also believe the rear differentials are limited slip - something which has carried over through the years from the old RWD days.

Again I am not a factory engineer but this is what I've ready in many other forums. In contrast I had a 98 XC70 and tried many times to get it stuck during snow conditions (mounted with Bridgestone Blizzaks) and was not successful....I am talking massive hills in the central MA area with feet of snow, went like a tank....I reckon the S60 and V50 (if awd) should be the same if not better.

Regards
Steve

It's the tires. Yes, the Volvos weigh 800-1,000 lbs more than the Subi, but they all have the same Haldex AWD system. The Volvos have wider tires which doesn't help.

"M" is just for going forward from a stop, very icey conditions, so it isn't starting out in 1st gear. I have never needed to use "M", nor do I intend to.

Volvo also limits 'slip' by using the ABS on the spinning wheel and limiting rpms. I have never tried backing up my sloping driveway with the AWD Volvo. Forward always worked great, there is no traffic at the base of my driveway.

I wonder if the Subi has a lower rear gear ratio?
--
Keeping it running is better than buying new

I did notice the limiting 'slip' by using the ABS on the spinning wheel and limiting rpms.

Bought new tires and it was the tires (I think).

I was beginning to wonder if my AWD wasn't working.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that the Subaru is full time AWD. Not sure that the Volvo's are. Maybe that is the difference?

Could very well be the tires. Differences in tire tread and ratings can make a big difference in snow/ice traction. Are the tires on the Volvo's VH or UH rated? What about the Kumho's on the Subaru? Years ago, I had a VW Jetta GLI 16V (high performance Jetta). The factory tires (Pirelli's VH's) were terrible when climbing hills in snow. After switching to less sporty HR's the car did better climbing hills. Snow tires are the best, but narrow TR or SR rated all-season tires are much better in snow than wider, sportier performance tires. Some of which are downright useless. Bet the Volvo's have wider, more performance oriented tires than the Subaru... :)

Went with less sport oriented tires and I there is a difference. The tires that were on the car reminded me of some Pirelli Touring tires I've seen. Very few cross treads but great tread depth going around the circumference of the middle of the tire. Not good in snow.

By the time I got home most of the snow had melted on the drives so I could test it. There was still a place that with the previous tires I slid but the new tires didn't slide.