Subaru Dual X-Mode Sand Dune Test - Outback Onyx XT
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- Опубликовано: 17 май 2024
- We take our long-term 2020 Subaru Outback Onyx XT to the Oregon Sand Dunes to test dual-function X-Mode in deep sand. Will it keep the Outback moving? Or will a rescue be required? Plus an update after our first dealer check-up since we took delivery.
#Subaru #SandDunes
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CONTENTS
00:00 - Introduction
02:06 - Sand Dunes
05:16 - Sand Trap
11:19 - Beach
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I've done my fair share of beach driving and I have to tell you that the all seasons, when aired down properly, actually do better than all terrain and especially mud terrain. You don't want to claw at sand you want to glide on top of it and a flatter all season does a fantastic job. I've seen plenty of crossovers and awd cars glide over the soft dirt where the big meaty bois just bury. Key is air down before you have a problem.
Exactly
Thanks for sharing this. Would have never guessed this. Makes me reconsider buying AT to replace my OEM AS
What pressure do you recommend?
15-20 psi
This video might do it for me to pull the trigger on a Subaru Outback, the perfect vehicle for my annual surfing trip and daily work commute. Yes looks like a 90' soccer mom wagon and half of the gearheads on the internet hate the CVT, but the rest is a pretty good package for the price.
As a Subaru owner this video was so fun to watch.
Facts
so it is ! great cute car !
That's actually quite impressive for an Outback stock tires. You should ALWAYS air-down your tires driving in sand...and never STOP unless you're on a hard-packed surface. All Terrain tires would have made a huge difference as well. Well done Subaru OB XT Onyx!😉
He had to stop to set up and to remove his external cameras.
I drove my 19 forester on the beach of cape Hatteras at outer banks last summer. Sand was dry and deep. Can almost drive only in the ruts. Got stuck once when getting out of ruts to make a turn , took out shove, removed some sand in front of the tires and drove out. Considering all other vehicles are jacked up trucks, my stock forester did really well. With better ground clearance and wider tires (I did air down), it's gonna drive like a champ. The sand in this video is never gonna be a problem for a subaru.
I love how the sand looks liquidous in your slow-mo clips. Great job filming this and putting it all together.
Honestly I think airing down makes a bigger difference than tires in sand but both are obviously helpful. Deep sand 10-15 psi may have even been better.
One of my favorite videos you've made! This is now a must do with the kiddos! Thanks! 👍
I've been watching all your Subaru videos and it's definitely selling me on wanting an outback myself as my second vehicle! I currently drive a 2016 Volkswagen Jetta and I've taken her off road plenty and have been lucky not to get seriously stuck on various occasions, granted I just know how to drive and maneuver no matter what I drive, but there's spots I can't go with my friends with their 4X4s and their AWD vehicles. So thank you for making these videos on the rock climb, the snow and the sand dunes because honestly for all the off reading, mudding, and camping my friends and I do it would be so nice to have one of these beauties
Fantastic video, Ryan! Brilliant camera operations, thank you! :)
Wow ! That was a really unique setting. Once again, new hoops to go through for the Outback. That was great.
Been waiting for this, thanks!
Love my Onyx XT. Great video as usual Ryan!
Loving the OB content!!
Thanks for making the suggestion to watch this video Ryan. It definitely gave me some insight into what to expect when I head down to the Oregon Dunes. My Bronco Sport Badlands should be a little better off with its my Falken Wildpeak A/T 235s but with a newbie behind the wheel who knows. Thankfully I've got tow hooks and my friends from Oregon Overlanders if I need a tow out. Keep making the great videos.
My wife and I each have a '16 Crosstrek... our first Subies ever... LOVE THEM! We've had my wifes for about five years and I am a complete fanboy now. If anyone is thinking about a Crosstrek.. I heartily endorse them!
Took my crosstrek to Pismo beach, all stock to the tires, and it handled like a BEAST. No problems at all
Loved to see the Outback put to the test! Great video💥💥
I miss my Subaru, love how they handle
That GL hatch!!! Great video, enjoyed the ride
Great video, as always. The Forester needs this 2.4 turbo engine, come on Subaru give it to us.
I was just on sand with my Subaru STI with Yokohama summer tires and it did just fine, I love my Subaru!!!
Best Outback video I've ever seen! Thank you
I appreciate this! Driving near the mountains in my old Loyale one time, I hit an area where the back roads were mostly very soft volcano ash. This was of course pretty cell phone days. You never know when you will hit various types of terrain!
Just bought my Onyx XT and took it skiing, handled ice and snow beautifully with the all season tires! I'm gonna have to get to a dune soon!
Just bring it to the beach. Sun bathers be damned.
IMPRESSIVE!
Love these videos! So informative and very detailed reviews.
Ford is really trying to sell me a fusion while I watch this
Lol my commercial was for the expedition
lmao mine was blocked.
I love to hear what ads you’re seeing. 🔥
@@drivingsports use "adblockPlus" to get rid of commercials.
I got one from a Subaru dealership in North Carolina. But I'm living in Germany. 😁
That looks like a blast!
I think you should have gone into the dunes with at tires.
I would love to see this done again with different tires. Great Video
Fun Fact: If you hit a stump on the dunes in a '16 Outback at about 30, you'll just bounce the subframe off it, somehow leaving the oil pan intact. Your subframe will be a little more than a little bent, but a Jeep and a winch will straighten it out enough to be able to drive it another year and a half.
Ryan, you should drive out to the Alvord Desert in eastern OR with your Outback, it would be a great place for a video!
Good episode fun too watch, would prefer you try all modes to see what happens. Perhaps go again with all terrain tyres. On the whole I thought the Outback did quite well. Keep these great videos coming. 😊
My FJ Cruiser with 33" AT tires at 18 lbs of pressure dominated the soft sand at Assateague State Park. I tried to get it stuck all day and turned on the rear locker and enabled A-track. Long story short I never got stuck even in the deep sugar sand.
Awesome trip! I need to get out there, just gotta find a friend with a beater and convince them!
FUN!! Thanks for sharing.
This is interesting!
Waiting for the new Outback on rollers?
@@sergeyafanasev7505 I am trying to get one!
I am so excited to get mine. It's a 2022 Onyx XT
Your off-road vids makes this city dude cover at least one eye and say: “Oh my God...” several times over! 🤣👍🏽
Nice video my parents always have driven Subaru when the have the first 4WD the once you have to engage a handle to engage for AWD on the hill in snow was great.
Looking at all the sand here I would like to take my RAV4 2019 trail there to see what it is capable.
So far in snow no problem.
Awesome video review
Beautiful and great vidéo 🤘
First road trip/date with my gf in 2003 (now wife of 13+ years) was going to the Dunes here with her 87 Subaru GL Wagon manual. Didn't get stuck because we dropped air in the tires and she grew up in Spokane and had mad snow driving skills. Camped in the car on a crest overlooking the ocean (illegal and we didn't know), and woke up to a beautiful sunrise. Got home and realized the headers were welded to the engine from the excessive heat. Sold the car for more than she bought it for. Great memories, I need to go back.
You two are so cute.
I have my 2019 Outback and love it. Think in a few year though I'm going to trade it in for an Onyx XT!
Trade it now and get the XT you will LOVE it!!!! I love my touring XT
Same here man! Last year I got myself an used white 2018 Outback Premium with all the options like eyesight,sunroof and power rear gate and factory navigation and I really love it! It's my first Subaru but it definitely won't be my last....I just recently purchased new gold rims to replace the more bland looking stock ones that come with the premium trim....however the stock rims do look pretty bad ass if I paint them black and I'm thinking of doing that when I upgrade the tires to an all terrain tire and install them on the stock rims....I got videos of my outback if you wanna check it out.
@@Pwaters86 ha, tough sell for my GF, I bought it 2 months ago, I should probably at least a year before I do it.
@@JamesBuschell You got a great car that is just as capable. The trade up is just bells and whistles. Take the $8K-$12K that you would spend on trade-in depreciation vs cost of XT to put a 3” lift with some all-terrain tires. You could go further that a stock XT even with x-mode.
Similar boat. 2016 and still loving it. There's a new car in the future, but was considering the Ascent. Seeing this video makes me wonder if I'll regret not knowing what a turbo Outback felt like.
Good review Ryan. I didn't see the rear drivers side wheel spinning, helping when you was stuck. I would like you to do a similar video with a Honda or Acura. See how they handle the sand.
Thanks for pushing the limits.
Yeah I also noticed often no drive to the LR wheel.
I have a 2013 outback 2.5 loaded no x mode I do great at the glamis dunes. drive right is all thats needed
Awesome video !!!!
Never go faster than your Angels can fly.😎✌🏼
Ordering my Wilderness tomorrow!💪🏼
We have to use Xmode when driving up our private road during the winter months.
Xmode is Awesome
Tire pressure is a huge issue - even lower than 20psi would be good for sand. Also x-mode from the start rather than after you get stuck. We take the Ascent to the beach with soft dry sand and ruts from big trucks, no problems. I will probably get some nice AT tires when the factory tires are done though.
I'd like to see a review of the Ford Bronco Sport Badlands version
love your video
That looks like a lot of fun. I am concerned about your leaky oil seal in the brand new car though, even if it was warranty coverage. I have an Onyx and going to put Falken WildPeak when the stock tires are shot
Great video, Ryan. I've lived in the Pacific Northwest for years and make at least a couple of trips to the Oregon coast every year. But while I've heard of the dunes on the coast I've never seen them. Thanks for that. And kudos for giving it a try without a properly prepared stock vehicle much less a dune buggy. Subaru owners in the PNW constitute a cult second only to those in Vermont. (A very polite and largely friendly cult but a cult, nonetheless.) This video is a demonstration of why. :)
hi. so close to pulling the trigger on a Forester (other pick is Rav4 Adventure) so I was wondering if it is a good pick for beach driving? I only care about beach driving, literally nothing else matters.
Hey Ryan, nice to see you finally took that thing in some deep sand. The grin and laughter say it all. That's what I do almost every weekend on long island and my subaru makes it easy. I do run A/T tires and 18psi seems to be the sweet spot. Enjoy, and I'm sure you'll get a lot of dumbfounded looks from the others. BTW, I never has a cvt issue or an overheating awd system like most other manufacturers do.
pretty sure i know the answer, but what do you think of the forester vs rav4 adventure for beach driving? I literally only care about sand performance.
@@carolbaez5891 I can't comment on the Rav 4 but I do know that I drive my outback pretty hard and have lots of fun in the deep sand and never had an issue with the awd system. It just knows where to put the power and never overheated like most manufacturers do. Whatever you choose, tires and air pressure are the 2 most important things. Always air down on the sand, it's not worth the headache of getting unstuck.
@@DL-rx7pj wow. thank you for your reply. i have been getting zip from reddit and youtube. last thing... what do you think of the CVT? i am hearing scary things about it. is it something to worry about in regards to beach driving? would the automatic on the Rav4 Adventure be that much better? i know you said that you aren't familiar with the Rav4 but I was thinking maybe you know a little something in terms of transmission types. thank you btw.
@@carolbaez5891 Off road the cvt has been fine. I've seen a few videos where is cuts power if you push it too hard especially on a steep incline with little or no momentum. I haven't been in that extreme of a situation so I haven't experienced that problem. I would recommend underbody protection, I think subaru offers it from the factory with it now. My only complaint with the cvt is that on the road it's a little herky jurky when you accelerate, almost like the fuel filter is clogged. I had it checked and it's not clogged. That in no way is a deal breaker though, this is a really good all around vehicle as I'm sure the Forester is.
@@DL-rx7pj I have been leaning towards the Subaru to be honest and your insight has really helped. I will keep searching though just to really be fully informed, but I thank you just the same. I will keep you updated if I pull the trigger though because you know I am going to bug you for accessories and driving advice lol. Thanks again for being so responsive.
This is really impressive considering it’s stock and with all seasons. Imagine if it had proper tires!
Is it really? We got better performance than this back in the day with a 2WD (with LSD) truck. Gotta give it to Subaru's marketing team though, they somehow convinced people that softroaders with primitive AWD systems are the best out there, when on TFL the Jeep Renegade (not that great of a car) was able to complete their hill test course that the Outback failed... its also why TFL got blacklisted by Subaru, LOL!
@@BoopSnoot The hill, The Cliffhanget, that got them black listed damaged the press car they got back in 2015. You have to think there is a reason the Outback was the only crossover they took up that. No other crossovers saw the Cliffhanger from TFL.
@@niuhuskieguy LOL, who made up that story? They take vehicles up there all the time, and even the lowly Renegade made it up. There was also no damage shown in the video, Subaru was just pissed they ruined their image that their softroaders are actually offroaders, which they never have been. They don't have the approach, departure angles, articulation, or locking differentials to handle much more than the fireroads they were designed for.
@@niuhuskieguy Skip to 10:18 on the video, you can see they didn't damage the vehicle, the CVT simply couldn't deliver the power so it got stuck: ruclips.net/video/hrdb_UVTa20/видео.html
They still use the same outdated first generation CVT on Subarus today, while Toyota and others are on their third generation tech.
@@niuhuskieguy BTW, if you want to see how much Subaru's outdated CVTs hurt performance, search youtube for Outback 3.6 vs Alltrack. The Alltrack is way less power than the Outback, yet in a drag race the Outback was lightyears behind, because the Alltrack uses a modern efficient DCT, whereas the Outback CVTs lowest ratios are the equivalent of trying to drive from a stop in 2nd gear.
In order to allow awd understand what to do you should keep pushing acceleration, then it determines which wheel should round, that’s it. Don’t afraid to get stuck completely, xmode won’t allow to dig down too much. Sometimes disabling esp also helps. I have quite fresh outback, I know what I say.
Another fine vid! Pillow Cube any one? lol Ryan, the commercials vary. Usually they seem to be automakers. I love the use of those shorty traction boards. I've been wrestling with what ones to buy. I'd love to see how our new Crosstrek Sport does in the sand with all terrains.
I’m really tempted to pull the trigger on the Onyx, but also want to see what the Wilderness Edition brings later this spring
I'd wait for sure. That's what I'm doing
If you have the money and don’t mind waiting go for it, I bought an XT last September and absolutely love it but if I didn’t mind spending an extra 8k I would have waited and gotten the wilderness. If you’re under a budget the xt is extremely good too
My 2017 3.6R with a 2” LP Aventure lift and BFG Rugged Terrains (245/65 R17) is unstoppable in the sand. Also...turn on x-mode BEFORE you get stuck ........ momentum is your friend in sand.
I watch Matt's offroad recovery and you would be surprised at how many calls he gets from people stuck in the sand. And it seems like people get stuck get pretty much every kind of vehicle. He has said that sand can be tricky.Matt's offroad recovery is based in Hurricane Utah though. So I don't know if its the same type of sand or not.
Sand is no joke and very hard to read IMO
Awesome video. I live in Western washington and would love to take my Subaru down to those dunes! Please make more videos of subaru's in those dunes, this was really fun to watch! And if I can ask, can you bring down the Subaru Ascent to those dunes? That's the video I really want to see!
on those higher speeds VDC still working as before and TC button still there i think so you couldd try turn that off and get more revs. as TC will kill your revs as soon as it sense more wheel spin
This is what TFL is talking about. Car cut power when it guessed it had no traction. That is a design flaw. The 6MT Crosstrek is way to do this stuff if you want to do it in a Subaru.
I kind of agree to your statement when you said that when all the wheels have no traction, then AWD of Subaru kind of does nothing, it happened to me in my super slick driveway (well the part of the issue was I was running all season copper tires and they aren’t great in snow) . But then in similar situations how does others(Jeep or a truck)would have behaved?
Air down. Always a good answer on sand.
I may have missed it, but did he say if he turned traction control off? Even with Xmode, if you have TC on, it’ll keep adjusting power to different wheels. With it off, it allows all four tires more power and more slip.
I believe the Outback manual tells you to turn off TC in deep stuff.
Great video, and spot on for my 2020 Onyx XT. I live near this filming spot....I wonder how my older 2013 Subbie would do?
To those making comments thinking he doesn't know better to have A/T tires or needs to air down, well he does know. He is simply demonstrating what the capability of the Outback is in stock configuration which is more useful information for most buyers who don't modify it or aren't going to air down their tires. Sure a modified Outback will perform better but that's not how it was and sold as.
Nice demo of the Outback x-mode! How did the cvt handle it? Did it get hot, did you notice any issues? I'm guessing you had to use lots of throttle on the deep sand?
I took my 2017 Outback which has about a 1-1/2" lift and AT tires into the St Anthony Sand Dunes in Idaho. It survived but it wasn't happy with me. I aired the tires down into the teens and only got stuck once! It did struggled to get up some of the big soft dunes.
Are you thinking that X-mode would have made the difference? I was thinking that AT tires would be a better investment for anyone with a non-X-mode Subaru. Maybe mud-terrains?
@@calebjared75
I have X-mode and that only helps at slow speeds. I am not aware of mud terrains that would fit without doing crazy mods or being a goofy size. AT tires are a great investment if you are doing a lot of off pavement or snow driving. There are several good options that don't weigh much more than the stock tires and come with the snowflake symbol for true four season grip. Alex on Autos in his 2021 Outback review gave a great explanation of the limitations of the Subaru's off road. Basically it is a lack of low rpm torque. I love my Subaru and it has taken me all over the place on and off pavement but if you are one of those people who really needs to go deep into the wilderness a lot you will find the limits of what a Subaru can handle.
Guys you should also include drone filming for this kind of tests. It would be cool to see Subaru in sand from above as well.
Drove my 2020 Outback Limited up to Fonts Point in Anza Borrego State Park. It is 4 miles uphill of deep soft sand for a majority of distance. I replaced Yoko Avids w/Wildpeak AT Trails on 18s. Can only go down to 17s so stuck with 18s. These Wildpeaks were the best I could find for that size at same diameter & to be clear, they are not the AT3s. No AT3s fit this OEM chassis/wheel set up apparently. OB cruised up the hill no problem at higher speeds thru much than XMode can handle. Essentially, didn’t need the Mode. Coming down was even more fun and realized even more so how steep the ascent was. What a lot of fun it was and how capable! Did I mention I didn’t air down from 35/33, f/r?
My next vehicle. I miss my old Outback. Should've never left.
do you have plans to do a towing test with the 2020 Onxy addition? that would be helpful!
Very nice! Too bad it is not permitted to drive on beaches over here. Great video, thanks!
I believe turning off traction controls splits power 50/50 between front and back, acting as a makeshift center diff...at least, that’s how it is in my 5th gen Impreza
What specific oil seal was leaking ?
How would the Mazdas do in a similar situation ?
If the Mazda fails, try a TRX.
Driving on a beach next to the ocean is a great way to give your vehicle a nice salt bath.
You did well with what you had to deal with.
Hey there. Great job. May I suggest a Volvo XC60 Off Road Test?
You should take a Wilderness version to this same sand pit and test it.
Subaru will has the best awd system in my mind I’m open to reviving different options
Sadly it has a pretty rubbish AWD system when you are off-road. It’s fine for the black top.
I miss my road trips from BC down to OR
Cool place..didn't know they have places like that
Good, fun video. Well made as well. Where I live you can only drive on the beach if you have a fishing license and a 4x4 permit. And you have to have with you fishing rods and a list of recovery equipment. No "free" driving allowed - though people do when it's not crowded. You drive to where you want to fish and then drive out when you're done. I've never seen a vehicle that wasn't a true 4x4 regardless of whether it's a pick-up, jeep, or SUV. AWD vehicles, or at least the kind that shift power from one axle to the other when wheel slipping is detected, are not appropriate for deep sand. Keeping momentum is key to not getting stuck. Subaru system is good for this. But lifted would be way better. Only tires should be touching sand, not your vehicle. And obviously wheels and tires matter a lot regardless of vehicle. You need to air down. As for tips, don't drive fast, or do basically anything abruptly. Turning, stopping, or accelerating should be slow and fluid - unless you enjoy turning over or burying your vehicle. Don't drive too close to the water. Besides the fact salt water is corrosive to car's underbelly (spray wash if it gets wet), the wet sand is like quicksand. Don't drive in really loose soft sand either. Easier to get stuck. Best sand is close to the water but just not too close.
Random Subaru hatch ftw!
Well. Time to upgrade tires, rims and the suspension. ( a good lift kit)
If you go to the dunes air down to 20-15 psi and if you get stuck air down to 5 psi and accelerate slowly while turning the steering left and right to dig your way through.
@Rich Smith 20 psi is safe for maneuvering 5 psi only helps if you got stuck in deep sand after getting out air up to 20 again.
Air down the fking tires before you get stuck mate! With road pressures, any 4wd will get stuck...
it would have been nice if he had backed up more than 6 inches, too. he has a camera on the back of that thing.
@@terry58501 - True, he would back up about a foot and then drive into the same ruts he got stuck in as well as driving up hill! If he had backed up and turned the wheel so that he drove forward along the hill instead of up hill he could have gotten out. In soft sand you NEVER go up hill slowly! Also all 4WD vehicles will get stuck if ALL 4 Wheels are spinning, not just Subaru's.
I got my 2016 crosstreck stuck in sand yesterday in Dubai Qudra lake, i had to use my camping seat as a griping pad, and it got unstuck perfectly
Please test out the Subaru Outback Wilderness in this terrain
Last month, my cousins and their families from Vancouver Washington visited Long Beach. The caravan consisted of a Subaru Forester, Subaru Ascent, a Jeep SUV, Lexus SUV and an Acura SUV. Low and behold, only the two Subaru could get back to the road (no X-Mode use) loaded of passengers. The other three families spent quite some dough and waiting time being towed out with some embarrassment. LMAO
Turning the front wheels while stationery in soft sand is asking for trouble. Keep them straight ahead until you are moving, then turn them.
Love your content! One question. Why haven’t you done a proper test of the Forester with 0-60 and your usual rocky trail? Looking forward to seeing that.
The Forester hasn’t had a major update since we started comparing on that road. So, Subaru hasn’t sent one to us. When it gets updated in a mid-cycle refresh we’ll do all the standard tests.
@@drivingsports Awesome! I look forward to it. Thanks for replying! 😊
For occasional back country travel, is the Onyx XT worth the added cost over the Premium trim?
Man I think a two inch lift and some off road tires would be killer there! I'm sure you wouldn't have gotten stuck anywhere in there.
I agree with all the things you suggested , what he should have done is just started at 12 PSI and he probably wouldn't have had a problem, I don't see the point of not airing down and hoping you don't get stuck is generally you will with high pressure tyres
Hopefully you will repeat this experiment with the wilderness model
What happened to the Vedestein tires? I was under the impression they where screwed under the car for long term test as well?
I recently got stuck and had to use a traction pad. I didn't air down my street tires, still managed to get out.
Depends really. For me it is too much hassle to deflate and reinflate.
I hope you do this same test with the Wilderness...