Date:         Sun, 31 Jan 2010 02:04:40 -0500
Reply-To:     Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
Subject:      Snow, 4wd vehicles and syncros
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

So the Washington DC area got the snow I predicted earlier in the week (helps to have good weather models...and then to trust them.) About 6 inches in my immediate area (Tyson's Corner, VA, on DCs western side.) 


I had some errands to run and headed out in my Jaguar X-type (manual transmission, all wheel drive.) I've got some Vredestein severe winter rated tires on it (less than 3000 miles on them. Didn't really have any trouble, but (as I had noted earlier with this vehicle) the majority of the power goes to the rear, and in turns it is not difficult at all to break the rear loose from the road. Mine is a 2002, which uses a Viscous Coupler (later they went away from that.) 

I then stopped in at the house and changed vehicles to my 91 Syncro passenger van (non-GL, with an SVX engine). This vehicle as the Nokian tires 

Uh. Night and day. While the Jag is competent, the Vanagon Syncro is otherworldly. Never had trouble, even in turns, same set of roads too. 


I love my Syncros. :)