Neither. For snow and ice, DSC is the silver bullet.

 

Real snow tires & a LSD are all one needs. Real snow tires, not all seasons are the silver bullet.

 

D'oh! Yeah, snow tires are most important for snow.

But I still say DSC will save your *** more often than LSD would.

 

Yeah, I guess thats true - snow tires are really the best. I read an article in Road & Track or some similar car mag where they compared all wheel drive with regular all seasons & fwd with snow tires and vice versa. Of course the best was awd with snows, then second best was fwd with snows, then third best was awd with all seasons & last was fwd with all seasons.

 

IF ASC, through the ABS, would apply brakes to the spinning tire and thereby shift power to the other drive tire it would be fantastic. BUT, all I have experienced is a cut in engine power after wheel spin, sometimes at the most inappropriate and unsafe times. On slick surfaces (in Florida its rainy streets, but I imagine snow would have the same effect), it allows you to apply as much throttle as you want and the ASC will cut engine power to stop wheel spin, allowing you to make the fastest launch that traction will allow, in a straight line. When the traction is not constant, say a small patch of sand or an oil spot or puddle of water, I think it takes too long for the engine power to come back on after you have regained traction.

 

Proper snow tires will do more than either of those two. If you drive within your limits & road conditions DSC sure isn't needed. In my mind it gives folks a false sense of security & causes them to over drive for the conditions.

I'd rather drive a FWD with snows than a AWD with all seasons. A Subaru with 4 snows is damn near unstoppable in snow.