[IRV]

You are dealing with two completely different animals. I'm a previous Subaru owner (loved that car, by the way) and they truly are a beast in the snow. Nothing beats driving past a 4wd pickup or SUV struggling to get up a hill and thinking about the looks on their faces as they see a wagon keep rolling!

Anyway,the basic difference is this:
Older Subarus employed a user-selected AWD system that allowed the driver to "shift" the vehicle into AWD mode and keep it there, much like you would in a 4wd vehicle. I believe the newer Subarus, however, have a full-time AWD that engage all four wheels all the time, but determines the ratio of power to each based on which wheels have the most grip at any given time. The Element uses a real-time AWD system that essentially is front wheel drive plus. Your primary propulsion is delivered by the front wheels and the system automatically activates the rear wheels when it detects slippage up front.

Make sense?

As for how the Element handles in the snow - it's no Subaru but it's not bad. It's sort of like having a front wheel drive vehicle with tires that are more like an SUV's in terms of traction (unless you've opted for the low-and-mean look) and getting a little bost of traction and stability when the going gets slippery. I can honestly say I didn't feel as confident in its go-power as I did in my Subaru or past 4WD vehicles, but it was relatively stable and stopped well. Deeper drifts were a little tricky, but I think that was mostly the lack of weight compared to the Tahoe and Grand Cherokee that I had most recently owned.

netinman, would you please fill in your location? This is just the kind of post that LOCATION gives better context.