OT: AWD vs. FWD

I drive a moderately modified Subaru WRX w/ ~300hp. I have driven in some of the worst storms (incl. snow storms). And have made it through with little to no worry. The Subaru manual gearbox AWD system is a no buzzword laden viscous setup that you can trust. It permits very little slip to occur before the viscous units lock up the diffs. What this means is the car goes where you point it, even when other cars either can't get moving, or under/over steering heavily. I fully believe that unless you get MASSIVE ammounts of snow (>4" high), that an AWD car/wagon will serve much more than a top heavy SUV unless you absolutely need the storage space (most people don't).

-chris
 
I also drive a moderately modified Subaru WRX (~260hp? wagon version) and my parents drive a Forester (great car, too). They are very reliable. Our wagon has ~63,000 miles including a couple seasons of of autocrossing and rallycrossing and nothing has broken. The '05 Legacy/Outback platform is also a lot more luxurious than previous Subarus.

If you find a Subaru with a body style that meets your needs, you could do a lot worse.
 
I've lived in 3 Rocky Mountain States; Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. In all of them the Subaru is common. They are highly regarded.

I was suspicious of this at first- but again and again satisfied owners and sheer numbers of vehicles on the road convinced me this product is outstanding. Ground clearence is a problem for mountains and big drifts - but not really a consideration for the type of driving the thread suggested.

If you are not going to a 4X4 system, front wheel drive is superior to rear wheel drive for snow and ice.


munk
 
Almost everyone forgets about "Neutral" and the part it can play on slick roads of whatever element. I use neutral quite a lot on slick roads here even with the FWD.
Neutral keeps the tires from spinning, or pulling, when coming to a stop.
Neutral can also help when going into a skid after you get used to using it for a while.
I used neutral when I had a RWD as well for the same reasons.:)

I'm finding out that it is a total bitch trying to make a decision as to what vehicle to buy that will serve as many purposes as possible and still be fun to drive while considering bottom line cost and what kind of fuel it uses.:rolleyes: :grumpy: I'm even looking at the new Dodge Stratus RT knowing that it probably doesn't have the quality that the Japanese cars do and said I probably wouldn't buy another American vehicle, gonna go look and drive one this week if it ever quits raining.:rolleyes:
We haven't made a road trip since we got the dog and the rollator and that makes one fairly bulky item as well as a living creature that has to have a little room for comfort.
As much as I like the Nissan SE-R so far I keep coming back to the Solara. The Rollator does fit in the trunk if I let the handles all the way down.
Perhaps an Outback or something similar might be the best all around answer for us but we both prefer a car over even a car like small SUV.

Good luck in your quest!:D
 
I personally prefer a car, and would rather get another Camry. It is my wife who is pushing for a larger haul-it.

I like boring cars that don't have problems. My daughter has just had her second new Saturn in a few months. It has been one problem after another, including the engine running with the key out, bad transmission mounts, bad brakes, and you name it. Next time, she will get the Toyota or the Honda.
 
Traing in the use of what you have got will in most cases be worth more than the mere tool . Like the old saying goes, "4WD let's you get stuck where the 2WD guys can't go." Reminds me of a story..zzzzzz...
Anyway, I drove from Ste. Genevieve,MO. to Springfeild , Ill. (Company business, no way out) after an all night snow. There was light snow falling on top of maybe 10 inches of packed snow. The only way to tell you were still on the freeway was the snow ruts, occasional roadside marker sticking out of the snow about a foot, and all the cars and semis littering the shoulders and medians. At least one vehicle every mile spun off or tipped over. I was doing 35 mph and seemed like I was flying past everyone else. The 2 hour trip took me 4.5 hours. Steering input continuously.Eyes doing this :eek: literally. It wore me out.This was in a 1979 RX7 which is very low torque at low RPM(good for snow/ice) and a weight distribution of 50/50 front to rear (easier steering control--try that in a Porsche).
Oh yeah! While I was at the airport working the wife took the baby shopping, sub 30 degrees :rolleyes: , and locked the keys in the car and the baby starts crying..LOOK OUT MOM.She borrowed a claw hammer to pry open the rear hatch which was all glass. POW! She shows up at the airport at 5pm with no back window , freezing and snowing. The boys at the shop and I came up with some heavy plastic sheet and taped in a temporary rear window. Had to wait 3 days to get one shipped in. I gave her a lecture. Moms and their kids? :mad:
 
what would a conversation about winter and snow without a Cdn?

It's pretty clear that AWD is preferable in the snow to the FWD with it's horrid understeer. I have to use the hand brake to induce fish tail turns around corners. My friend's Eagle talon really takes to the winter climate.

I felt my Altima FWD performed alot better in the snow than the current Buick LeSabre FWD I'm driving now. Maybe I'm just biased against bigger cars. :confused:

you know that reminds me, i dont' know what it is like in your areas, but we have these honkin' huge SUV's running on our streets. What you have to understand is that they drive these Yukon's/Suburban's/Navigator's in the uptown and downtown core!

There isn't anything resembling "offroad" anywhere. I don't mean to generalize, but I laugh out loud when I see these tiny woman peering over the steering wheel of HUGE SUV's driving along 2 lane, packed city streets.
Why does one need a bus of a vehicle when the avg trip is only about 10 km along city side streets? Are they afraid of getting into headon collisions at 40 km/hr? I mean... why???

But I digress.
 
I have no evidence to back it up but it sometimes seems that the larger the vehicle, the fewer instances of the finger you get.
 
How about the Audi A4 (with AWD)? I'm seriously thinking about it....

What do you think? Input from actual Audi owners very much appreciated!!!
 
Rob, my girl has a '96 A6 and it's awesome in the snow. Doesn't have the clearance like an SUV, but rarely is that ever a real problem. However, being closer to the ground you feel like you're in a little better control of the vehicle. The thing is built like a tank. not the best MPG (but an A4 should be better than the A6), but you feel safe driving it. Duel airbags, a tranny that transfers power when you start to slip, and heated seats to boot:D. To be quite honest with you, if this wasn't a hand-me-down from her folks, and I had the money to get another car i'd get us an audi in a heartbeat. The only real gripe that I have with it is that the headrests make it hard to see out of the back and thus create blindspots. To be fair, my daily driver is an '86 Chevy Scotsdale. I have exactly 3" of blindspot where the back window meets the doorframe:) However, when it snows the Chevy stays home. Torquey bastid likes to spin out big time. We take the Audi or the '79 rust-bucket jeep cherokee (The Blue Fury).

Jake
 
Thanks Jake :)

I'm still doing research. One thing I've noticed is that no matter what car you're looking at you can find bucketfulls of bad reviews for it! I guess people like to complain more than they like to praise something.

I checked reviews on the A4 and the Toyota Camry and each had about equal bad reviews. Which does NOT match Consumer Reports data on them.

Interesting......
 
mauirob3 said:
I checked reviews on the A4 and the Toyota Camry and each had about equal bad reviews. Which does NOT match Consumer Reports data on them.

Interesting......
Click to expand...
Don't know where you were looking Uwinv but the Camry had extensive excellent reviews on the websites I read about them on. I posted about them in your other thread so won't duplicate it here.
However - there were a few bad reports as well. But then I also got actual input from several people who owned the 4 cyl
4 speed auto who had driven them from better than 150,000 to 300,000 miles with absolutely no trouble when maintained properly!:D
 
Don't know where you were looking Uwinv but the Camry had extensive excellent reviews on the websites I read about them on. I posted about them in your other thread so won't duplicate it here.
Click to expand...

Thanks Edutsi :) I think Toyotas deserve their great reputation. I own one as does my entire family. I just meant that on those "review" sites it seems like only the complainers bother to post--as evidenced by cars such as toyotas and hondas getting bad raps.
 
I have a 2001 4-cyl Camry and it has had all of $100 in repairs over 84,000 miles of driving (not counting maintenance). I haven't done the brakes yet, and it gets 28-30 miles per gal. on the commute. It is a good car. The repair involved a pressure relief valve on the gas tank.

I was thinking of a Honda CRV, but it seems that the 2003 and 2004 models are still catching fire after oil changes. I am not sure what to do right now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top