We are looking at purchasing a new RDX when the 2022 model is available. However I'm debating whether SHAWD is worth getting since we've only had FWD cars (CRV & TL)

Upside: better handling, distribution of power.
Downside: we live in California (no inclement weather), might go skiing a few times a year where AWD would be helpful but that's about it. Slightly worse MPG.

We haven't gone to the dealership to test yet because of COVID surge in our community, and model year 2022 isn't out yet.

For those of you who have tested both FWD & SHAWD models, is there a significant difference in the way the car handles? I'll be upgrading from a 2010 TL base model FWD. The extra cost isn't going to break my bank, but wouldn't want to overpay for a gimmick either.

 

Not that I've driven a lot of AWD vehicles, but my RDX is the best handling AWD I've ever driven. It's incredible in heavy rain, which I understand you'll rarely encounter, but it is also very noticeable on dry pavement. You can feel the torque going to the rear wheels.

if you tend to drive mainly to get from Point A to Point B, I'd say no. For you, probably not worth it. But if you want to really enjoy driving the car, go for it. If you don't, you probably won't miss it, but if you do, you probably won't be sorry.

IIRC, it's about a $2,000 option.

A more extensive discussion in here:
https://acurazine.com/forums/third-g...econds-992746/

 

If you’re the kind of guy who canyon cuts while keeping your foot in it, yes.

Otherwise in Cali, no, IMO.

 

acura's AWD implementation isn't about bad weather handling.

it's more for cornering.
so, if you're the one for speed at corners, then YES...the SHAWD will be totally worth it, ESPECIALLY for a warm climate like cali or texas!
because then you could use summer tires year round and get extra traction during cornering.

 

Breaks down like this:

If you are going skiing a few times a year that means uphill twisty mountain driving. SH-AWD is perfect for that. Up here in the Seattle region, we have Mount Rainier and Hurricane Ridge. My wife and I go up both mountain ranges to hike in Summer and enjoy some light skiing in Winter. In Winter, nothing gives us more peace of mind than watching those blue chevrons light up on turns during the uphill climb. It's wet. It's may be slushy. Could be snowy. Yet, with a set of our Michelin X-Ice's and SH-AWD, we can feel the PUSH and the yes (Super Handling) of the vehicle. It's amazing. You really have to experience the push before we can describe it, so when you get a chance to test drive one, find a cloverleaf and accelerate on the turns.

When it's dry, we turn the knob to Sport + and the uphill climb is exhilarating and steady. Mind you, I'm not using paddle shifters while embracing my inner speed racer, but safely enjoying the experience of what the RDX is capable of, and to me, it's worth every cent even when in Sport+ mode and watching my fuel gauge drop a gallon a minute LOL.

However, if you're just going to the grocery store and mainly on the freeway or flat roads, it may not be worth it to you.

But...just in case you ever get that itch to drive up a mountaintop...it's there...patiently waiting for you.

 

Just got back an hour ago from our annual sojourn up to Beartooth Pass (elevation 11,000 ft) south of Red Lodge, MT. Sunny day, bone dry road, light traffic. Hands down, the SH-AWD is well worth the 2,000 we paid for it. Sport+/D mode, uphill and down, the feel on the hairpin corners just has to be experienced. You will not regret it.

 

Just buy a used Boxster GTS. Why are you even considering an RDX at all??

 

Subaru made that decision long time ago. All their vehicles are awd. Snow, rain, mud, gravel, oil are all factors that can cause problems. They re making a killing in sales all over North America, and no one’s complaining and asking for a two wheel drive system. Not to mention if you are fully loaded or pulling a trailer. I believe also engine braking is better in an awd vs 2wd.
For me it was something different. I had a front wheel drive Maxima, very heavy up front and almost got into an accident in an intersection. Torque steer. Never again. Acura has never failed me. And yes it’s a drivers car meant to driven and not be driven. Otherwise get a CRV.

 

I did not buy SH-AWD for weather.... its better handling overall.

 

I'm going AWD on my next vehicle mostly for the low speed handling. My 2016 FWD is fine 98% of the time but when I go to pull out on a busy road it is way too easy to spin the tires, especially if there is any loose gravel and there is always some loose gravel on the roads around here. Then when you straighten the wheels out and nail the throttle the front end gets really squirrely from the torque steer.

 

SH-AWD worth it? YES. for so many reasons. Its not all about the snow.
Just for fun, look at resale values for an RDX FWD compared to SH-AWD. I compared values for my 2019 Advance . Guess what.......that extra $2,000.......the SH-AWD is worth $2,000+ more at trade-in/ resale time. So basically SH-AWD is free where I live. In fact I have looked at various models on the RDX and Honda CR-V' and the results are usually the same, the AWD pays you back with its time to resale/trade. And, if you keep the car, well you get rewarded every time you drive it.

 

The only minus — it requires extra maintenance and decreases fuel economy

 

Lot’s of good info provided here to support the purchase. As for safety this is an active system as opposed to your seat belt or air bag which are passive restraints. In other words the computer system in your vehicle constantly monitors and adjusts the torque distribution between front and rear wheels and also left and right side as needed. It can help you avoid an accident, ie sudden manoeuvre, rather survive an impact.
Also, you will be in front wheel drive most of the time when cruising on highway. It kicks in when needed. Watch the system work on your dashboard

 

I bought FWD. Living in Sothern AZ, I never drive in snow, very little rain...I know... "super handling"... Well, I don't drive on roads where I could use that extra handling more than once or twice a year....The extra cost, in both purchase price and maintenance made it a no brainer not to buy the AWD version. AND I never regretted it.

Just another opinion.

 

I live in Florida. I went with FWD on my Audi A4 and my wife went with FWD on her RDX.

Yes we get rain here. It would be much safer in the rain. However you can only drive as fast as the idiots in front of you so I usually don't see a reason to drive any faster than I would with FWD.

What scares me is the added maintenance. I guess many of you lease so it means nothing to you but I can only imagine what it will cost someone down the road. The car will be throwaway as soon as it breaks.

 

By added maintenance for shawd.... Fluid change every 30,000 miles? That's what's stopping you?

Or is it the potential cost if it breaks because I literally cannot remember seeing one instance on this site of specifically shawd breaking on any Acura model. I don't really think that's a concern worth worrying about.

 

Added thought for OP:

SH-AWD is not a gimmick, but you may not have any use for it.

I can afford to buy a gallon of milk, but I can't drink the whole gallon before its "use by date" so I buy a 1/2 gallon.
I have no use for a full gallon of milk, or SH-AWD.

 

We live in the Phoenix area, a little north of JB who commented above. We went with the AWD mainly because it was the only red RDX they had in stock (and supposedly the only one in the district).

We rarely drive in bad weather but it is a kick to stomp it on curves and nice on some of the freeway on-ramps...I'm impressed at how well the RDX handles with AWD, maybe the 'SH' is more than just marketing. Watching the AWD display is interesting too, seeing how it distributes the torque. And it may increase the re-sale or trade-in down in the future.

Is it worth extra $ for us? Maybe not but I don't regret going with it.

 

My vote is for FWD. Even in NJ, FWD gets me through any type of snow storm we get. With regard to handling, AWD does NOT help handling unless you are spinning the tires. How many of you drive that hard? If you’re not spinning the tires (dry, rain, snow), AWD offers no benefit – steering and cornering are the same. If anything, the extra mass hurts those dynamics and certainly does not improve braking or acceleration.

Yes, AWD has a better weight distribution - 57% front and 43% back compared to 59% front and 41% back for the FWD version. But can you really feel that? If you want the same 57/43 weight distribution, you can always throw 240 pounds in the back seat. That is about what the AWD system adds, mostly on the rear wheels.

Because the FWD version weighs about 240 pounds less, the FWD will pull harder once off the line (admittedly after the wheels stop spinning). The FWD is better for on-ramps to enter a highway, exiting toll booths and passing cars on country roads. It will also get better fuel economy. Not only does the AWD system add weight, the system also creates a parasitic loss (friction in those extra gears, driveshaft, half shafts, etc.), which also hurts fuel economy and acceleration.

AWD has a value if you drive at 9/10s and need to claw your way out of corners, want to pounce away from red lights with no wheel spin, or live in hilly snow country. How many RDX owners drive that hard? For 99.9% of my driving, I don’t use the AWD system. Its just there for the ride. Why pay for it? Why get worse acceleration? Why get worse fuel economy? Why get worse braking? For me, it makes no sense.

 

This is not true for shawd. Any acceleration while turning results in it sending more power to the outside wheels, giving it "super handling".

 

Most people do not understand Acura's implementation of AWD. Thank you for helping those to understand.


I also don't understand what the "added" maintenance would be compared to a FWD, other than changing the gear oil.

 

...and this is why I started a thread about SH-AWD some time ago. I'm not a gamblin' man, but I am willing to wager that a lot of new buyers to SH-AWD were like myself, pretty much uneducated about what SH-AWD contributes to the driving experience. My perception was that stability and traction would be far superior in inclement weather than AWD, but it was an uneducated perception. I was drawn to SH-AWD because of my PTSD from surviving a rollover car accident in the rain on a corner many years ago, so once I see "Super Handling" and the way it's marketed by Honda well, hey - I'm all in. I could take my corners in the rain with a little more peace of mind.

But....

While I can appreciate the AWD handling aspect, what I learned through my thread is that SH-AWD only engages upon acceleration and accelerating around corners which I believe many drivers have a difficult time time wrapping their brains around. In other words, if I'm gliding downhill on turns and braking, or any flat turn and braking - SH-AWD is of no use. AWD can assist with that. My Acura salesperson did not describe it this way, but rather emphasized the superior safety aspect of SH-AWD. Well, heck - I'm all about being safe, so "let's get the paperwork going."

Bottom line is SH-AWD has made me a more improved, more engaged driver. I feel more comfortable accelerating around corners, turns and even in rain and snow. I feel safer when I can visually see those blue chevrons light up. It feels solid. So - I guess Honda did their job, at least for this customer.

 

In most AWD vehicles, the front wheels receive almost 100% of the torque until wheel slippage is detected. At that point some of the torque is transferred to the rear axle to assist with acceleration. As you said cornering in these systems is really not improved.

The RDX isn't simple AWD though. It is a torque vectoring system that can apply different amount of torque to each wheel, depending on conditions.

With SHAWD, if you floor the accelerator, torque is applied to the rear wheels immediately, before the front wheels even begin to spin. Admittedly this may be a small difference when driving in deep snow for long periods, but it will get you across a slippery intersection much quicker than a vehicle with spinning front tires.

But traction in slippery conditions isn't the primary design goal of SHAWD. The primary goal is "Super Handling". The SHAWD won't let you enter a corner any quicker than with normal FWD or AWD (due to the laws of physics), but in the last 1/4 of the curve you can floor the accelerator and the system applies more torque to the outside rear wheel. To the driver, this feels like any lean in the body is immediately removed, despite the fact that the speed is increasing, and the body levels out and accelerates like a bat out of hell.

When someone is tailgating me, I look forward to upcoming curves. By stepping onto the throttle 2-3 seconds earlier than would be normally possible, I can leave the tailgater several hundreds of feet behind by the end of the turn.

It is also very noticeable when making a turn from a complete stop. The RDX can make at 90 degree turn at full throttle without squealing a tire or any oversteer at all.

Unless you have driven SHAWD I don't think anyone can describe the difference it makes. In fact, anyone who does have SHAWD may not have noticed the improvement, since the torque vectoring only occurs when "torque" is being applied with the throttle.

 

People who say that SHAWD is not needed on dry roads obviously have not driven one in a spirited way. it handles better and more stable on turns. Its not for everyone’s style of driving.
yes, it has added maintenance cost and less MPG, but it has big benefits for people who like driving

 

I HAVE driven SHAWD, and I am no longer a spirited driver. I like driving, but now in a relaxed and quiet way these days with such turmoil in the world. I even keep the radio on a low/medium volume, most of the time. When I am driving, my car is my sanctuary. Additionally, we don't have cloverleaf on/off ramps here...mostly just straight shots.

 

If I were in AZ, I doubt I would have gotten SH-AWD. I might have gotten a different SUV altogether.

 

It is simple.....you need to test drive it and see if it makes a difference to YOU. Does not matter what others think....I don't have a RDX.....but with my Volvo, many said the air suspension was to die for. I test drove both (with and without)....I wanted the air suspension.....but I could not feel much of a difference..but, hey its only an extra $1800......but I could not feel much of a difference.,.....so why would I spend another $1800? Drive both versions.....on roads you would normally drive..how you drive....and see if it makes a difference. For me after 2 yrs of ownership...I'm happy I saved that $$, but that is me.....

 

“https://www.motortrend.com/features/...toring-system/

"Under hard acceleration, sensors detect rearward weight transfer and alter clutch engagement to direct up to 45 percent of power to the rear wheels. This reduces wheelspin and enhances traction for better acceleration.”

SHAWD is a great technology, but let’s be honest. If you’re not racing, you’re not using it. No disagreement with the benefit of SHAWD when driven at the limit. But I still maintain that if you drive below the threshold that the front tires will spin, SHAWD does not “handle” better.

Let me please qualify that. I fully understand how supplying power to the outside wheel in a hard corner will create a yaw moment. The result of that yaw moment implies the driver will use less steering input. The car will feel like its not fighting back as much. Even if the wheels are not spinning in a hard corner, the steering with the SHAWD will feel better in that hard corner, but it won't be faster. Again, that's provided the wheels are not slipping. So if the car is not faster out of a corner at 7/10ths but still feels better, does that feeling define super handling? Perhaps it does.

My question is how often do you race? I don’t drag race my RDX, as in torque brake at a red light and go 100% at the green light. In that situation, SHAWD would absolutely provide a better launch. And I don’t treat my 3,800 pound SUV like a lightweight sports car in corners. That’s not to say the FWD RDX can’t take a sweeping turn at high speeds; it certainly can. But I don’t race that heavy thing out of low speed corners, where the SHAWD works it real magic. For my performance needs, I’m mostly interested in 30-80 mph blasts. I’d rather have slightly better acceleration at those speeds than being able to rip out of low speed corners with the SHAWD. For me, FWD.

 

thats why I said in spirited way. 😀

 

I'm in CA and I would never buy an SUV that was FWD. I view AWD as an added safety feature.

 

I don't know how practical that is. First of all, you'd have to find a very accommodating dealer / salesperson. They'd have to have one of each of the trim packages you want available for test drive. Then, you'd have to take each out to put it through its paces in various road conditions.

Most test drives last 15-20 minutes. I don't know about anyone else here but it took me months to really appreciate what SH-AWD can do in all driving modes and under all road conditions. It's really the best of all worlds - FWD, RWD & AWD.

On a day to day basis, going to and from work or down to the local supermarket, it doesn't matter. It does matter in instances where I know what SH-AWD can do for me and I decide to use its full potential. It has nothing to do with "racing", as someone said a few posts back. I don't race.

 

We have cloverleafs galore here. And not like modern interstates. They're small and tight, in residential neighborhoods. The NY State Parkways were originally designed and built in the 1920s and '30s when cars topped out at 50 mph. Then, post-war, suburban developments popped up around them. Coming off a 200' diameter cloverleaf, you have about 120-150' before you MUST merge into traffic because the acceleration lane does not extend under the overpass. They didn't make the overpasses wide enough.

 

SH-AWD is very useful for RDX for a turbo 4 engine. Turbo 4 engine has quite a lot of torque, FWD is not able to handle it and has torque steer.

 

if i did not have shawd, i would be spinning my front wheels every outing....

 

y'all need to learn how to feather the throttle.
With a mid-to-high powered FWD, can't just hammer down the skinny pedal.


I have a 2006 6MT TL pushing about 250 wheel horse puppies to the front. Of course if you lay on the go fast pedal from a stop it will spin. but that's why you feather the throttle.

 

Stage 2 tunes will do that! May I add, I like your plot solution avatar for that complex exponential function.

 

I agree to that, otherwise FWD feels faster because of that

 

I remember last year I had a rdx rental while my was in shop. FWD. I spun in around every corner without much effort. I would not feel comfortable driving it hard. Maybe I was a bit hard on it, but I was just driving it like I drive mine.

 

Lol ya don't need ktuner to spin the fronts with the fwd. I am able to spin the rear outside sometimes with the ktune. But the shawd system takes care of that problem real fast, unless you turn off the Nanny's.
Thx for kudos on the plot. Took me a while to find it. Very cool. Brings me back to college days. Back then I was stressed cuz I had learn math like that, these days, I just appreciate it, lol

 

Yep, it was easy to spin the fronts on our 2014 FWD RDX, just a heavy foot on the gas would do it from a stop. Had to be careful if stopped next to a cop.

I haven't been able to do it with our 2021 with SH-AWD...haven't really tried at that hard, to be honest, tho.