Soon the snow will fly. Am considering a 05 TL and was wondering how the TL performs in snowy conditions. Does 270 hp compromise front wheel drive performance in slippery conditions? Should I wait for AWD which I'm sure is on the way?

 

The 270HP is the reason they invented VSA, and also the reason they allow you to put the transmission in SS and start in 2nd gear instead of 1st.

The main thing that will compromise performance in slippery conditions is the tires that are on the car and/or the skill of the driver.

If the snow is that bad, have you considered snow tires mounted on another set of wheels? You didn't say where you live, so if it's only occasional snow you shouldn't have a problem, but if it is lots and lots of snow, then the snow tires could be a solution.

 

Well, I hail from the midwest and I am thinking of going the snow tire route this year. I am coming out of Passat with 4Motion, so the last couple of winters were a piece of cake, even with my all season tires. For the roads I have to travel, I sure would rather front wheel drive then rear wheel drive though.

I suspect that if you are gonna wait for an AWD TL, you'll be waiting for a while.

 

I live in Northern NJ but travel to Vermont in the winter where there can ba alot of snow! I realize the tires make a big diffference. Would AWD be much better than the TL with winter tires?

 

I'm a life long Canadian so I'll consider myself somewhat of an expert:

RWD = Fucked for getting going and also fishtailing while driving
FWD = OK for getting going and no big issues with spinning out while driving
AWD = Great for getting going and virtually zero spin out

STOPPING IS INDEPEDENT OF DRIVETRAIN!
WINTER TIRES MAKE THE DIFFERENCE FOR STOPPING (and antilock brakes of course)

 

Had my TL for last years harsh Cleveland winter. A FWD with winter tires will kill an AWD with all seasons.

I had an MDX with stock tires, TL with snows and the TL could accelerate on par with the MDX and out handle and out stop it by a factor of two!

My brother's RWD 3 series with snows would easily keep up with my MDX and would crush a FWD car with stock tires.

Its the TIRES, remember, you spend $$$ for another set of tires, but, you put less wear on the summer tires!

 

Performance in the show should be great. I would imagine 0-60 in the 1 second range! My TL's have always performed well in the snow.

 

What about starting off in the snow in a 6-speed with limited-slip differential? In a RWD vehicle the limited-slip can be a problem when starting off in the snow say on a hill or accelerating slightly around a turn.

 

just like when you are in a 5AT you can start in second gear and slowly accelerate if traction is really an issue.

 

I had winter Blizzaks on my TL last winter. I had not problems at all.