docboy

Here's an interesting article I read this past weekend discussing 4WD and AWD. Acura's SH-AWD is mentioned as "Another impressive piece of AWD technology" The MDX is alluded to in the article, and since the TL and MDX have essentially the same SH-AWD system, I thought this article may be of interest.

http://www.motortrend.com/features/c...awd/index.html

What's particularly interesting is the author's last 2 paragraphs (which I tend to agree with).

If we were going to offer one piece of advice, it would be this: Beware of anyone who tells you you'll never need four- or all-wheel drive, so you may as well just buy a car and be done with it. Whatever the cost of your drive system, all you need to do is use it once to keep you or a loved one from harm, or to get out of a troubling situation, and the added cost of the system will be worth it.

If you live in an area where either an AWD or 4WD system might come in handy each winter season or could save your bacon when you go camping or on vacation, you can see how the extra cost might be justifiable. But even if you consider these systems merely another safety feature on your vehicle (like airbags, ABS, or seatbelts) and you never have to use the technology, it's still nice to know you have it just in case.

FallenTSX

just like the old saying goes;

"its better to have one and not need it then to need it and not have one"

-DeL

saturno_v

I could not agree more...unfortunately when reading magazines people confuse "fun to drive" with "safe to drive"...I tried to drive this point across on the Car Talk section long time ago but unfortunately the IQ among that crowd is depressingly low...someone even suggested that they could go faster than a AWD with a RWD.....evidently they never heard of the World Rally Champinship.

We have two RWD cars in the family and I abolutely love to drive them on sunny days...but our daily commuters in the inclement Northwest weather are AWD.

I have to admit that with my previous ride, a Nissan Maxima SE 6 speed (as you know that car it's a FWD) with a mechanical limited slip diff was the second best thing to a proper AWD car get around in slippery conditions.

Glashub

I nearly got clipped on the freeway. Person made an abrupt lane change to the left and would've driven me into the barrier. However I reacted quickly, she reacted, and the car tracked like it was on magnets. As a result I was in complete control as I got an inch from the barrier and as I was able to swerve away. Maybe certain RWD would've done this but I like to think the SH-AWD made it possible. Thereby saving my life worse case and severe damage best case.

black label

FWIW, never listen to the manufacturer as to whether the vehicle is 4WD or AWD. They just pick the term that fits the image they want to portray. For example Honda's "real time 4WD" is not 4WD by SAE standards (according to this article), it's AWD.

docboy

Well, so goes Car Talk, whose members generally believe that a RWD or FWD vehicle with the right tires beats out AWD. One gets called out for believing in AWD...

Funny how my TL SH-AWD w/all seasons easily out negotiates my prior FWD TSX w/winter tires in the Pacific Northwest's snow/ice infested hills, inclines, and curves. Sure made my wife a believer in winter safety...

saturno_v

Docboy


Yep...I guess the major manufacturers that spent billions of dollars developing AWD technologies, should have hired one of these 10 gallon heads to let them discover the truth.....proper tires and you can take on anything...

n-spring

I bet your drawers didn't fare so well.

jasonwdp10

I don't see SHAWD helping here. So you were between the barrier and a car, the car tried to go into your lane, and you "reacted quickly"? How much space was there between you and the barrier? You could have easily braked to avoid that accident.

Glashub

Of course I braked...that was part of the manuevers. But to come to a complete stop at 70 mph on a freeway where others were doing the same speed....not reasonable. My point being that the car had to do a number of very quick tricks and did so with apblomb.

jasonwdp10

ah i c

Edward'TLS

AWD (SH or non-SH) only helps when your foot is on the accelerator pedal and you want to get the car going, it won't help when you're braking.

When braking, an AWD (SH or non-SH) vehicle will behave exactly the same way as a modern dumb-ass 2WD vehicle, depending only on how effective the stability control (or VSA as for Honda/Acura) in stabilizing the vehicle.

During the winter snowy days, it was common sights to see AWD vehicles ended up in ditches. These AWD drivers got carried away by how well their AWD vehicles move around in the snow, but kept forgetting that their AWD vehicles were no better than other modern 2WD vehicles when braking on the snow-covered roads.