birdy*feet

We've decided to move from our horrendous, arid desert climate up north to a climate that sees a ton of rain and snow during the winter months. I purchased my '12 Advance with FWD because, well, sand doesn't exactly necessitate AWD now does it?

That being said, we are planning to make the move within the next year or two -- is it worth trading up to an AWD when the time comes? Seems like the perfect excuse to upgrade to the 2015 when it rolls out.

corrado85

iTrader: (1)

great question and timing, I was about to ask same question

I'm looking forward to hearing some experience from FWD> AWD owners.

i64X

Learning to drive in the snow and getting snow tires will be a MUCH bigger difference/help than FWD vs AWD. It doesn't matter how many wheel drives you have when you a.) get no grip because you're using all seasons on ice and snow, b.) don't know how to drive in slippery conditions, or even c.) are stuck in a ditch, since you have a car and not a truck and will likely be beached on snow and will have to be yanked out anyway.

I live in Michigan BTW. :-)

012TL-GLM

dedicated set of snow tires is a must for serious bad weather travel, however, AWD combined with good tires makes driving in bad weather much less *white knuckle*. I went from a FWD Avalon to the AWD TL. Night and Day in bad weather. Last winter we got 8" of snow in a few hours, plows couldn't keep up. The TL was still doing 30 mph charging right thru. Biggest issue is ground clearance, a couple more inches and it would have been rough getting home. My Avalon was horrible in the snow, even with great Conti DWS tires. I would def recommend the upgrade

RPhilMan1

I've managed fairly well with the TSX in the Chicago winters.

However, AWD will make it that much easier.

eazy

iTrader: (8)

Rain is fine as long as you have good tires(A/S, Summers don't matter) don't need AWD for rain. Its the snow you would want snow tires for it should get you through the winter no problem but AWD of course would handle snow better

CerberusKy

iTrader: (1)

I would recommend picking up a used 4x4 truck, or SUV. You will have better ground clearance, and won't be taking a nice car out on salted roads. A good pair of snow/ice tires will make a huge difference.

birdy*feet

Thanks so much, you guys. I'm from Washington originally, so the rain is no big thing to me. It's the snow I am worried about... I never really had to deal with it, and I only briefly lived in Minnesota so my snow-driving resume is limited at best.

I feel like the general consensus is to upgrade to the '15 AWD once it's available. I know that FWD is much better in winter weather than RWD, but I did wonder how much of a difference AWD really makes - sounds like it's quite a bit.

birdy*feet

Thank you... We have a brand new Silverado that is 4x4, so we really don't need two vehicles like that.... That is his truck, and I need my car for my daily driver.

Edward'TLS

In the snow, a FWD car with snow tires is more drivable than an AWD car with all-season tires.

But an AWD car with snow tires will be invincible in the snow.

types1fan

I went from a 09 tech FWD to a 12 tech advance AWD and can't wait tontey her out in winter. When I got my 09 we had a huge storm in NY and about 10'inches of snow. I had 20 inch rims with Toyo proxy 4, not a problem at all and never got stuck. Remember guys our TL is a 4,000 lb car and are Gerry nose heavy, if you get dedicated snow tires on a FWD I think you should be ok.And I also had the car dropped on Eibach springs.

FanaticFan

I grew up in the NE, from the '60's on, so had a lot of experience with snow. I don't think back then there were many cars with FWD, either, and they were a lot smaller (lighter).

We just learned to drive carefully, get a real feel for when you had grip, and when you didn't. Give plenty extra time for acceleration, deceleration, turns. No sudden moves and no crowding of other vehicles. I remember as a teenager practicing "snow drifts" <g> late at night when there was a good fresh snow and almost no-one on the road, gave me a real feel for what was possible.

So, in a nutshell: rely mainly upon good driving skills. AWD will give you some extra control, but on the TL it's really more about cornering performance in any weather than it is about a special bad-weather driving capability. So no, you don't really need it for NE winter weather.

Mr Marco

My first car was RWD in the snow, however I've driven everything. FWD is always a good performer in poor weather because the engine weight combined over the front driving wheels helps pull the car through the messy weather.

On the other hand, my wife is a health care professional, she absolutely has to be at work, rain or shine. A car that does "good" in the snow is not acceptable. With the four studded snow tires on the RDX, that thing will pass a Toyota Camry on a snow covered hill like it's parked. The SH-AWD with studded snow tires is invincible.

However, I work at a Public University, if it snows I get the day off.

The question really is, "How important is travel in your life?"

jspagna1

The TL SH-AWD with Blizzak snow tires is like a tank in the snow. That is one thing I know I will miss.
Will definitely have to get dedicated wheels & snows for the Max.

TiggaMan909

Invest in a solid set of snow tires... you'll be fine. or wait for the 2015 and make the jump to awd. But even with awd, if you got no traction, your toast!

LawnPro

My 3G TL was FWD and it was decent in the WI winters. AWD is awesome, sure, ....but not needed too often.