RDX10

RDX10

00TL-P3.2

I'd get a C63 or E63 instead. Way over budget. Would like to keep it around 35-40k OTD.

Chief F1 Fan

in Buffalo, NY-AWD with Blizzaks

ttribe

Yep. It's 77 in Phx today.

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

Ever since we've owned the E63 I've been converted to AWD. The E350 was RWD and handled great, but man, that 4MATIC is just on point

ttribe

Just giving you options...

wackjum

I live in Houston with you. So I don't know anything about snow traction

Here's my thoughts from owning quite a few performance cars... RWD feels the most fun because the pushing force is all in the back and the front wheels just steer. Mechanically, the front is much less complicated which translates to better steering feel, less steering effort, and a purer experience. You'll also get more power to the wheels because of less drivetrain loss.

But I'm not a particularly advanced driver with the tail out drifting through turns. I'm happy enough just being able to maintain my racing line on the track. And you really shouldn't be driving tail out on the street at all. So how often is RWD really better than AWD?

So my personal opinion is that RWD is preferable for lower horsepower cars (think Subaru BRZ, Miata, etc). But when you get into the high horsepower (400+), you want AWD. And AWD also especially helps with turbocharged cars because of their uneven power delivery. AWD can help cover up less than stellar technique. The exact cutoff comes down to a frank assessment of your driving skill, and how often you'll be hitting the twisties but to me, 350-400 HP is a good ballpark.

Some cars are fun because they are fast. These would be preferably AWD because that will give you the best acceleration. But then there are cars that are fun even though they are not fast. These should be RWD to maximize their fun factor.

kurtatx

Still waiting for the obligatory FWD injection

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

Forgot to mention... Audi was the first one that really turned us on to AWD. Going from the A6 to the E350, you could definitely feel the difference in handling between the AWD Audi and RWD Mercedes. The E63 brought us back to AWD again...

I'd personally get the newer C43/C450AMG over a 6 or 7-year-old E63 AMG. Nothing wrong with those years of E63 AMG, but the newer tech is pretty sweet.

ttribe

And, just like that, you've summoned Saintor. Way to go.

kurtatx

But seriously, no. He's an AWD guy

Costco

This is like an ass vs. tits debate that will never end. Face down ass up ass is better hand down

By all accounts the Type-R is a stellar driver in spite the assumed disadvantage of having FWD. I was literally going to add another comment about how lower horsepower cars have no point in getting saddled with AWD, while very powerful cars sometimes AWD is great to extract their full performance, then I saw wackjum's post. But then modern traction control systems help alleviate that. On the other hand, even AWD systems these days can simulate the feeling of the back wheels doing most of the work.

I think if it weren't such a faux pas to tack on a big wing or implement active aerodynamics and aggressive splitters on your stately AMG/M archetype sedans, we wouldn't have this issue. That and maybe rear-engine placement or dramatic weight shifting to the rear. The Agera R has almost four digit horsepower and does fine with RWD.

Skip to 1:47 -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=SywqgH7n-5g

SamDoe1

What I was getting at is the Jeep doesn't go out of AWD when at speed if it's cold outside in the snow mode. The rear is always engaged and the lock doesn't disengage at any speed. However, it doesn't really matter all that much at high speed as you're not going to go to the track with the Cherokee but the extra drive wheels are still going.

The fun part is when you put it in sport mode, it switches to 20/80 F/R at all times which makes it a lot more fun.

Costco

This is such a conundrum to me.

If I had a nice, powerful sedan, I would probably want to drive it year round if there was snow. But part of me hates the idea of road salt slowly eating away at my car. But why buy a nice car only to let it sit in the garage for months out of the year?

SamDoe1

Because S2000 and appreciating in value.

It sucks to walk right by it every morning but summer is that much more sweet because of it.

wackjum

My FX50S that I just got came from Cambridge, MA and spent about 7 years there. The underside, engine, etc is in noticeably poor condition compared to my Acura CL that is twice as old but spent its whole life in Texas. So there is something to be said about the harsher environment doing a number on cars.

If it is a car you want to preserve, I think keeping it out of the winters is a good idea.

RDX10

00TL-P3.2

I'm keeping an eye out for a clean C400, which is AWD only, ideally. But, am going to give a C300 (RWD or AWD) with the sport package/suspension a drive & see what I think.
These are 330 to 240 hp cars, C400 & C300.
A C450 or C43 would be great, but the ones I've found locally are high mileage or over budget.

Costco

But what about that one guy you know who has to shovel his driveway all the time so he can pull his 1998 Subaru Legacy out of the driveway while his 2017 M5 sits clean-but-dusty inside the garage and drops almost a thousand each month in depreciation?

There is no perfect place to live, is there...

wackjum

RWD. That is well within manageable limits. And then factor in the cost of tires, the extra fuel costs, etc...

SamDoe1

Trailhawk has a stitched dash too, it's just not real leather though I don't think the one in the Overland is either.

It's a lot of fun and far more capable than people think.

If someone can afford a 2017 M5 then they can probably afford the depreciation on it. It all comes down to priorities though, if you are able to make it happen then go for it. If not, it's not like there aren't alternatives...

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

• Ass (and loooong legs)
• Mary Ann (Ginger, no thanks!)
• Manual (wannabe manumatics need not apply)
• RWD (more bang for the buck and more fun to boot)

RDX10

JT4

EXACTLY what goes through my mind often during the winter.. But I just can't bring myself to take it out when the roads are salt covered if I don't have to..

CCColtsicehockey

Cadillac CTS-V Forum at CTSVOwners.com

1killercls

I have an Audi.

kurtatx

Oh I know that. I just wanted to follow up by saying RWD is better than the 2G RDX AWD system.

RDX10

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

Interesting debate and maybe I read the topic wrong... but I took this thread as more of a "what would you prefer" versus "what is better".

I definitely do not think there is a one-size-fits-all here so it would be tough to say what's better... but everyone would certainly have their own preference...

losiglow

iTrader: (1)

^ This. Like half the responses, it depends on the purpose of the car. I vote AWD for functionality but RWD for fun Then again, not to be an Acura fan boy, but the SH-AWD system is pretty fun around the corners. Good luck drifting with it though......

00TL-P3.2

Meant it as a bit of both. Definitely interesting seeing people's perspective on it.
As has been mentioned, being in Houston, RWD makes more sense on a lower powered car.

Will Y.

Living in Los Angeles metro where daytime temps are in 70*+F about 10 months of the year, I vote for RWD, which is usually lighter by 200 lbs and with a less complex drivetrain than AWD.

mrmako

So I lived in a lot of snowy places (Europe and Colorado), and a hot rainy place (Okinawa) for the last 22 years so here's my take:

In the wet (in particular, asphalt that is made of coral) I preferred the SpecB Legacy to my 2G TL FWD and the wife's Honda Odyssey FWD. The added plus was a slight 45/55 bias to the rear for some fun. But the car was unreal when it came to traction. I ran summers (Bridgestone RE02A) and the car stuck like a whore on her last meal/BJ. But they wore out very fast (same with the whore). So I swapped to Goodyear Eagle F1 A/S-C performance all weather and they were much better in length of ownership. Grip was down a bit, but no issue when I took the car to Germany and on the autobahn. They heated up nicely and stuck to the road.

In Colorado, the wife's Subaru makes about as much power as a hamster in a habitrail. But the car is OK with the 50/50 split in torque. One wheel will get grip when it's real bad, so no big deal. My Volvo is a FWD bias Haldex system, but AWD is on all the time. It will use traction control (DSTC) along with changing the bias in slippery situations. Works well. The tires BTW, are Continental Conticontact 2.

In summary, The tire/drive combination matters as does the amount of precipitation. For me, I love the Subaru system but I think if I lived in a hot dry place, I would go with RWD.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

If I am going to track the car, then RWD.

If not, then RWD.

Saintor

Did I hear something? AWD is mostly a gammick marketed for people who wants all the bells & whistles or are scared to be scared. In some cases, it is a commodity.

In winters, here, cops and taxis get around in 2WD cars. I guess that they are no sissies.

It is very interesting that no SRT or Hellcat (event eh Demon) cars is AWD. No Corvette, Mustang or Camaro AWD either. All of them have sub 4s 0-60mph variants.

And yeah, FWD is more predictable than AWD. Meaning safer. For fun, RWD please.

teh CL

iTrader: (1)

Isn't there are whole line of AWD SRT vehicles? Could of swore I just saw the commercial..

neuronbob

So for what's in my garage:

AWD for my daily driver
RWD for my fun cars

Any more questions?

Sarlacc

TacoBello