View Poll Results: RWD or AWD?
RWD
15
46.88%
AWD
17
53.13%
Voters: 32. You may not vote on this poll
All else equal: RWD or AWD?
#1
Moderator
Thread Starter
All else equal: RWD or AWD?
Say you had 2 identical cars, available as RWD or AWD.
Mercedes, BMW, & Kia Stinger jump in my head immediately.
Which would you go with/why?
Mercedes, BMW, & Kia Stinger jump in my head immediately.
Which would you go with/why?
#3
The inconvenient truth
AWD since I drive in snow for a good portion of the year.
RWD if the car never saw snow.
RWD if the car never saw snow.
#4
In the Mid-South meow
iTrader: (2)
Really depends on where you live. Lots of snow obviously AWD. Occasional or no snow definitely RWD.
#5
Moderator
Thread Starter
Well, this is Houston, where we have 4 seasons: Summer, December, January & February.
Thinking about a sports/sporty sedan for my next car & a few that I've looked at have both options.
Thinking about a sports/sporty sedan for my next car & a few that I've looked at have both options.
#7
Team Owner
Well wait... what kind of car? Daily driver? FUN only car? There is no one answer suits all.
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#8
CTSV,TL, Audi Q7 & A5SB
I have always preferred a RWD car, especially the way it feels as long as I don't have to use it as a DD in the snow. But after seeing what AMG does with the E63 4MATIC, and how easy it is getting all that power to ground I am starting to lean towards AWD. Even for my "fun" car. .
#9
This really depends on the type of AWD system because not all systems are created equally. Some send 100% of the power to the rear wheels (we’ll use a RWD platform in this case) and only send power forwards when front wheel slip is detected. Other systems are either a constant torque split 50:50/40:60/30:70 Front-Rear. Others can run in 100% RWD or any variation thereof with a press of a button (some recent AMG’s are like this).
Living in the snow belt I highly prefer AWD and we do not get enough good weather to justify having a strictly RWD car year round. So my preference is 100% for AWD, but the kind capable of constantly sending torque to the front (so the last 2 types of systems I mentioned) regardless of slip because I feel this helps combat oversteer during heavy cornering in less than perfect conditions.
Living in the snow belt I highly prefer AWD and we do not get enough good weather to justify having a strictly RWD car year round. So my preference is 100% for AWD, but the kind capable of constantly sending torque to the front (so the last 2 types of systems I mentioned) regardless of slip because I feel this helps combat oversteer during heavy cornering in less than perfect conditions.
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#12
In the Mid-South meow
iTrader: (2)
I bought my MazdaSpeed6 right before moving from Arizona to Tennessee thinking we'd get snow here and it'd be worth it for the AWD. If we get an inch of snow here the county shuts down. We had nothing the first year. AWD without bad weather was so boring to me.
#13
Azine Jabroni
I went with my heart and said RWD.
#14
Latent car nut
iTrader: (2)
I live in a place some call Snow Hampshire; I still prefer RWD for year-round driving; folks who claim to need AWD for snow really don't know what they're talking about.
Putting on my Nomex suit and ducking for cover.
Putting on my Nomex suit and ducking for cover.
#15
Ex-OEM King
AWD with snow tires. RWD with the right tires isn't bad but if the option is there, I'd take it.
#16
Azine Jabroni
It's better all things equal but AWD in and of itself does not ensure good snow performnace.
#17
Moderator
#18
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teh CL (02-07-2018)
#19
Team Owner
I legitimately can't decide. I think I'd go with AWD, though as mentioned, it depends on the system being employed.
I find I can absolutely mash FWD cars through any corner. In the few AWD cars I've driven, I could do the same... even a bit faster. But I've never been able to push RWD nearly as hard as either of the two. Yes, it is fun... but it also scares the shit out of me.
Also, as fun as it is to let the backend come out a bit, it also kills your tires. I can't help but always think how much a small slide costs me, in terms of tire wear
Now that I think about it more... I would definitely take AWD. Especially with a 6MT.
I find I can absolutely mash FWD cars through any corner. In the few AWD cars I've driven, I could do the same... even a bit faster. But I've never been able to push RWD nearly as hard as either of the two. Yes, it is fun... but it also scares the shit out of me.
Also, as fun as it is to let the backend come out a bit, it also kills your tires. I can't help but always think how much a small slide costs me, in terms of tire wear
Now that I think about it more... I would definitely take AWD. Especially with a 6MT.
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teh CL (02-07-2018)
#20
Team Owner
Meh, I've been driving FWD cars for the last 14 years through every shit snow storm you can imagine, and I've never had issues. Or winter collisions. The only nice thing about AWD is getting going from a complete stop. AWD excels in that, hands down. My TL on winter rubber is no match for my tenant's RL with all season tires. He simply destroys me at any set of lights.
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teh CL (02-07-2018)
#21
GEEZER
Awd > *
#22
Latent car nut
iTrader: (2)
Funny thing, we get maybe 20 days of snow and/or ice here in New Hampshire; with that in mind, prior to ordering my last car I asked myself, "Would I rather drive slower 20 days per year, or would I rather toting around the extra weight and drag of an AWD system 345 days per year?" To me at least, the answer was obvious, RWD baby!
#23
Azine Jabroni
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#24
Meh, I've been driving FWD cars for the last 14 years through every shit snow storm you can imagine, and I've never had issues. Or winter collisions. The only nice thing about AWD is getting going from a complete stop. AWD excels in that, hands down. My TL on winter rubber is no match for my tenant's RL with all season tires. He simply destroys me at any set of lights.
Funny thing, we get maybe 20 days of snow and/or ice here in New Hampshire; with that in mind, prior to ordering my last car I asked myself, "Would I rather drive slower 20 days per year, or would I rather toting around the extra weight and drag of an AWD system 345 days per year?" To me at least, the answer was obvious, RWD baby!
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teh CL (02-07-2018)
#25
Moderator
Regional Coordinator (Southeast)
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You live in TX. RWD.
#27
Azine Jabroni
#28
#29
Team Owner
Truth be told this is actually what scares me the most about winter driving. I keep a sufficient gap so stopping isn’t what worries me (besides AWD doesn’t help with stopping). Rather what freaks me out is trying to merge into traffic and nothing is happening. That is why I swear by AWD.
Yet, the majority of the population still seems to get along just fine in their commutes. FWD or RWD.. it's really not an issue. Yeah, you can't just pull out into traffic... but after 5 minutes of driving you realize how much of a gap you most likely need to keep, and other than that, you're back to driving as you always would. It's not like it takes me an additional 30 seconds to accelerate. And it's only on the ice/snow covered intersections where its a problem. The day after it dumps, the roads are fairly clear. No real issues. Some intersections/merge lanes are bad... but definitely still manageable.
#30
Team Owner
So this post is a complete contradiction of your other post. You first state that AWD doesn’t help with snow and then admit to driving slower during icy snowy conditions because you realize that your RWD car will not do as well as an AWD car. You also call it snow-hampshire but have 20 days of snow? Lastly you have 20 days of snow and ice and you’re trying to compare that to the 6-8 MONTHS of snow and ice we can get here? Exactly.
You're commenting on a drive system you apparently have very limited/no experience with. I see where Horseshoez is coming from. I see no flaw in his logic.
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horseshoez (02-07-2018)
#32
I'm betting that a good 70% of vehicles on the road are either FWD, or some sort of FWD biased AWD system that never works as one would expect it to. RWD is limited to sports cars, which you rarely see in the winter, and trucks, which many have 4x4, but most are running in 2WD mode anyway.
Yet, the majority of the population still seems to get along just fine in their commutes. FWD or RWD.. it's really not an issue. Yeah, you can't just pull out into traffic... but after 5 minutes of driving you realize how much of a gap you most likely need to keep, and other than that, you're back to driving as you always would. It's not like it takes me an additional 30 seconds to accelerate. And it's only on the ice/snow covered intersections where its a problem. The day after it dumps, the roads are fairly clear. No real issues. Some intersections/merge lanes are bad... but definitely still manageable.
Yet, the majority of the population still seems to get along just fine in their commutes. FWD or RWD.. it's really not an issue. Yeah, you can't just pull out into traffic... but after 5 minutes of driving you realize how much of a gap you most likely need to keep, and other than that, you're back to driving as you always would. It's not like it takes me an additional 30 seconds to accelerate. And it's only on the ice/snow covered intersections where its a problem. The day after it dumps, the roads are fairly clear. No real issues. Some intersections/merge lanes are bad... but definitely still manageable.
But moving away from the winter topic for a second, I much prefer AWD for the performance benefits as well (granted it is an actual proper AWD system). There is no arguing that cars with SH-AWD for example are much different handling than their FWD countrpart. A more related example is of the Jaguar F-Type, when it first came out it was only available with RWD. Reviewers were constantly mentioning that it was squirrley as hell, so when Jaguar released the AWD F-Type many reviewers said it felt like a completely different car. So aside from the advantages of AWD in snow, mud...etc there is a definite advantage in performance handling as well IMO.
But it goes back to what you said initially, it really does depend on each persons specific wants and needs.
#33
Ex-OEM King
Is Honda AWD even AWD? All these part time slip and grip systems are complete garbage. You literally lug around extra weight for when the system activates for those 10 seconds and then off otherwise. The only exception is those slip and grip systems with a “lock mode”. We own a AWD Veracruz that has a slip and grip system but it has that “AWD-Lock” button. I drove to a very snowy unplowed road and drove without the AWD lock on and the car just slipped a whole bunch with traction control going crazy for 10 seconds before finally getting a move on. I then did the same “test” with AWD lock engaged and the experience was night and day. Zero wheel slip and just took off. Though that AWD lock mode only works until about 25mph or 40km/h. It works for what I expect from it. I’m not corner carving with the veracruz that’s for sure lol.
My Jeep is a slip then grip system if you leave it in "auto" mode. Any other mode and it locks into AWD and 4Low locks into 4WD (meaning center diff lock). In warm weather it will mechanically disconnect the rear drive to save gas and it's a notable difference. In the cold, it'll leave the rear drive connected but not send power there unless needed or set for it and the gas mileage suffers dearly. If it is in AWD though, it stays that way regardless of speed. 4WD is only up to about 20mph but only because you can't go that fast in 4Low anyway.
The difference between the AWD slip and grip in the Jeep vs a CRV is the addition of other get out of sticky situation features. That said, having those just means you're all that much more stuck when you need them.
20 days of the roads being covered. I'd believe it. I doubt our roads are any much different. We have snow for 6 months, but the main roads, at least 85% of that time are bare.
You're commenting on a drive system you apparently have very limited/no experience with. I see where Horseshoez is coming from. I see no flaw in his logic.
You're commenting on a drive system you apparently have very limited/no experience with. I see where Horseshoez is coming from. I see no flaw in his logic.
#34
Latent car nut
iTrader: (2)
So this post is a complete contradiction of your other post. You first state that AWD doesn’t help with snow and then admit to driving slower during icy snowy conditions because you realize that your RWD car will not do as well as an AWD car. You also call it snow-hampshire but have 20 days of snow? Lastly you have 20 days of snow and ice and you’re trying to compare that to the 6-8 MONTHS of snow and ice we can get here? Exactly.
As for you fussing about six to eight months of snow versus twenty days; I'll bet you dollars to donuts you don't have snow on the roads for six to eight solid months. Snow on the ground does not equal snow on the roads.
#35
20 days of the roads being covered. I'd believe it. I doubt our roads are any much different. We have snow for 6 months, but the main roads, at least 85% of that time are bare.
You're commenting on a drive system you apparently have very limited/no experience with. I see where Horseshoez is coming from. I see no flaw in his logic.
You're commenting on a drive system you apparently have very limited/no experience with. I see where Horseshoez is coming from. I see no flaw in his logic.
As for limited experience this is incorrect. We own a 06 chevy Silverado 4X4 that you can obviously keep in RWD mode, I drove it for 4 months and I seen what that is like even on roads that have been plowed (because even plowed roads tend to have a little bit of ice/snow on them making it very slippery. Furthermore we purchased a 2010 RWD dodge charger that we owned for 5 months last winter that I drove many many many times (it was my brothers’ car who ultimately sold it because he said it was unpredictable in the snow). So I do have a lot of experience with RWD drivetrains.
Here’s the thing. I think I sound like I’m saying that you must have AWD in winter or to have a good handling car and that nothing else will work. That’s not what I am trying to say, rather that all things equal (same tires) AWD has some clear advantages in some conditions and situations. But it’s not about what is right and wrong, it’s simply about stating my opinion. I tend to get overly passionate when it comed to AWD (I fully admit to being an AWD junkie) and for that reason I sound like I’m shitting on any other drivetrain.
#36
Latent car nut
iTrader: (2)
Maybe I misunderstood what he was saying. I thought he was saying that they only have snow/ice for 20 days a year I didn’t think he meant the roads are covered for 20 days of the year. So if I misunderstood that then I appologize and take back my comment.
As for limited experience this is incorrect. We own a 06 chevy Silverado 4X4 that you can obviously keep in RWD mode, I drove it for 4 months and I seen what that is like even on roads that have been plowed (because even plowed roads tend to have a little bit of ice/snow on them making it very slippery. Furthermore we purchased a 2010 RWD dodge charger that we owned for 5 months last winter that I drove many many many times (it was my brothers’ car who ultimately sold it because he said it was unpredictable in the snow). So I do have a lot of experience with RWD drivetrains.
Here’s the thing. I think I sound like I’m saying that you must have AWD in winter or to have a good handling car and that nothing else will work. That’s not what I am trying to say, rather that all things equal (same tires) AWD has some clear advantages in some conditions and situations. But it’s not about what is right and wrong, it’s simply about stating my opinion. I tend to get overly passionate when it comed to AWD (I fully admit to being an AWD junkie) and for that reason I sound like I’m shitting on any other drivetrain.
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RDX10 (02-07-2018)
#37
Moderator
Thread Starter
To clarify.
Thinking about a sporty sedan for a DD to possibly replace the F150, once we sell our trailer. I need 4 doors & something big enough to carry 2 carseats on occasion.
Looking predominantly at W205 Mercedes C-Class, available in RWD or 4Matic AWD. IIRC, the non AMG 4Matic is something like a 40:60 split F:R, but I haven't found much to specify if it is variable F:R or fixed 40:60. The AMG Sport is 33:66 F:R, again, not sure if fixed or variable.
Thinking about a sporty sedan for a DD to possibly replace the F150, once we sell our trailer. I need 4 doors & something big enough to carry 2 carseats on occasion.
Looking predominantly at W205 Mercedes C-Class, available in RWD or 4Matic AWD. IIRC, the non AMG 4Matic is something like a 40:60 split F:R, but I haven't found much to specify if it is variable F:R or fixed 40:60. The AMG Sport is 33:66 F:R, again, not sure if fixed or variable.
#38
My Jeep is a slip then grip system if you leave it in "auto" mode. Any other mode and it locks into AWD and 4Low locks into 4WD (meaning center diff lock). In warm weather it will mechanically disconnect the rear drive to save gas and it's a notable difference. In the cold, it'll leave the rear drive connected but not send power there unless needed or set for it and the gas mileage suffers dearly. If it is in AWD though, it stays that way regardless of speed. 4WD is only up to about 20mph but only because you can't go that fast in 4Low anyway.
The difference between the AWD slip and grip in the Jeep vs a CRV is the addition of other get out of sticky situation features. That said, having those just means you're all that much more stuck when you need them.
The difference between the AWD slip and grip in the Jeep vs a CRV is the addition of other get out of sticky situation features. That said, having those just means you're all that much more stuck when you need them.
No contradiction at all. It is true AWD will accelerate faster in the snow (hence my comment), however, depending upon the skill of the driver and the implementation of the drive system, there are certain winter driving conditions which favor one over the other. As for braking, a RWD car, "all else being equal" will virtually always stop in a shorter distance due to the lighter weight.
As for you fussing about six to eight months of snow versus twenty days; I'll bet you dollars to donuts you don't have snow on the roads for six to eight solid months. Snow on the ground does not equal snow on the roads.
As for you fussing about six to eight months of snow versus twenty days; I'll bet you dollars to donuts you don't have snow on the roads for six to eight solid months. Snow on the ground does not equal snow on the roads.
As for the snow on the ground where you live, I think I misunderstood your comment. As for snow on the ground where I live, I don’t mean strictly thick heavy snow, I also meant plowed roads with a thin layer of ice/snow on them, hence my comment about worrying most about leaving after a stop vs actual driving. If that makes sense.
#39
Moderator
To clarify.
Thinking about a sporty sedan for a DD to possibly replace the F150, once we sell our trailer. I need 4 doors & something big enough to carry 2 carseats on occasion.
Looking predominantly at W205 Mercedes C-Class, available in RWD or 4Matic AWD. IIRC, the non AMG 4Matic is something like a 40:60 split F:R, but I haven't found much to specify if it is variable F:R or fixed 40:60. The AMG Sport is 33:66 F:R, again, not sure if fixed or variable.
Thinking about a sporty sedan for a DD to possibly replace the F150, once we sell our trailer. I need 4 doors & something big enough to carry 2 carseats on occasion.
Looking predominantly at W205 Mercedes C-Class, available in RWD or 4Matic AWD. IIRC, the non AMG 4Matic is something like a 40:60 split F:R, but I haven't found much to specify if it is variable F:R or fixed 40:60. The AMG Sport is 33:66 F:R, again, not sure if fixed or variable.
#40
In CA I've stepped out of the house in a t-shirt 11 months of the past year. Give me RWD. I can't imagine my car with AWD.