nore03

Just curious as to why Acura would invest the money into AWS but not into a RWD platform? I assume the FWD platform is a way to save money but developing PAWS couldn't have been cheap... Why not invest that into a RWD platform for the RLX...

Ken1997TL

My guess: PAWS will be on future Acura sedans.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

isnt awd the better of the two?

neuronbob

And, eventually, the Accord or other Hondas.

Ken1997TL

Sure it is. Also adds weight and cost compared to PAWS.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

I like this technology.
hopefully it trickles down to the TLX.
coupled with a 6mt and a high revving six, it'll be a beast!

Ken1997TL

I think it should be made standard on any FWD vehicle Honda makes. It really does make it understeer less.

Does it give it RWD performance? No.

jhr3uva90

I'm pretty sure developing P-AWS was cheaper than developing an all-new platform for RWD, especially considering they were using Honda Accords as test mules.

JM2010 SH-AWD

Or maybe Honda as a company is committed to FWD-based design for the everyday advantages it offers.

For the all talk of the makers who sell primarily RWD cars, trying finding one on the roads in the snow belt. We are not exactly Buffalo, but on the roads around where I live, 80% of the BMWs and Infinitis I see are AWD models. Those that aren't are usually backwards in the ditch when their drivers make the ill-advised effort to drive them to work on the few snowy days we have each year.

Why not use a FWD based platform for its fuel mileage and packaging efficiences for those buyers who don't know RWD from a pothole and then use a world-class AWD system to offer to those customers who are looking for more of a driver's oriented car? That's exactly what Acura (and Audi) do.

Colin

I would have named the system Co-Linear All-Wheel Steer.

hondamore

I'm in Edmonton where we still are getting snow and RWD = useless. I've had to push my neighbor's Mercedes - equipped with snow tires!! - out of the snow twice in the past week (although I did get a huge box of gourmet cookies for my efforts).

From a traction standpoint, having the weight of the engine over the drive wheels is vastly superior to RWD. The weight balance issues and torque steer issues associated with FWD are the biggest compromise, but those issues are most apparent on the race track and in car magazine reviews and not in "normal" driving. The same reasons that "enthusiasts" love RWD (you can light up the rear tires or get the rear to step out when applying the throttle) are the same reasons that RWD sucks when the roads get slick. My conclusion is: buy a RWD sports car for the track and a FWD (or better yet AWD) vehicle for everyday driving. Honda/Acura build their cars (other than the NSX and S2000) predominantly for everyday driving or even "sporty" everyday driving which makes their choice of FWD very logical.

neuronbob

CLAWS, LOL!

ostrich

Thank you, Hondamore! I am just 3 hours south of Edmonton - here in Calgary, I would NEVER buy a RWD drive vehicle either! It's amazing to see all these Jaguars, MB and BMW with RWD getting stuck in the snow. It's not just a convenience issue - it's most of all a safety issue. If I get stuck in the snow, and the temperature is -20C, I will be in trouble....

Then if you have poor reliability + RWD, you are in even much more trouble...!!!

weather

^^ Ostrich....you raised the good point about combining reliability and the RWD architecture in our Canadian Climate....That is never a good combo. For me, where I don't drive my luxury vehicle in inclement weather, the RWD could still work but I would still hate to be stranded on the side of the road at -35C, even though it was sunny and the roads were nice and dry.

WheelMcCoy

If that happens, I have dibs on the vanity plate: SANTA

g37guy01

I lived in Buffallo for three years with RWD and snows. While I prefer awd with all seasons to RWD with snows...can't say I ever got stuck. I have also witnessed Hondas in ditches, fwd cars unable to get out of my development in deep snow.

Makes me smile when people post about RWD in ditches, when in reality it's any car with a driver who ignores the laws of physics.

neuronbob

You took the words right out of my mouth, g37.

For four winters, I have piloted a 556 hp RWD beast in an area that gets 120-140 inches of snow a season. I have never, ever gotten stuck. What's my secret? Winter tires and common sense. I don't need AWD for routine driving. I laugh at people with all season tires on their AWD vehicles, thinking they are invincible when that type of rubber is not ideal for cold weather. (I laugh, then call AAA for them. )

Of course, AWD + winter tires DOES make you invincible.

weather

Euhhh not really, but I know what you are getting at.

neuronbob

Tongue in cheek.

Ken1997TL

I drove my S2000 in light snow over the winter without issue. True all season performance tires than remain pliable down to 10 F.

hondamore

A good driver can certainly make due with less than ideal circumstances. The point is, for the average driver in less than ideal road conditions, FWD provides superior traction to RWD because the weight of the engine is over the drive wheels. Plenty of RWD drivers try to mimic this with sand bags, concrete blocks etc in their trunks to get a bit more traction from their rear wheels.

jshaw

^^ AWD will still be better than either one. Which is probably why many RWD cars on the market have AWD options, and almost all FWD-based cars at this price range (excepting the RLX) have AWD options (or in many cases, AWD-only), as well.

I grew up in new England with FWD and a standard. While fun, if I had to go back, it wouldn't be with anything claiming less than 4 driven wheels. <-- just my opinion, of course. I know in Canada, just about every vehicle that has an AWD option in the US, will come with it standard (and no 2WD) in the Canadian market.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Apparently developing a new platform is very expensive. I think Honda and Acura do not have the volume to justify going with a standalone RWD platform. An example would be Infiniti. Most of its cars are RWD based. Yet, they aren't exactly outselling Acura.

g37guy01

The 7 year old G platform is outselling the TL. The M is outselling is the RL. If it weren't for the MDX, Acura might as well close up shop.

I think some clarity about why Acura outsells Infiniti was needed.

GoHawks

A review recently stated that the MDX accounts for nearly a third of Acura sales.

jshaw

^^ and I'd bet the RDX isn't too far behind, either.

jhr3uva90

Americans like SUVs. Hey, Lexus had an 11-year run as the most popular luxury brand in the USA in part because they had 3 separate product lines of SUV. If you want to sell lots of luxury cars in the USA, you need to actually sell trucks.

Ken1997TL

Want to know why?

Women like SUV's.

Men like sedans.

Who overall dictates what kind of vehicle is purchased in a family?

jhr3uva90

Amen!

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

For the TL, I think the styling is the issue.

For the RL, well, it's a design from 2005.

The 2G TL and 3G TL, both were FWD only, were comfortably ahead in sales. That's what I was referring to.

Look at the FWD only Lexus ES, 6800 copies last month. It's just behind the 3 series and C Class. Those models have so many options, trims, and configurations as well.