AWD-your thoughts?

[lilywhite]

Other than the apparent AWD makes too many idiots feel they are invincible on the road. and too many do it, I am new to awd.
(miss my nokian studded snow tires)
My experience tonite was like the total shift in skiing the usual K "packed" versus skiing in powder, where you can not edge, but have to have limber happy dancing feet and body, with skiis pointed down and no side step turns allowed. (for those who don't know-I've skiied in powder maybe 2-3 times, and did not dare do any blacks. I have a funny story to tell about mountain week ski lessons in powder-4th of July bombs crashing, and the poor instructors that wanted to drag 12 students down Cascade, when 4th of July explosions hit on DD "head" wall-green a spot as you can get)
So the car felt like it had happy dancy feet, like all 4 wheels did their own thing. Did not have that grip feel at all...floated.
Yes, no visible sand, snowing over an inch an hour-cars off road everywhere.
My attitude is it kept the car in line, but no real grip-more like skating.
Any counter thougts on this?

[Crock540]

AWD grips better, but is harder to take out of a skid...

[lilywhite]

AWD grips better, but is harder to take out of a skid...

I tested that in safe areas..or should I say I tested both quick aceleration and quick stops. Of course-quick stops-not working, but had to test it, safely! I did feel the sensation of slippery-did not have confidence in recovery, should I have decided to do anything stupid.
Acceleration felt somewhat ok, but was not trying to be the usual idiot.
The slippery 4 independent wheel dancy feeling was with consistent speed-and disgustingly slow...I guess I have a glimmer on why I have seen more SUV's off the road than other cars...and passed them out on highways, in control. Trying to figure out the feeling of it. I have had enough of 2-1/2 hour drives turning into 6 hours, so actually have not really put the awd factor into critical test mode yet.
Thanks!

[kt22cliffjumper]

AWD grips better, but is harder to take out of a skid...

No, AWD does not "grip" better. It's a total myth. It's the tires that does gripping not the powertrain. You put the summer only performance tires in a AWD car and put a real snow tires in RWD car which has reputation of having terrible traction, AWD will have alot more problem then the RWD car on snowy/icy road. Now, given same or similar tires in both cars - since most cars out there whether they are AWD, FWD or RWD probably have run of the mill all-season tires - AWD will marginally get you going better b/c when one or some of the wheels slip and lose traction, the other wheel(s) with traction will move the car forward. But with all these AWD cars that does not have mechnically locking differentials - real 4 wheel drive "trucks" have them and you would know it if you have them - are really a FWD biased electronic traction control box that just make people think they can go thru anything like they see in commercial which makes it more dangerous. That's why you see so many people with AWD SUV spin out of control. They go into turns with way too much speed than they would in a non-AWD car and worse yet they don't know how to recover when traction breaks off b/c they think AWD + traction control makes it bullet proof.

[newpylong]

Waste of gas + turns people into heros.

[mogulmouse]

Yea... spare the expense on "awd" or "4x4" if you don't want to bother getting snow tires....

Atleast that's do-able here in CA.... where chains are allowed.
They cost much less then new snow tires! If you're not a half wit, they're well worth spending the extra time it takes to put them on and take them off.

Now if you live up in the mountains, you just use studded tires

[mrgriffith]

safety first boys and girls...



p.s. love my audi a4 quatttro, gota have it, f 4wd.

[mogulmouse]

safety first boys and girls...



p.s. love my audi a4 quatttro, gota have it, f 4wd.

that must be fly, untill the snow gets deep..

[mrgriffith]

decent clearence, about a foot or so.... rock on tahoe bro.
looks like 14-21" by sat. end.

[Dr. NO]

As I stated previously, AWD can GO, but still doesn't stop. If you truly drive in winter conditions, All Season Tires are not what you should be on. Get yourself 4 Snow tires.

I found the FWD with 4 snows is dam good in snow, but the AWD still can manage better in some conditions.

AND, once you begin to lose control, RWD is definitly the best. So, don't over drive whatever you are in.

[lilywhite]

I've always been happy with front wheel drive-camry-infiniti. No problems wth good tires-even good all season tires.
Was just a weird sensation driving thru some thick greasy stuff. Awd feels different. Was definitely the stuff to take you off the road if you raced thru it.
interesting-harder to take out of a skid.
gonna be fun getting out of the driveway-don't have enough clearance to clear the ice berm from the town, and rather believe awd is not going to levitate the frame of the car :)
plow guy didn't show, so guess I have to s##k it up & shovel to get to VT.

[jwaltz666]

you guys really think rwd is superior to awd in a slide situation?
wtf

[Skibumtress]

you guys really think rwd is superior to awd in a slide situation?
wtf

I've had AWD and my jeep (current vehicle) is 4WD (part time and full time... haven't had the need to use full time 4WD yet) and I've driven FWD...... let me just say...... I LOVE my Jeep.

[Geoff]

safety first boys and girls...



p.s. love my audi a4 quatttro, gota have it, f 4wd.

Right. Those 4.2 inches of ground clearance make for quite the ski car. Only suitable for groomed trails.

[MarieM]

safety first boys and girls...



p.s. love my audi a4 quatttro, gota have it, f 4wd.

Right. Those 4.2 inches of ground clearance make for quite the ski car. Only suitable for groomed trails.

Found that out last night driving my husband's Volvo XC wagon...came to a place in the road that there was about 8 - 10 inches of unplowed snow...! "Ground clearance." Not a whole lot.