All wheel drive, four-wheel drive, is it really necessary?
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,542
Likes: 264
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
In the end of the day, it all boils down to personal needs and driver skill. However AWD can be a very bad thing when combined with snowy day, summer tires and driver without common sense.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 4,592
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From: TN
Best car I have ever driven in snow was my old 1991 Cadillac Brougham D'elegance. Had the 15" wire wheel option, an open diff, new all season whitewall Khumo tires(one of the the few companies still making whitewalls around 2009). Put about 150lbs worth of sand bags in the trunk, that car was a beast in about 4-8" of snow we had in that one storm.
The most fun I've ever had in any car was sliding that big Cadillac around the unplowed Hickory Hollow Mall parking lot. Get that car up to about 20mph, flick the wheel hard left or hard right, give it some gas, damn thing would do some magnificent 4 wheel drifts all the way from Dillards to Sears, I mean this was perfect snow, not too slick like the ice we get here a lot of the time, but yet you could just hang out the rear of this car like you were Ken Block.
The most fun I've ever had in any car was sliding that big Cadillac around the unplowed Hickory Hollow Mall parking lot. Get that car up to about 20mph, flick the wheel hard left or hard right, give it some gas, damn thing would do some magnificent 4 wheel drifts all the way from Dillards to Sears, I mean this was perfect snow, not too slick like the ice we get here a lot of the time, but yet you could just hang out the rear of this car like you were Ken Block.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 13,280
Likes: 1,890
From: WA
Would the same not be true of RWD or FWD? Pair any car with snow, summer tires, and a driver without common sense and we have trouble. I can’t see where AWD makes that worse.
Actually it does, because RWD/FWD car with summer tires probably wont even get as far as get out of the driveway or parking spot on a snowy day, so it will stay off the roads. And even if it does it won't be able to accelerate to high speed on slick roads, whereas most AWD vehicles will get out of snow and accelerate easily and then lose grip and end up in an accident.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,542
Likes: 264
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
In most cases, yes, that's true. However, the AWD Subaru WRX/STI comes standard with summer high-performance tires (for obvious reasons)...as did the former Mitsubishi Evo. Not all of the jocks who drive those cars bother to swap the rubber for winter....even though Subaru warns, in its literature, that those tires are not meant for snow or ice.
Pit Crew
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 208
Likes: 42
From: Vancouver, BC, Canada
I'm willing to bet that Subaru Full Time AWD vehicles will manage winter snow with summer tires. I am sure that my Subaru Crosstrek (previous car) would do it - of course, I would have to drive it very conservatively. I wouldn't feel totally comfy though. The difference is that Subaru's make Full Time AWD's, meaning that all four wheels are receiving power all the time. It makes a difference.
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Lexus Champion
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 13,280
Likes: 1,890
From: WA
I'm willing to bet that Subaru Full Time AWD vehicles will manage winter snow with summer tires. I am sure that my Subaru Crosstrek (previous car) would do it - of course, I would have to drive it very conservatively. I wouldn't feel totally comfy though. The difference is that Subaru's make Full Time AWD's, meaning that all four wheels are receiving power all the time. It makes a difference.
Do you think Subaru Crosstek owners are putting summer tires on their cars?
Racer
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,419
Likes: 52
From: AZ
I'm willing to bet that Subaru Full Time AWD vehicles will manage winter snow with summer tires. I am sure that my Subaru Crosstrek (previous car) would do it - of course, I would have to drive it very conservatively. I wouldn't feel totally comfy though. The difference is that Subaru's make Full Time AWD's, meaning that all four wheels are receiving power all the time. It makes a difference.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 2,047
Likes: 135
From: AB
Knowing how to drive with stick shift is beneficial. My son's 3 BMW vehicles all have stick shift. My kids learned from stick shift. Even if automatic shift, some times using paddle shift is better. Operators know how to start a car and drive around, Drivers know lot more than that about their cars. Many young guys/gals don't even know how to put on a spare wheel. Now new cars all have tach. on dash. How many would know what to do with it? For many it's just a decoration....In Europe there are many car with stick shift.
Last edited by Htony; Jan 9, 2018 at 09:36 AM.
Moderator
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 9,613
Likes: 4,803
From: GA
I'm willing to bet that Subaru Full Time AWD vehicles will manage winter snow with summer tires. I am sure that my Subaru Crosstrek (previous car) would do it - of course, I would have to drive it very conservatively. I wouldn't feel totally comfy though. The difference is that Subaru's make Full Time AWD's, meaning that all four wheels are receiving power all the time. It makes a difference.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 2,047
Likes: 135
From: AB
I'm willing to bet that Subaru Full Time AWD vehicles will manage winter snow with summer tires. I am sure that my Subaru Crosstrek (previous car) would do it - of course, I would have to drive it very conservatively. I wouldn't feel totally comfy though. The difference is that Subaru's make Full Time AWD's, meaning that all four wheels are receiving power all the time. It makes a difference.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 2,047
Likes: 135
From: AB
My IS 300 AWD also has full-time AWD. Having driven it in snow in all-seasons, I can't say I would see it doing well on summers. Then again, two different cars. Just wanted to point out that full-time AWD, while better than some on-demand systems in a few ways, is not superhero-mode when it comes to winter, especially if the tires aren't ideal.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 68,871
Likes: 4,114
From: Maryland
Knowing how to drive with stick shift is beneficial. My son's 3 BMW vehicles all have stick shift. My kids learned from stick shift. Even if automatic shift, some times using paddle shift is better. Operators know how to start a car and drive around, Drivers know lot more than that about their cars. Many young guys/gals don't even know how to put on a spare wheel. Now new cars all have tach. on dash. How many would know what to do with it? For many it's just a decoration....In Europe there are many car with stick shift.