View Poll Results: Should my next vehicle be equipped with AWD?
Yes, get AWD!
13
54.17%
Nah, 2WD is fine.
11
45.83%
Voters: 24. You may not vote on this poll
AWD- do I need it?
#16
Lexus Fanatic
Now, in your case, lucas7, the question you have to answer is if you have to drive those mountain roads, enough times, in bad conditons, to justify the actual purchase of an AWD car. While we can give you advice, only you can really answer that. I, myself, am of the opinion that, for most areas, it is a wise investment.....you never really know when you are going to need it. I mean, you could hit a big patch of wet leaves, for instance, and start sliding....it doesn't have to be snow or ice.
If you don't see any snow anyways, just drive with common sense will do.
Last edited by mmarshall; 09-13-09 at 04:15 PM.
#17
Lexus Test Driver
Forget AWD or RWD, proper tires is what matters. In my experience living through Michigan winters all of my life, RWD with dedicated winter tires outperformed AWD with all-season tires most of the time. The advantages of AWD are the extra ground clearance and if you ever get stuck in deep snow, the extra two moving wheels will help pull you out.
I am able to pull away from a dead stop in snow much more easily with AWD, obviously, even with all-season tires. But once I'm moving the advantages of AWD aren't as obvious. RWD, winter tires, and a good stability/traction control system and I've been able to get through all but the very worst of Michigan winters.
Now I'm not saying AWD has no advantages at all. It certainly does have the advantages as stated before. In your situation it sounds like AWD is the most convenient and feasible option. (No need to deal with two sets of tires, etc.) But no matter what drivetrain you have, the trick is to never get stuck in the first place and to drive slow and careful enough not to get into a sticky situation.
I am able to pull away from a dead stop in snow much more easily with AWD, obviously, even with all-season tires. But once I'm moving the advantages of AWD aren't as obvious. RWD, winter tires, and a good stability/traction control system and I've been able to get through all but the very worst of Michigan winters.
Now I'm not saying AWD has no advantages at all. It certainly does have the advantages as stated before. In your situation it sounds like AWD is the most convenient and feasible option. (No need to deal with two sets of tires, etc.) But no matter what drivetrain you have, the trick is to never get stuck in the first place and to drive slow and careful enough not to get into a sticky situation.
#18
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I do believe it has to be mentioned that AWD is not fool-proof. The advantage of AWD is not an excuse to skip out on good tires or driving sensibly in serpentine roads. Even the best AWD systems in the world will not save you if you're an idiot... just some food for thought.
I've never thought AWD as a necessity and I live in rural Quebec where we get regular bouts of 2-3 ft. of snow in the winter months.
I've never thought AWD as a necessity and I live in rural Quebec where we get regular bouts of 2-3 ft. of snow in the winter months.
#19
Lexus Fanatic
The advantages of AWD are the extra ground clearance
le to pull away from a dead stop in snow much more easily with AWD, obviously, even with all-season tires. But once I'm moving the advantages of AWD aren't as obvious.
[/QUOTE]
#20
Lexus Fanatic
I do believe it has to be mentioned that AWD is not fool-proof. The advantage of AWD is not an excuse to skip out on good tires or driving sensibly in serpentine roads. Even the best AWD systems in the world will not save you if you're an idiot... just some food for thought.
#21
Yep. Some people think that 4WD/AWD is magic, or that it makes them invincible on winter roads. You STILL have to use common sense. Every time we get a significant snowstorm here in the D.C. area (though we are generally not a big-snow region) you see some Explorers, Jeeps. Tahoes, etc.....down in the ditch because their cocky owners thought they could overcome the laws of physics.
#22
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#23
Lexus Test Driver
Well assuming that your RX330 is AWD, I see that you keep an AWD vehicle ready, just in case.
Not necesarily. Many cars with AWD (the IS250AWD and AWD Toyota Matrix ) is a good example) have very low ground clearance. So do some BMW 3-series AWD models.
True. I noted that previously, that the chief advantage to AWD is starting up from a dead stop. But there is also a handling advantage, as long as you keep your speed down and don't push it.
Not necesarily. Many cars with AWD (the IS250AWD and AWD Toyota Matrix ) is a good example) have very low ground clearance. So do some BMW 3-series AWD models.
True. I noted that previously, that the chief advantage to AWD is starting up from a dead stop. But there is also a handling advantage, as long as you keep your speed down and don't push it.
I don't have the RX anymore (too lazy to change my s/n). It was indeed AWD, but I had summer and winter tires for it rather than just all-seasons. I live a (relatively) hilly area of Michigan that doesn't get plowed often. Any extra traction I can get I definitely appreciate, coupled with the excellent VSC system I got through just fine on most of the winters here. The AWD system itself in Lexus is pretty good, but it doesn't really compete too well with the more established systems out there.
As for the AWD examples you mentioned, you're right. They don't offer much ground clearance at all. They're pretty much snowplows with how close the bumper comes in contact with the snow piles. For those kinds of cars I'd rather buy the RWD version purely for the summer and get an AWD/4WD beater.
#25
tire tires tires. Got it? Get a good set of winter tyres first (or whatever will handle the pass and the valleys on either side). A FWD (or RWD for that matter) with the proper tires will get you through anything [B]if[B] you drive according to the conditions.
Will AWD help? Perhaps if there's a traffic jam and you need to accelerate up the hill but given that it's a freeway on a mountain, traffic is probably gonna be moving all the time.
Will AWD help? Perhaps if there's a traffic jam and you need to accelerate up the hill but given that it's a freeway on a mountain, traffic is probably gonna be moving all the time.
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