All wheel drive, four-wheel drive, is it really necessary?
01-07-18 | 02:12 PM
#91
You might be in a situation where you would find it very difficult or impossible to get moving from a stop in a RWD car on all season tires in as little as a couple inches of snow, it all depends on the topography of where you are.
Why would I be out? Lots of potential reasons. I have a business where we may need to be able to get to physical locations and property in bad weather, in fact the need to respond to situations such as that is more likely in cold and bad weather. I have a mother who doesn't live with me who may need me, I have a very elderly grandmother, same thing. I have young children, you never know when you may need to go out to the doctor or emergency room, etc. Weather can be unpredictable, I may set out for places or be places when conditions are not bad and they can exponentially deteriorate while I am out or I am away from home that would require me to drive in bad winter conditions. I drive around from location to location during the span of a typical day, that schedule doesn't stop for snow unless its really bad. There are lots of potential reasons, and the confidence to be able to get around in those situations often is more important than the actual ability to get around. Hence why AWD/4WD vehicles have become so popular.
And that begs the question, with a system available to you as a consumer that would give you that confidence and that margin of ability and safety in the snow, why would you not purchase that? Or even if you chose not to, why look down on people who do decide to purchase that?
Theres a reason why the only way I could get a RWD LS460L was to get one from Alabama lol
Why would I be out? Lots of potential reasons. I have a business where we may need to be able to get to physical locations and property in bad weather, in fact the need to respond to situations such as that is more likely in cold and bad weather. I have a mother who doesn't live with me who may need me, I have a very elderly grandmother, same thing. I have young children, you never know when you may need to go out to the doctor or emergency room, etc. Weather can be unpredictable, I may set out for places or be places when conditions are not bad and they can exponentially deteriorate while I am out or I am away from home that would require me to drive in bad winter conditions. I drive around from location to location during the span of a typical day, that schedule doesn't stop for snow unless its really bad. There are lots of potential reasons, and the confidence to be able to get around in those situations often is more important than the actual ability to get around. Hence why AWD/4WD vehicles have become so popular.
And that begs the question, with a system available to you as a consumer that would give you that confidence and that margin of ability and safety in the snow, why would you not purchase that? Or even if you chose not to, why look down on people who do decide to purchase that?
Theres a reason why the only way I could get a RWD LS460L was to get one from Alabama lol
Lexus never had AWD on their sedans up until around 2005+ so clearly people got by without it somehow.
01-07-18 | 02:37 PM
#92
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From: Maryland
I can't say that I've ever gotten stuck either, not counting being stuck for a minute at the end of a driveway or something while some snow gets shoveled out. However, like I said when it comes to confidence and stability on the road in the snow, there is simply no contest between these cars in RWD and AWD, from somebody who has owned both.
Do you *need* that? No...but there are all kinds of things we have today that we "got by without" in years past. Airbags, antilock brakes, traction control, skid control, pre-collision mitigation systems, blind spot monitoring, cross traffic alert, you can go on and on. We "got by" without these things, but theres no question that these features make modern cars safer, and make them more relaxing to drive in a myriad of different conditions...same is true of AWD.
And as I've said, THAT is why you see AWD taking over the industry.
Do you *need* that? No...but there are all kinds of things we have today that we "got by without" in years past. Airbags, antilock brakes, traction control, skid control, pre-collision mitigation systems, blind spot monitoring, cross traffic alert, you can go on and on. We "got by" without these things, but theres no question that these features make modern cars safer, and make them more relaxing to drive in a myriad of different conditions...same is true of AWD.
And as I've said, THAT is why you see AWD taking over the industry.
01-07-18 | 03:13 PM
#93
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Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
Lexus started putting it on their sedans primarily because buyers with competing AWD sedans (Audi Quattro, Mercedes 4Matic, BMW X-Drive, etc.....) were simply demanding it. And the IS250AWD, in particular, sold quite well.
01-07-18 | 03:20 PM
#94
I don't think people demanded it, electronically controlled AWD just makes it easier for manufacturers to implement more effective stability systems. In the North East, if you want a non AWD BMW, Lexus or Merc you have to order it and wait. I personally hate AWD, and I would much rather have RWD on my X5 and X6M, but unfortunately they only come with AWD.
01-07-18 | 03:29 PM
#95
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Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
I don't think people demanded it, electronically controlled AWD just makes it easier for manufacturers to implement more effective stability systems. In the North East, if you want a non AWD BMW, Lexus or Merc you have to order it and wait. I personally hate AWD, and I would much rather have RWD on my X5 and X6M, but unfortunately they only come with AWD.
01-07-18 | 03:37 PM
#96
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 31,686
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From: ON/NY
I don't think people demanded it, electronically controlled AWD just makes it easier for manufacturers to implement more effective stability systems. In the North East, if you want a non AWD BMW, Lexus or Merc you have to order it and wait. I personally hate AWD, and I would much rather have RWD on my X5 and X6M, but unfortunately they only come with AWD.
Lexus sedans are not electronically controlled AWD. They are mechanical.
01-07-18 | 04:14 PM
#97
They are mechanical, but they are still controlled by electronics. Not sure about Lexus, but many other manufacturers have torque vectoring, which is extremely effective, and much better than old school passive AWD/4WD systems.
01-07-18 | 04:14 PM
#98
I don't know about that. Generally they do a much better job of clearing the roads the further away you get from the city.
01-07-18 | 04:17 PM
#99
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Joined: Nov 2011
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From: ON/NY
Lexus AWD and Toyota Full time 4WD use a mechanical Torsen diff. No electronics whatsoever to move some torque back and forth from front to back. ATRAC is also standard but is for a different purpose. VSC is for different purpose as well.
Last edited by Toys4RJill; 01-07-18 at 04:25 PM.
01-07-18 | 04:22 PM
#100
01-07-18 | 04:33 PM
#101
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 31,686
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From: ON/NY
And see. When you lock the centre diff in any Toyota full time 4WD system, all eletronic systems turn off. Nothing but pure 4WD. Same thing with the Lexus AWD sedans, you can defeat traction and VSC, once you turn off you now have a mechanically pure AWD.
Last edited by Toys4RJill; 01-07-18 at 04:37 PM.
01-07-18 | 04:39 PM
#102
Apples and oranges. These part time 4WD systems are purpose built for offroading, whereas full time AWD systems double as very effective stability systems.
01-07-18 | 04:44 PM
#103
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From: ON/NY
01-07-18 | 05:04 PM
#104
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From: RightHere
that's not "snap oversteer", that happens in a usually rear engined car (MR2 is notorious for it) when you lift off the gas (hence, it's also called lift-off oversteer) and all the weight suddenly shifts forward causing the back to step out, during high speed cornering. it's amplified by a rear engined car since there's a lot more weight in the back to upset the balance. but mainly, snap oversteer is sudden and accidental whereas this was neither. just intentional fooling around in a controlled environment lol...
but to answer your question, i'm 8 and he's 6
but to answer your question, i'm 8 and he's 6
01-07-18 | 05:22 PM
#105
Lexus Champion
Joined: Sep 2016
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From: AB
I don't think people demanded it, electronically controlled AWD just makes it easier for manufacturers to implement more effective stability systems. In the North East, if you want a non AWD BMW, Lexus or Merc you have to order it and wait. I personally hate AWD, and I would much rather have RWD on my X5 and X6M, but unfortunately they only come with AWD.