Random Thoughts - FWD v.s RWD

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gandblah

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Posting from Denver Colorado....

This was the first major snow storm of my life..Never seen so much snow acumulate in such a short time !! Was shunted out of office at 12:00 PM and the commute back to home (which normally takes 20 minutes) took 3 hours....

As I look back at that commute, noticed a couple of things:

RWD cars were struggling horribly.
- Saw two BMW's complete stuck. People were pushing a 5 series, trying to get it off the road. It was the one holding up traffic (took us 2 hours to cover 1/2 a mile).
- Vividly remember a mustang slipping and sliding - looking extremely clumsy !!
- Vividly remember an old Thunderbird sliding past my car, narrowly missing - I saw him driving for quite some time at an angle !!

- The othet things I noticed was the propensity of people to mash the pedal when they start off, even in snow. God knows why they can't let the car start off on it's own and then gently give it a little gas to get off to a smooth start !!

- Noticed some complacent SUV drivers going faster than anybody should in snow, inevitably slipping and sliding and making a fool of themselves.

I was Glad to get home....twas ugly out there today !!
 
I experienced my first RWD snow encounter 2 winter's ago when I had my Mustang. It wasn't fun, and I never look forward to driving in snow with it. Since then, I've purchased a very nice set of snow tired which helped tremendously. But all is to be lost for I'm selling the 'Stang for a more affordable, FWD, gas saving vehicle.
 
Whitethunder46 said:
I experienced my first RWD snow encounter 2 winter's ago when I had my Mustang. It wasn't fun, and I never look forward to driving in snow with it. Since then, I've purchased a very nice set of snow tired which helped tremendously. But all is to be lost for I'm selling the 'Stang for a more affordable, FWD, gas saving vehicle.
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not all to be lost - think of that "unlost" gas $$, no? Oil prices are climbing...:mad:
 
rwd still wins in my book! us floirda guys dont have to worry about snow, only rain, which is when i intentionally mash the pedal hehe. i like to slide
 
Kelso said:
rwd still wins in my book! us floirda guys dont have to worry about snow, only rain, which is when i intentionally mash the pedal hehe. i like to slide
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i have had cars with rwd for almost ten years now - yikes, i would never do that...i would wrap her around a pole. you guys, i don't know.... be careful.
no snow here either, of course.
 
The first snow storm of the year is always the worst. It's like people don't remember what it's like to drive in the snow and do all kinds of stupid things. Personally, I think I'll be trading in my RWD car for something with AWD. I'm changing careers and my new career will involve much more driving. So, I want to make sure I can get to my destination safely.
 
If I lived where it snowed, I would have an AWD winter car and a RWD summer car if money allowed. If not, AWD everyday.
 
MikeyC said:
The first snow storm of the year is always the worst. It's like people don't remember what it's like to drive in the snow and do all kinds of stupid things. Personally, I think I'll be trading in my RWD car for something with AWD. I'm changing careers and my new career will involve much more driving. So, I want to make sure I can get to my destination safely.
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Good idea. That's why I got AWD. That extra gas is worth it. Plus, if you have all season tires, you don't have to worry about chains.
 
modern day RWD cars can do very well in the snow, provided the owners upgrade tires. Even All Season tires are not well designed, the way a dedicated snow tire is. Between Traction Control, Stability Programs, and computer controlled automobiles we have closed that gap.

As for AWD, well look at most modern systems. They are tailored to kick in when needed, but for the most part offer greater bias toward front or rear wheels depending on design. Again closing the gap.

A FWD car typically is less clumsy in the snow as it has significant weight over its front end. This does not however offer a very rewarding drive outside of the snow. Torque Steer is a big culprit, and I have personally found FWD needs more warranty work for spider housing, axles, and other items that seem to fail faster due to all the weight on the front.
 
We get through Chicago winters by driving FWD vehicles. Just knowing that you have the capability to get through the snow is a comfort but you also have to be a good driver. There are many drivers of FWD and AWD vehicles that think they are invincible in snow and can ususally be found wrapped around a light pole or in a ditch on the side of the road.
Here's a pic of our 4x4s; Tacoma and Jeep.
100_1294.jpg
 
All 3 of my vehicals are AWD, very helpful with in winter weather. Only 2 are Germen though:(

06 Honda Pilot EX AWD
02 BMW 330xi
90 VW Vanagon Syncro Westfalia (the fun one) stored in the winter, but great for off road summer camping adventures.
 
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I'm debating whether or not to get an AWD Vibe or a FWD Vibe. It really all matter's what I can find for sale near me. My budget it only 13K, but I found a darker maroon AWD Vibe for $11,250, but the color is making me wait for something more appealing.
 
Whitethunder46 said:
I'm debating whether or not to get an AWD Vibe or a FWD Vibe. It really all matter's what I can find for sale near me. My budget it only 13K, but I found a darker maroon AWD Vibe for $11,250, but the color is making me wait for something more appealing.
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Get AWD. You won't regret it later.
 
Here's IMO on this situation

* I love Florida :D (heh, didn't mean to rub it in!)
* People mash pedals because they've only ever driven automatics and throttle control is lost to most of these people
* Common sense is also lost to many people
* And yes, RWD can be more challenging, but the combination of appropriate tires + knowledge of how to handle the different behavior of a RWD can allow a person to drive normally on snow/ice - comprimised roads.
 
killrwheels@autogeek said:
modern day RWD cars can do very well in the snow, provided the owners upgrade tires. Even All Season tires are not well designed, the way a dedicated snow tire is. Between Traction Control, Stability Programs, and computer controlled automobiles we have closed that gap.
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My current vehicle (Honda S2000) does not have traction control and comes with summer tires. I originally bought it thinking I was moving to an area where I could use public transportation to get around and would not have a job that required driving around during the day. It seems things did not work out this way. Last winter I was fortunate to have the use of my dad's truck during the winter. However, he has since sold it. So, as much fun as it is to drive in the summer the Honda has to go.

It will be replaced by a car with AWD. While I totally agree with you that RWD cars have come a long way in terms of snow capabilities, they still cannot equal the abilities of a car with AWD given that both cars are wearing all-season rubber. It can get pretty bad around here. So, I'd rather have the AWD.
 
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Quick update...it keeps on coming !!

Anybody wanna detail these cars - WHEN they are thawed and dug out? You can see people have abandoned their cars wherever they got stuck !! Pictures out of my apt windows !!

snow031.jpg



snow041.jpg



snow027.jpg



snow033.jpg
 
You guys don't know what your talking about, perfect winter vehicle would be a 66' drop top Chevelle with a blown 509 Merlin block :righton::D
 
FWD are better then RWD in the snow (unless it's a mid-engine car). When I lived in Michigan I had a Jeep which was great in the snow but really bad on ice. Numerious times I was driving on I-75 doing 60-70 mph and hit a patch of ice and end up to dounuts on the e-way. I'm glad I don't have to drive in the snow or shovel it anymore. It's nice to look at the snow pictures but I won't want to be there.
 
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I got a Lancer Evo, and thats a AWD, great at winter time, and not soo bad in summer time either.
 
Nothing I've ever driven is "good" on ice. Zamboni, maybe, but can't say I've driven one

Another RWD develpment change is better weight ratios. The cars I remember from the 60s and 70s had lots of torque, were long, and had light rear ends. Todays RWD is generally more balanced with respect to weight...anyone remember people loading sand bags or cinder blocks in the trunk to aid in winter traction?
 
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