Which would you prefer for your ONLY car?

[nate]

discuss

[Roadstergal]

RWD. Because it's fun and fills all of my needs. And easier to service than the other two.

[Plaz]

I vote for fun. (RWD)

[lemming]

for an everyday commuter, i chose AWD.

it IS an advantage on rainsoaked (4 inches today) roads, greasy wet roads and in snow.

even though it's another level of complexity, 5.3 seconds (or so) to 60mph is still plenty fun.

[FC]

for an everyday commuter, i chose AWD.

it IS an advantage on rainsoaked (4 inches today) roads, greasy wet roads and in snow.

even though it's another level of complexity, 5.3 seconds (or so) to 60mph is still plenty fun.

Your Forrester does 0-60 in 5.3? I'll need to drive it. Maybe that is what we ought to get.

[lemming]

for an everyday commuter, i chose AWD.

it IS an advantage on rainsoaked (4 inches today) roads, greasy wet roads and in snow.

even though it's another level of complexity, 5.3 seconds (or so) to 60mph is still plenty fun.

Your Forrester does 0-60 in 5.3? I'll need to drive it. Maybe that is what we ought to get.

car and driver got 5.3 and 14.5 in the quarter mile; most foresters dyno out not to 210 at the crank but more like 230hp/270ft-lbs. who knows why. but it's safely under 6 seconds. :dunno:

[FC]

for an everyday commuter, i chose AWD.

it IS an advantage on rainsoaked (4 inches today) roads, greasy wet roads and in snow.

even though it's another level of complexity, 5.3 seconds (or so) to 60mph is still plenty fun.

Your Forrester does 0-60 in 5.3? I'll need to drive it. Maybe that is what we ought to get.

car and driver got 5.3 and 14.5 in the quarter mile; most foresters dyno out not to 210 at the crank but more like 230hp/270ft-lbs. who knows why. but it's safely under 6 seconds. :dunno:

Wow. I'll read the article.

[lemming]

for an everyday commuter, i chose AWD.

it IS an advantage on rainsoaked (4 inches today) roads, greasy wet roads and in snow.

even though it's another level of complexity, 5.3 seconds (or so) to 60mph is still plenty fun.

Your Forrester does 0-60 in 5.3? I'll need to drive it. Maybe that is what we ought to get.

car and driver got 5.3 and 14.5 in the quarter mile; most foresters dyno out not to 210 at the crank but more like 230hp/270ft-lbs. who knows why. but it's safely under 6 seconds. :dunno:

Wow. I'll read the article.

OOPS. 13.8 second 1/4 mile. :lol:

it's comical.

http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=6854&page_number=1

[The HACK]

for an everyday commuter, i chose AWD.

it IS an advantage on rainsoaked (4 inches today) roads, greasy wet roads and in snow.

even though it's another level of complexity, 5.3 seconds (or so) to 60mph is still plenty fun.

It's all a function of the tires.

It rained pretty hard here in So. Cal today (well, hard enough where even I would consider it a storm rather than a tinkle) and my car shod with summer tires was performing much better than 90% of the cars out there, equipped with crappy all season or even AWD cars (which, oddly enough, is all to freakin' common in So. Cal).

[stuka]

Don't let the Turbo fool you, it's all part of my grand plan to be able to swing a GT2 as my next car. :cool:

I am not a fan of anything other than RWD, as I can't drive the Turbo sideways as much as I used to in the E46 M3. :cry: I did have a lot of fun today in the rain with my 325is, the rain is about the only time I can get my present vehicles sideways in a safe speed. :evil:

[Roadstergal]

I have no complaints about my RWD cars in the rain. Not like we get any rain. <img src=http://forums.bimmerevolution.com/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif>

[ZHPhil]

for an everyday commuter, i chose AWD.

it IS an advantage on rainsoaked (4 inches today) roads, greasy wet roads and in snow.

even though it's another level of complexity, 5.3 seconds (or so) to 60mph is still plenty fun.

It's all a function of the tires.

It rained pretty hard here in So. Cal today (well, hard enough where even I would consider it a storm rather than a tinkle) and my car shod with summer tires was performing much better than 90% of the cars out there, equipped with crappy all season or even AWD cars (which, oddly enough, is all to freakin' common in So. Cal).
My only car is RWD. Proper tires make it an all year round car :smile:

[FC]

My only car is RWD. Proper tires make it an all year round car :smile:

Same here.

[ayn]

I used to only like RWD, but after I drove the MINI, I like FWD. And after I drove the Evo8, I *LOOOOOVE* AWD now.

--Andrew

[FC]

I used to only like RWD, but after I drove the MINI, I like FWD. And after I drove the Evo8, I *LOOOOOVE* AWD now.

--Andrew

It's been SOOO long since I've driven front wheel drive. Since 1997, all my cars have been RWD. I've only driven AWD in my parents Volvo XC, but I usually have lots of people in the wagon so I can't drive it hard enough to experience it. For the most part I hate FWD. Maybe because all the FWD cars I've driven were boring as hell.

[rost12]

While I do appreciate what AWD can give me, my one and only car is going to be RWD until I get old enough not to care. Unless I upgrade to P Turbo, at which point all bets are off :)

[Doug]

I think AWD will be the thing of the future for cars.

[FC]

I think AWD will be the thing of the future for cars.

I think so too. But I would prefer it if it were 100% RWD until it is needed. Or at least heavily biased towards the rear wheels.

[lemming]

the only AWD that i'm not fond of are the systems that bias FWD until slippage occurs and then they slide back power to the rear wheels.

that is basically your VW 4motion and Volvo AWD. i don't like the handling characteristics; subaru has the same gig on their automatic equipped cars although this might have changed recently.

the manual subies have 50/50 and then bias where power is needed. it's okay. not the same feel as the xi system where it's 38/62, but it's decent with the right tires.

in a world where i never had to drive through 6-8 inches of falling snow to work, i'd not need awd and just be happy with tires.

but unfortunately, new england is unpredictable that way and for the "only" car it will always be AWD here for me. if you have had run-ins driving an STi or an Evo, you could see how AWD is a tractive advantage, especially climbing out of corners and putting all of the power down. we've basically had this discussion before.

awd is a tractive advantage. 911 times with and without awd prove this on the nurburgring and it's enough of an advantage to offset the added weight.

why, for example, does a 320hp Evo8 run the 'ring in 8:09 and the M3, which only gives up 150 pounds in weight, but has a higher redline to take advantage of gearing plus more HP and more power underneath the curve take 8:20 to 8:22?

it's not because of racing tires, either.

[wdc330i]

While I much prefer the way my RWD 330i Sp handles versus our 325xiT, I'd chose the AWD if we could only have one car. We have a precipitous hill, and I have parents in their late 70s with health problems. There are times when I can't wait for the weather to clear before I have to get behind the wheel.

BTW, BMWs AWD system in the wagon feels very RWD-like. It's really the suspension, tires, ride height, and lack of power that makes me prefer the 330i. I think...

[ayn]

if you have had run-ins driving an STi or an Evo, you could see how AWD is a tractive advantage, especially climbing out of corners and putting all of the power down. we've basically had this discussion before.

yup, I've only driven the Evo and STi on the streets, twisties, but still not at the track, and I already felt how AWD is better pealing out of tighter corners and stuff, and it's just so much fun, and the Evo had the best steering feedback.

The STi has a manual mode to do 35/65 front vs rear, IIRC, so it makes the car handle like a RWD but with the advantage of AWD. The U.S. version of the Evo8 doesn't have the AYC and ACD, but from our 2 testdrives, Jimmy and I both felt the Evo8 handled better while the STi was more raw and had more power. I can't imagine how the MR or the "real" Evo8 is like, as the detuned U.S. version is pretty damn serious already.

For the FWD haters, I think you might change your mind about FWD had u driven an ITR or MINI. They handle way better than my E46, you just kindda forget the drivetrain is FWD when you're driving one.

[Masskrug]

AWD for one car only. With a RW bias.

I think that those of us that value being able to really go anywhere and anytime, AWD becomes the choice.

[lemming]

if you have had run-ins driving an STi or an Evo, you could see how AWD is a tractive advantage, especially climbing out of corners and putting all of the power down. we've basically had this discussion before.

yup, I've only driven the Evo and STi on the streets, twisties, but still not at the track, and I already felt how AWD is better pealing out of tighter corners and stuff, and it's just so much fun, and the Evo had the best steering feedback.

The STi has a manual mode to do 35/65 front vs rear, IIRC, so it makes the car handle like a RWD but with the advantage of AWD. The U.S. version of the Evo8 doesn't have the AYC and ACD, but from our 2 testdrives, Jimmy and I both felt the Evo8 handled better while the STi was more raw and had more power. I can't imagine how the MR or the "real" Evo8 is like, as the detuned U.S. version is pretty damn serious already.

For the FWD haters, I think you might change your mind about FWD had u driven an ITR or MINI. They handle way better than my E46, you just kindda forget the drivetrain is FWD when you're driving one.

i think you're right about FWD, it takes the right car and even then it has to be setup properly.

it's still more difficult to rotate the FWD car, even with a short wheelbase car such as the MCS or the RSX type S.

i agree that the Evo handling is better than the STi and that's likely due to LACK of a front LSD on the Evo so that vagueness as power is redistributing isn't there.

[The HACK]

Each configuration, when done right, can all be very rewarding.

But there's still a very good reason why a majority of the best performance cars in the world are RWD. When perfected, RWD beats the best of AWD and FWD in dynamic and speed.

But let's not turn this into another RWD vs AWD vs FWD thread.

[lemming]

But let's not turn this into another RWD vs AWD vs FWD thread.

but the originating question almost structures it thusly.

[wdc330i]

But let's not turn this into another RWD vs AWD vs FWD thread.

but the originating question almost structures it thusly.

Exactly.

[Rob]

This is like asking which candidate you like for president on the 'fest political forum thread. People have their opinions and they will defend them to the death. :lol:

I have a fwd and rwd. I prefer rwd, even when fwd is the MINI. The ex had awd and it was great in the snow - but so was the 330 with snow tires. Rwd for me.