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whats your preference when picking a car front wheel drive , rear wheel drive, all wheel drive and why
mine is AWD with out it i cant get in or out my street in the snow because the council want grit the cul de sacs and side streets because of cut backs
i got my first awd my current car xc60 (65 plate ) 5 and half years ago and before that in winter i couldnt get in or out .
thanks local council
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We live on the borders of the lakes and North Yorkshire, some very difficult weather and terrain, so AWD is pretty essential here, conversely, if most of your journeys are tootling down to Asda, it’s probably a waste of money .
Currently driving Seat Ateca 2.0 FR Sport TDI 190 DSG 4drive
Mokka E ultimate on order
We live on the North York Moors, half way up a hill called Chimney Bank which is one of the 5 steepest roads in the UK. AWD is the order of the day for us.
AWD/4X4 for the same reasons as martinod and the fact our main route to the motorway and town is on a downhill dual carriageway where water pools, sits then freezes turning it into a deadly ice rink (many lives lost already). My last car was a RWD and useless during cold winter months often leaving me housebound.
We live on the south coast, so rarely see snow. Even if we do, it doesn’t last long and we don’t need to go out. So, for us fed is fine and more economic than 4wd.
Having driven loads of all 3 types, I would say that they each have their advantages. I’ve had quite a few RWD BMW’s and their handling in normal conditions is superb, but they are absolutely dreadful in snow. Frightening in fact. FWD cars tend to do better that RWD in poorer weather conditions, with the weight of the engine over the driven wheels. Personally, I don’t find the handling in normal conditions to be much less than RWD cars. AWD cars give you the reassurance that if you get caught in snow or ice you can drive safely, especially if the car has drive modes such as ‘snow’ which ours does. I drove it in bad snow a few years ago, including car parks where many cars, including some other SUV’s, were struggling and it didn’t slip at all. Very sure footed. I know that winter tyres are supposed to be the real determining factor, but I’ve never had them and never had a problem in an SUV with 4WD. I try to avoid going out in snow though as so many people are clueless how to drive in it and the risk of being hit by another motorist is just way too high to risk it!
As for preference, it’s 4WD just in case, but the extra fuel costs and the fact that we are now retired and don’t have to go out in snow means that it’s now a preference and not a necessity.
AWD would be a preference. I like muddy lanes. Around here there are mile after mile of green lanes and you can drive all over the place. I like too, a creek for birdwatching and fishing that gets extremely muddy. They are safer at putting the power down too for fast entries at roundabouts or into traffic especially in the wet. Plus you don’t get stuck in winter, also I like horse racing, the number of times in winter a muddy field becomes impassable is too frequent for my liking. Tyres do make a big difference as does grip control, but 4×4 or AWD is unbeatable if you don’t mind the fuel penalty.
RWD everyday of the week. The sensation of being pushed rather than pulled is far superior when driving and of course it leaves the front wheels to do what they were designed to do and thats steer.
My fathers last 2 cars have been a BM 4 Series and currently has a Jag XE both RWD and both just feel so right.
If pushed to make a choice it would have to be 4×4 – particularly if the system performs like the ancient, aluminium bodied, 2-door Range Rover that I drove back at the dawn of time. It let you know exactly where you were on the road and was perfectly controllable. Would go anywhere.
RWD is great for pure enjoyment. Had a Nissan 200SX a few years back. Utterly brilliant. You knew you were being pushed and not pulled, very reassuring and could be put into perfectly controlled drift any time you wanted (when safe to do so).
I would have said front-drive very frustrating until I got my current car – Cooper S Mini hatch. Quite amazing grip, no complaints from front wheels at corners and goes exactly where you point it.
Hey Tharg my current car is the Clubman Cooper S… I have a junction near me that i turn right and up a huge hill so you need to well want to give it the beans and you fly up the hill. Had a loan of my fathers XE for a week and done the exact same as i do in the Mini and the back end went away from me luckily i caught it before ending up completely sidewides. The grip from the Minis is great.
Yeah, Harry. Know just what you mean. Every other front-drive vehicle I’ve driven scrabbles with the fronts at the slightest hint of moisture on a corner – from original Issigonis Mini to Skoda Superb. This little baby BMW, however, considers itself above such antics!
Know what you mean about the Jag too – had an XJS many years back. That would start to chuck the rear out until the very serious mechanical limited slip diff cut in. I have been told that the Mini has an electronic LSD but if you are well-off and quite mad you can update with a mechanical one which never slips, ever. Make it grip like a 4×4!
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