AWD vs FWD trying to decide

[vinylhaircut]

I drove a FWD vs AWD.. to me it was an immediate difference in the way it feels. I know why everyone says it makes little to no difference but I strongly disagree. I would suggest you drive the car with the two different set ups back to back. Drive it hard enough to feel the difference for yourself. I chose to spend the 2k extra and I am very happy I did.
This week just drove through the rain in the wind escaping the hurricane and my wife and I both commented on how safe we felt… for me it is AWD only from now on.

Agreed. And tires matter A LOT. Research, get the right ones for your use case, keep them properly inflated, and don't wait until they're threadbare to swap them out.

 

[2020Telly]

Drive it hard enough to feel the difference for yourself.

No doubt, aggressively an AWD will help you accelerate away from a bad situation if you have decent tires. But as your tires wear the “feel” will be more noticeable too because AWD doesn’t make traction it just responds to the tire grip (or slip) differently than FWD. Just keep in mind that the added cost over FWD did not improve braking. You need to keep buying and maintaining good tires. If you are an aggressive braking driver you may find yourself going through tires and brakes more because the AWD performance gets you to speeds where you are forced to brake more where you otherwise wouldn’t in a FWD and your brakes may wear out faster with aging tires.

Poor weather conditions combined with speeding are a large percentage of fatal accidents. Normally you should slow down in bad weather but in some cases AWD makes people feel like they can continue driving aggressively. That’s when accidents that could have been avoided happen. Think about this, if AWD is safer and less prone to accidents then why is the insurance more than a FWD? Actuaries measure risk and an AWD increases risk because people drive more aggressively. Some drivers think it’s a more capable 4WD system and that tends to get them in more dangerous situations than FWD. Most likely when slower speeds and braking are preferred over faster acceleration.

If you read this and don’t agree with me, that’s okay. I’m not questioning anyone’s buying decision to get an AWD. Just consider not being one of those AWD drivers that I’ve spoken to that thinks they can go cheaper on tires or stretch out how long to replace them because they think the AWD will make up the difference. You are putting yourself, your family and others on the road more in danger if you don’t pay attention to the tires but continue to drive aggressively.

 

[donoltmann]

Hey guys. I need some advice. I’m a mom that lives north Florida. No real bad weather and trying to figure out if AWD is worth the extra money.

I'm an AWD fan having come from an Audi Q5. Particularly good at getting rolling in the wet.

But, if you never see the traction control light flash on your FWD car, don't bother with AWD.

 

[GrandeVT]

Clearly this is a thread that leans heavily toward the subjective. I live on a mountain in Vermont, miles up unpaved roads. Ice is our #1 nemesis, then comes snow and mud. Rain is a whole other issue. In these kind of climates and conditions, tire selection matters way more than choice of drivetrain. If I had to choose between AWD with "all season tires" (there's no such thing) and FWD with well suited tires, I'd take the latter every time.

If I traveled where snow and ice we're not a factor and the roads well maintained, AWD would not be on my radar. The fuel consumption is significantly more as well as the purchase price.

I find, to tell the difference in normal conditions between a given vehicle in FWD vs AWD versions, you'd have to be driving way more aggressively than most people with a Telluride are ever likely to do. This might not be the case for an Audi or higher performance vehicle. Also, AWD is a must if you're using it for a tow vehicle.

Opinions stated, my Telluride AWD with 4 studded snow tires is the most sure footed vehicle I've driven in winter conditions. This same configuration might not be so good in heavy rain and hydroplaning as is found more commonly in the south. As soon as mud season is over, I get those beasts off and put on the rain tires in April. Get good rain performance tires if safety is the concern!

Vehicles are constantly getting into trouble here as a result of drivers thinking that AWD makes them invincible, driving too aggressively for the conditions, with ill-suited tires.

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[ELCapiTRAN]

It's a tough decision but imagine AWD is like insurance. You pay for it and hope to never have to use it but when you do have to, you're so happy you had it. AWD system in the Telluride is FWD bias so It's not going to feel THAT much different from driving a FWD telluride. You'll feel less of the car pulling when you put the power down like you would in a normal FWD car. The cons of course are extra cost and slightly worse gas mileage and more tire maintenance since you have to be more diligent about the wear on the tires. We live in Houston and there are times when floods can be bad. I just don't want to get caught in a situation where an AWD system could have gotten me or my family out of it. Just make sure if you do get AWD that you maintain the tires well so that the traction is even when it's needed.

 

[G-464341]

"AWDs are overrated"
Get back to me when you are in a blizzard going up a hill in a FWD.

Exactly. I just drove up a snowy mountain road and was happy to have awd

 

[robertabba0]

I drove a FWD vs AWD.. to me it was an immediate difference in the way it feels. I know why everyone says it makes little to no difference but I strongly disagree. I would suggest you drive the car with the two different set ups back to back. Drive it hard enough to feel the difference for yourself. I chose to spend the 2k extra and I am very happy I did.
This week just drove through the rain in the wind escaping the hurricane and my wife and I both commented on how safe we felt… for me it is AWD only from now on.

I have fwd in my 24 EX and is fine on the road.I live in eastern NC and don't need awd.It might be a good thing to have but I am a safe driver.I get 27mpg on the hiway at 70mph steady.The main concern for me is possible added heavy expenses down the road with awd.

 

[Serotta]

Tires, tires, tires, tires....
Are the first four most important things about a vehicle's handling in snow/rain/etc.
We live in NC and split our time between the Charlotte Metro area and the ski resort area of WNC.
We have a 4x4 F-150, a Telluride AWD and a Subaru AWD. The truck happens to have a fairly worn out set of Cooper Discoveries on it. It drives terribly in snow or heavy rain/mud.
The Telly has almost new Continentals, does fine in the snow or heavy rain/mud
The Subaru has a year old set of Falken Wildpeaks and does the best in snow or heavy rain/mud.

The tires are the deciding factor in traction and safety. New tires on a FWD are better than old worn tires on an AWD.

The 4x4 truck with some new tires will be at least the equal of the Telly and maybe better with a few 50 lb bags of sand in the bed during winter.
The Subaru, with descent tires, will always have the best traction for all conditions.

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