Topic: Northern Exposure: Rear-Wheel Drive in Winter

[mixmanmash]

A problem with fwd on slippery roads is if you go into a corner too hot, and suddenly lift off the gas, you'll lose the rear end and fishtail into trouble.

Jacob did this beautifully in the Nissan Versa Note, IIRC (one of the subcompact hatches).  He did not fishtail into trouble, he fishtailed into my respect and into my heart. 

I just broke my monitor.  Thanks. 

But I agree with the point X-Traction made.  And I have driven mostly FWD.  Having spent some decent time driving my dad's RWD E-Class, I'll take it any day of the week over a FWD.

[aquadorhj]

sh1t.  am i the only one who prefers FWD in winter?


never driven AWD in winter so i can't compare, but between the bimmer and VW, i definitely prefer VW for winter duty. 

never lost control in VW, the traction control works extremely well.

in the bimmer, ... i can get the tail out anytime i want, but getting it back is another story all together.. 

[johngenx]

sh1t.  am i the only one who prefers FWD in winter?

Nope - my wife despises RWD in the winter.  Her feeling is AWD>FWD>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>RWD

So, not, you're NOT the ONLY one.

 

[Gurgie]

sh1t.  am i the only one who prefers FWD in winter?

Nope - my wife despises RWD in the winter.  Her feeling is AWD>FWD>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>RWD

So, not, you're NOT the ONLY one.

 

Does that make him a "girly man" then?   

[tooscoops]

running on all seasons (which none of us would recommend), i nearly 100% would opt for fwd over rwd.... sure the rwd would be fun, but definitely hard to get going... as long as you drive carefully, either will work, it's just getting going is that much harder in the rwd's i've always found.

[dkerr24]

I know our winters down here would be nothing more than mere annoyances for Canadians, but I find the biggest problem with driving in winter conditions is OTHER DRIVERS.  Driving way too fast for conditions, or in some cases driving too SLOW and causing traffic tie-ups.

I've made it through numerous ice storms with a Dodge Charger SXT with just RWD.

[dkaz]

Isn't RWD better in the snow? I couldn't make it up this steep hill in my 3 last Friday. So I turned the car around and went up that hill backwards, worked like an absolute charm.

[HeliDriver]

Isn't RWD better in the snow? I couldn't make it up this steep hill in my 3 last Friday. So I turned the car around and went up that hill backwards, worked like an absolute charm.

Weight distribution changes with incline and acceleration. At rest on flat ground, FWD will probably have 60% weight on the front end, which helps traction to the drive wheels. But put it on an incline or start accelerating, and that weight distribution moves to the rear - off the drive wheels.

RWD usually starts with less weight on the drive wheels (maybe 50%-ish), but weight transfer going up hills or accelerating gives the drive wheels more weight, not less.

Reversing up a hill with FWD basically turns the car into a 911 - 60% of the weight on the drive wheels, and that keeps going up as you climb/accelerate.

[dkaz]

Yea I figure with RWD and a few bags of sand in the trunk, would make it a great winter driver.

Maybe I should look into that Chevrolet SS. Drool.

[HeliDriver]

Bags of sand in the trunk might be good for traction, but probably not so much for handling. If the rear end does break loose, that extra mass swinging around behind the rear axle isn't going to do you any favours.

[Schmengie]

If you drive like a fool, I don't think it matters much if you're in an RWD, AWD or FWD. With good winter tires and a little common sense my little FWD Versa handles winters here in hill country just fine. I did slide once on black ice, but that was my fault because I was going a little too fast for the conditions. Other than that, I've had zero issues with any car I've ever driven in the winter except maybe the little RWD Nissan pickup we had years ago. That thing had NO weight over the rear axle, making a few hundred pounds of sandbags pretty much mandatory and even then it was a handful.

[CanuckS2K]

I MUCH prefer RWD in the winter over FWD.  Supposed to get the Blizzaks mounted on the Q50S tomorrow, and while I'm not hoping it snows any time soon, I'm curious to see how well it performs in snowy conditions.

[KD]

Our last car was a Lincoln LS V8 RWD and my wife hated driving it in the winter, so I guess I'll keep the RWD cars for summer use only. 

I seldom put my truck into 4wd unless I'm going off road or on deep snow.  I do keep bags of traction sand in the back, but that is more for spreading on ice than for weight.

[dkaz]

If you drive like a fool, I don't think it matters much if you're in an RWD, AWD or FWD. With good winter tires and a little common sense my little FWD Versa handles winters here in hill country just fine. I did slide once on black ice, but that was my fault because I was going a little too fast for the conditions. Other than that, I've had zero issues with any car I've ever driven in the winter except maybe the little RWD Nissan pickup we had years ago. That thing had NO weight over the rear axle, making a few hundred pounds of sandbags pretty much mandatory and even then it was a handful.

These hills were 10%+. My Mazda 3 with winter tires wouldn't make it up them. It was early Friday morning after that dump of snow in a residential neighbourhood delivering the Daily Courier. I just pointed the car downhill then started driving backwards up the hill to the one house I had to deliver a paper to.

A couple of other hills I had good speed starting up the hill but I made the mistake of not downshifting to first gear once I realized I was losing serious speed.

[Ex-airbalancer]

Our last car was a Lincoln LS V8 RWD and my wife hated driving it in the winter, so I guess I'll keep the RWD cars for summer use only. 

I seldom put my truck into 4wd unless I'm going off road or on deep snow.  I do keep bags of traction sand in the back, but that is more for spreading on ice than for weight.

Bags of sand ? Than read it was for spreading on ice 

I also put in 4 w auto if it like 0°c and wet out, just in case of black ice patches

[dkaz]

My old Corolla with winter tires could go up any hill. I've always thought that it was the different suspension geometry. Mazdas are nice and sporty to drive on dry pavement but they're just not suited for deep snow driving.

[tenpenny]

My old Corolla with winter tires could go up any hill. I've always thought that it was the different suspension geometry. Mazdas are nice and sporty to drive on dry pavement but they're just not suited for deep snow driving.

There were several times that I could not get my wife's Corolla up our driveway, and we always had four winter tires.

Never had a problem with the outback or forester.

I've had times where I drove my old legacy wagon on back roads where the drifts were breaking over he hood.

I'll take a AWD for the win, Alex.


Sent from my Vic20 using Java Moose

[Sir Osis of Liver]

One of the best snow cars I ever had was a 1993 Tercel. The 155/85-R13 frisbees were narrow enough to cut through the snow. When equipped with studded snow tires ( thereafter giving the car the nickname Studs Terkel), it was pretty well invincible.