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jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
17,331
14,156
Cackalacka du Nord
i lub my rwd . . . but one wonders what that would look like with AWD/winter tires vs. RWD/winter tires. rwd can always to MOAR DONUTS and get MOAR SIDEWAYS though! :)
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
55,966
22,011
Sleazattle
i lub my rwd . . . but one wonders what that would look like with AWD/winter tires vs. RWD/winter tires. rwd can always to MOAR DONUTS and get MOAR SIDEWAYS though! :)
AWD would win, but stopping at turning would be the same. At the end of the day a car that can go faster but stops and turns the same when conditions suck isn't the best idea. Whenever we get snow around here the ditches are full of people with subarus and AWD SUVs. Just because you can get out of your driveway doesn't mean you should.

Snow tires rule by the way. They also work better in good condition winter driving, rubber compound has better traction at lower temps.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
43,044
15,135
Portland, OR
I pulled a guy out of a ditch twice in 25 feet when I drove tow truck. He was in a lifted Dodge Ram 3500 rolling 22's and street tires. He said "Dodge doesn't know how to build a truck for snow", I said, "No, you don't". And he sure as hell couldn't drive. :rofl:
 

jackalope

Mental acuity - 1%
Jan 9, 2004
7,700
6,108
in a single wide, cooking meth...
AWD would win, but stopping at turning would be the same. At the end of the day a car that can go faster but stops and turns the same when conditions suck isn't the best idea. Whenever we get snow around here the ditches are full of people with subarus and AWD SUVs. Just because you can get out of your driveway doesn't mean you should.

Snow tires rule by the way. They also work better in good condition winter driving, rubber compound has better traction at lower temps.
I know fuck all about snow driving (and fat snow biking for that matter), but I would've assumed an AWD car equipped with said snow rubber could turn better in theory if the front wheels didn't slip as much.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
55,966
22,011
Sleazattle
I know fuck all about snow driving (and fat snow biking for that matter), but I would've assumed an AWD car equipped with said snow rubber could turn better in theory if the front wheels didn't slip as much.
Yes if you were accelerating around said corner. AWD would handle much better for performance applications but for driving in snow on public roads, don't accelerate around said corners. AWD would also climb hills better, but will not descend any better. Most folks are better off not going up hills that they can not descend in a controllable manner..


This assuming that a 2wd car has a good traction/stability control system. AWD in its own adds a level of stability as it shouldn't allow any wheel to spin much faster than others which can happen cornering on patchy ice.


So basically for just getting around in bad weather there isn't really much of an advantage with AWD, it in fact can allow you to get in trouble quicker. If you want to go hoon in the snow. AWD all day. But all the soccer moms thinking they need AWD so they can stay home with the kids on snow days are much much better off with good winter tires. My 2WD GTI is much more capable in bad weather with its snow tires than my old WRX was with all seasons.

4wd trucks and SUV can handle better in the snow with all seasons due to their sheer weight and the fact that truck tires often have more open and off-roady tread patterns.
 
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CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
13,151
4,976
Copenhagen, Denmark
So basically for just getting around in bad weather there isn't really much of an advantage with AWD, it in fact can allow you to get in trouble quicker. If you want to go hoon in the snow. AWD all day. But all the soccer moms thinking they need AWD so they can stay home with the kids on snow days are much much better off with good winter tires. My 2WD GTI is much more capable in bad weather with its snow tires than my old WRX was with all seasons.
So what you are saying is @Toshi is a soccer mom :)
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,711
8,730
Counterpoint: How many soccer moms have done this in their kid-haulers?









Most modern "SUVs" are really station wagons with AWD, so even if said moms had the inclination they couldn't do this.

I agree with Westy wrt utility of winter tires, though. I have Nokians planned for next winter. :thumb:
 

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,792
5,615
Ottawa, Canada
Counterpoint: How many soccer moms have done this in their kid-haulers?









Most modern "SUVs" are really station wagons with AWD, so even if said moms had the inclination they couldn't do this.

I agree with Westy wrt utility of winter tires, though. I have Nokians planned for next winter. :thumb:
did something very similar with a 15 passenger van while in Sedona a few years ago. It was priceless to see the faces of all those tourists who had rented their pink jeeps thinking they were hardcore passed by a bunch of bikers in a white, rear wheel drive 15 passenger van. I wouldn't have driven it, but my buddy is quite experienced, and we were with a local guide who knew the lines, which made it possible...

gotta agree with you about the SUV's though: glorified station wagons. I have one, and what I really wanted was a station wagon, but there are few options out there.
 

Blown240

Monkey
Nov 19, 2013
443
290
I'm impressed with how well the Toyota Land Cruiser and Sequoia do off road. But maybe because they are truck based vs. the Highlander that is based on the cars.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
55,966
22,011
Sleazattle
did something very similar with a 15 passenger van while in Sedona a few years ago. It was priceless to see the faces of all those tourists who had rented their pink jeeps thinking they were hardcore passed by a bunch of bikers in a white, rear wheel drive 15 passenger van. I wouldn't have driven it, but my buddy is quite experienced, and we were with a local guide who knew the lines, which made it possible...

gotta agree with you about the SUV's though: glorified station wagons. I have one, and what I really wanted was a station wagon, but there are few options out there.

I Hooned a rental minivan on some dirt roads going to the 24 hours of pueblo years ago. The roads were navigable for road cars, but not at 60mph. I pinch flatted both front tires going through a wash.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
55,966
22,011
Sleazattle
Phoenix. Rental Beretta. Cave Creek Road. River crossing. Full hydraulic lock.
A fate every single one of those hateful vehicles should have met.

Parking lot of a Phish show in Las Vegas, broke the trunk latch on a Chrysler Cirrus trying to smash beer bottles by slamming the boot lid on them. The only way to keep the trunk closed was to tie an empty handle of tequila to it as a counter weight (was my rental but I was not driving). Every time I hit a bump the trunk bounced open displaying the bottle.
 

ALEXIS_DH

Tirelessly Awesome
Jan 30, 2003
6,195
829
Lima, Peru, Peru
Counterpoint: How many soccer moms have done this in their kid-haulers?Most modern "SUVs" are really station wagons with AWD, so even if said moms had the inclination they couldn't do this.
you can do that road with most compact suvs.... might even be able to squeeze it out of a FWD suv.

some of my mellow "off-road" on some of the soccer-mom steeds i´ve had thru the last few years...

this one was 4wd







did this road several times...



on this (2wd)





ocasionally, it ended like this (flimsy tires had a penchant for pinch flats)


heck, even the good ol´ yaris I had back in the day; was up for stuff like that (40+ miles of this, btw)
i once drove said yaris in the roads pictured above too, btw. didnt get a picture though.





now, this is the truck i use for "true" off road. (hooning dirt roads at 60mph)



and ocasionally; i´ve met with taxis (!) driving up and down on those narrow rocky roads...



 
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Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,711
8,730
you can do that road with most compact suvs.... might even be able to squeeze it out of a FWD suv.

did this road several times...
You did note the big rock step that's causing my left rear tire to be full stuffed in the wheelwell, right? Those are 32" tires for scale, so that's at least 10", maybe 12"? I'll be damned if any passenger car can handle that, and would be highly impressed to see something without two driven axles clamber up it, either.

Re: quoted photo, having buses navigate it renders it probably a nicely graded road unless we are talking bus trips that involve passengers building makeshift wooden bridges here and there.
 

ALEXIS_DH

Tirelessly Awesome
Jan 30, 2003
6,195
829
Lima, Peru, Peru
you´d be surprised about the stuff i´ve seen small-town drivers do with limited equipment around here

many times i reached a place in the hilux, thinking how did I get there with a stock suspension... only to meet with a 20 years old 2wd trucklet, or a small 2wd nissan station wagon.
 
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SkaredShtles

Michael Bolton
Sep 21, 2003
67,774
14,138
In a van.... down by the river
you´d be surprised about the stuff i´ve seen small-town drivers do with limited equipment around here

many times i reached a place in the hilux, thinking how did I get there with a stock suspension... only to meet with a 20 years old 2wd trucklet, or a small 2wd nissan station wagon.
Those people are f***ing nuts. And insanity will get you quite a long ways...