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Mediocre... Posted by PGAero [Email]  (#1143) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from PGAero) on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:08:19
In Reply to: what do you think of this FWD article?, bender   [Profile/Gallery]
, Sat, 27 Dec 2008 13:30:52
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The author might have some points, but it's far from being completely informative.
He suggests that letting off the throttle in a slide is good in RWD and bad in FWD. That advice can kill you in a RWD Porsche if the rear end decides to let go completely. Likewise, hitting the gas pedal when your FWD Saab starts to plow through a snowy corner won't help every time either. In fact, the best thing to do if the front tires aren't gripping would be to put more weight on them. How do you do that? Let off the throttle, and allow the weight to load up the front tires.
Sure, there are times when a little understeer can be properly dealt with by dialing in a bit more steering angle and judicious application of the throttle.
Unfortunately, both the driver manuals he seems to hate so much and his own article over-simplify the act of sketchy-situation driving to make them both laughable.
If you want to know which is better for driving in the snow, I'd vote for AWD. Put a FWD Audi A4 next to a Quattro A4, with the same tires and equally talented drivers, and the Quattro car will do better. Likewise for a Turbo-X or FWD Aero. That's not to say that a FWD car with proper tires and a good driver is a bad choice; it's not a bad choice at all. In some places, AWD's benefits won't even be apparent.
For me, my wife's Subaru gets up our driveway a lot better than my Saab, and I even have studded tires on my car from time to time. If her car had studs, it'd be no contest. If it was flat and cold (air temps below freezing more often than not), I'd go with FWD and not worry about it. Here in CA, the high water content and warmer temps make the snow slicker-than-snot, and much more challenging to drive in than any place I lived/driven in the Rockies.
Best,
Peter
posted by 75.26.192...
_______________________________________ Current: '03 9-5 Aero Wagon, 5spd, Polar/Black Past: '06 9-5 Combi, AT, Polar/Black '04 9-5 Aero Wagon, AT, Nocturne/Granite '03 9-5 Aero Wagon, AT, Steel/Charcoal '00 9-3 Viggen, 5D, Silver/Black '93 9000 Aero, 5MT, Cirrus/Black (Owned this one twice) '86 900 SPG, 5MT, Edwardian/Buffalo Grey
, Sat, 27 Dec 2008 13:30:52, Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:08:19 <-- Viewing This Message
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