(LAC) Forgive me father, for I am about to sin

[Taka Mizutani]

Mark-
I can't agree with your assessment of AWD systems. IMO, the Haldex system is
a step better than FWD only, but it's no real AWD system, at least the way
the
Audi and Volvo systems are programmed. Also, the whole "overheating and
shutdown"
failure mode of Haldex scares the cr*p out of me- I'd never want to push a
car with
Haldex really hard.

Audi Quattro IV is, IME, the most predictable and stable AWD system. Maybe
it's
not performance-biased, but it's very predictable, it's seamless and it just
works.

I like the AWD of my STi, but it's heavily rear-biased (35/65 F/R) and is
really tail-happy
in slick conditions. If you drive it like a rally car, it's fine, but trying
to drive normally, it
seems awfully loose unless you lock it in 50/50 mode via DCCD.

I've driven the Mitsubishi AWD system as done in DSMs and Evos and it's
fine- like Quattro,
it works, it's pretty simple and not really noticeable.

That said, out of my experience, Haldex is darn close to dead last in
ranking- for a normal
car (not a rally car, not a track car, not anything so specialized), I'd
take Quattro w/ a torsen
center and torsen rear or locking rear first, Quattro with center and rear
lockers second,
Quattro IV w/ EDL third, then:
Subaru w/ DCCD
Subaru VC (like WRX, Forester XT, etc.)
Mitsubishi VC (equal standing as Subaru)
Haldex

I don't have enough experience with Nissan ATTESA E-TS or BMW systems to
really make
useful comments. xDrive seems to be pretty seamless and useful in the dry,
don't know about
snow and other situations. I've also driven the Porsche Cayenne system, but
don't have enough
seat time.

Taka