Others considered... was: How The Dealer treats us... was: Start of a silly season

[LL - NY]

Where I live, AWD is a practicality (not a dire necessity, but it does make
things more flexible in keeping myself from being snowbound in
nowheresville), but I'm not really "on the market" at the moment. However, I
do look into what's availible, simply as a just in case.
So....

The Fusion AWD system is based upon the Mazdaspeed 6 system (essentially a
Torsen) but with a much lesser drivetrain. AFAIK, slushbox only.  No direct
experience.
The Taurus system is based on the Volvo S60/S80 system (as is the basic car
platform) so I'm sure Taka can chime in on his opinion on that.
I've got a Subaru Impreza WRX (well Saabaru 9-2X Aero, same thing) and have
found that it is less stable (but still pure) than even my similarly sized
ex-4KQ, although the fact that the smallest tires I can run are 20 mm wider
than my 4KQ's may be a factor. But then again, the Saabaru is at least 10%
heavier with somewhat better weight distribution than a 4KQ should help it
in the stability front, but it's not. The S6, OTOH, is still almost the same
tanklike beast in the snow as my former 200q, BUT IMHO, EDL just doesn't
have the same invincibility that the rear locker had.

Of the newer AWD cars, yeah SH-AWD does sound intriguing, however I really
can't get past the Iron-Man charicature face of the car (although I thought
the same of the fish-mouth that has graced Audi/VW of late, at least at
first). The Saab XWD does sound pretty sweet, too bad the rest of the car is
simply way too overpriced for what you get.

So, what's left - Suzuki or Lamborghini? (not like I'm likely to buy (or be
able to in the later's case) either...

LL - NY



On 11/28/08, Ed Kellock <ekellock at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I'm stuck on all wheel drive.  I haven't seriously considered anything
> without it for a long time.  Mercedes showed me how to think German.  VW
> was
> my gateway to other makes.  The original Audi Coupe became the monkey on my
> back.  I've had nothing but Audis since 1990.
>
> These days the only non Audis cars I ever sit and wonder about owning have
> all wheel drive of some sort.  Doesn't happen much with Subaru
> anymore.  For
> the last couple of years it's been the Acura whatever with SH-AWD, the
> sedan, not the SUV.
>
> But do any of the other AWD systems work as well as Quattro?  Even modern
> Quattro is electronically aided.  And that's usually where I draw the line.
> The system must help you GO, not help you stay safe buy impeding your
> progress with brakes in some way.  That's my criteria.  Not many do that
> these days, I think, even most Audis.  I thinks it's a purity of purpose
> thing; emphasis on the "Drive" part of AWD.
>
> So I usually read with more interest articles about Volvo XC whatever,
> Saab's new AWD thingie, Ford's forays into the territory with the Fusion
> (right?) and the 500/Taurus/Freestyle/and that other new box on
> wheels.  The
> Acura one was just updated and the styling is odd at best, but I've just
> read some info about SH-AWD again and am intrigued enough to look at the
> pictures longer thinking how I could minimize the effects of the styling
> "updates" with color choice or clever "accent" painting of trim and grill.
>
> Not that it will ever actually happen.
>
> What's been catching your interest lately?
>
> Ed
>
>
>