2wd vs awd in snow

[e30mybaby]

like most of you said, the thing that factors the most is how you drive! i always have snow at my house and earlier this year we had inch think ice on the road and i had bald tires lol but i was fine! i drove slow as shit but i was passing all the huge 4x4's that were stuck in the ditch! :) i just smiled and waved :)

[Nairb]

I got an e46 AWD touring for bad weather conditions.. it's great.

[nando]

any E30 with snows and LSD is surprisingly good in the snow. An ix is definitely better though- like somebody else said, it's a difference between making it, and owning it.

I've definitely been through places no RWD E30 could go. my brother in law actualy sold his truck and got an AWD (albeit, shitty) car because I was able to power through over a foot of snow to his mom's house and he had to park his truck at the bottom of the hill. :D

[nrubenstein]

RWD with snows is passable under most circumstances. AWD will do things that a RWD car simply can't, though.

All of our cars have winter tires mounted, and the 2WD drive cars are at a *huge* disadvantage in the snow. Have I really been stuck in the 2WD cars? No. Do I have to drive very differently in a 2WD car? Yes. Struggling up a hill with great difficulty is all nice and well. In the iX, I can dump the clutch and launch up the same street. Or, I can easily drive up streets that I wouldn't even consider trying in the other cars.

So yes, AWD is overrated in the sense that you can pretty much get there in a 2WD car. It's just that it'll be a LOT easier and you'll have more routing options.

[kway]

I have an e30 w/lsd on hakkas, and a subaru forester on all seasons. My wife has to be at work (40 miles away) no matter what the weather is. Guess which car we take when it snows?

That said, if we ever get a set of snows for the subie, it will probably be a different story.

[nrubenstein]

Also, subarus don't have that great an AWD system. A lot of them are double open diffed with no traction control. In really nasty circumstances, they are basically 2WD.

[KenC]

I think you guys put too much faith in the LSD. It's a 25% lock-up... when it's working perfectly. Half the ones on this board with 250k miles on them are probably 10% at best.

Audi A4 with Quattro and 4 snow tires will take just about anything you throw at it. Until the snow ruts become too deep haha.

[lolcantturn]

It's a 25% lock-up... when it's working perfectly. Half the ones on this board with 250k miles on them are probably 10% at best.

[nando]

Also, subarus don't have that great an AWD system. A lot of them are double open diffed with no traction control. In really nasty circumstances, they are basically 2WD.

depends on the model, and the trans type. On a lot of them, the automatics are basically FWD. the manuals get a different, 50/50 setup. My wife's car has locks on the center and rear diff like the ix, with a 50/50 split. haven't driven on ice/snow yet with the snow tires though.

the E46 AWD system isn't great either. all open diffs, with a traction control/ABS program that hits the brakes when you slip. Imagine what happens in really low grip situations..

[BrooklynMW]

I drove a 97 Subaru Outback for 2 winters. I loved it. Living right in the city, I was the only one who could get my car out of my parking spot, while all my neighbors struggled to do the same. I felt safe and in control, and no, I did not get cocky. Don't know if AWD is better or worse than RWD w/ LSD but it sure is a lot of fun.

This is my first winter with my e30, it's RWD w/o LSD. However, I'm in SoCal now so
I couldn't give two shits about the snow.

[ieatpeople]

i have an e28 with firestone winterforce tires, and an open diff. it is very controllable, it just doesn't have enough traction during acceleration. braking and turning as if on wet pavement, just gets stuck easily.

my truck on the other hand, is awesome. electronic locking diff up front, rear lsd, transfer case is 50/50 split (non-variable). oh, it has the same tires as the e28.
the truck is stock height, tires are stock sized (265/70-17).
i can drive into a 3 foot snow drift, stop, and then just drive away. unplowed roads with 14-18 inches of snow on them? what freakin snow? goes through it like dry pavement.
i actually can't wait until we get more snow here in md, so i can see what it takes to get this thing stuck!!
truck is 2010 silverado, 4.8l v8, 4wd.

here is what the tires look like:

[u3b3rg33k]

Tires, tires, tires. :hitler:

It's a total difference between not getting stuck and completely owning the roads. The last 3 winters I've been driving my 325ix with Nokian Hakkkkkaaaaapppppllllittttas. This winter, I put those same tires on my rwd e30 and while it is still very hard to get stuck, it just isn't as much fun in the snow overall. If all you're after is not getting stuck, then rwd w/LSD and snow tires will do just fine.

The nordic people's best contribution to winter driving.

Also, subarus don't have that great an AWD system. A lot of them are double open diffed with no traction control. In really nasty circumstances, they are basically 2WD.

This is also true of a lot of non-subarus. Basically any standard 4WD truck / SUV has a locking center and open F/R diffs. works fine until it gets deep, or you are on a hill at an angle, then both uphill wheels spin.

I can get my e30 anywhere in the winter, on or off road, so long as I don't stop going up the wrong hills, or get beached.

Also, AWD doesn't fix stupid:

[Erik j]

I have those same tires.. Been running them for 3 years now, never taken them off for summer cause they are great in the mud too.

[CorvallisBMW]

In winter conditions, tires are more important that drivetrain layout.

RWD w/ Snow Tires > AWD w/ All-Seasons

This.

Remember AWD only helps you put down power, it won't help you turn or brake. So tires are very important. However if you have to start on an incline AWD will probably smash any 2WD car. I had Blizzaks on my old 325iS and when I tried to start up a hill it was completely hopeless.

[nrubenstein]

depends on the model, and the trans type. On a lot of them, the automatics are basically FWD. the manuals get a different, 50/50 setup. My wife's car has locks on the center and rear diff like the ix, with a 50/50 split. haven't driven on ice/snow yet with the snow tires though.

the E46 AWD system isn't great either. all open diffs, with a traction control/ABS program that hits the brakes when you slip. Imagine what happens in really low grip situations..

Actually, the E46 AWD system works great in a lot of circumstances, as long as you don't expect dry performance out of it. The problem is that it'll eventually cook the brakes. BMW did a nice demonstration of how this can work well by driving one up a ramp with rollers on one side. The xi could make it, the A4 couldn't.

I had a 325xiT. It was frustrating as a hell in the dry, but great in the snow. And yes, I'm aware that Subaru has MANY different AWD setups. The cheap ones, especially with automatics kind of suck as you stated. I had a WRX at one point (and my sister has one now). They are excellent in the snow, although the weight distribution is a handicap IMHO.

And yes, ubergeek, I am aware that most other 4WD systems are half assed at best, too.