This is a choice that really depends on the geographical location you will be doing most of your driving. I live in Texas so FWD was a no-brainer..however I live in north Texas and a week after I picked mine up we experienced some snow and ice. The FWD Nox handled like a champ even though road clearing is not something that is done down here..the combination of FWD, traction/stability control makes it very easy to drive even on snowy roads with patches of ice mixed in. Of course if I lived in a state with frequent snows, and only the main roads are cleared..I would consider AWD, but I think even northerners could get by with FWD most of the time.
FWD or AWD?
So, did you go with the Front Wheel Drive (FWD) model, or did you upgrade to the All Wheel Drive (AWD) one? I'm curious to see which model is selling better.
*If you ordered recently or waiting for delivery, please vote!
**If you're thinking about ordering/buying/leasing a Terrain and know which one you're getting, please vote!
I'm not sure which model I'd go for. Instinctively, I want AWD for the added safety, but I live in southern NJ and we don't see that much snow to concern me (though it's nice to have the safety of AWD, do I really want to pay in fuel mileage for something not needed as much - yes I know, AWD helps out in rain too). My mom hates driving in snow/rain and her '05 Saturn VUE has AWD; friends have a '02 VUE I-4 FWD and love it, but the wife wants AWD in her next CUV for the "added safety".
*If you ordered recently or waiting for delivery, please vote!
**If you're thinking about ordering/buying/leasing a Terrain and know which one you're getting, please vote!
I'm not sure which model I'd go for. Instinctively, I want AWD for the added safety, but I live in southern NJ and we don't see that much snow to concern me (though it's nice to have the safety of AWD, do I really want to pay in fuel mileage for something not needed as much - yes I know, AWD helps out in rain too). My mom hates driving in snow/rain and her '05 Saturn VUE has AWD; friends have a '02 VUE I-4 FWD and love it, but the wife wants AWD in her next CUV for the "added safety".
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This is a personal choice, and mostly based on the climate where you will be doing most of your driving. I chose FWD and have no regrets...less weight, less mechanicals to go bad and slightly better fuel economy were enough to win me over. The first week I had my Nox, we got a thin layer of ice and then several inches of snow on top of that...I was stunned by how well the traction/stability control along with the ABS worked to make the Nox virtually drama free when driving on the stuff. Of course if you live in state/province where snow/ice on the roads is the norm rather than the exception...AWD might be good to have.
AWD isn't going to make any difference as far as torque steer goes...these are FWD vehicles no matter what setup you go with. I have the I4 so I can't comment on the V6 torque steer....but there is some you can feel if you accelerate sharply around a corner. Most of the time it isn't an issue however, and much better than FWD cars of the 80's-early 90's.Medpilot said:For everyone with a FWD V6, do you notice any torque steer? I'm thinking of picking up a 12' Nox, and I'm still undecided on FWD or AWD.
You answered your own question, the AWD in these types of vehicles isn't an Audi Quattro type setup and doesn't really help in the dry handling department. The torque steer on my Nox really isn't bad (better than the 04 Mazda 6 that I used to have) and most people wouldn't even notice it in normal driving.Medpilot said:Wow, so if you can feel TS in your I4, I bet it's a lot more pronounced in the V6 models.
I test drove a 2006 Nissan Maxima that had a vicious amount of TS. Felt like the steering wheel was going to spin right out of my hands.
I'm surprised to read that AWD wouldn't counter any torque steer in these vehicles. I've owned two cars (Eagle Talon TSi/3000GT VR4) with AWD and had zero torque steer. Granted these vehicles were sports cars, not CUV's. None the less, they had a full time AWD system.
We got around 3 inches of snow mixed with sleet/ice the first week I had my Nox, and I was amazed at how much better it behaved versus my Mazda 6 even though both are FWD. The traction control combined with Stabilitrac and ABS work wonders for keeping control. You'll still feel the slipping a bit, but it's very easy to maintain control. I'll bet that if I put winter tires on my Nox (not really needed where I live) it would be nearly unstoppable for any conditions I might face during the winter.Don B said:If I can't make with FWD and traction control I guess I just won't go. I'm not saying that AWD won't go places a FWD won't go, but I went through the blizzard they had a couple of years ago in Missouri with my Impala and there was a couple of times I pushed snow with the front bumper. One thing that makes a big difference is tires. My wife's Vibe had Goodyear RSA tires on it and it would get stuck on a wet street. I finally replaced them with Cooper CS4 touring tires and it was like a completely different car. I also had great traction with Goodyear Comfort Treads on my Impala.
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