How AWD Ruined Everything

By
eric
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77
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Is it a coincidence that the malaise that’s besetting the car industry – sales are down by about 2  million annually from their peak of 17 million-plus back in 2017 – is at least in part due to the lack of fun that’s afflicted new cars for some time now? And part of that absence of fun can be laid at the feet of the near-standardization of all-wheel-drive.

AWD being – arguably – the fun-killing equivalent of a chaperone in the back seat of your car on prom night.

Where to start?

How about with the fact that AWD serves to make driving this car pretty much the same as driving that car. This especially includes powerful cars. The power is gelded, in a way – because powering all four wheels means none of them spin as they would if it were just the rear or front wheels that were turning under power. The point of AWD, of course, is to prevent wheelspin. But this results in a controlled – and boring – experience. It takes no skill to floor the accelerator pedal when the wheels don’t spin. It takes a lot of skill to control the spin and that is what makes it fun – because you never know exactly how the car will behave and so each time it is a new experience – as opposed to the same-old-same-old.

There is also the element of risk, which AWD greatly reduces. But risk is part of the fun. It is bracing to risk it, successfully. It get boring, quickly – when there is very little (if any risk). It is the difference between actually sky-diving and watching it on YouTube.

It is also why rear-drive cars such as the Mazda Miata and Ford Mustang are perennial favorites. You can steer them with the rear wheels, power sliding them through the curves. That throttle oversteer is fun. It is much less fun going fast in a curve in an AWD car because the car doesn’t give much feedback until you’re already too close to the edge of grip and then it’s no fun at all.

AWD has also served to assist the push to “electrify” everything, which has served to ruin everything that was once emotionally appealing – that is to say, fun – about cars. An AWD EV is functionally the same as an AWD not-EV, other than the silent-running and more-immediate responsiveness of the EV. To understand what I am trying to convey here, consider the difference in the way a rear-drive car accelerates through the quarter-mile vs. the way an EV or and AWD gas-engined car does. You have to feel the RWD car when the light goes green, pushing down just enough to not completely overcome the rear tires’ ability to maintain their grip on the asphalt. A little more, then a little less. As you do, your hands make fine adjustments to the wheel to correct for the slip. Then all the way to the floor.

That’s how it’s done, son – and it is a lot of fun.

It is also fun to torque-steer the front end of a powerful front-drive car, as for example the MazdaSpeed3 – which Mazda no longer sells. Instead it sells a gelded AWD iteration of what it used to sell that’s much less fun and so much less interesting.

This is not to say that AWD doesn’t have a place – including a place in the performance car market. The Subaru WRX is a fun car. But it is less fun when every other car is like the WRX (with less or more power). It was more fun when the WRX was one of the few AWD-equipped performance cars because that made it different, which – again – is a species of fun.

There is also a deeper critique to be laid at the feet of the bum’s rush to AWD everything. It is that AWD has served to dull the skills of the average driver by assuring they are never developed. The marketing departments of the car companies (and new car salesmen) have successfully persuaded many people that they must have AWD – because otherwise they will not have enough traction and that is dangerous.

Saaaaaaaaaafety!

Now many people are afraid to own a car that isn’t AWD, which is as ridiculous as being afraid to walk around in public without a “mask” on. It amounts to a variation of the same phenomenon.

Of a piece with ABS – and “advanced driver assistance technologies.” These have made people dullards behind the wheel as well as fearful and passive behind the wheel. They rely on the car to deal with weather and situations and so never learn how to deal with them. This includes driving faster than they ought to in a situation – my car has AWD! And too close on top of that.

My car has ABS!

It’d be better if they knew how to drive fast – and when not to.

. . .

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Related posts:
  1. How Touchscreens Ruined Luxury Cars
  2. RWD, FWD, AWD or 4WD?
  3. Reader Question: 4WD vs. AWD?
  4. What They Don’t Teach About Snow Driving
  5. It’s not “Four Wheel Drive” . . . Even Though it Also is

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

77 COMMENTS

  1. AWD….which one is the king?

    The Porsche 911 turbo…..the quickest A to B car on the planet in any weather….

    The quickest car in the world….the Porsche 919 EVO…..a F1 car is quicker on some tracks…but it needs a perfectly smooth track….

    • AWD vs RWD…..2 quickest cars ….

      Porsche 919 EVO AWD 1300 HP 1800 lb

      F1 car RWD 1000 HP 1800 lb….has more down force then the 919 EVO…

      F1 car….up to 5.5 g braking and 6 G cornering….

    • 1980’s cars were better…..

      AWD VW Golf Mk 2 hillclimb race car…a 1980’s car…..2100 lb… 840 HP 4 cylinder 2.0 liter turbo engine…the perfect all weather car….quicker then any hypercar, supercar….

      AWD VW Golf Mk 2 hillclimb race car…2100 lb… 840 HP 4 cylinder …2.5 lb/hp

      New C8 Corvette turbo 1000hp 3400 lb….3.4 lb/hp

      New C8 Corvette turbo ….far to big and heavy….and full of computers….

  3. The climate and terrain of western Pennsylvania and West Virginia means AWD makes sense. But since I never go off road, an AWD car, which is what my Subaru Outback is, makes sense.

    I wish Subaru made its AWD system selectable for better economy when it’s not necessary.

    I remember when Subaru (and Audi) were special because they had AWD. But now, not so much. And if we’re entering a time of less harsh winters (which has more to do with natural cycles than CO2), more so.

  4. RWD vs AWD…..

    Here is an example of a RWD race car that is quicker in a hillclimb race on pavement…. then the far higher HP AWD car….

    Lightness matters……lighter means quicker….Buy a light RWD car….

    Fiat X1/9 hillclimb race car……

    Always one of the most spectacular HillClimb events of the year, Buzetski Dani in Croatia featured once again a tremendous entrylist, filled with an incredible amount of proper Monsters, making for a incredible selection of machines for the final Top 10 list.

    Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 AWD 820Hp….
    500 hp 997 GT3 R Porsche
    570 hp Ferrari 458 GT3….
    740Hp Seat Léon R32 Turbo…..
    Renault RS01 600 hp…..
    BMW M3 540 hp 9500 RPM V8…. Judd V8 used in F1
    450 hp 10,000 RPM V8 1700 lb Lotus Elise….. Judd V8 used in F1
    Fiat X1/9 2 litre 4 cyl 320 hp NA 9000 RPM Lampredi twin cam hemi …1500 lb

    at the very Top we saw 2 of absolute fastest Monsters in Europe:
    Dan Michl´s famous 450 hp Lotus Elise V8
    Manuel Dondi in his frantic 320 hp FIAT X1/9 Lampredi 9000 rpm twin cam hemi 2.0 lt 4 cylinder….

    Fiat X1/9 hillclimb car with a 2 litre 320 hp na 9000 rpm Lampredi twin cam hemi engine …670 kg/1500 lb…has best time of the day… 4:51:108…quicker then all the other cars…..lighter car…carries more speed in the corners….

    lightest car…..lightness matters…ask Colin Chapman…

    Lampredi 4 cylinder twin cam hemi, best 4 cylinder engine in the world…..designed by Ferrari engine designer Aurelio Lampredi….a Ferrari designer designed engine in your X1/9….

    see at 9:30 in video….

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9ipUEWlCqs

    When you watch that video you hear why EV’s are useless…no passion…no sound …dead….

    they say the engine is the soul of the car…when you drive an ice…. performance car/race car you feel it and hear it…

  5. RWD drive is better….AWD and FWD interfere with the steering…..

    RWD with no power steering is the best….you feel exactly what the front end is doing…..more feedback, a purer, unfiltered, driving experience…

    AWD drive is better in the rain…..it launches through intersections harder….

    An analog car with no traction control and RWD requires more skill to launch at intersections in the rain….

    A high tech, mostly computer driven car might be quicker…. but boring, less fun….buy an old analog car with RWD….

  6. Thanks, now I understand why Subaru dominates blue areas.

    I always wondered, but its apparently a taboo subject here in sootville OR.

    • Lesbaru here in WA. Widowed gal in our biker group bought one I was concerned but she showed up with a guy not a girl at our annual biker meetup in Idaho.

      My brother has one too, so far he’s still my brother not sister. Wait a minute, still works out if he identifies as a male lesbian.

  7. It is now fubar in perpetuity from now on!

    All of the car talk leaves you out in left field, listening instead of talking, even Click and Clack will be listening to hear it all.

    Diabetics are a road hazard, you know.

    Daylight Savings Time statistics show an increase in heart attacks and highway fatalities at the start of DST.

    Down with DST!

    What’s with the three letter stuff? Good Lord.

    Time to be indignant about everything.

  8. In a high powered FWD or RWD car…with a turbo charged engine that has huge power spikes ……coming on high boost pressures……AWD would tame it better…less wheel.spin…get the power down…

    In a high powered FWD or RWD car….a supercharger will give more linear power delivery…get the power down better…

    The RWD Lancia 037….325 HP….rally car used a supercharged engine for this reason….it was the last RWD car to win the WRC rally championship, against the new Audi Quatro AWD rally race car…..

    The RWD Lancia 037 was lighter then the Audi so quicker on dry pavement…would corner better…less weight…. the new, heavier… Audi Quatro AWD rally race car, was quicker everywhere else….

    In the high powered…up to 1000 HP Lancia Delta S4…it used the same 2.0 liter 4 cylinder Lampredi twin cam hemi engine…but with a supercharger and a turbocharger….but it had AWD….which is better on gravel, snow and ice…..it did 0 to 60 mph in 2.6 seconds…ON GRAVEL…(maybe still a record?)…modern cars need dry pavement to do that….it was insanely quick….

    NOTE:
    Re: RWD Lancia 037 rally car….there is recreations of this car being made now….the rich car enthusiasts are trading in their $1 million hypercars for RWD Lancia 037 rally car…it is more of a pure driver’s car…totally analog, stick shift, no computers, no self driving or spyware tech, tons of feedback, very light weight….huge fun at any speed…

    the hypercars are useless…no accessible performance…only fun at over 100 mph….full of computers, AI computer driven, now full of spyware, feedback filtered out, electric steering, no fun anymore….

  9. Brilliant analysis as always, Eric!

    I remember my first ride in a coworker’s WRX 20 (25?) years ago. He made a left turn onto a 55+ highway from a dead stop, just floored it. Not a peep from the tires. For six seconds, I was mashed into the seat and pinned against the door. Zoom!! No fuss, no muss. I was very impressed.

    But you’re right. Almost everything is AWD now. Yawn.

    • My old, WRX (235K miles) was fun as hell to drive, manual trans, and only got one speeding ticket in all the years I drove it. I was going 85 in a 55. Thankfully, as I had a clean record and did not BS the officer, he knocked the ticket down to 65. With 2 points and a $100 fine. I found out years later I could have received a reckless driving ticket. But really, I was out in BFE winding the thing out…middle of May with clear, gorgeous skies! Sigh. That WRX was an AWD, as well. However, it handled very well during the long Winters, with the blizzack tires and the manual trans. One morning, we had a 2 foot dump of snow, and it took several hours to get home. Thankfully, I got stuck behind an FBAT (F’kin Big Ass Truck), who plowed the snow for me, as that car sat low to the ground, and only got stuck when I was driving into the garage. I would have bought another one a few years ago, but there were not any available. It does make me wonder how much more fun I could have had, had it been a rear wheel drive.

  11. I have a BMW X3M which is a perfect example of what Eric is talking about. Practical. Nicely appointed. Capable of performance far beyond what I’m going to do on public roads. “Checks all my boxes.” An impressive machine but, sadly, boring to drive.

  13. Why Im looking at rwd older cars. Awd definitely sucks out the fun, can’t slide around corner, cant burn out, etc.. not to mention with them fucking with the weather, we hardly get snow in Jersey as it is, and good tires offset that anyway

    Side note, what are your thoughts on 05-12 Boxsters and Caymans, Eric? They seem solid and rare enough

  14. The highway mayhem has already started here in WA. I90 spin outs in 1/2 inch snow at the pass. “I’ve got traction control & AWD what happened?”

    Also is it still true on AWD if you have tires worn past a certain point and ruin one, they all have to be replaced? If not the AWD system can’t cope with the difference in rotation speed the one new “fatter” tire causes & will hasten system failure?

    • Also is it still true on AWD if you have tires worn past a certain point and ruin one, they all have to be replaced?

      No. Not true.

      • Lol, yeah, I love that one.

        See, there are these things called “differentials”, they allow wheels to spin at different speeds from each other. The difference between a new tire and a worn tire rotational speed is like 1%. The diff isn’t going to notice that, not even a viscous coupled diff.

  15. AWD is becoming a mandatory feature, like A/C or power windows. It’s a check box people who know nothing about driving need to check, since it makes a car “better”.

    It is useful, in some situations, and that’s why people buy it. It definitely helps with accelerating in slick conditions, but what most people don’t realize is that AWD does nothing to help you with braking in those conditions, and it only helps cornering a little, so they end up going too fast for conditions and crashing. I drive in the sierras in the winter quite a bit, and i see a lot of AWD cars crashing. Almost everything is AWD in the winter in CA’s sierras because we have mandatory chain usage during snow, but an AWD car with snow tires (even bald snow tires) is exempted from chains. I used to enjoy driving around stuck SUV’s in my RWD 6-speed manual Infiniti with Blizzaks.

    All that being said, one of the most fun cars I’ve ever owned was a Ford Focus RS. It had a trick rally-car derived AWD system which really enhanced its cornering, and launching in that thing was insane. It was primarily a FWD car with the rear wheels occasionally contributing based on what the computer wanted to do.

    Most AWD systems are just a cheap addon onto transverse engines which aren’t meant to be used all the time; some clutch pack will overheat, or there’s no limiting slip side to side, and your odds of spinning a wheel in the snow in one of these are higher than with just 2WD. The good ones are incredible, tho. I have never sold a car, so I have too many right now, but I have a Subaru Outback and a Porsche Cayenne and both of these are unstoppable in the sierra snow.

    • “All that being said, one of the most fun cars I’ve ever owned was a Ford Focus RS. It had a trick rally-car derived AWD system which really enhanced its cornering, and launching in that thing was insane. ”

      You made my day. I spent several of the best years of my career working on that AWD torque vectoring system.

      • Oh, nice! That thing was brilliant.

        I sold the Focus RS because it’s a “digital” car, you feel the computers driving, but the overdriven rear wheels with per-wheel wet clutches allowed this car to do things other cars can’t. It’s better in snow than normal AWD (albeit, the car is too low), and at the track, it’s just comical how good it is (until the clutches get too hot and the rear wheels turn off). I’ve been tracking cars for almost 20 years and I’ve coached people for about 10, and I passed Porsches, Corvettes, all kinds of fast cars in this Focus. The look on their faces later was precious. Granted, they weren’t using their car to 100%, since those cars in good hands are much faster.

        • For what it’s worth, the torque vectoring AWD usually shuts down due to the front PTU overheating, not from the clutches in the rear differential. It can shut down from overheating slipping rear diff clutches but even under track conditions, 99% of the time it’s the PTU temperature causing the shutdown in order to protect the hardware.

          We (the engineers) fought hard to get more PTU cooling but there was was no space for a larger PTU cooler and more plumbing. Of course, the extra costs for a bigger PTU cooler were a non-starter with the bean counters but it really was the space limitations that kept it from happening.

          It really was a fun vehicle to develop!

          • Yeah, the tuners figured out it was the PTU, and it was such a bummer that the PTU temperature was inferred algorithmically, and not measured, because people built all kinds of cooling experiments on this car, basically running in additional radiators to both PTU and RDU and reducing temperatures significantly, but since there was no temperature sensor, the thing still shut down because it had no idea that things were cooler.

            I once did a trackday in this thing at Thunderhill Raceway in Willows, CA, where it was a 116F day. Within about 4 laps, my RDU turned off, a few laps later, the power steering pump turned off, but the car kept itself cool, and all temps went back to normal quickly in the paddock. Lots of other cars had engine heat issues that day, and I was impressed with Ford’s cooling on the FoRS. That little engine makes a lot of boost and a lot of heat – and I was also stunned to see it was running more than 25lbs of boost on that hot day, but it makes sense due to the air density.

            • “such a bummer that the PTU temperature was inferred algorithmically”

              This is the downside of the technology that enables amazing things like torque vectoring.

              The controls complexity is staggering. To put physical sensors on everything would be impossible and would just result in more weight and more sensors to eventually fail. Not to mention the cost that all that instrumentation would drive into the system.

              As an engineer it sucks to have to make the compromises but at the end of the day, better to have a product on the road vs an idealistic one on a drawing board.

              Someone that is really good with CAN signal manipulation will eventually figure out how to prevent the shutdown if they haven’t already.

              • I get it, I’m, an engineer as well, and my life is all about compromises. I’m happy Ford made that car, since I enjoyed it for a few years.

                I’m chuckling how people are waxing poetic about the GR Corolla, but Ford made a better car several years earlier. Where the FoRS had independent clutches on each wheel, the Corolla has a single clutch pack in front of a traditional diff. The FoRS could send 100% of rear torque to one wheel in a turn, really making the car tuck in.

                Anyhow, nice work man, working on that car. Every once in a while, something truly exceptional comes out, which people who love cars appreciate, and the FoRS was one of them.

                I have too many cars, otherwise I’d have kept it, but I had to make a choice between getting rid of the FoRS and getting rid of a Lotus Elise and I think I made the right one.

                • “had to make a choice between getting rid of the FoRS and getting rid of a Lotus Elise and I think I made the right one.”

                  I agree. The Elise is a true analog car!

    • “I used to enjoy driving around stuck SUV’s in my RWD 6-speed manual Infiniti with Blizzaks”

      LOL – I used to do the same thing with my Miata on Blizzaks driving to/from skiing.

      Drive on OppositeLock!!!

  16. One thing I haven’t yet figured out is why some AWD’s have CV axles in the back when the rear wheels don’t do any steering–or do they?

    • No factory ever made an AWD with a solid rear axle for the reason that OppositeLock has discribed. Early systems were supposed to be sporty. Late crappy 80% FWD / 20% RWD systems on your minivan are supposed to be light/light duty.

      The Pre 68 VW Beetle had swing axles, then from 69 to it’s end in 74 they used CV axles.

      It’s a prerequisite of Independent Suspension.

      Also there’s the problem of the Torsen/viscous center diff as opposed to a transfer case and utilizing torque vectoring tech to the best of it’s abilities before you completely loose grip. Thus making cornering speed faster if less exciting.

      Solid axles are for 4wd systems, not awd systems.

      • Land Cruisers and 4Runners have been all wheel drive for years. They call it full time four wheel drive or automatic 4WD but what this practically means is there’s 3 differentials in the drivetrain.

        The center differential is a Torsen in the transfer case and can be locked to make it actually 4WD in the traditional sense (no slip, locked 50/50 front-rear). Torsen center differentials are used in others cars over the years, Audi Quattros and VW 4motion, GM in some SUVs. It’s used in front or/and rear axles in a lot of cars as a limited slip option.

        In the Toyota trucks the vehicles have solid rear axles and in the case of 80 series Land Cruiser the front was still a solid axle, too. The torque bias ratio of the Torsen as I understand it about 1.5:1 so it can do up to about a 60/40 torque split, which is enough to prevent drivetrain binding on pavement but still driving both front and rear all the time.

  17. I’ve never driven or owned an AWD. And honestly as a daily mover in normal conditions it seems like a solution looking for a problem.

    • To be clear, it’s a solution looking for a problem in my neck of Dixie. We don’t get a lot of ice or snow (if we did we’d be shut down anyhow). For others where normal conditions is ice and snow, it may well make sense.

    • I had a ‘07 A4, learned as a youth awd isnt flawless the fun way (fishtailing down exit ramps in the rain, getting stuck in the snow), and made it up snowy driveways in my old Mustang with Ultra High Performance All Seasons

      These days, good set of tires are worth the price, save weight and gas vs adding a system that neuters the car.

  18. Fan of AWD here!

    There are some valid points made but ya’ all are just coming off as yelling “get off my lawn” while shaking your fists.

    Don’t like AWD? Then don’t buy AWD.

    Life is so simple sometimes! LOL!

    • Hi Burn it,

      Yes, but the problem is it’s is getting hard to not buy AWD – because so many cars now come standard with it and because so many dealers only stock AWD-equipped models.

      Remember when only Audi and Subaru sold AWD vehicles?

      • Indeed I do recall Quarto and of course Subi made its name standardizing AWD.

        It may be getting hard(er) to buy a non AWD but that is more a function of cheap money and public stupidity that wants to buy loaded or top of the line – well, because cheap money.

        Many of the downsides of AWD like mileage and parasitic drag have been addressed with AWD disconnect systems.

        I agree that these just add more weight and complexity but they are good at increasing fuel economy if that’s your thing. But it also begs the point that if fuel economy was your thing, you wouldn’t be driving AWD in the first place. Disconnects were primarily in response to customers demand for AWD but OEMs desire to not have AWD drag down CAFE.

        Like everything in life the story isn’t quite as simple as it seems.

        Eric – you will find no stronger ally for the belief that vintage cars are more fun but the reality is that the average Joe just keeps signing up for more debt and isn’t bothered at all by a $900 – 1000 payment and has no concern for buying a 4WD or AWD vehicle when 2WD might just be fine.

        But to say that AWD is ruining the automotive driving experience is a stretch. The simple fact is that in high HP situations, AWD gets the power to the ground. If you want smoking tires, that is what the Trans Am offers.

        Personally, I’d just rather hook up the power and be launched off the line harder, and faster.

        Living in the mountains – AWD is a game changer. My house isn’t easily accessible in winter with 2WD.

        For me – my winter fun is trying to see how far up the road I can make it before I have to put the truck or Jeep into 4Hi.

        With the AWD SUV, there is no drama and even the wife can drive up the hill.

        Happy wife, happy life!

      • “because so many dealers only stock AWD-equipped models.”

        I need to address this.

        This is again a failure of Joe Public that demands instant gratification.

        Stealerships stock what makes them the most money and what sells quickly.

        Really want non-AWD? Order it. Wait for it to be built and arrive. It won’t kill you. Crazy concept.

        The reality is the average car buyer basically wakes up that morning, wanders down to the Stealership, and buys a car. They will take whatever happens to be on the lot and rarely is the color, trim, or engine they really wanted. Gotsta’ have it today!

        How pathetic is that to sign up for a monthly payment for a car that isn’t even what they really wanted?

        • The profit motive here is dumbing down the public. Lets sell Joe an AWD version for $2K extra and play on his fear of driving in winter in order to make a larger dealer cut and a larger kickback on selling the financing.

          • In defense of the stealerships (can’t believe I’m doing this) they aren’t dumbing down the pubic. The public is already dumbed down.

            The stealerships are just trying to sell as many cars as they can, at the highest transaction prices as they can. Many are struggling to survive and just want to move as much product as they can.

            It’s not the stealerships responsibility to educate the consumer. A good one might out of the goodness of their heart (eyes roll) but they have to responsibility as such. Buyer Beware.

        • “Really want non-AWD? Order it. Wait for it to be built and arrive. It won’t kill you. Crazy concept”

          I have a relative that bought a Lincoln SUV within the last two years. He wanted it in a specific shade of red (that, BTW, is no longer offered). No Lincoln dealers in the Chicagoland area where he lives had that model of Lincoln on their lot in red. So his local dealer told him they’d take a “special order” to get the red Lincoln SUV he wanted.

          Nine months later after plunking down his down payment the SUV finally arrived at the dealer.

          Nine months.

          You REALLY want to wait NINE FREAKING MONTHS for your special order model to finally show up?

          It’s easy to be blasé when you don’t have to wait 3/4 of a year for your car to show up.

      • And VW’s AWD Vanagon Syncro, although they were rare in the US and of course more expensive. However, they also have granny gear and some models imported to the US got lockers.

    • I agree with Eric. The option to NOT buy an AWD is near non-existent. Same with wanting to buy a manual transmission vehicle over an automatic: Both nearly impossible to find. I think the issue is, if we consumers (slaves?) were actually “allowed” to buy the vehicles we wanted (get the Feds out of the way!), there would be far fewer complaints. Those of us who want the rear-wheel, 8-cylinder, gas guzzlers could have them. Those that want the AWD’s, pregnant roller-skates, or EV’s could also have them. But no, the snowflakes insist on forcing their choices on everyone else, and then get pissed off when we do not kiss their boots and thank them for oppressing us.

      • The stick shift thing is multiple reasons. One is people getting lazy of course. It’s also feature creep. An automatic once was an option upgrade but like power windows, power steering, air conditioning. But if one manufacturer offered an automatic as standard it seemed like a better bargain at the time. It also simplified manufacturing to put the same transmission in all their cars, which helped reduce the price as well. And with CAFE having some knucklehead driver doing it makes predicting by the engine management harder. So being able to control lock up and gear selection it’s easier to eek the extra HP and MPG and hit emission requirements placed on the OEMs. You can still get manuals but the manufacturers have to put them in as few cars as possible so that their whole lineup isn’t hit with gas guzzler regulation penalties. So a few high end trim trucks or small number of sports cars.

  19. Eric – I lived for a few years in South Dakota and we drove a 63 Mercury Meteor and a 2WD 65 chevy 1/2 ton truck that had three on the tree.

    Good snow tires and a set of chains when necessary and we did just fine (couple of sandbags in the Meteor and some firewood in the truck for weight).

    A new 4WD would have been nice, but not necessary. Never got stuck as long as the snow wasn’t so deep to get you high centered.

    You did have to understand momentum and good throttle control – both things that you do not learn with modern cars.

    Anon

  20. We built a baja racer out of a Subaru wagon. It lapped the track every race, bouncing off the rev limiter and throwing rooster tails from all 4 wheels. The next season they outlawed it. Great racer, also great for ice racing.

    Having said that, on the street I find that AWD and abs are both really nice for times when it’s too slick to be driving, and enable people to try who dont have the skill. The best winter car I’ve had in the last few years was a PT Cruiser with manual trans and blizzak tires. Absolutely nimble on bad winter roads.

  21. ‘the malaise that’s besetting the car industry – annual sales are down by about 2 million annually from their peak of 17 million-plus back in 2017’ — eric

    And it just got worse in occupied Deutschland:

    ‘Mass strikes by the IG Metall union come as Volkswagen announced on Monday it would close “at least” three of its ten plants in Germany, lay off tens of thousands of staff and downsize remaining plants in the country.

    ‘Oliver Blume, chief executive of the VW Group, has cited a “difficult economic environment” and “failing competitiveness of the German economy” as factors behind the decision.

    ‘The German Association of the Automotive Industry warned last year that the country was “dramatically losing its international competitiveness” due to soaring energy costs.

    ‘A recent survey by the VDA auto industry association suggested that the reshuffling of the German car industry could lead to 186,000 job losses by 2035, roughly a quarter of which have already occurred.’ — ZeroHedge

    As if that weren’t enough, the German governing coalition collapsed yesterday. Who thought it was a great idea to close down the country’s nuclear plants, let the US bomb the Nordstream 2 gas pipeline, then try to build cars with flickering wind and solar power??

    Dummköpfe!

  22. ‘There is also a deeper critique to be laid at the feet of the bum’s rush to AWD.’ — eric

    Three more:

    1. Typically, AWD adds ~200 lbs of weight.
    2. AWD adds complexity (= repair bills) and cost ($).
    3. AWD subtracts about 1 mpg.

    For daily drivers in snowy climates, AWD might make sense. For more moderate climates, AWD likely is not worth the extra cost, weight and loss of mileage.

    Keep it simple with the driven wheels: two wheels good; four wheels b-a-a-a-a-a-d!

    • The 4WD Toyota pickup and the AWD Subaru are the go-to cars in our neck of the woods – the mountains of Colorado. They’re everywhere and have been for decades. I’d long had a 4WD pickup but we stuck with front wheel drive cars mostly. The better half knows how to use chains (or rather cable chains due to the tight clearances of unibody FWD Hondas and such, yeah, don’t love that either). We finally succumbed to a Subaru and frankly we love it. It’s not a performance version, just a plain grocery getter. The one thing is we had one absolute that it be a stick shift and in 2016 Subaru was one of the few still making them. Ours as a result came from Japan and not Indiana. That I hope pays off in longevity… So in this case I can’t say I totally agree with Eric. I rather see AWD as an improvement to FWD in practicality. I do completely agree with him on performance cars. And ABS. I hate ABS. And traction control. Yet I don’t hate AWD, in a daily driver anyway.

      • Yup — my brother in the Front Range drives a Subaru, as half the people in his little town do.

        Since he and wife are skiers, the Subie totally makes sense for them.

        • Growing up 4WD and all wheel drive were fairly uncommon even in Colorado. But cars themselves were heavier and everyone knew how to use chains, shovels and sand bags. Plus the state highway people used cinder, gravel and sand, which blow away salt since it compresses and freezes into a surface with plenty of friction. Montana still does it that way. Honestly though while that was good for traction our climate and geography meant it melted and ground into a fine dust. Call me a bleeding heart liberal if one must but I do not miss the brown cloud that descended on Denver every winter and that dust was a significant part of the reason for it. I’m not sure salt and mag chloride is any more environmentally good. All the vegetation along the highways is dead from the salt runoff and rusty cars similar to Chicago are common, something you would never see back then. Our climate is generally very dry so things never used to rust badly. But in any case, down in Denver the ski drive argument is strong for a Subaru and has always been. Up here we already have about 2 feet on the ground around the house and it’ll be May or so before we can think about taking the snow tires off the car.

      • I think you will be happy with your Subaru, Anon. My old, ’07 Subaru WRX was also a manual, and it performed very well for the long, Alaskan Winters. The only down side, is that my WRX sat low to the ground, but I learned how to navigate and deal with the lower clearing when it came to the snow. I diligently had the maintenances done every 30,000 and it served me well. But also, I was one that did NOT tinker with the turbo, which apparently, guys like to do, and inevitably blow up their engines-whoops. I also switched to synthetic oil somewhere along the way, too. There are a lot of Subaru’s up here. They are on the road more after the Summer, and when the sports cars and Harley’s disappear for the Winter. We joke that Subaru drivers have one speed: Very slow, year ’round, ha ha. But in all seriousness, mine was a great vehicle, and hope you will like yours, as well.

        • P.S. I also forgot: The clutch was replaced at 219K, an apparent record for the dealership maintenance crew where I went to have repairs done.

  23. To bring driving skill back, the car should be a “land yacht” from the 1970’s. No power steering, manual transmission and no power brakes. That alone would weed out the bad drivers when going to driver’s ed to get a license.

  24. My ’89 Subaru XT had a 5 speed with the “ejector seat button” 4WD. This was really the best of both worlds. FWD for 40+ MPG (at the national 55 MPH speed limit), but 4WD on the snow and dirt. And it was a real go fast slow car, with air suspension and super light weight it was easy to flick it into corners, pop the clutch and power out at what felt like ludicrous speed, but probably was only a few MPH over the speed limit. Then go for a drive up that mountain road to the tower site, knowing that the airbags gave me extra ground clearance. Fun times in a fun car.

    Today’s full-time AWD systems always drag on the drivetrain, pulling down economy. Most drivers really don’t need AWD, it just becomes another check-off for the salesman to sell. “And it’s got AWD, so it’s great in snow.” Doesn’t do much in the spot that drifted over between plow runs and is now a slush puddle, adding massive resistance to one side or the other and flinging you into the ditch at highway speed. Doesn’t help when hydroplaning either. In fact, AWD really isn’t all that helpful once you get past your un-shoveled driveway.

    • Let’s not forget that the newer cars seem to slow down a lot faster when you take your foot off the gas. As for AWD how many people bother to get snow tires on dedicated wheels? It’s no waiting when you do it yourself or combine it with a seasonal brake inspection.

  26. I’ve driven under unbelievably sh*tty conditions but with 4 good snow tires and driving such as to maintain forward motion I’ve never gotten stuck and that was with FWD and RWD cars without Posi-trac.

    All this newfangled stuff seems to be designed to make up for the lack of skills of today’s drivers.

    Winters coming so let’s get those cars rustproofed so they last.

    • All this newfangled stuff seems to be designed to make up for the lack of skills of today’s drivers.

      That’s exactly right. Launch control, along with AWD, makes anyone able to get the 120 MPH quarter mile. What’s there to be proud of? Your pharmaceutical sales job paid a bigger bonus this year? Oh boy! You can actually fit your fat ass into the driver’s seat of your Corvette? Good job!

      One could make the argument that it opens up sales to people who normally wouldn’t be able to handle the vehicle. Sort of a democratization of speed and power. OK, that’s fine, but is it interesting? Is the buyer going to take the time to go to the track on weekends and learn how to use all that power? Or are they just going to run out to cars and coffee, park next to the other Corvettes and pop the hood. All the while talking about how great the car is instead of driving it.

      Or maybe they’ll join a Corvette club and go touring on weekends. Clog up the two lane roads with their gang of friends, take all the tables at the diner, and run 5 MPH under the speed limit, because potholes really hurt when your butt is sitting on the rear axle.

    • This is spot on. I grew up using chains (and still do occasionally on my 4wd truck in big storms). But M+S and 3 peak rated tires do much better than years ago and dedicated winter tires have almost eliminated the need for chains when there’s snow plows working pavement. In fact I think they OVER work roads, certainly spreading way too much deicer. The compounds have also almost eliminated the need to stud our tires too. Some neighbors still do but my feeling is since they scrape down to pavement it’s more hindrance to stud them now. They use aggregate in the rubber, like walnut shell grounds, that works well enough on ice without the unsure feeling on dry pavement of studs.

  27. Further to show how dumbed down society has become is how they sell AWD for “saffeeetyy” Now correct me if I’m wrong Eric, but AWD is important when you’re putting power on the road…. The best use cases I see are when you happen to be taking off on the green light or when you floor it hard out of the bend, especially when it’s a bit wet. So basically when you want to go faster than you probably should….I dont get how AWD will help me stop if someone has stepped out in front of me or my car has slipped on ice or something. but somehow they’ve convinced the sheep you need it for “saaaffety”.

    Is my assessment correct?

      • AWD’s for “safety”: It is up there with how all the newest “saaaaftety” crap in these newer vehicles has been shown to make drivers more irresponsible and lazy, to the point that they forget how to drive properly. If some of them ever knew how to drive at all. It also is a great disservice to the younger generation of drivers just starting out. I, too, learned how to drive with a rear-wheel drive vehicle, fish tailing all-the-way, having to stop at the top of a steep hill, and then drive forward again without backing down the hill backwards or popping the clutch. I drove the Al-Can in a front-wheel drive vehicle in the dead of Winter-always fun. There is something to be said about the “Law of Unintended Consequences”, and I cannot help but wonder sometimes, if the AWD craze is going to be one of them? For when the saaafety gadget is screaming at you because you looked behind you to the left for oncoming cars before merging with traffic, you have to wonder at what point will people finally wake up and realize the absurdity of it all?

        • Thanks, Jetta!

          I have no issue with AWD – as such – anymore than I have with EVs, as such. What I take issue with is the way both are being effectively forced on people. One by the government (EVs) the other by the car companies, who have decided that AWD uber alles because it enhances their profit margins. And because it helps them cree about saaaaaaaaaaaaaaafffffffety. Which is for me what Orange Man Bad is for many Leftists.

  28. All this, in addition to the increased sticker price, added maintenance and fuel costs.

    Meanwhile, tire technology has been phenomenally increased over the past 30 years that for those in colder/snowy climates, FWD with an appropriate set of snow tires will outperform AWD with what most people run – all season tires.

    Was looking into a new Lexus IS350 F Sport in NY. Dealer says an RWD one would need to be special ordered and take 3-9 months to get. They went on to say, Toyota/Lexus won’t send anything to dealers north of VA that isn’t AWD.

    Ignorant and scared consumers and greedy OEMs all share blame in this largely useless and overpriced market.

    • I found the same thing Flip. Of all the sedans I was interested in, that came w/ RWD or AWD, there were ZERO RWDs’ on the lots, only AWD. When I asked the dealers for RWD they would say the same thing, 3-6 months (all were europe or asia).
      And why I ended up with a Chrysler 300 RWD only. However, the same problem, as all were AWD on the lots. The difference was they would order a RWD for me, 6-8 weeks. It was a great car.

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