I have my opinions as someone who's lived all his life in the steep, icy mountains of Colorado. And so have my parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, going back to times before automobiles even existed. And none of us see much value in AWD, as none of currently own, nor owned before, a 4WD or AWD vehicle. Even the snow plow I drive for the County is a single axel RWD commercial truck, and we only have one AWD truck in the whole fleet. If snow plows aren't AWD, I don't know what actually needs AWD other than off-roaders or people who refuse to plow their driveways. It's not that AWD can't help. But it's not a necessity. And generally, it's an expense. I am looking for an AWD vehicle, as mentioned in another post. However, it's for a friend who says they won't drive anything else. But, at the same time, they want a cheap vehicle. And frankly, I'm having a difficult time finding such a vehicle. Although, I digress, as AWD vehicles are cheaper than they ever have been. I think the thing is this, AWD can maintain greater acceleration, period. It's not about steering. Sure, it can accelerate more while cornering. That, to me, doesn't mean it corners better. It just means it accelerates better. Sometimes you do get a bit of difference in cornering though, due to different weight bias. More weight in the front contributes to more understeer. Having motors and such in the rear can even out the weight a bit more, causes less understeer. Nothing that adding a couple of sand bags in the trunk wouldn't also do. But then again, more weight in the rear of a FWD vehicle means less traction. I don't know of any vehicle that has a fun mode. To me, cars are boring, expensive tools that get us from point A to point B. Quick acceleration or whipping out the tail around corners just seem immature to me. But that's just me.
Issac, you appear to address whether you and your family find AWD desirable generally more than the specific attributes of the Toyota hybrid AWD set up. I don't dispute any of your subjective conclusions, but note the difference in how it allows a car to turn. On that you do seem to agree. Emphasis added. Being able to turn the car at a higher speed and while applying power is a difference in how the car turns. Emphasis added. This difference in how cars will behave in a turn and under power isn't an indictment of the judgement of you, your parents or any preceding generation. It's just a difference in how the cars handle that is undisputed. You might not be the only person with automotive ahedonia; I believe it is common. You might find any specific vehicle feature overpriced, moot or of marginal benefit for you, and you can certainly conclude that people who drive in ways you don't are immature, but none of that is a comment on how the car applies power in a turn. I would never try to talk you into buying something you wouldn't want.
So we agree it accelerates better. But we don't agree that it corners better. However, if we put both together, then we both agree that it can accelerate better while cornering. That is the difference between you and me. None of what I said changes how the car applies power in a turn. It just is not the same as maximum cornering. Yes, I totally agree that an AWD will accelerate better, in a corner or not, than a FWD can. I never said it didn't. And these kinds of arguments only make it worse. Emphasis added. No it's not. The car cannot turn a shaper corner; therefore it is not a difference in how the car turns. It's a difference in how the car can accelerate and turn at the same time.
On the contrary, I think context is very important here. I said that AWD doesn't help brake or turn. You said, it does help turn, but you put in your own context "under acceleration." So why under acceleration? In what situation do you need to turn and accelerate? You mentioned having fun. And that is a valid opinion. What about if a moose jumps out in front of your car? What if you just want to get from point A to point B, like to and from work or the store or school? What if you take a corner too fast for the conditions? Then how does AWD help? How does cornering and accelerating at the same time in slippery conditions help you under these common circumstances?
Where you describe the difference in how a car will turn, you appear to admit the difference. Emphasis added. Your premise is directly contrary to your stated understanding that the AWD car can accelerate in a turn better. Because that's a common state for a car, the other options being deceleration or a constant speed. Turning in either from a stop, such as from a stop light. This can be illustrated through a thought exercise. Two Priuses are travelling through a long sweeping curve on ice. One has FWD and the other AWD. They each travel at the same speed. The AWD is using 24 ft pounds of torque total,16 pounds through the front and 8 pounds through the rear. For this illustration, any additional torque through the front wheels greater than 16 ft pounds will break the front wheels free and induce understeer. The FWD Prius will use 24 ft pounds to keep the same speed through the same sweeping curve only if it channels 24 ft pounds through the front wheels and induces understeer. In this illustration, the FWD car turns less well because it presents the choice to travel more slowly or take an arc tighter than the curve. That the driver of a FWD car might drove more slowly when he senses the front wheels washing out is a difference of the driver input, not the car. That the driver of one or the other car considers the car only a joyless financial burden will not itself change how the car turns in that sweeping curve. You don't appear to dispute any of that difference. Instead your contention appears than an AWD and FWD car will turn the same so long as they aren't under power. That's a valuable observation to anyone who mistakenly believes that an AWD and FWD car will not behave the same when none of the wheels are being driven.
