I disagree. Each manufacturers AWD system is optimized for different real world conditions, which this video is not. Now if you are in the habit of driving up steep waterfalls or water slides you might want the Subaru...
Is there a way to test the AWD function? Mine may not be working properly.
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I disagree. Each manufacturers AWD system is optimized for different real world conditions, which this video is not. Now if you are in the habit of driving up steep waterfalls or water slides you might want the Subaru...
We have a fwd volvo and an inclined driveway. At 4 inches of snow the car cannot make it up and the front wheels spin with 0 traction, just as on a roller. These videos indicate to me having one of these mild awd vehicles may not necessarily make it up the driveway. And my driveway happens to be a real world condition.
I should note, this has been our experience on a set of continental dws tires with 9/32 thread (practically brand new). Since tires are the most critical piece in traction I feel my resolution would be to get a set of snow tires and skip the awd.
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And these videos would indicate wrongly. I also have an inclined driveway. My girlfriend has a Hyaundai FWD with exactly the same almost new winter tires that I have (Hakka R2, possibly the best out there). We had a nasty ice storm this winter. I got up to the top of the driveway with my AWD. My girlfriend could not go up high enough to get her back wheels on there before sliding down again. I could actually feel the AWD engaging.
The Subaru videos are rigged to their advantage (better rubber compound on wet plastic for example, for what its worth in the real world). I have no doubt the the Subaru AWD system rocks, but other systems can be very effective too.
On that I agree 100%! If I could only have one (AWD or winter tires) because of bugget concerns, etc, I would always go with winter tires. That said, AWD is a nice (and fun!) complement to winter tires in some circumstances.
OP, was your last car Jeep? I hear those are very good in snow
This guy does not know what he is doing!!! Not mater what vehicle you have, if you spin your tires your just hurting your traction. He's also high centered, preventing the wheels from actually touching the ground. He should have cleared snow from the middle of the car and not around the tires. He shouldn't have floored it the way he did. AWD or 4WD is no substitute for actually knowing how to drive. It helps but you still need to know the limitations.
Why exactly would each manufacturers AWD system be optimized for different real world conditions? All of these vehicles are globally sold.
You don't hear them saying ours is great in wet conditions, but not snowy or icy. Don't drive up inclines in our AWD!
Watch the second video I linked. When testing on the rollers, it takes the tires out of the equation and is a better example of a vehicle's AWD system.
All that being said, better clarity from manufacturers in to what exactly is in their AWD system would be nice. You shouldn't have to search the darkest corners of the internet to find out. (And in honda's case, you still won't ever know. There are articles saying their AWD system in the CRV is a complete farce)
Not all systems are equal. Even in the same brand:
A Subaru with a manual transmission has a different center diff. than an automatic. Believe it or not, the automatic is actually a better system. Unless you have an STI with DCCD.
Audi quattro? How does the engine sit under the hood? You might actually just have Haldex (A3). What about the optional rear torque vectoring diff?
All sorts of options and configurations that are all pretty hazy to the final consumer.
You obviously have more technical knowledge about these things than I do. But I know enough not to kid myself that the Mazda AWD system is the best out there. All I need to know is that in a real world situation my AWD got me up an icy inclined driveway a FWD vehicle could not. It works well enough, and that's good enough for me.
And how is all this answering the original OPs question anyway?
And how is all this answering the original OPs question anyway?
Oldengineer
Member
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- CX-5 Touring AWD
Vroom: I agree with you. A few weeks ago, we had a big snow storm here, and, my CX-5 AWD got me to the emergency room at a hospital with a neighbor driving her. He said he couldn't believe how well the Mazda handled the crummy road conditions - and - I'm running the tires that came on the car too.
Regards:
Oldengineer
Regards:
Oldengineer
I forgot how this thread got off topic long ago haha.
We purchased a CX-5 and it fits our needs. It's the wife's daily driver and it's good to know that in inclement weather it is fully capable of getting from point A to point B. If the weather gets so treacherous outside, we won't be driving anyways. We don't live in a secluded area up north where the limits of the vehicle would be pushed on a regular basis and you could endanger your life by getting stranded.
It's a good balanced vehicle for us. Fun and sporty enough, while offering some utility.
I don't know if my inputs help in this regard on AWD. I have a 2016 CX-5 GT AWD, and when I first drove through an unfamiliar curvy road at night, I didn't anticipate for the appropriate speed and turned, then I quickly realized strangely that the car braked for me, I know my AWD had kicked in, it felt like my front wheels were pulling me. I don't live in the snow, but my driving situation of course differs, but that's how I sensed my AWD is working.
That's not your AWD kicking in (if the brakes were kicking in) it was the stability control. Even FWD CX-5's have stability control.
I confirmed with Mazda USA we do not have limited slip in the rear. NZ does :-(.
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- RDX Aspec Adv.
OP, was your last car Jeep? I hear those are very good in snow
Tires were the issue, but at least all 4 were movin'! Jeep uses an actual AWD unit. CX-5 uses a "part-time, some of the time, maybe..." unit, lol.
That said, I am counting down the days until I can test mine. I'm curious if it does as poorly as most people think it does.
The CX-5 is not meant for offroad use. It is meant for on-road use, and I think it was set up very well for such.
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I'd say the driver was the issue, if he'd backed up 10' onto the cleared parking space behind him, he'd have been on his way in less than a minute. Rage does not help you when driving in low traction conditions.
I'm actually really curious about the AWD system on the CX-5. Part of why I bought it was to take my wife and daughter places I've only ever been on a motorcycle (death valley, baja, deserts of NV & utah). I know it's not a true 4wd, but I'm hoping (and from what I've read it is) a very capable AWD system if driven correctly.
Just out of curiosity... Does anyone know if the limited slip would be a possible add-on item, or would it be more of a rear end swap, as well as other components?
No idea on the swap part... have you seen the Everyman driver reviews? Some good off-road footage...
[2015]
[2016]
Below video clip shows perfectly how we do not have front or rear LSD. So technically speaking we are not AWD because all the wheels will not spin in conditions such as the clip below. So it should be called 2WD.
WTF Mazda! Why not at least put rear in if your trying to reduce cost. Why cheap out all the way!
WTF Mazda! Why not at least put rear in if your trying to reduce cost. Why cheap out all the way!
Looks like some of the AWD changes in CX-3 give it some more traction or just the size of vehicle...
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- RDX Aspec Adv.
It actually did far better than I expected. Here is a Subaru for comparison:
Basically...you get what you pay for.
