Mazda AWD is it real AWD or just sales marketing?

[lllateralus]

Just be careful with subaru trannies......

http://www.lovehorsepower.com/Videos/STiBroke.wmv

 

[Antonio DiMarco]

My apologies to marketing ;-)

Nice points Antonio! I especially agree with your point about the tires. I think in general, most people underestimate the impact that tires have on any car's performance (braking, acceleration, maneuvering, all of the above)! It cracks me up to see people putting money into tower and sway bars, only to throw no name rims and tires on!

Being in advertising though, I disagree with your point on Marketing and pass the blame onto sales. (drinks)

Funny I got the same reaction from a gentlamn at work the other day when I made a similar comment (not auto related). I'm on the engineering side so you'll have to forgive my shortsightedness

It is so true though. You got these guys going out and spending a ton on horsepower and extra suspension bits and then they go any buy cheap CAST22 inch alloys with the cheapest "high performance" tire around.

I remember many years ago my Mazda dealer at the time told me about this kid who had a protege and spent about $3000 on tires and rims (20 inch if I remember with a 40 series profile. The kids was drag racing down a secondary road and hit one of those 2 inch steel plates they put over construstion "holes" in the road. He blew out all 4 tires and bent 3 out of the 4 rims. I thought it was funny as hell.

 

[Dalton]

Take a look at 'Subaru AWD vs Competition' Video at:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4999142340359932162

I mean the phrase "with little effort" subary clears the ramp - sounded way too optimistic.
Both subarus did struggle almost the same as Volvo and Passat. (scratch)

I do agree that Subaru makes the best AWD systems - but i do no not agree that those other contenders looked so bad on those tests - in some occaisons it seemed that other cars where driven diffently - 5:45 volvo for example etc. etc.

Also at 8:00 - the phrase "but the Volvo certainly needs to work harder" sound stupid? (kissass)

 

[tiwing]

plus you can clearly see in climbing that ramp that the subarus both have the rear wheels on the solid part when they first start moving, giving some momentum to the whole trial. On the wet course the driver obviously pushed the competitors cars harder and with a scandanavian flick style manoeuver caused theback end to come out, especially in the volvo wagon... and even during the hillclimb the voiceover said "of course, the drivers are subaru sales people..."

interesting video for sure. but totally biased.

 

[almightybmw]

no rear lsd, no front lsd, only a center. 2 wheel spin. junk. my 90 4wd protege does better. never been inpressed with subs awd, over hyped.

 

[chuyler1]

Are you talking about the CX-7 almightybmw?

Well, at least the MS6 has a rear LSD and will max out at 50% front and 50% rear. So if you get a single front tire to slip at least each of your rear tires will eventually get 25% of the power to keep you moving.

 

[AWmustang]

I think he was talking about Subaru's system.

According to edmunds the CX-7 also has the rear LSD

 

[dmitrik4]

I haven't been able to do the same test with my CX7 yet, but once the snow flies again here, I will if I can. The only thing I have noticed is when the driveway (and my driveway is a serious % grade), is when I went up it with at least six inches of snow, the CX7 bogged down in all four wheels slipping, the slip "light" came on, and it wouldn't go forward anymore. I'm pushing the gas, but the car won't go forward like it knows it can't. So I had to back up, and gun it up the hill and then I made it.

Once I can clear half the driveway off and try it, I'll see how the AWD stands up.

as others have mentioned, that's strictly a tire issue.

i was impressed w/ the AWD's work in the snow; for what it's really meant to do (provide all-weather traction, not mud rallying), it's fine.