http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/...-best-all-wheel-drive-system-for-snow-and-ice
Hill climb: the clearest difference among compact crossovers
A standing-start climb up a short hill, a stop at the top, and a slight right turn to descend, was the most dramatic. It was meant to mimic coming up a steep suburban driveway and making a right turn onto the public road. Starting from a level surface with the steering wheel centered, all three compact SUVs got up the hill. The Honda then slipped back a bit with front tires spinning and back tires not initially engaging; the rears eventually caught and the CR-V it made it over the crest and down, at least for me.
The Subaru, unexpectedly, had trouble starting up at the crest, because the front wheels were turned to the right rather than straight ahead when power was applied. Subarus AWD may not transfer power smoothly between front and rear with the wheel cocked, Mazda helpfully pointed out. You could see the front wheels turning but the rears werent, initially, providing much traction.
The Mazdas two dozen sensors, sensing low-grip, low temperature, and the incline, immediately added more power to the rear wheels. This test was the most dramatic in showing differences among AWD systems. It suggests other automakers could improve their systems as Mazda did by using additional sensor data and more sophisticated algorithms. It suggests also the automaker that sets up the tests has something of an advantage.
Hill climb: the clearest difference among compact crossovers
A standing-start climb up a short hill, a stop at the top, and a slight right turn to descend, was the most dramatic. It was meant to mimic coming up a steep suburban driveway and making a right turn onto the public road. Starting from a level surface with the steering wheel centered, all three compact SUVs got up the hill. The Honda then slipped back a bit with front tires spinning and back tires not initially engaging; the rears eventually caught and the CR-V it made it over the crest and down, at least for me.
The Subaru, unexpectedly, had trouble starting up at the crest, because the front wheels were turned to the right rather than straight ahead when power was applied. Subarus AWD may not transfer power smoothly between front and rear with the wheel cocked, Mazda helpfully pointed out. You could see the front wheels turning but the rears werent, initially, providing much traction.
The Mazdas two dozen sensors, sensing low-grip, low temperature, and the incline, immediately added more power to the rear wheels. This test was the most dramatic in showing differences among AWD systems. It suggests other automakers could improve their systems as Mazda did by using additional sensor data and more sophisticated algorithms. It suggests also the automaker that sets up the tests has something of an advantage.
