Not wanting to add more fuel to the fire, but not all "AWD" systems are equal. There are mechanical ones and there are electrical ones. And among those categories, there are many different systems with considerable variation in purpose, function, performance, and effectiveness. For example, the ZR1X corvette has a type of electric AWD, but it is very, very different from the gen5 prius electric AWD. And, unfortunately, the gen5 prius AWD does not appear to be super effective:
Good thing the roads aren't rollers....LOL. That's not a real life test. I've run mine pretty fast on snowy/ice roads in the mtns and it handle really well
You're correct about that, but nobody is saying that they are. Rollers are indeed a challenging test. But some cars with AWD are able to pass this kind of roller test with ease. Unfortunately, the prius AWD is not one of them.
The latest gen Camry failed the last test as well, and needed to be run in sport mode to pass one of the others. He concluded it’s good for some ice and snow, but would get overwhelmed by a lot.
Of course they are. That's their whole point: rollers are like slippery roads. Otherwise, why bother? My takeaway from the video? When stuck on snow and ice or other slippery stuff, switch to sport mode and turn off traction control.
Yes to turning off the traction control. The gen2 didn't have a button for that, and the TC kept me from leaving my driveway. Eco mode would be better than sport though. You want more graduated throttle response when starting off to reduce the chance of spinning wheels when moving from a stop.
No need, just don't get stuck in any giant snowbanks. I have only FWD, and I haven't got stuck yet. It's easy!
Having weight directly above your drive axles really helps. Dealing with the traction you've already got and NOT breaking it, will keep the car under control. If you don't throw a few hundred pound sack of sand into your trunk, that rear axle will slide out from under the car anyways, AWD isn't going to help wheels that has already broken traction. Especially when people don't adjust their driving habits to conditions. IMHO; AWD is just a false sense of security, since most people don't know how to use it properly PS; you can also air down the tires a bit to get better traction. Most of us run our tires over-inflated to get more mpgs.
Cutting the torque to the front wheels leaves them less likely to break traction. The tuning of the Toyota system in the Prius is set up so as to offer few surprises to a FWD driver. Provoking oversteer takes determination at low speeds and at higher speeds the front still washes out first.
Even if it isn't the most effective AWD system, I still prefer AWD over FWD. Admittedly, I'm a bit biased since I've never been a big fan of FWD.
It's amazing to me how we all just woke up one day and decided that life on the streets without 4-wheel drive is simply unconscionable. Back in the day, nearly every car on the road was rear wheel drive. The 4x4's were always trucks, and they were rare. How we all lived long enough to breed is beyond me. Front wheel drive was the solution to slick roads. All the weight was moved over the wheels with power. My 2023 LE plowed through 12 inches of snow like it was two. AWD is a marketing coup more than anything else. And... it robs fuel economy.
That had to be very light dry powder. I'm more accustomed to more dense wet snows that can sometimes trap an F-250 with chains on all four. Or infrequently, a Caterpillar road grader with chains on all six.
I'm in the snow belt and see mostly 4WD SUVs and PUs in the ditch. They tend to be the reckless ones passing FWD cars and snow plows and always in a hurry to get nowhere 30 seconds faster.
While true, those cars typically also had very modest power by modern standards, and lots of cars couldn't hit 100mph. An early example of feeding lots of power through the front wheels can he seen in the first terminator film when Kyle Reese runs from Ahnold in a mid 1970s Eldorado.
It came down heavy. And unexpected! I had no plans to be out in that. And certainly not at my hypermiler tire pressure (39f/38r). But that's exactly what happened! I was picking somebody up at the airport. The streets were clear when I arrived! But they were delayed and I had to wait for over an hour. During that time it started to dump as heavy as you'll ever see it! I drove 45m in it to get back home. I felt extremely confident and was driving faster than the average folk. Toyota's Star Safety System was adjusting masterfully as we negotiated huge plow trails and messy intersections. I'm still impressed when I think back on it. No snow tires. Just the factory Ecopias. And overinflated no less lol. This story is 100% true! But you do you! If u want AWD, you absolutely get AWD. I'm just saying that a guy who lives in the Midwest and faces black, brown, yellow, and white ice... wouldn't choose AWD on a Prius unless it was forced on me. Now if you're driving an SUV, that's a whole different issue. Although if you can avoid it, I would. Especially on the compact SUV's. Just don't ever get a rear wheel only drive. I literally had a brand new Expedition rental that only had rear wheel drive. I almost got stuck in a parking lot in about 3 inches of snow. What were they thinking releasing that??
Absolutely! The second you don't respect the conditions, and a lot of those "utility vehicles" don't, you're gonna get taught a lesson. But I've driven a lot of FWD cars over the years. I've never had one drive as sure-footed, in as much snow, as my 2023 LE. I was watching the traction control lights blinking on and off like crazy while I was just heading down the road normally. That CPU was workin' boy...
