FWD vs AWD
- Thread starter B1GEast
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If y want safety it’s a no brainer. Not just in snow but in heavy rain too. Wanted to buy our last suv when lease was over but opted for another lease of awd because prior suv was only available in fwd in Fla.
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Definitely safer in rain. The safety difference in snow is MASSIVELY overblown. AWD will help you get going in snow but it doesn’t help with steering or stopping and I see a lot of folks that get very overconfident because they have AWD.
FWD and winter tires will be far safer than AWD and all seasons if that’s all you’re worried about. AWD and winter tires will be a tank.
FWD and winter tires will be far safer than AWD and all seasons if that’s all you’re worried about. AWD and winter tires will be a tank.
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Just curious what you base this on.
25 years of driving in Buffalo tells me the opposite.
I used to have FWD Honda and I'd put Blizzaks on that thing, and I'd get around pretty well.
Once I bought AWDs, I never changed to a winter tire again because it handled so much better. Subaru WRX & Forester, VW Passat, and now Kias and Hyundais. Oddly, my Hyundai Kona handles best because it's so light, a little better than my Kia Telluride.
People have to just remember to check their tread before the season starts.
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There’s plenty of testing with data to support this. Tire rack has done a lot that’s easy to find. It’s a huge difference with modern winter tires. AWD has a minimal impact on turning in the snow and zero impact on breaking. Very unscientifically, before I had my AWD winter beater, I drove a RWD sports car with winter tires. The looks of SUV and pickup drivers as they were struggling and skidding on a hill while this tiny 2-door sports car drove by with no issue was chefs kiss
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Thanks for letting me kno.
I think Blizzaks were rated the best winter tires about even with a Michelin and some other brand. So they were modern.
I'd recommend them but they're pricey. The good thing is if you buy them direct from Firestone, they guarantee they'll put them on and off for you for free for their lifetime.
Still, I'd swear by All Wheel Drive in Buffalo. I suppose knowing HOW to drive in snow makes me avoid the situations when braking in snow causes problems.
jleves
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Just curious if you are asking about the difference between Front Wheel Drive or 4 Wheel Drive vs AWD?
If it's Front Wheel Drive vs AWD drive - AWD is going to be far superior in rain and snow at the expense of some fuel mileage and tire wear during regular use.
If it's 4WD vs AWD - the are generally going to be the same in regular rain and snow. But you have to change back and forth. You get better milage and tire wear during normal weather with 4WD in 2WD mode. You also can expect some low torque in 4WD mode for extreme off road of really heavy snow.
AWD is probably what you want. If you drive in a lot of snow, go with mud/snow tires in the winter season and all season tires in the non snowy months.
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Hey fun thread. I just bought a 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid (Limited). AWD, all the way, baby.
And we just had that once in a decade ice storm here in Maryland. Once I dug her out, she handled the streets and shoddy parking situations well.
And we just had that once in a decade ice storm here in Maryland. Once I dug her out, she handled the streets and shoddy parking situations well.
He is 100% correct. You are not. There is data on this. Crappy snow tires are not much better than great all-season tires in the snow and ice. But good snow tires like Blizzaks have a huge advantage, and especially on ice. But, of course, that only holds until they are worn about 70% and you hit the regular rubber. There is NO WAY you would stop faster on ice with all-season tires and AWD than you would with Blizzaks and FWD unless the FWD vehicle is a total POC and the AWD vehicle is one of the best out there. AWD helps you get going on slippery surfaces and helps when one wheel loses traction while accelerating or decelerating. It doesn't do much for stopping or cornering. And, as he said, it can give people a false sense of security that causes them to drive too fast in slick conditions. And, for the record, I also live in upstate NY. If you think you are cornering better on snow in a WRX on all-seasons than a FWD Camry on Blizzaks, you are deluding yourself.
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There are a lot of these types of videos but this is a good one.
This is more data (and AWD vs AWD) but really shows the difference.
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Just FWD or AWD, 4 WD is overkill.
Yep. I inadvertently did an experiment when I was in grad school in Rochester. We had a FWD compact and it was our first winter in Rochester. My wife was freaking out, even though we grew up in CT. Due to limited funds, I thought it would make sense to put Blizzaks on just the front and keep the Eagle GT+4s on the rear. After all, it was FWD and most of the breaking is also in the front, right? Well, the road was covered in packed snow and I was coming up to a left turn. I slowed down just fine and the front of the car went left just fine but the rear kept going straight. It was fun for me but, needless to say, we went back to Sears and put Blizzaks on the rears too.
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Way back in the early 70s, I switched to radial snow tires on my 71 Vega so I didn’t have to carry 50# of sand in the trunk. Left bias ply on the front until right after the first snow. It felt like skis on the front, and a bad skier at the wheel. Radials on the front made it much better.
One final note. For safety, tires are really the most important feature now that every car has ABS, traction control and stability control. If you run Blizzaks in the winter and a great all-season that specializes in not hydroplaning in the summer, FWD is fine. If you run high performance all-season tires, let alone summer tires, you WILL hydroplane in an AWD car if you hit a deep puddle at speed. When it comes time to buy the next set of "summer" tires, I look almost exclusively at how they perform in wet road conditions. That and noise. I HATE noisy tires!!! I pretty much never drive near the limit on dry roads in my road cars and I pay enough attention to know I will stop fast enough on the highways when the damn dead stopped traffic suddenly appears. I don't need tires that have super high dry road traction. The only car that doesn't get tires that emphasize wet traction is the Ferrari. I don't drive that in the rain and I have taken corners on dry roads that were fast enough to nearly give me a heart attack but the car never even twitched and that was NOT on track tires. They are nice, good quality, Continental road tires.
Oh, that is even worse!!! Oversteer can get you in trouble really fast in a RWD car.
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(life driving on radial tires)
Passenger: Turn up the radio!
Driver: What?
Passenger: TURN UP THE RADIO!
Driver: WHAT?
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Not everyone drives the same. Buffalo is also different than the snow situation in much of upstate. People up here just know how to drive in it regardless of car. I don't get myself into situations where I'm hard braking where the Blizzaks would outperform my AWD. I also drove Subarus for a while and those cars could go straight up Killington in the packed snow where you'd be very worried about sliding backward like that Audi did down the hill, and Killington's hill has a bigger pitch than that hill in the video. So the superiority of the Blizzaks isn't so important for me. As for handling, I'm scratching my head on that one. As I remember, the Blizzaks took something away in the drive and gave me the feel of driving through gauze. I always found the Blizzaks to be worse handling. I do have Michelin CrossClimate's though. It may also be that the AWDs I drive are better than standard SUVs. I used to drive between Buffalo and Rochester R/T daily and I'd always see SUV's off the side of the road. As I wrote earlier, lighter is better.
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Anyone can be a bad driver in the snow regardless of type of car or tire. But the same driver in the same car will be safer and better with winter tires than all season. That’s not a driving style thing. It’s just physics and manual grip. The downsides (cost, storage, annoyance of swapping wheels twice a year) may not be worth it for some but they’re unequivocally better just in pure handling and safety in the snow.
Lighter is not necessarily better. Lower center of gravity is better. 50/50 weight distribution is better. But when needing to cut into snow, slush or even standing water, heavier is better. The more pressure your tire puts on the surface, the better.
I have owned many Subarus. I had a FWD Legacy, two Outbacks, an AWD SVX and a Tribeca. I have also had a limited slip FWD Acura TL, an AWD Acura RL, an AWD Toyota Venza, an AWD Toyota Rav4 and a FWD Camry. One winter we got hit with Ice Fog early in the season but I thought it was just regular fog. I was in my Subaru SVX on really good all-season tires. I was in one of those tight bends on RT17 and I hit a bridge in the middle of that bend. The car kept going straight and finally grabbed in the breakdown area. I put the Blizzaks on nice and early now.
I whole heartedly disagree. In slippery conditions awd will help with turning. Def not with braking but with turning yes. I’ve done competitive autocross in the snow and ice and to be able to power out of turns is much easier with awd.
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I don’t think what you’ve said is contrary to my point. You’re talking about accelerating out of a turn. Agreed, as I said AWD helps with grip when you’re trying to get moving. That’s different than actual grip during a turn (ie. Avoiding a skid). Thats pretty much purely a factor of manual tire grip
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Agree on the tires. More important for snow than many people realize, though I disagree on the control. Maybe not going 75 but in going through heavy snow y get much better control with awd
Chin Diesel
I've always been crazy but it's kept me from going
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Went from a Dodge Journey FWD to Subaru Ascent AWD and safety in rain and snow is night and day.
Subaru had snow/ice mode where if a wheel slips and spins it diverts energy and power to the other three wheels.
We park in back of our place via an alley that gets icy. Dodge was like being on skates…Subaru like walking.
X mode is 30mph or lower though.
Subaru had snow/ice mode where if a wheel slips and spins it diverts energy and power to the other three wheels.
We park in back of our place via an alley that gets icy. Dodge was like being on skates…Subaru like walking.
X mode is 30mph or lower though.
HuskyHawk
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FWD is an abomination. I'd rather have RWD than FWD, at least you can control the car with the throttle. FWD prone to torque steer and if you lose traction you also lose steering. Should only be used on low power small cars.
Snow tires indeed are superior, but let's be honest, nobody in southern New England uses them. Certainly not south of here. AWD with rear wheel bias, like most German SUVs and the Ford Explorer, is your best bet. Neutral systems like Subaru's are good too. AWD with front wheel bias is better than FWD. Side note, Ford switched the Explorer to RWD because the police required it.
For anyone who grew up with RWD, you probably learned how to steer with the throttle. A RWD car sliding can end the slide, not by braking, but by applying the gas. AWD gives you some of that same capability, depending on how much goes to the rear.
Chin Diesel
I've always been crazy but it's kept me from going
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A computer controlled AWD will always do better than having a human at the controls.
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/thread
AWD: Pros & Cons (Very Popular in CT)
✅ Pros
1. Excellent for New England weather- Automatically sends power to the wheels with grip
- Great for snowy roads, freezing rain, slush, wet leaves
- No buttons or levers to engage
- Works seamlessly in changing conditions (dry → snow → dry)
- Lighter systems than 4WD
- Many AWD SUVs disengage rear wheels when not needed
- Smoother handling
- Quieter and more car-like ride
- Most compact and midsize SUVs offer AWD
❌ Cons
1. Not designed for extreme off-road use- Limited ground clearance
- No low-range gearing
- Usually a $1,500–$2,500 option
- More components than FWD
Common AWD SUVs You’ll See in CT
- Subaru Outback / Forester
- Toyota RAV4 AWD
- Honda CR-V AWD
- Mazda CX-5 AWD
- Lexus RX AWD
4WD: Pros & Cons (Overkill for Many CT Drivers)
✅ Pros
1. Superior in deep snow and rough terrain- Excellent for:
- Unplowed roads
- Steep rural driveways
- Mud, sand, trails
- Helps crawl through snowbanks or pull heavy loads
- Built for abuse and heavy-duty use
❌ Cons
1. Worse fuel economy- Heavier drivetrain
- Often always engaged when in use
- You may need to switch modes (2H / 4H / 4L)
- Using 4WD incorrectly on dry pavement can cause drivetrain wear
- Purchase price + maintenance + fuel
- Stiffer ride
- Larger turning radius
Common 4WD SUVs
- Jeep Wrangler / Grand Cherokee (some trims)
- Toyota 4Runner
- Ford Bronco
- Chevy Tahoe / Suburban
The Connecticut-Specific Recommendation
✅
If you:- Commute daily
- Drive highways and town roads
- Deal with snowstorms but also plenty of dry pavement
- Want good fuel economy and comfort
✅
- You live in a rural or hilly area
- Your road or driveway is rarely plowed
- You regularly:
- Tow heavy loads
- Go off-road
- Drive in deep, unmaintained snow
One Important Truth (Many People Miss This)
- AWD helps you go
- Tires help you stop and turn
- AWD + winter tires = best overall setup
- 4WD + all-season tires ≠ unstoppable
Bottom Line
For Connecticut:- ✅ AWD SUV → best balance of safety, efficiency, and convenience
- ⚠️ 4WD SUV → only if you truly need heavy-duty capability
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You lost me at Dodge to Subaru.
An abomination is a little strong and subjective. There is a reason why car manufacturers went from RWD to the more expensive FWD. And there are not many people under the age of 50 that grew up with RWD. Steering with throttle is a thing of the past with traction control. And torque steer has largely been eliminated with better design. It is not a given that you will have massive torque steer in a FWD car.
Whether you need AWD in CT depends on where you live. Steep hill in Litchfield? AWD. New Haven? FWD is fine. AWD is still better if the car you want comes with that option and you can afford the higher price. If not, FWD is fine. If not climbing snowy hills but needing to drive on occasionally snowy roads (most people in CT), I would take Blizzaks and FWD over mediocre all-seasons (people way too often cheap out on tires) and AWD. AWD plus Blizzaks is the best option. If you are opposed to a stack of wheels in your garage, and refuse to run Blizzaks in the winter, go with AWD and don't be cheap when buying all-season tires. Tires are critical to safety. Too many people don't think they need them, until they do. And then they usually overlook how better tires might have avoided the situation. I'm not talking about being rear ended or T-boned. I'm talking about some dumba$$ changing lanes into you on RT91 at 75MPH on a wet or snowy road. Your ability to retain control while slamming on your breaks and swerving will ABSOLUTELY be impacted by your tires!!! People don't need to buy the absolute best tire at twice the price but don't drift too far down the list.
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Edward Sargent
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It depends on what you need. I had a four wheel drive Jeep for years when I was on our volunteer rescue squad and needed to make trips at times before roads were plowed.
Fishy
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I have driven 11 zillion miles from Dutchess County to New York City over the past 25-ish years. Have had front, rear and four wheel drive cars. Rear wheel drive can be an adventure in the snow, but I've never wished that I had four wheel drive when I was driving a front wheel drive car.
Bingo. Tires, tires, tires, tires.
Have proper tires and you're fine.
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Forget the tires. Forget the FWD, 4WD, or AWD. Just don't tailgate and stay at least 300 feet behind the car in front of you and you'll be fine. 😀
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To make a point on one of the posts. Summer tires are not really all season tires. Two different things. You can get all season tires that are very capable in the snow. Some even have the 3 Mountain Peak certification for heavy snow, though they technically are not snow tires.
A lot of people make a poor decision on what tires to buy because big brands like Michelin are so expensive. I learned several years ago that Walmart sells a lot of very good tires at low prices. We use them for work trucks and some of them are unreal. For instance, I had a set of Nitto Ridge Grapplers on my truck. They were like $1500. When I made it a work truck, I wanted to put new tires on it. I found Blackhawk Ridgecrawlers at Walmart for $600!!! Great tires and heavy snow rated (not that I see snow down here). Awesome knockoff at a great price. Almost all reviewers like them too. They have many others available that are very well liked, good quality and affordable. The key is to shop Walmart.com, not in store. They will ship your tires to a Walmart Tire Center and install them. You get a lot more options that way vs walking into the store. If you are a brand snob, they have Cooper, BF Goodrich and many other big brands. The prices are still a lot better than the tire stores. Alot of people drive on completely worn tires and worse, they let their kids drive on them. If you NEED tires, go buy some at Walmart. Worn tires are a death wish.
A lot of people make a poor decision on what tires to buy because big brands like Michelin are so expensive. I learned several years ago that Walmart sells a lot of very good tires at low prices. We use them for work trucks and some of them are unreal. For instance, I had a set of Nitto Ridge Grapplers on my truck. They were like $1500. When I made it a work truck, I wanted to put new tires on it. I found Blackhawk Ridgecrawlers at Walmart for $600!!! Great tires and heavy snow rated (not that I see snow down here). Awesome knockoff at a great price. Almost all reviewers like them too. They have many others available that are very well liked, good quality and affordable. The key is to shop Walmart.com, not in store. They will ship your tires to a Walmart Tire Center and install them. You get a lot more options that way vs walking into the store. If you are a brand snob, they have Cooper, BF Goodrich and many other big brands. The prices are still a lot better than the tire stores. Alot of people drive on completely worn tires and worse, they let their kids drive on them. If you NEED tires, go buy some at Walmart. Worn tires are a death wish.
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Icehawk
Oh, YEAH!
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If you experience snow or frequent rain and are indifferent to the gas mileage loss (typically just a few mpg anyway these days), higher purchase cost, and potentially higher repair costs an AWD drivetrain is the best choice IMO for your use.
I wrote a bunch more but the above is the direct answer and really doesn't need to go any farther.
I wrote a bunch more but the above is the direct answer and really doesn't need to go any farther.
Chin Diesel
I've always been crazy but it's kept me from going
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That's a bit of a d!k comment.
Go8ng from a FCA vehicle to a Subaru is a good step up in quality and performance.
WeAreUCONN
Why So Serious ¿
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I have a Chevy Trax. I fishtailed a few times during the last snowstorm. Overall I like the Trax a lot.
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To be fair, the Dodge Journey is a meh vehicle to begin with, and is not even remotely "Dodge" material.
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My dad used to own a '69 Dodge Dart GTS 440. Then my mom made him sell it once she had another child, so he wound up getting that early 70s Dart, which was more or less a castrated version of the muscle car it once was.
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The point is that you can't base AWD vs FWD when it is Subaru AWD vs Dodge FWD. Honda or Toyota would be better for the comparison.
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I bought a FWD a couple years ago but our AWD is bigger and safer.
we learned to drive on a 5 speed sub-compact with rear wheel drive. Man were those cars fun to drive. The best was practicing fishtailing on empty snowy roads so it became automatic when it happened accidentally. Most of us learned that way. Granted cars today are so much safer but the kids are cheated out of really learning to drive.
we used to have a small FWD volvo but I couldn't make it up a steep driveway with a small amount of snow on it. I finally realized I had to turn off the automatic traction control in order to allow the wheels to spin and grip. I don't care for all of the automatic stuff on cars these days.
we learned to drive on a 5 speed sub-compact with rear wheel drive. Man were those cars fun to drive. The best was practicing fishtailing on empty snowy roads so it became automatic when it happened accidentally. Most of us learned that way. Granted cars today are so much safer but the kids are cheated out of really learning to drive.
we used to have a small FWD volvo but I couldn't make it up a steep driveway with a small amount of snow on it. I finally realized I had to turn off the automatic traction control in order to allow the wheels to spin and grip. I don't care for all of the automatic stuff on cars these days.