I drove a friends Audi A4 and really liked the AWD. Whats comming up in GM cars (not trucks/suvs) with AWD?

 

STS & G6 fer sure.

Zeta may have AWD variants.

 

Beancounter may kill AWD for Zeta.

 

Bad move.

AWD in sedans is the wave of the future.

 

I agree...on both counts.

 

Yep... GM has a related problem though...

The LSx family + AWD transfer cases and the current batch of transmissions = BOOM!

You'd have to beef up the whole line to handle the torque... or resort to torque management (yuck) like the 5.3 liter W-cars.

Meanwhile a whole new family of 5 and 6 speed automatics is being tooled up. Hope they set the torque capacity requirements for them high enough... if not, GM will have hamstrung itself.

 

As if we've never seen that one before...

 

Yup. AWD for Zeta is a big ticket item. Even some small ticket items may not make it through the chopping block.

 

A lot of people are still scared of RWD. Optional AWD is a good safty net to keep those customers that still prefer the front tires to spin under their own power.

 

Rebadged Subaru sold as Pontiac?

 

They hooked Saab up.

AWD would be very nice, but GM seems to be dragging their feet when it comes to making this an option on their small and mid-sized cars. Not what i expect from a corporation of its size and resources. The available AWD is one thing going for the new Ford 500, and the upcoming Fusion (futura) is said to offer that down the line. Even Ford is jumping on AWD in their sedans.

Imagine how much more attractive the malibu and impala would be with an optional AWD system. Especially for us people here up North.

 

Having owned both in many different vehicles, FWD is better in snow than RWD. Period.

 

Funny story.

Some years ago, me and my X husband (wasn't my X at the time) were heading up to the Rim (the Mogollon Rim for those not in the know of AZ) because there had been a heavy snow. I was in my 4wd, and he was in his. As we got to the steep part of the highway, heading up the rim, traffic came to a standstill. After sitting there for a while, we got out of our vehicles and walked ahead to see what was going on. Mind you, walking was treacherous at that point. Well, at the front of the line was a nice expensive Mercedes.......... with traction control (and all the other electronic assistance that they come with). Because the highway banked very slightly to the right, and he was going north, he couldn't keep his car out of the ditch at the side of the road (very small ditch). We tried to help him, along with about 20 other people, by pushing on the side of the car to keep the rear on the road. Eventually.............. hours later............ we got him up those last couple of miles.

Everything that was AWD, 4wd, or even FWD had little to no problems.

I own my '03 Mazda Tribute because, at the time I bought it, there was no reasonably priced AWD car alternative. Now there is, and it is very attractively priced.

If any major manufacturer cannot see the value of having AWD available in their mainstream cars, then they are going to have to accept lost sales to those who do.

BTW, we do not get alot of snow here............ or even very often. However, once is all takes......... if you really have to get somewhere.

 

Only for straight-ahead traction, such as getting moving from a stop. Once you're moving, RWD is superior. I grew up on RWD in the snow, have owned plenty of both configurations, and I can definitely say I prefer a modern RWD car overall in the white stuff.

 

Sure? Even when moving, give a rwd any sort of *** (even light) at the throttle or gas pedal, and the rear will want to swing out or the car will went to get sideways. Usually not the case with FWD. Not to mention the whole traction thing (you need tracion while moving too) and FWD cars having all that weight over their drive-wheels helps them a lot. They generally don't exhibit that rear-happy tendency associated with RWD cars.