So now GM wants to kill the G8?
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 392
From: Roch, NY
After being in a constant drift in a 1995 Thunderbird with bald 205 all seasons along various roads in heavy snow @ 50 mph on a road that I only felt safe doing 30 in my FWD Regal made me re-evaluate what's better in the snow.
Give me rear wheel drive in any condition.
Give me rear wheel drive in any condition.
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,502
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 2,402
From: Toronto, ON Canada
After being in a constant drift in a 1995 Thunderbird with bald 205 all seasons along various roads in heavy snow @ 50 mph on a road that I only felt safe doing 30 in my FWD Regal made me re-evaluate what's better in the snow.
Give me rear wheel drive in any condition.
Give me rear wheel drive in any condition.
I like RWD and I am trying to dispel myths that it's not that safe, but you, sir, are definitely doing something wrong with your FWD Regal if that's your stance.
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 610
From: Akron, OH.
Your mistake. We purposely bought a manual Mazda3, although my wife has never driven one. I'm teaching her to drive it now, and yes, it will take a LOT of practice. Does she regret it? Nope. She wants to learn it, and I will not give up until she drives it comfortably. Granted, we went only about 3 times in the week that we have the car, but persistence and desire to learn is the motivating factor.
Our first baby is due in January. The ultrasound couldn't tell us if it's a boy or a girl, but regardless of which one, he or she will know how to drive a standard. It is by no means extinct, as some are led to believe, and a true driver should know how to drive one.
I have a similar feeling about RWD. We don't have a RWD car right now, but my wife drove her parents' mid 1980s Chevy Caprice station wagon (maybe it had a different name) at the age of 17, through the winter in Toronto. Everyone managed. And my wife is not what I call car-inclined by nature, but she learns if things are explained to her well.
My point is, you can't be intimidated by someone's lack of skill. Teach them the skill, even if it kills you trying
Our first baby is due in January. The ultrasound couldn't tell us if it's a boy or a girl, but regardless of which one, he or she will know how to drive a standard. It is by no means extinct, as some are led to believe, and a true driver should know how to drive one.
I have a similar feeling about RWD. We don't have a RWD car right now, but my wife drove her parents' mid 1980s Chevy Caprice station wagon (maybe it had a different name) at the age of 17, through the winter in Toronto. Everyone managed. And my wife is not what I call car-inclined by nature, but she learns if things are explained to her well.
My point is, you can't be intimidated by someone's lack of skill. Teach them the skill, even if it kills you trying
I grew up in the snow belt, I know what lake effect is. Old beasts like caprice wagons and Buick 225's where okay in the snow and rain with 150-200hp and 2000lbs over the rear axle. Take a new mustang with 300hp and 1400lbs over the rear axle and what do you get? The G8 has a long wheel base but Fbodies and mustangs dont and that also makes a difference when comparing to a caprice wagon. And my wife does drive a stick, the one in my sig.
I dont think the G8 is going away because of the rwd vs fwd. Its going away because pontiac cant sell a car above $25,000. The brand's poor quality and silly styling reputation has killed it. Pontiac ranks with Kia in consumer minds. If you are wondering about pontiacs future ask yourself, which GM brand doesnt have a hybrid?
Buick doesn't, but an Enclave hybrid is near, plus its getting a new epsilion. Whats Pontiac got? G3. nice.
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,214
From: City of Champions, MA, USA
Wonderful some of you can drive RWD in the snow and some of you can't.
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 3,132
From: Santa Clara, CA
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 929
Only two things make RWD bad in low-traction conditions:
1) poor preparation (the wrong tires)
2) lack of skill
It has nothing to do with the drive wheels.
And, BTW, the only reason that FWD is predominate in the market today is because it is cheaper to build. That decision had nothing to do with fuel economy nor winter traction. It was only about the money - the rest was marketing spin by the manufacturers.
1) poor preparation (the wrong tires)
2) lack of skill
It has nothing to do with the drive wheels.
And, BTW, the only reason that FWD is predominate in the market today is because it is cheaper to build. That decision had nothing to do with fuel economy nor winter traction. It was only about the money - the rest was marketing spin by the manufacturers.
Last edited by CaminoLS6; Nov 2, 2008 at 02:52 PM.
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 483
From: Far, far away
Dude preach all you want, rwd and wet weather suck. You cant even make an uphill right hand turn from a stop in wet weather without a limited slip. Maybe its nice and flat where you live but hot where I'm at. I couldn't get a rwd out of my driveway with snow on it let alone make a safe right hand uphill turn out of my subdivision in the rain onto the curving hilly state highway with a 55mph speed limit "safely".
Are you kidding? I live in the bottom of a valley with two very steep hills on either side and I've only been stuck one time.
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,173
Only two things make RWD bad in low-traction conditions:
1) poor preparation (the wrong tires)
2) lack of skill
It has nothing to do with the drive wheels.
And, BTW, the only reason that FWD is predominate in the market today is because it is cheaper to build. That decision had nothing to do with fuel economy nor winter traction. It was only about the money - the rest was marketing spin by the manufacturers.
1) poor preparation (the wrong tires)
2) lack of skill
It has nothing to do with the drive wheels.
And, BTW, the only reason that FWD is predominate in the market today is because it is cheaper to build. That decision had nothing to do with fuel economy nor winter traction. It was only about the money - the rest was marketing spin by the manufacturers.
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