Any advantage of getting AWD over FWD in a city like Atlanta?
- Thread starter Dimcorner
- Start date
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- Plano, Texas, USA
Be persistent. We wanted an AWD but no one had it in our area at the time. We had our sales manager searched the Mazda inventory at the port of entry and every CX-5 on the boat. It took 22 days to reach our dealer from the Pacific Ocean, with the exactly everything we wanted. With added benefit of 3 miles on odometer and no holes on front bumper! 
Agree. Save your money. Someone will blather on about wet traction, but it's nearly irrelevant ..... if you drive sensibly.
Well AWD is not really a problem. It's the combo of AWD and premium package and grey or white car.
However if it drives all the same then I'm not sure if I need it. I used to have an S4 and it was great, but the CX-5 is not a twin turbo V6.
Currently our RDX is FWD and have had no problems so far.
However if it drives all the same then I'm not sure if I need it. I used to have an S4 and it was great, but the CX-5 is not a twin turbo V6.
Currently our RDX is FWD and have had no problems so far.
7eregrine
The man, the myth, the legend
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- Land of Cleve
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- 2016.5 CX5
True in Ohio. Michigan. Wisconsin. Not true in Georgia. Texas. Florida.
There's a reason he's having a hard time finding an AWD. Most folks in states with mild weather know that AWD isn't going to help much at all on wet roads.
NelsonLewis
Banned
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- 16.5 CX-5 GT AWD w/Tech BRMica
If you want it, get it, don't regret it later.
It was AWD or nothing for me. Needed, maybe not, but the want overcame the need in this one as its meant to be a longtime purchase...
It was AWD or nothing for me. Needed, maybe not, but the want overcame the need in this one as its meant to be a longtime purchase...
NelsonLewis
Banned
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- 16.5 CX-5 GT AWD w/Tech BRMica
Flat as can be. An hour out though, and...
We live in a flat region as well. We do get monsoon storms but our FWD cars never let us down. That said having good tires helps. Going back to AWD though...would it not provide better dry traction acceleration?
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- Denver, CO
I live in Colorado (wait, really?) So AWD was natural.
Atlanta? Think you'll be fine with FWD.
Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
Atlanta? Think you'll be fine with FWD.
Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
7eregrine
The man, the myth, the legend
- :
- Land of Cleve
- :
- 2016.5 CX5
Not really, no. Not any better then FWD would unless you're in snow and mud.
As for Nelson: get it if you want it. He doesn't really WANT it. He wants to know if there's any advantage in his climate.
No.
No.
No.
Unless he plans to off-road...
Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
Definitely not flat. Not super hilly but not flat. I lived in Miami... THAT is flat.
It does snow a little here every now and then and apparently that is enough to gridlock the city and make a 1hr commute turn into a 12 hour ordeal....
So one dealer can find the grey AWD... But someone would drive it over from Raleigh, NC.... that's like 300 miles....
NelsonLewis
Banned
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- 16.5 CX-5 GT AWD w/Tech BRMica
Definitely will be fine with FWD just about anywhere, but if you WANT it, then GET it.
NelsonLewis
Banned
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- 16.5 CX-5 GT AWD w/Tech BRMica
Those hills in Atlanta are nothing. Do you need AWD, no, but do you WANT it? That is the $ question
NelsonLewis
Banned
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- 16.5 CX-5 GT AWD w/Tech BRMica
He lives in the same region I do. It should come down to personal preference.
Tires,tires,tires...
Get what you want so you don't regret it later as stated by someone else above.
I have the FWD, I wish I would have gotten the AWD even if I'm in Texas. Reasons for wanting AWD:
- Performance. The car will use all four tires when it needs to. This means corner exits are much better, standing starts are much better and the car is better balanced when loaded up. Towing is better from a traction standpoint with AWD.
- Wet weather traction. Doing a quick right turn on an intersection on wet roads can be a safety issue on FWD. In my case, I was spinning the inside tires due to the wet roads and the car took some time to regain traction. Another example is doing a protected left turn where the incoming car is not stopping. (This happened to my sister and she flipped over her Corolla as a result.) You better be able to get on the power and quickly finish your left turn, or you get hit.
- Out of state road trips. Just because I live in Texas doesn't mean I'm only going to be driving in Texas. It would be great to have a car that can do a road trip into a snowy state. (You can argue that FWD with winter tires is better, however it doesn't make sense to use winter tires in Texas. All season tires with AWD is a good compromise here.)
- Better modding potential. This really ties into my first point about performance. If you somehow mod it to where it makes more power, or put wider wheels/tires on it, the AWD version will put your mods to good use.
There are certainly some advantages to going with FWD, like cheaper price and better MPGs. In my case, I get MPGs similar to owners driving AWD CX-5s, so really I only got the cheaper price benefit.
I have the FWD, I wish I would have gotten the AWD even if I'm in Texas. Reasons for wanting AWD:
- Performance. The car will use all four tires when it needs to. This means corner exits are much better, standing starts are much better and the car is better balanced when loaded up. Towing is better from a traction standpoint with AWD.
- Wet weather traction. Doing a quick right turn on an intersection on wet roads can be a safety issue on FWD. In my case, I was spinning the inside tires due to the wet roads and the car took some time to regain traction. Another example is doing a protected left turn where the incoming car is not stopping. (This happened to my sister and she flipped over her Corolla as a result.) You better be able to get on the power and quickly finish your left turn, or you get hit.
- Out of state road trips. Just because I live in Texas doesn't mean I'm only going to be driving in Texas. It would be great to have a car that can do a road trip into a snowy state. (You can argue that FWD with winter tires is better, however it doesn't make sense to use winter tires in Texas. All season tires with AWD is a good compromise here.)
- Better modding potential. This really ties into my first point about performance. If you somehow mod it to where it makes more power, or put wider wheels/tires on it, the AWD version will put your mods to good use.
There are certainly some advantages to going with FWD, like cheaper price and better MPGs. In my case, I get MPGs similar to owners driving AWD CX-5s, so really I only got the cheaper price benefit.
NelsonLewis
Banned
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- 16.5 CX-5 GT AWD w/Tech BRMica
Just go get it, and make the dealer who has it give you a better deal. No way would I allow it to be driven for 300 miles for nothing in return, not to mention, it's new, I want to put the first 300 miles on it, or IMO, it's not really completely new. Kills half the fun of a new car for me...
