FWD vs AWD??

B

BruT-804

Member
:
Non-Mazda
I'm considering buying a CX-5 in a few months, not sure if I want AWD or FWD (or new vs used, but that's a different issue).
Had kinda planned on AWD but I'm not certain about that and would appreciate input from owners.

We've never had a CUV or AWD vehicle, and the main reason I'm leaning towards AWD is cuz I absolutely HATE being 'snowed in',
i.e. house-bound cuz our vehicles can't make it up the hill on our street when we get more than an inch of snow (live in a cul-de-sac).

We don't normally get a lot of snow (Central VA.) but have had quite a few when we couldn't get out till the snow melts.

I'm not into off-roading so that's not a factor; I also wouldn't mind having the better gas mileage of FWD but that's not a huge deal.

So are there any other factors I should consider? Is the 'driving experience' of FWD any different than AWD in normal around-town conditions?
One of the biggest priorities is 'fun to drive' (or at least funner than the current POS Prius).

Thanks for any thoughts -
BruT
 
BruT-804 said:
I'm considering buying a CX-5 in a few months, not sure if I want AWD or FWD (or new vs used, but that's a different issue).
Had kinda planned on AWD but I'm not certain about that and would appreciate input from owners.

We've never had a CUV or AWD vehicle, and the main reason I'm leaning towards AWD is cuz I absolutely HATE being 'snowed in',
i.e. house-bound cuz our vehicles can't make it up the hill on our street when we get more than an inch of snow (live in a cul-de-sac).

We don't normally get a lot of snow (Central VA.) but have had quite a few when we couldn't get out till the snow melts.

I'm not into off-roading so that's not a factor; I also wouldn't mind having the better gas mileage of FWD but that's not a huge deal.

So are there any other factors I should consider? Is the 'driving experience' of FWD any different than AWD in normal around-town conditions?
One of the biggest priorities is 'fun to drive' (or at least funner than the current POS Prius).

Thanks for any thoughts -
BruT
Click to expand...
Hello! Welcome, I live in Utah but I moved here 2 years ago from Fredericksburg, so hello former neighbor. When I was in Va I bought a new 16 cx-5 in fwd, never had any problems, and it's better on gas mileage, which was helpful on my daily trips up and down 95. Then moved cross country to a place with the "best snow on earth" and not a flat stretch of road in site. Spent 2 winters with the 16 fwd, didn't notice much of an issue, maybe that says more about my driving, little squirrelly this winter but I think that was more due to needing new tires. Upgraded in March to a 17 awd and haven't had snow since. Though I have driven through some torrential rain with standing water and definitely felt less 'floating' or hydroplaning through the trickier parts, more grip, but again, new tires. So it just depends on what you want, awd has better resale value, it will help you in places fwd can't. But my fwd got about 50-60 miles more per full tank of gas

They're both fun to drive, the `17 maybe more so due to ride quietness. Haven't noticed much difference in this aspect other than I pull hills better
 
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In my mind the only reason not to get the awd in the cx5 is if its absolutely of zero use..sounds like it would come in handy for you in winter even though you don't get a ton of snow..its a nice feature even in rain I feel..no brainer there..new vs used gen1 would be the decision part i think.
 
Don't forget, AWD is great for the rain too! It is no fun when you are trying to pull out into traffic on a rainy day with your front wheel drive, only to have your front wheels spin up and traction control kick in.
 
Like you, we get a few days of snow each winter here in Portland. I live on a steep hill and when snowed this year it was rock solid and did not even slip a bit. I went snow boarding at Timberline Lodge this winter and showed a friend how well it worked, on packed snow on a steep part of the road up to the ski area I came to complete and was able take off just as well as if I was on dry pavement.
 
Even if you are a good driver in snow or slick conditions the awd can give you a better ability to avoid the drivers that cannot. For me that’s the main battle during winter. If I have to make sudden moves the awd backs me up.

Years ago, 4wd helped me avoid running over a man who had slipped right in front of me during a big snowstorm. I was able to swing into the oncoming lane where there was no traffic fortunately and get back without losing control.
 
BruT-804 said:
I'm considering buying a CX-5 in a few months, not sure if I want AWD or FWD (or new vs used, but that's a different issue).
Had kinda planned on AWD but I'm not certain about that and would appreciate input from owners.

We've never had a CUV or AWD vehicle, and the main reason I'm leaning towards AWD is cuz I absolutely HATE being 'snowed in',
i.e. house-bound cuz our vehicles can't make it up the hill on our street when we get more than an inch of snow (live in a cul-de-sac).

We don't normally get a lot of snow (Central VA.) but have had quite a few when we couldn't get out till the snow melts.

I'm not into off-roading so that's not a factor; I also wouldn't mind having the better gas mileage of FWD but that's not a huge deal.

So are there any other factors I should consider? Is the 'driving experience' of FWD any different than AWD in normal around-town conditions?
One of the biggest priorities is 'fun to drive' (or at least funner than the current POS Prius).

Thanks for any thoughts -
BruT
Click to expand...

Go AWD or just keep the Prius is what I would do. The AWD and some good tires will give you much more capability. Prius shuts down if you spin a tire, I hear.
 
Get the AWD. The gas savings on AWD vs FWD is very minimal for the life of the vehicle.

AWD benefits in rain also, plus snow and off road.
 
Lbear said:
Get the AWD. The gas savings on AWD vs FWD is very minimal for the life of the vehicle.

AWD benefits in rain also, plus snow and off road.
Click to expand...

Yep. The price savings of fwd over awd drop significantly if the awd prevents an accident...
 
You don't need AWD until you lose traction.

And that's possible in the wet, on gravel, on icy roads, and in snow. There's no way I would have got of a water logged field I was caravanning on recently with out AWD.
 
Thanks everyone, sounds like it's unanimous in favor of AWD.

I appreciate all the input & this forum - I've learned a lot.
Regards
BT
 
It's not unanimous, I'm just scared to advocate for FWD here and face the wrath of the AWD mob. (spin)

Good luck.
 
Nothing wrong with fwd but if you are buying a crossover and get fwd, my opinion is that it hurts you when you trade it in. The fuel economy difference is really minuscule and your driving style will dictate that more than fwd/awd will. As already mentioned, the awd helps during rainy and even dry conditions in certain instances like going downhill and hitting a sharp curve. Mazda has some YT videos on how it works.
 
The thing is...what do you need a CUV for that a large car can't do? If it involves "ground clearance"...then you probably want AWD, too...
 
Puyapim said:
Nothing wrong with fwd but if you are buying a crossover and get fwd, my opinion is that it hurts you when you trade it in. The fuel economy difference is really minuscule and your driving style will dictate that more than fwd/awd will. As already mentioned, the awd helps during rainy and even dry conditions in certain instances like going downhill and hitting a sharp curve. Mazda has some YT videos on how it works.
Click to expand...

Yes I forgot about the torque vectoring which can work more efficiently with AWD. There is also a utube video showing how it helps an X1 handle the corners better.
 
xtrailman said:
Yes I forgot about the torque vectoring which can work more efficiently with AWD. There is also a utube video showing how it helps an X1 handle the corners better.
Click to expand...

High speed maneuverability in my CX5 has impressed me greatly. At the edge of traction/sometimes over it, t he CX5 really has an extremely competent algorithm keeping things in line. Part of that is the management of the AWD.
 
brillo54 said:
It's not unanimous, I'm just scared to advocate for FWD here and face the wrath of the AWD mob. (spin)

Good luck.
Click to expand...

You advocating FWD up a slippery driveway in the snow that he already keeps spinning on?
 
My driveway isn't even that steep. I talk about it frequently here and I imagine anyone that has read those posts must think I live up a mammoth hill. It's NOT that steep, but steep enough to the point that NO FWD car can easily get into it when there's any appreciable amount of snow on it. So, yea, I basically paid $1,200 extra just to not have to play the "Getting in my driveway" game. Back into the neighbor's drive and get a running start. Ono! Almost made it. Try again. With the CX-5 I can BACK IN when there is ANY amount of snow.
Not to mention 2 winters ago I had to rush my wife to the hospital and my car got stuck at the end of my driveway in a big drift because I was kind of in a panic as you can imagine and turned a bit early to back out. I promise my CX-5 wouldn't have had that issue. Car was so stuck my neighbor ran her to the hospital.
Yea, never again.
But, believe it or not I was still on the fence. Major downside: AWD kind of sucks because you cannot just replace one tire. No no no. If the tires are anything less then like new and you destroy one you need to replace ALL 4! Seriously. And AWD demands you rotate tires religiously to prevent uneven wear. I've never been a big "rotater" but I am now.
Finally there is resale as was mentioned. You're AWD vehicle is easily going to fetch a few dollars more at resale AND be more attractive to most buyers.
 
Natey said:
You advocating FWD up a slippery driveway in the snow that he already keeps spinning on?
Click to expand...

No, I'd advocate for winter tires in that situation. I know winter tires aren't an option for everyone but it could be a consideration.
 
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