Opinions on FWD SUV's

[shane_c]

From my other post the other day you might know that I'm looking to get a cheap wagon. I'm also thinking about a small SUV that gets good gas mileage. I had a rental Jeep Patriot a few weeks ago and really liked it (except for the CVT, I'd get a 5spd). But anyway, do you think getting a FWD SUV defeats the purpose? It keeps the price down that's for sure. And I don't go offroading. We do get snow here in the winter but it has traction control.

[ColonelPanic]

I don't really think it defeats the purpose... Seems to me that 99.9% of SUV owners drive them no different than they would an FWD car so there's no sense for most to have the extra hardware that takes up space, adds on weight, requires additional maintenance and reduces fuel economy. If I were looking at a small SUV I'd rather just go FWD. Something four banger with traction control, ABS, and a decent set of tires would get around just fine.

[northvibe]

thats why i like my dads ford escape, its fwd until it senses slipping then goes 4wd. that and heavy fwd cars/suv/trucks make it most places in the winter find, its the light cars ie. vibe that have issues in winter, that coming from personal experience, i used to have a taurus and sable now the vibe. its just nice just in case if you need 4wd at random times. depends if you are a outdoor person. if it will just be for city/hwy use, fwd will work great.

[NibCrom]

Well since you're asking for our opinion... To me, an SUV or a truck or a Jeep should have 4WD. Sometimes I see pickup trucks stuck in the snow, and I just think, "why did you buy a truck with FWD?" As far as Jeeps go, I say they should ALL have 4WD. It just seems like that's where it's roots are, in off-roading. No one should buy a Corvette to go slow, they were made to go fast! Same thing with a Jeep, made for off-roading, they should be able to handle foul weather.Then again, if you have had FWD cars in the past and never got stuck in the snow, then FWD will probably be okay.

[ramenboy...]

what about the sx4? or would that be too small?

[Whelan]

The AWD Vibe and Trix are FWD when needed. The FWD on a small SUV is mainly there for a few reasons1) Fuel economy2) less hp with the 4 cylinder engines so less strain on engine3) Not needed all the time4) 90% of those owners never go off road, 90% of those cars are not even built for off-road as much as for wet/slippery surfaces. Unless you have a Jeep Liberty or Ford Escape which can go farther than most Rav4, CRV variants if taken off road.6) No different than bigger SUVs that are only RWD with no AWD system. Some people just don't need it. You can get a Rav4 w/o AWD, I think you can get a CRV that way too, but not positive.

[wyatt89]

i agree, i would probably buy an sx4, those have a lot of interior room, have selectable AWD and look fairly decent, they do go from 0-60 in just over 11 sec though...not exactly fast...its friggin cheap for a spankin new car though!!!

[kevera]

I don't know,they seem awful small,almost like a smartcar with 2 extra doors.

[wyatt89]

ive been in one, if you have ever been in a honda fit, its a little bit bigger than that inside...