Hi all,

just to share my satisfaction after a 200Km trip on the highway with slippery tamrac (due to rain and leaves) and a fierce wild wind. Go figure planes couldn't land at all, trains had issues - but this is not an exception in Italy - and trucks were parked on the emergency lane.

 

The AWD is really really a different beast from the FWD, in that you feel the car much more planted on its wheels notwithstanding the suspension is too soft IMHO and would greatly benefit from a stiffer and sportier setup. You can place the wheels exactly where you want and they will follow your command with a fantastic precision (the body is a bit disturbed by the too compliant suspensions, to be honest).

 

A great, and way safer driving experience.

 

HTH

I chose against getting the 4x4 because I didn't think I'd need it when I ordered my Octavia.

I recently shared commuting with a friend who bought a new A3 2L TDI quattro which I guess has a similar system & was very impressed with the grip in the dry let alone the bad conditions.

There are several times this winter where the 4x4 would have been useful so I think I'll definately take an extended test drive next time.

Exactly that!

 

I hoped that the AWD would have been of help, also given the suggestions of several distincted guys on this forum, and I'm simply amazed by the level of grip which is always available.

I drive a 4motion transporter, and it is great..... As you say, It feels so much more planted, the only time you can tell it is different is turning into corners and roundabouts I think.

I am now a week away from getting a 4x4 octavia, it's the wife's car, but even she preferred the more planted fee it gives (and it also will stop me getting told off for wheel spinning the car from junctions and lights when I allowed to drive it)

I hate driving my winter (snow) imprezza, horrid, horrid thing, quite frankly don't know what the hype is about, but it was cheap, and will bounce off snow banks, but it isn't all it should be in the slippy stuff...

I drive a 4motion transporter, and it is great..... As you say, It feels so much more planted, the only time you can tell it is different is turning into corners and roundabouts I think.

I am now a week away from getting a 4x4 octavia, it's the wife's car, but even she preferred the more planted fee it gives (and it also will stop me getting told off for wheel spinning the car from junctions and lights when I allowed to drive it)

 

Ever since I first drove our current Volvo in the winter, I decided I wouldn't be going back to FWD (or RWD) if I had a choice. It's such an improvement in slippery conditions.

 

It does however have somewhat of a learning curve. Sure it's more planted and has more grip than a FWD car, but if you drive it like a FWD you'll lose speed to avoid understeer. Once you learn to drive a little more aggressively in slippery conditions, the AWD system really helps overcome the understeering characteristic.

 

It's especially noticeable in tight roundabouts, where with a FWD car you have to lift off if the car starts to understeer. But with AWD a quick flick of the wheel accompanied by some more throttle brings the rear end out just enough to counteract the oversteer.

 

Ps. AWD doesn't mean you won't get wheel spin when starting off from lights or junctions...at least if you disable the traction control system and use a little more welly...  

Edited 25 February, 201511 yr by kallekilponen

Ps. AWD doesn't mean you won't get wheel spin when starting off from lights or junctions...at least if you disable the traction control system and use a little more welly...

I don't think she'll be very happy with me if I do that,

In the van it is really noticeable though, where in a fwd van when you accelerate, particularly from a standstill, it throws the weight back and the front tyres scrabble for grip, the 4wd just goes!

The throwing it about doesn't really happen though, it's all racked out..... And fun had would be negated by sorting out all the stuff :-D

In the van it is really noticeable though, where in a fwd van when you accelerate, particularly from a standstill, it throws the weight back and the front tyres scrabble for grip, the 4wd just goes!

 

The lack of slipping is really the most noticeable when accelerating softly. The 2WD cars just spin their tires while you effortlessly drive away.

 

(On a hard acceleration there's some slipping on all four wheels, but you also launch off the line like a bat out of hell.  :p )

Yes, it's very very quick (and I didn't yet dare to turn ASR off), and I love not to have to lift my right foot while cornering.

 

It's especially noticeable in tight roundabouts, where with a FWD car you have to lift off if the car starts to understeer. But with AWD a quick flick of the wheel accompanied by some more throttle brings the rear end out just enough to counteract the oversteer.

 

to counteract the understeer, I presume you meant. At least this is how it works and makes me smile on mine!

Yes, it's very very quick (and I didn't yet dare to turn ASR off)

Try it in the snow, it's lotsa fun

Sure, I will!

to counteract the understeer, I presume you meant. At least this is how it works and makes me smile on mine!

That's what I meant. I edited what I wrote so many times that I totally forgot to change that word. At first I wrote that it can initiate oversteer to get over the understeering characteristic, but changed it because it sounded confusing...oh well...it sure does now...

Didn't mean to sound "picky", just to agree a bit more on this behavior.

 

BTW, I keep thinking that I would love to try a stiffer set of ARBs. But I know I couldn't part from them