Andy M3

Of my 13 cars ever owned, 4 have been rear wheel drive, 1 AWD and the other 8 have been FWD. Of the FWD cars, 2 have been excessively powerful - limiting the full use. One was my old 300hp Volvo T5 and the other is my 180hp Fabia vRS. The Volvo weighed 1600kg's and came with an auto box, so it delivered the power nicely - but the fabia delivers 280+ lb/ft @ 2000 rpm. Due to the short wheel base and reasonably sporty [aftermarket] suspension it does keep it on the road reasonably well – but at the moment, when roads are cold and greasy – it is often a major pain in the ***. So I was saying to the Mrs. that I need a AWD / RWD next time, no more FWD for me.

But there aren’t many rwd / awd cars to choose from at reasonable money and that burn oil ?

Anyone else given up the FWD forever ?

Brendan Hughes

How about just not trying to drive so fast?

Diablo

LOL @ Brendan

Andy, I know what you mean and have just ordered a 120d.

Andy M3

Thanks for the tip brendan - i will give it a try

Dracoro

What is reasonable money? new/2nd hand?

All the germans seem to be a good bet (1/3/5 series, Audi TDI quattros, Merc C/E class, VW may do a 4wd TDi?).

flynnstudio

Yep - I'm there with you!...

I just can't bear the way they power understeer.....and the more BPH they add, the more it becomes like driving the auto-motive equivelant of chattering teeth...

As I always say 'when a dog lays down the power to it's rear legs it goes like the wind, when it lays down the power with it's front legs - it digs a bloody great big hole..'

..but I guess it's 'panic power off' inherant safety is good for 95% of driving 'non-drivers' - if you take my drift ( which you won't be doing in your FWD chattering teeth hole digging torque steering ****** hatch)

Andy M3

It is sort of a general statement. I paid £12k for my fabia. This bought me a 5 door hatchback with a/c electrics, alloys - 130hp diesel engine. For a similar BMW package it is + £5k, and it is the same story with Audi's 2.0 TDI quattro. So not too bad but £17k seems to be a minimum.

Best get saving !

03-CTR

Can you not get traction control or an LSD for the Fabia to help control the delivery ?? It would seem a shame to ditch the vRS as it's a cracking car for the money.

Andy M3

I am not going to ditch it yet - I think we will be friends again when the weather improves. A standard map would be the best bet - even a remap to flatten the torque figure to keep it below 200 lb/ft would aid drivability. It has traction control which works very well, but stops you moving

I think a 2/3 stage map would be best. 100hp (180 lb/ft) + 180hp (280 lb/ft) and one in between. My mate has a 4 stage map on his Volvo 850R and it is mental. 200hp is minimum then goes up in 50 hp increments !

matchmaker

I think one of the guys on Briskoda has/is getting a Quaife LSD for his remapped Fabia vRS

SideShowBob

You ever seen a dog using its rear "wheel" drive power hit a slippery kitchen floor?
If you're having difficulty travelling at reasonable speeds on the cold and greasy roads in a FWD, I believe you'll find RWD solves that problem, by allowing you to travel at a reasonable speed backwards into a lamp post.

It'd have to be AWD. Cold, damp, greasy roads and RWD are a nightmare, and unless you're out having delberate fun in those conditions, they are a liability, and not enjoyable at all.

There are some really good VAG AWD cars about, and most of the VAG engines can be chipped, so you'd be taking advantage of the AWD straight away when it comes to putting down the extra power.

john banks

Luckily I could leave the M3 at home and take the wife's Octy vRS to work in the last snow as she was on Xmas holiday. Otherwise I was stuck, RWD, DSC on or off, M-diff etc, simply stuffed - winter tyres/wheel not economical. I have never had to have so much awareness of surface temperature/type as I have driving the M3 in a Scottish winter, although as long as it doesn't get stuck it is well controlled by DSC unless you have momentum slides.

matchmaker

How did the Octy perform in the snow? I put snow tyres on mine in preparation for all the snow and there hasn't been any decent falls since

NotoriousREV

You know, your Fabia doesn't have to deliver 280lb/ft all the time, I beleive some models were fitted with an adjustable throttle and not just an on/off switch

I can make progress in my VW TDi and hardly get the traction control flickering and still outdrag other cars

Mungo

I found this a problem with my old Golf Tdi 130. Although you do obviosuly have a throttle pedal, it does act more like an on/off switch w.r.t. torque. At 1500rpm there was no torque and you'd just bog pulling out of a junction, but at 1900 you had 200lbft and looked like a hooligan with the chattering teeth traction control action....

john banks

matchmaker, the Octy vRS was fine in the snow. Very well judged traction control was actually beneficial, almost idiot proof, this is a standard car.

RS Grant

I've been enjoying a 330d in the lovely greasy roads we've been having recently.


Cheers,
Grant

RobHardy

vw dont do a cheap 4x4 tdi unless you want a toureg.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Perhaps give one of those Subaru Impreza's a try, I beleive they are four wheel drive and are well regarded in some quarters on the web.

NotoriousREV

Nah, an old Peugeot would muller one.