All Wheel Drive? Launch Control?

[Brian Keenan]

I live in the south so I really don't need AWD. Then again, it's nice for good "off the line" launches. What do you think? Worth it or not? I imagine more people up north will find the need for it. I wonder if the Stinger GT will have launch control.

 

[Larry Denen]

AWD is good in the rain. I'm not saying you should drive erratically (ever) but you do have more freedom to do so in the rain with all wheel drive. I've never had a car with launch control. Not sure if I need that. I guess it's cool to know it's there if and when you want it. Maybe if you go to the track. Yeah, I guess it would be cool. lol

 

[ballistic]

launch control would be awesome! but i think that's reserved for cars more expensive than the stinger gt will be. i'll be looking for the awd model.

 

[Kia Stinger]

I still haven't heard anything about launch control so I'm going to guess it's not an option. Certainly not a deal breaker for most people but a nice feature none the less...

 

[Jim McIntosh]

It snows a lot in the winter where I live and having AWD means being able to drive year round in any weather. Had a RWD V8 Mustang GT and had to leave it in the garage in winter. On a dry surface AWD would get 365 HP to the road in a much more controllable manner than RWD. Launch control isn't really very useful and would not be an option I would want to pay for.

 

[Jenny Wang]

It snows a lot in the winter where I live and having AWD means being able to drive year round in any weather. Had a RWD V8 Mustang GT and had to leave it in the garage in winter. On a dry surface AWD would get 365 HP to the road in a much more controllable manner than RWD. Launch control isn't really very useful and would not be an option I would want to pay for.

Well that's a bit concerning. I hope the traction control and tires are good enough for safe driving in New York come winter time.

 

[Jim McIntosh]

Well that's a bit concerning. I hope the traction control and tires are good enough for safe driving in New York come winter time.

Good winter tires are really important if you have to deal with much snow and/or ice in the winter. However, AWD makes a huge difference. Take a test drive in a Subaru Outback with the 6 cylinder 256 HP engine (when it is slippery, if you get a chance) and you will see what a difference AWD makes. Don't know how much Kia would want for AWD, but it is likely more than worth it if you do much winter driving. I am assuming that Kia's AWD system is more or less as good as Subaru's.

 

[Bamm1]

Well that's a bit concerning. I hope the traction control and tires are good enough for safe driving in New York come winter time.

Winter driving is all about the tires. AWD can help you get moving. It does not help you turn or stop. If the winter is generally mild (like the current one in the NE) you should be fine if the all season tires that are stock on the 2.0T are of the better variety. All the electronic nannies should help as well. If it starts to get hairy then a good performance winter tire should solve all your problems (a studless winter tire probably won't be necessary, plus performance winter tires do much better on dry, cold pavement than studless winters).

 

[hej]

Winter driving is all about the tires. AWD can help you get moving. It does not help you turn or stop. If the winter is generally mild (like the current one in the NE) you should be fine if the all season tires that are stock on the 2.0T are of the better variety. All the electronic nannies should help as well. If it starts to get hairy then a good performance winter tire should solve all your problems (a studless winter tire probably won't be necessary, plus performance winter tires do much better on dry, cold pavement than studless winters).

Small point of disagreement, as I think you're 99.9% right; With torque vectoring being brought into the picture, I think AWD can indeed help you turn. But yes, good tires are far more important.

 

[Bamm1]

Small point of disagreement, as I think you're 99.9% right; With torque vectoring being brought into the picture, I think AWD can indeed help you turn. But yes, good tires are far more important.

I agree that torque vectoring by itself can help overcome "plowing" (understeer) caused by low friction surfaces (by inducing oversteer). But that is independent of what wheels are driven. A FWD or RWD car with torque vectoring will also be better in winter conditions. I still stand by my assertion that AWD does not enhance lateral grip.

 

[Jim McIntosh]

Yes tires are very important and agree AWD does not help with stopping or (much) with lateral grip. However, with all other things being equal, AWD offers more traction and control in very slippery situations or when exploring the vigorous end of the performance envelope. This becomes more true as power and torque increase. There is a reason why cars like the Lexus IS300/350 and Ford Fusion Sport are only available with AWD. I don't know for sure because I have not actually tested the car, but I am guessing based on experience with other RWD vehicles, that the RWD V6 Stinger would be more than a handful from time to time in a Canadian winter no matter what kind of tires it had and I need a car that is all-season, all-weather capable. Getting sideways can be fun, but only if it's deliberate.

 

[ballistic]

Yes tires are very important and agree AWD does not help with stopping or (much) with lateral grip. However, with all other things being equal, AWD offers more traction and control in very slippery situations or when exploring the vigorous end of the performance envelope. This becomes more true as power and torque increase. There is a reason why cars like the Lexus IS300/350 and Ford Fusion Sport are only available with AWD. I don't know for sure because I have not actually tested the car, but I am guessing based on experience with other RWD vehicles, that the RWD V6 Stinger would be more than a handful from time to time in a Canadian winter no matter what kind of tires it had and I need a car that is all-season, all-weather capable. Getting sideways can be fun, but only if it's deliberate.

all wheel drive is definitely helpful with very powerful cars but the lexus is and ford fusion really aren't that powerful or fast. i'm not sure what the reasoning was to make them all wheel drive but most cars that are actually legitimately fast like the corvette z06, camaro zl1, mustang cobra, and hellcats are rwd.

 

[Jim McIntosh]

all wheel drive is definitely helpful with very powerful cars but the lexus is and ford fusion really aren't that powerful or fast. i'm not sure what the reasoning was to make them all wheel drive but most cars that are actually legitimately fast like the corvette z06, camaro zl1, mustang cobra, and hellcats are rwd.

Had a RWD Mustang GT with a bit over 400 HP, which is fairly close to the V6 Stinger. Although fun to drive spring through fall, the car was pretty much undriveable in snow and ice. Could be driven, but overpowered and unforgiving in those circumstances even with good tires. I want a daily driver that is all weather capable year round. Also, I'm not looking for what you consider legitimately fast. Road conditions where I live and police presence would prohibit taking advantage of, say, more than very occasional use of a hellcat's potential. I have no interest in driving on a track or drag strip. The reason I am interested in the Stinger GT is that, with 365 HP and AWD, it has a combination of comfort, style, and versatile performance sufficient to my purposes at a reasonable price. I am speculating, but I think the reason the Lexus IS and Fusion Sport come with AWD is that it makes them generally more controllable in less than ideal road conditions.

 

[Kia Stinger]

All wheel drive definitely helps keep you planted on the road in slippery conditions. It's definitely a nice addition on cars that have it. I do feel it should be an option for anyone up north. But even on wet roads in warm weather - if you come into a situation where you need to accelerate to avoid an accident - that extra grip certainly helps...

 

[Bamm1]

Yes tires are very important and agree AWD does not help with stopping or (much) with lateral grip. However, with all other things being equal, AWD offers more traction and control in very slippery situations or when exploring the vigorous end of the performance envelope. This becomes more true as power and torque increase. There is a reason why cars like the Lexus IS300/350 and Ford Fusion Sport are only available with AWD. I don't know for sure because I have not actually tested the car, but I am guessing based on experience with other RWD vehicles, that the RWD V6 Stinger would be more than a handful from time to time in a Canadian winter no matter what kind of tires it had and I need a car that is all-season, all-weather capable. Getting sideways can be fun, but only if it's deliberate.

The Lexus IS350 being AWD only is specific to Canada. You can get the IS350 in RWD in other markets (like the US). For the IS I think its about sales, not performance. In parts of Canada the "snowflake" embossed tires are mandated by law during the winter months. I suspect RWD IS's would be a very small percentage of sales if offered (not worth the hassle). As far as performance goes, the 2017 RWD IS comes with an 8-speed auto and the AWD version is relegated to the 6-speed. I suspect the RWD version is faster.

I still think when comparing like for like, the RWD version of a car with winter tires will out perform the AWD version with all season tires.

all wheel drive is definitely helpful with very powerful cars but the lexus is and ford fusion really aren't that powerful or fast. i'm not sure what the reasoning was to make them all wheel drive but most cars that are actually legitimately fast like the corvette z06, camaro zl1, mustang cobra, and hellcats are rwd.

The Fusion Sport is "AWD Only" due to torque steer. Steering with the drive wheels and 380 ft-lbs of torque is not a good time.

For a street driven performance car (even more so if its your daily driver) AWD can't be beat. The 2012 Nissan GT-R with 530 hp (120-177 less HP) will beat or tie the cars you listed in most acceleration tests due to superior traction (at speed, say something like 60 to 120, the higher horsepower cars will win since traction is less of a factor). Of the cars you listed I have only been driven in a Hellcat. We mostly went sideways and had excessive wheel spin during my drive. Fun yes, fast, eh, maybe on a properly prepared drag strip.

On C&D's 10 quickest cars of the 21st Century only 2 are RWD.

http://www.caranddriver.com/flipboo...0-quickest-cars-of-the-21st-century-so-far#11

 

[Jim McIntosh]

The Lexus IS350 being AWD only is specific to Canada. You can get the IS350 in RWD in other markets (like the US). For the IS I think its about sales, not performance. In parts of Canada the "snowflake" embossed tires are mandated by law during the winter months. I suspect RWD IS's would be a very small percentage of sales if offered (not worth the hassle). As far as performance goes, the 2017 RWD IS comes with an 8-speed auto and the AWD version is relegated to the 6-speed. I suspect the RWD version is faster.

I still think when comparing like for like, the RWD version of a car with winter tires will out perform the AWD version with all season tires.



The Fusion Sport is "AWD Only" due to torque steer. Steering with the drive wheels and 380 ft-lbs of torque is not a good time.

For a street driven performance car (even more so if its your daily driver) AWD can't be beat. The 2012 Nissan GT-R with 530 hp (120-177 less HP) will beat or tie the cars you listed in most acceleration tests due to superior traction (at speed, say something like 60 to 120, the higher horsepower cars will win since traction is less of a factor). Of the cars you listed I have only been driven in a Hellcat. We mostly went sideways and had excessive wheel spin during my drive. Fun yes, fast, eh, maybe on a properly prepared drag strip.

On C&D's 10 quickest cars of the 21st Century only 2 are RWD.

http://www.caranddriver.com/flipboo...0-quickest-cars-of-the-21st-century-so-far#11

The point I was trying to make with respect to like-for-like comparison is that all other things being equal, including tires, AWD will generally outperform RWD. It is true that a lot of people where I live drive AWD vehicles with all season tires year round not understanding or caring how important winter tires are for going around corners and stopping. In some parts of Canada, however, such as Quebec, winter tires are required by law for all passenger vehicles.

 

[Bamm1]

The point I was trying to make with respect to like-for-like comparison is that all other things being equal, including tires, AWD will generally outperform RWD. It is true that a lot of people where I live drive AWD vehicles with all season tires year round not understanding or caring how important winter tires are for going around corners and stopping. In some parts of Canada, however, such as Quebec, winter tires are required by law for all passenger vehicles.

My diatribe against "all you need in the winter is AWD" started with concern that the RWD version of the Stinger would be unsuitable for winter time use in the NE US. RWD and all season tires should be doable given the vast amount of winter driving would likely be done on cold, dry roads. If you are trying to prepare for a higher volumes of ice and snow (just in case) then going to AWD with all season tires would help "some". But putting winter tires on your RWD Stinger would have a much bigger impact.

So my "angle" was more winter tires vs AWD. But as far as your point, you are spot on. If one is subject to Quebec-like winters then going AWD + Winter Tires mitigates the maximum amount of risk.

 

[Radman]

Question regarding gasoline for the GT. The manufacturer suggests emphasis added “premium gas”. What octane are they suggesting. Also, with all of the computerization of the engine is it possible to burn 87 or 89 octane?

 

[Chris]

You will be able to put in the car whatever is sold near you. All new cars have an anti-knock sensor in them. You may get less performance at lower octane gas, but I bet it is not that noticable. As for what is considered premium, a lot of that depends on elevation. The higher you go, the less octane needed, because there is less oxygen to make use of it. At sea level the common octanes are 87,91,93 In Utah at 4500 ft they sell 85,87,91.

 

[Radman]

Thanks Chris.