Petrochemist
Mu-43 All-Pro
I drive a Focus, as a photographer there didn't seem to be any other choice
Nissan Juke Turbo AWD.....as the old Nissan add said.....'Like Napoleon, small but strong' [I'd replace 'strong' with 'goes like the clappers'] ?
Most "AWD" cars are AWD on demand - by which time it's generally too late. Full-time AWD with a torque split of roughly 50:50 is infinitely preferable.@BosseBe the general rule for permanent drive AWD or activated 4WD cars is that when anything happens, first move aim with the steering wheel, second move floor the throttle pedal, third move adjust steering&throttle accordingly
of course there are myriads of conditions/space available/power-output-vs-grip exceptions that nullify the rule but in general it works, the car stops wobbling around and, like a cat slipping on the floor in the wrong direction, grabs with all wheels to the direction dictated by the steering wheel and saves the day- of course some times it is better to bang on a wall than fight to avoid it and end up over the cliff or try to keep on the road and face a 38 tonne truck head on vs ditching softly on a plowed field
this is the problem with AWD, it feels so well planted in adverse conditions until it is not which happens all too late and fiercely to be able to save it (unless you drift it on command in advance which mess up the groceries in the boot) - on rough conditions never rely on AWD, just forget it is there and drive like a 2WD car so AWD will be giving you headroom in the background to avoid bumping on the obstacles and you won‘t be cought off-guard
a zillion systems out there, other doing the job seamlessly and others quite clunky and incosistent but on most modern cars they have ironed out response times to make lesser systems behave much better than the past - look at the latest haldex system or what that new Mini 4x4 has... on my loved Subaru front, the 4EAT logging Outback guys discovered that the MPT automatics seriously interlock the two axles only at full throttle so full time AWD from the proven and iconic AWD brand is not that different from Haldex-5 after all and this was many years ago (ok the haldex system had quite less thermal capacity to withstand prolonged slippage but we are talking safe normal driving and not constant high performance driving)Full-time AWD with a torque split of roughly 50:50 is infinitely preferable.
A manufacturer actually named their vehicle “scat”? ??The OP made an interesting suggestion that m43 users might lean away from the mainstream - I certainly like to think so. The makes of car which I drive tend to be Japanese - mainly Mitsubishi, thanks to childhood family car history. I would own and drive many more cars, but they cost a lot more to buy, maintain and store, and are harder to sell, than cameras (which I buy and store or sell quite a lot more of)!
Here's a current selection:
1980 Mitsubishi Chrysler Scorpion:
View attachment 848240
1984 Daihatsu F20 Scat (TAFT):
View attachment 848239
...and a weird French goddess of '74:
View attachment 848241
I decided that British cars aren't my thing, so I sold this earlier in the year:
View attachment 848238
True story! I like to think Scat in this instance means 'to get away', as it's a great vehicle for all terrain. I prefer the acronym TAFT, as it's known in most other markets, which is a much better description: Tough Almighty Four-wheel-drive Transport.A manufacturer actually named their vehicle “scat”? ??
that is why most modern systems have the transfer clutch precharged to always have some torque delivered to the other axle, the same way the MPT Subaru system has been working while cruising@MichailK AWD really needs to be working before you get into strife, not even a millisecond after
The OP made an interesting suggestion that m43 users might lean away from the mainstream - I certainly like to think so. The makes of car which I drive tend to be Japanese - mainly Mitsubishi, thanks to childhood family car history. I would own and drive many more cars, but they cost a lot more to buy, maintain and store, and are harder to sell, than cameras (which I buy and store or sell quite a lot more of)!
Here's a current selection:
1980 Mitsubishi Chrysler Scorpion:
View attachment 848240
1984 Daihatsu F20 Scat (TAFT):
View attachment 848239
...and a weird French goddess of '74:
View attachment 848241
I decided that British cars aren't my thing, so I sold this earlier in the year:
View attachment 848238
Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid..... not much power but like the 60mpg. Hit 67mpg cruising back roads at 55mph
I guess it’s still a better name than the Mazda Laputa (ask any Spanish speaker what that means)True story! I like to think Scat in this instance means 'to get away', as it's a great vehicle for all terrain. I prefer the acronym TAFT, as it's known in most other markets, which is a much better description: Tough Almighty Four-wheel-drive Transport.
CVT. Not really. At least I don’t notice it. I did notice when a large truck passed us on a very rainy highway. The car started to skid and then you could feel the AWD kick in. My wife will never buy any other brand. Seriously though, we like Subarus and will probably keep buying them.Manual or CVT? Do you find it underpowered? I almost bought one but ended up with the Forester.
We drive a VW Passat ... 2nd 3 yr lease ... not one problem in almost 6 years!Volkswagen
1984 rabbit(1.8 16v stroker swap)
1987 GTI( 2L 16v swap, port&polish, cams, 3" exhaust)
1989 jetta Trophy
1995 golf TDI( stageII turbo)