3 ms·
This is not true- AWD bias depends on the platform, and not because driving the front wheels are more efficient. Subaru AWD drives the front and back equally. B
by jychang 3y ago
This is not true- AWD bias depends on the platform, and not because driving the front wheels are more efficient. Subaru AWD drives the front and back equally. BMW XDrive is rear biased. Audi Quattro drives both axles equally, Quattro Ultra prefers the front axle. Lexus IS AWD prefers the rear axle.
Your car probably was on a FWD platform with an AWD differential thrown in, which is the reason it drives the front wheels most of the time. If you were driving a BMW X3 for example, you’d have RWD by default unless you opt for AWD.
- Kon-Peki 3y agoIt's even more complicated than that! Subaru has 4 different AWD systems, the only one that is a true 50/50 split is installed on their manual transmission non-sporty cars. If you've got a CVT, you get a 60/40 split. Their sporty cars are rear-biased, either 45/55 or 41/59. Audi Quattro uses a Torsen center diff that is 50/50 or 40/60 based on the model, and the Quattro Ultra is like a Haldex system but with an extra clutch at the rear so that when it is running in pure FWD mode the drive shaft doesn't spin at all. This is more fuel efficient than your typical part-time AWD setup.
- SkyPuncher 3y agoMost, is the key word. The 3 examples you picked are performance-centric vehicles. Performance vehicles tend to be rear-wheel or equal. You simply can't get the performance characteristics out of a front-wheel biased car. Most AWD systems are doing a 60/40. Many of those are even further biasing towards the front wheels during cruising conditions. It's far safer for the average driver to have a FWD-biased car.