New Car!

[Penguin]

Our old Honda Accord has nearly gotten my mom hurt on the highways a few times now, and the plan is to buy a sedan with AWD.  We know next to nothing about cars, and would like to get some opinions on pitfalls to avoid when shopping around.  Our current pick is an Audi A4, but perhaps you guys know something we don't.

-Penguin

[ariansworld]

Audi is a great car.

[ToeTag]

The more expensive the car the more expensive the repairs.  I also noticed expensive cars break more often because they have more widgets and de-value more quickly.  The best AWD cars for the money, considering all categories, is a Subaru Outback in my opinion.  Use this car as your base line for research when comparing reviews.  Do lots of it and let me know if I'm wrong.

[Delirium]

 The best AWD cars for the money, considering all categories, is a Subaru Outback in my opinion.  Use this car as your base line for research when comparing reviews.  

+1

[Masherbrum]

.......and Oil Changes can last up to 18500 miles.........

[ariansworld]

.......and Oil Changes can last up to 18500 miles.........

Oil changes for Audi is every 10k miles.

[CAP1]

Our old Honda Accord has nearly gotten my mom hurt on the highways a few times now, and the plan is to buy a sedan with AWD.  We know next to nothing about cars, and would like to get some opinions on pitfalls to avoid when shopping around.  Our current pick is an Audi A4, but perhaps you guys know something we don't.

-Penguin

 IF you're in the usa, avoid audi at all cost. they suck here. they have non-stop problems, as could be attested to by the most recent customer of mine, whom i recommended he not buy his a6 quattro. it's a 2001 with only 101k on it.......and he's spent nearly 6k on it in the last 5 months. he's not the only one.

 if you want a decent, reliable good awd car, go with a subaru. feel free to pm me with any questions. 

[Dimebag]

say no to audi

suby's are fine

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Yep Subaru is good especially considering the dirt cheap gasoline prices you have there.

[Dragon]

I might be a bit bias, but you can always look for a good used Jaguar X-Type.

[Penguin]

We need this car to be cheap to operate during the other three seasons.  The only reason we need AWD is my mom keeps losing traction on the icy surface of I-95.

-Penguin

[Babalonian]

Our old Honda Accord has nearly gotten my mom hurt on the highways a few times now, and the plan is to buy a sedan with AWD.  We know next to nothing about cars, and would like to get some opinions on pitfalls to avoid when shopping around.  Our current pick is an Audi A4, but perhaps you guys know something we don't.

-Penguin

AWD is a huge drain on MPG, we're talking huge compared to 2WD.  Also tire wear, not hideous, but again _huge_ in comparison to a 2WD accord where you can rotate the tries a few times and be good as new for another year or so.  

How would the AWD make her driving safer and avoid the hazards she has faced before?  

From experience, they're not safer on the road than my 2WD civics or accords have been, short of snow/ice and even then you're gonna be going slow (see my next point).  They accelerate faster because they usually have larger powerplants, but in terms of safety that's only one good in trade for a number of bads.  An old sayign with 4x4s that is also true with AWDs, is that they sure can get going, but they're not as easy to get to stop.  This is multiplied in bad weather... sure the AWD and 4x4s don't need chains to get going 30-35 down a road covered with an inch of ice/slush underneath 5 inches of snow... they will however need just as much room/time/space to stop/slow down as a 2WD (and this is why I use chains on my AWD in bad weather sometimes even if I don't have to, acceleration never a problem, slowing down and braking though if the road hasn't been plowed in a while...).  And if you didn't buy new tires before the winter, be it rain or snow or ice, it can be worse than a 2WD with fresh tires.  Again, they are heavier and they wear down tires faster, so they do not stop under any condition better than a 2WD vehicle on any given sunday IMHO.


I'm in the process of inheriting my mother's '94 CRV w/ AWD, she just picked up a '11 CRV w/ 2WD.  It actualy handles on the road a lot better than the old one (handles fine offroad too, but doesn't have the AWD traction or stiffer suspention of the older CRV).

[Penguin]

This isn't my opinion, I'm quoting my mom:

"The AWD drivetrain improves traction by powering more wheels"

Is this the case, or is she just pulling this out of her butt?

-Penguin

[Babalonian]

We need this car to be cheap to operate during the other three seasons.  The only reason we need AWD is my mom keeps losing traction on the icy surface of I-95.

-Penguin

Honda AWD is not cheaper than Honda 2WD systems, but it is cheaper than Suburu AWD systems.  Again though, I can't express to you how useless AWD is going to be if she can't keep up with replacing the tires almost twice as often as she has been on her accord.  

AWD will definetley be noticable though in helping her keep traction while accelerating though on intermitent patches of ice/snow... but not while braking though, that is a most definitie, AWD/4x4 will help her go on ice/snow but not stop.

[MaSonZ]

do a Subuaru if your lookin for a cheap reliable car. i know a few people who have them, and theyre good cars. Audis are good, but as mentioned theyre a PITA to keep running. my friend has an audi TT, then engine mounts rotted away (its an 01) and his exhaust broke, yes i said broke, right after the cat. deep pockets to keep em running..,


ive seen some posts about oil changes..and i pray your joking. who cares what the manufacturer "recomends", if they say 10k, stick to 3k. if they say 40k..stick to 3k. anyone look at oil thats been in for 5k as opposed to 3k? hows about 10k.... I'm sure CAP has, some dirty stuff. and it gets circulated through your engine.....

This isn't my opinion, I'm quoting my mom:

"The AWD drivetrain improves traction by powering more wheels"

Is this the case, or is she just pulling this out of her butt?

-Penguin

its the theory, but in all likely hood, i doubt it to be true. CAP can explain more, but heres my reasoning. as opposed to 2 wheels pulling you you have all 4. if you need to stop i na hurry, you have power to all 4 wheels, reduces your braking power, increases your stopping distance. If your on snow (or better yet ice...) you have power to all 4 wheels. you slip and your gonna have your hands full. it isnt like a RWD where you do as needed to the throttle and steering wheel. you have your front wheels pulling you, which control your steering.

AWD is good in its own domain, as is FWD, or RWD, but all have theyre flaws.

thinking about traction.... itll be a little more money, but get reasonably good set of summer tires and a reasonably good set of winter tires.

Honda AWD is not cheaper than Honda 2WD systems, but it is cheaper than Suburu AWD systems.  Again though, I can't express to you how useless AWD is going to be if she can't keep up with replacing the tires almost twice as often as she has been on her accord. 

AWD will definetley be noticable though in helping her keep traction while accelerating though on intermitent patches of ice/snow... but not while braking though, that is a most definitie, AWD/4x4 will help her go on ice/snow but not stop.

+1 bold.

  good luck!