[darkestcharger]

I work at a jeep chrysler dodge 5 star dealership, i am a salesman. I am from williamsport pa origionally but moved to shippensburg, pa and work in chambersburg, pa 30 mins from gettysburg. I am use to harsh winters so i bought and modded up a 1995 eagle talon tsi awd turbo. I am going to buy a new car and keep the talon but... heres my question. I know our esp is from mercedes and is good and all but. I am kicking around between a rwd r/t and an awd r/t. I got a taste for awd with the talon and my quick launches but ive seen chargers in action. Should I go for the awd or will the r/t rwd do me just fine in the snow. Keep in mind i do alota winter driving in mountains. If rwd is the choice i may buy our daytona charger plum purple which is number 3 of 1400. I know theres burnout fanatics on here im on this site every night but give me your honest opinion. For a fairy snowy area which would you choose. I love burnouts and all but the awd is in my blood. Help a mopar salesman out here guys.

 

[08MagRacer]

if you do a lot of winter driving get AWD
it really does drive good in snow
but if you are only driving 1 or 2 months out of the year for snow i would get RWD

 

[a14umbra]

We get real snow, what, 3 times a year at most? I drive my car 365 days a year. I wouldn't choose my car based on those 3 days.

Personally, I prefer RWD. But it's gonna be your car. You really need to decide which you prefer to drive all of those 365 days.

 

[darkestcharger]

well how good are the rwds in snow though?

 

[a14umbra]

well how good are the rwds in snow though?

I've been fortunate enough to only drive mine in the snow once. It did fine, if you know how to drive RWD.

The only time I got into trouble was when I got behind a Honda that got stuck going up a hill. There were people trying to get him moving and he was taking up the whole road, so I turned around and went a different way.

 

[darkestcharger]

what do you mean if you know how to drive rwd... my cars have all been fwd and now awd. How diff is it going to act ? My awd talon when turbo spools up has kicked out a few times and climbed a hill kind of sideways is it the same effect with charger?

 

[a14umbra]

It's VERY different. I grew up driving RWD, so it feels natural to me. I don't know how to put it into words. You just need to know that it's gonna kick out in the read instead of the front. You can wind up drifting sideways quite easily. Although, ESP does a good job preventing that.

 

[darkestcharger]

man i got no idea what to do haha. with the esp does it kick out much? my awd kicks constantly when the turbo spools thats why im just wondering if its not the same deal but ive had good reports on esp. This sucks not knowing to do awd or rwd.

 

[a14umbra]

If you are already used to AWD, do it!
You won't miss RWD if you're not accustomed to driving it anyway. Know what I mean?

 

[Phanta5m]

if you live where it could snow at least 3-4 months out of the year...get the awd. i travel through pa all the time and i know what the winters can be like in some of the areas. awd baby!

 

[Ron380]

Just my .02 worth... I've owned all of the above- I learned on RWD, I've owned FWD, 4x4 and AWD. I am totally convinced of the benefits of AWD! I'm originally from Western PA and used to work at Boyce Park Ski Area. We frequently got to work Sat. morning before the snow plow, so I DO know how to drive them all in the snow. AWD, from my experience is priceless! I'll never go back to FWD or RWD only, unless it's a "specialty" or "fun" car, instead of a daily driver. The proof is in my sig. :grin:

 

[Gabe]

I love my AWD's ability to leap off the line with no wheel spin, no attention-grabbing tire-spinning noise ... "It wasn't me officer ..."

 

[R/Terz]

Hey Gabe Your car looks awsome w/ the springs installed. I plan on lowering mine soon. Any noticable difference in handling/ ride quality?

 

[Gabe]

Hey Gabe Your car looks awsome w/ the springs installed. I plan on lowering mine soon. Any noticable difference in handling/ ride quality?

Well, I USED to want sway bars but now who needs them ?

The car handles flat, none or very little body roll in turns, and as long as the road is smooth, it handles smooth.

Big / hard bumps suck more than before and I may have to replace the shocks/struts sooner than if stock, but the improvement in looks alone was worth it .... it no longer looks lifted.

 

[a14umbra]

I love my AWD's ability to leap off the line with no wheel spin, no attention-grabbing tire-spinning noise ... "It wasn't me officer ..."

I live in PA live it could snow at least 3-4 months out of the year and I stand by my comment that I'm not going to buy a car based on the 3 days per year that we might get a real snow.

However, gpwebman's given a great reason for AWD.

 

[DCX Depot-Eric G]

Don't let your dealership and salesperson screw you over!!!:lol:

Eric

 

[Phanta5m]

I love my AWD's ability to leap off the line with no wheel spin, no attention-grabbing tire-spinning noise ... "It wasn't me officer ..."

he is totally right... the leap off the line is priceless:lol: it can snow a lot in ct at times and i drive through pa "western part near pittsburgh" to get get my daughter, so it was a no brainer for me. i waited 2 years debating if i should get the charger because it was rwd and then i saw the "awd" on the dodge site and not a week later had my car:lol:

 

[cfbenoit]

Similar response to a similar thread a while back:

I live in Montreal area and drive regularly in snowy conditions.

I personally have more pleasure driving a RWD VS an AWD. From my experience, I find that RWD tend to gradually loose their traction in difficult conditions, making them easier (and more fun) to correct. The AWD that I have driven seemed to loose their traction in a more abrupt, less predictable fashion. The ones I drove in slippery conditions also had the tendency to loose it on all 4 wheels at the same time (or so it felt), making corrections hard to do. It will hold on for longer, but when it goes, it goes. (Partly why you see 4x4 SUVs in the ditch when the roads get slippery)

For effortless driving, the ESP does a good job. For fun, spirited driving, it definitely gets in the way, but it can be fixed.

Winter driving is my preferred time of the year, where you can steer the car in a curve using only the gas pedal, at lower, safer speed and without the tire scream & drama you would have in the summer. ...But that can't be done with an AWD.

 

[Phanta5m]

(Partly why you see 4x4 SUVs in the ditch when the roads get slippery)

i see it all the time in connecticut, but most of those people drive way too fast because they become fearless in their 4x4s, awd. but i have to say, no way is rwd better than awd in the snow...just my 2cents:smoke:

 

[DerekBlk06RT]

DARKESTCHARGER....I live in state college, pa and granted in try not to drive my rwd when it snows, but the days last winter when i drove it i really didn't have many problems. like said above, the car is predictable as to what conditions require a little caution. i drove in some hairy conditions and as long as i took my time, i had no problems. of course, i also have subs in the back end and that adds about 50+ pounds of weight in the rear end.

side thought... are you getting rid of the talon? if not drive it in the winter or on snowy days....