DinB

Not really, but AWD cars I find don't experience as much body roll at high speed since a good AWD system can compensate so you don't get the feeling of the car tilting to one side or the other. Also, it would be usefull if you swerved out of the way and one half of your car started driving on the unpaved shoulder. AWD can compensate for the gravel to make the car drive smooth.

I noticed that in Canada there is a Free 4matic promotion where you get the 4matic coupe for the price of a RWD. Do they have that in USA? You could stack that promo with price discount as well.

Sportstick

Not really...more the other way around. The contact to the ground is via the tires. If they are inadequate, it matters not how many are being powered. If they are adequate, awd provides some help by dividing up the torque to minimize slippage. Have you never seen the front wheels of a car spin uselessly when the tires were not up to the challenge?

No. Additional weight in the front makes the car less responsive to steering input and more likely to understeer (plow straight ahead even though the wheel is being turned). Remember, an object in motion tends to stay in motion, and that includes the vector on which it is travelling. Deflecting a higher front end mass is a greater challenge than a lower front end mass. Manufacturers go to significant lengths to try to balance front to rear weight distribution, including moving the battery out of the engine compartment to under the rear seat or in the trunk. Awd simply adds back over 100lbs over the front axle which is directionally incorrect for steering response.

Sportstick

Sorry to harp, but this is a mixing of different events. AWD addresses different issues than body roll, which is a function of the suspension stiffness due to spring/strut and antisway bar calibration, although the extra weight penalty could provide some feeling of the body moving less. You would find a rwd MB of the same model would have similar anti-roll properties. How many wheels are turning is a separate matter. This can easily be shown by changing out the anti sway bars for the aftermarket EIbach setup, which will make the car significantly flatter during many higher speed manuevers, though still rwd. The swerve situation is properly handled by the ESP system standard on the rwd car which individually brakes a sliding wheel to maintain directional control.

http://www.bosch-automotivetechnolog...f_the_past.pdf

accce

I am going by the weather in MD/DC. All season tires have been fine in the winter weather on my Jeep Grand Cherokee or one of the 4matics I have owned in the past. I could see where ice could make the difference, but we do not get much ice here.

Sportstick

You are completely correct. The rubber compounds in most all season tires become ineffectively hard below 40 degrees F. In order to drive successfully with all season tires in very cold temperatures, care must be taken as traction is compromised. Even as the tires warm up a bit in the first few miles, they can provide modest performance at best. Emergency maneuvers or braking will be unreliable. The best tire to try this with is the Continental DWS, but even they show its' capability is limited to light snow....with due care!

Energybiz

If you were driving a car with a huge displacement engine like a Lambo or Ferrari, or even a Corvette for that matter, AWD may make a difference in quick maneuvers, but in the Merc, power delivery is more subtle and therefore easier to control. If you're that worried, get the AWD. It is not that much $$.

GLKChick

Well, I guess it seems more expensive to me since I end up having to pay more for the more powerful engine too. I wish there were an AWD version of the 250. Now, if I could get the free 4matic promotion that DinB mentioned that would make the decision simpler. However, I'd be jealous of those people getting the awesome gas mileage that RWD provides.... Also, I've heard maintenance is cheaper on a RWD.

Still thinking....

DinB

The mistake you made GLKchick was calling the coupe "cute". Guys want their cars to be called powerful, dangerous, and intimidating... just like their penises!

Sportstick

I think we're veering off this forum's topic....back to cars!

Yes, GLKchick, AWD adds the following costs, although not always significant:
-purchase
-fuel consumption
-tire wear (additional weight)
-brake pad life (additional weight)
-maintenance (fluid change)

And, if the roads are bad enough to need AWD, you should get a separate set of winter tires anyway, but that is most economically done by a one time purchase of tires mounted on wheels (i.e. from tirerack.com), so the annual change is just a quick 20 lug nuts and a jack. Expect winter tires to last 3-4 winters with average use. If your winters are marginal, you might get away with Continental DWS as a year-round tire.

MBfinatic

Well put. What state do you live in that has these bad winters?

Krimpits

My last car was a B** 328xi. I thought spending for the AWD over the bigger engine (335) would be better for me to get to work. Boy was I wrong. I had moderate snow (1-3") and all the tires would spin. Found out quickly that I had to purchase a set of dedicated winter rims/tires. If you like the way the car looks and are looking to enjoy the drive, ditch the AWD and just invest in a rim/tire package. It ends up being a lot cheaper in the long run due to the excess gas and maintenance costs. Remember, AWD also requires a 4 wheel alignment any time an alignment is necessary. Thats just my opinion though.