GLKChick

Hi, guys (and gals)! I'm new in the c204 forum. As you can see by my name, I was interested in the GLK a while back, but now I have decided to go for a c coupe instead. I think the car is super cute.

My question now is whether or not I will be fine with the RWD in the Indianapolis area. The dealer I spoke with made it sound like I needed to buy AWD but then again, that is what he had on the lot. In fact he tried to sell me the four door version too instead of the coupe citing I could get AWD for the same price as a RWD coupe. He also told me that AWD would make it much safer for me to drive in the rain and snow.

Anyhow, my husband and I have driven front wheel drive, small four door sedans in all season tires all year long in Indy for years with no problem.

The coupe would be my dedicated car, and I was wondering if RWD would be fine here, and if I did get it, would I need snow tires for it.

Additional info.... I work from home so I have the option to stay at home on snowy and bad weather days.

Thanks in advance for any input!

Energybiz

Im 1.5 hours south of you in Louisville. I opted for a C350 RWD. For the amount of time that AWD comes in handy, I thought RWD would suffice 95% of the time. Also, RWD is more fun to drive and if it is your daily driver...RWD is the way to go. Im sure some will disagree but I have had both Audi Quattro A4 and BMW 328i. RWD is more entertaining!!

GLKChick

Thanks for the input, EnergyBiz!

I didn't think about the fun factor. What makes it more fun? I guess I'm interested in the c coupe for it's overall shape and appearance. I just like the way it looks.

My main concern is I don't want to die on the road because I cheaped out and got the RWD. I just want to make sure I will be safe when I drive it.

Are snow tires a must if I never drive it during snowy conditions? Again, I have flexibility to stay home during inclement weather.

Does it rain much in KY? Do you feel safe driving it in rainy conditions? Have you fishtailed or felt uncomfortable in it at any point? I've never really had to stop myself from not driving in the rain before...just wondering if this is something I will have to do if I'm stuck in a RWD car.

Thanks again for any input!

Energybiz

Well first it is a bit lighter being RWD as opposed to AWD. RWD cars are considered a proper set up for a real sports car even though this is more of a sporty luxury car.

I will tell you this is a very sure footed car. Mine came with all weather performance tires Pirells PZero Nero). A good mix for fun driving with good roadholding characteristics and they deal with the rain well too. No hydroplaning so far. AWD wont really help with that anyway.

I have fishtailed in the car a bit, but that was on purpose!! RWD lets you do that if you want to, (the fun factor) where AWD probably keeps that from happening.

I would go drive them both. You probalby will be hard pressed to tell a huge difference in everyday driving. You will save $2000 on the RWD car that you can put towards the blind spot package and the lighting package.

MBfinatic

Unless your in a bad area you should be fine with rwd. You should see mbz, bmw, and audi test their cars on ice! These cars have come a long way. I would feel fine driving mine in the snow.

accce

The AWD is a safer car in the rain and snow and is much easier to drive fast. The fun of the RWD is that you can hang out the rear end around turns. The 350 does not really have the power to power slide like the C63 can. If I was buying the car for my wife I would get her the AWD over the RWD. I only worry about her when the conditions are not dry. She had the C300 AWD and now has the 135i and complains all the time about the rear wheels slipping.

ralawren

Rain isn't much of an issue if you drive reasonably. If you have to deal wih snow and hills then AWD and all seasons or $1000 of inexpensive snow tires and wheels will do the job. I am in Md and have had a C300 rwd and ad.

GLKChick

Well, it isn't hilly here, but we do get some snow. Nothing like Minnesota or anything. We had almost no snow last year because of the unseasonably mild winter. Hmm, I was hoping I would get an overwhelmingly strong response to go the RWD route.... I will have to think about this some more! Thanks.

ambit

I drove the previous gen RWD C-coupe in PA for 5 years daily without any issues. I did keep an extra set of rims with Bridgeston Blizzak's on them for the winter months. If the snow was 1-3" I was fine.

GLKChick

Do you save money by going the winter tire and rims route? I don't know how much it cost to purchase and change them out every year. Does the cost actually even out over the long run if I purchase the AWD with all season tires? I'll probably keep the car for a while....5-7 years?

accce

Just get the AWD that way you won't have to deal with changing out wheels or 2nd guessing weather you should have gotten it in the first place.

DinB

Get the AWD since to be honest, you will use the benefits of AWD every time you drive while you might use the benefits RWD once in a blue moon. You are getting a 50,000$ car so might as well pay a little more for a feature that actually has siginificant benefits. Having said this, I would still get winter tires and steel rims also. Swapping them out for winter costs around 25$ at shops and you will prolong the life of your summer tires so the cost is not as high as it might appear at first. (Your summer tires will last longer so you will not replace them as soon).

mis3

I have not driven a 4-matic before so I cannot comment of its ride and feel.

I have a CLK as a daily commute (sold as RWD only). I live in Toronto and visit Montreal often, maybe 1-2 times per month.

I do have dedicated winter tires and wheels. When it snows, I drive very carefully. In case of a snow storm, I work from home or I add 150 LBs of cat litter in the trunk to improve traction but this did not happen in the past 2 years. I guess for a potential few "problem days" per year, I can live with a RWD.

Depends on how much snow there is, an AWD is not that safe as well.

MBfinatic

A rwd will be just fine. I drove my C240 (rwd) and my C55 AMG (rwd) in the snow and never had a problem. If you go fast and hit the e-brake than you may have a sliding problem but other than that you will be fine.. I say get the RWD.

Sportstick

I drive a rear wheel drive (manual trans) in Michigan winters. We also have a E4MATIC and the differences are overstated by some, for a variety of reasons, including having spent the money for 4MATIC. Here is the bottom line. Due to having less weight over the front wheels, the rear wheel drive car is more fun to drive because it is more responsive to steering input...it reacts more quickly. It also "feels" less heavy in the steering response. I've had back to back comparisons by getting out of my car and into a 4MATIC C Class loaner at the dealer, and I would NEVER consider 4MATIC and carry around all that extra performance reducing and fuel consuming weight the rest of the year.

The other reality is that the tires make far more difference than how many wheels are spinning. Remember Bambi? Four hooves, but all slippery on ice. You have a couple of choices, but they all involve buying at least one more set of tires. You can either keep your original tires (which will be mediocre, as are most OE tires) and buy dedicated winter tires (such as Blizzak WS70) which works perfectly in our winters up north. Or, you can immediately ditch your OE tires at the end of the fall this year and install Continental DWS which are about the best all season tires which can cope well with light snow, as you are able to stay home when the winter gets more challenging.

With either tire strategy, you will be absolutely fine with rwd (which includes ESP for improved anti-slip performance). Remember, 4MATIC primarily is of some help to get you moving from a stop, which is a convenience in the snow. 4MATIC has no effect on the life saving aspect of braking, and if you drive reasonably, minimal effect on turning. And, for your comment on living/dying, the body structure, proper belt use, and your driving has much more effect. Again, tires are the contact your car has with the outside world, so I suggest saving the money for the 4MATIC and making really great tire purchases instead, and keep the change!.

DinB

See this is the thing though... you say that RWD is fine, but then you mention the need to drive slowly or add kitty litter. My friend who drive RWD cars here in Ottawa all say that it is not the best feeling to drive the car on wet/icy roads. They all also have winter tires.

All wheel drive is also better for rough terrain like gravel etc. Also, AWD will prevent you from getting stuck if you get your wheels stuck on ice.

accce

http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews..._coupe_4matic/

Sportstick

Here is the flawed logic. The need for driving more slowly on low mu (low traction) surfaces is not confined to rwd. The safe speed is dependent on the tires (and not all winter tires are equally good...do your homework on tirerack.com), as 4MATIC helps going....it has NO EFFECT on stopping. ESP, which is standard on the base rear wheel drive configuration already helps maintain directional stability. Part of the problem of this thread are the speculative fears and imaginary sensations drivers think they are experiencing. Long before awd was added to cars, generations successfully drove rwd with much lower traction tires. With modern technology tire rubber compounds and ESP, only the most severe conditions warrant the assist in moving forward which awd offers. For the rest, other than improving forward motion from a stop on very slippery surfaces, it's not a significant benefit, except, perhaps, for emotional reassurance.

DinB

Look, I drive a RWD drive car now with Michellin tires and ESP and I can feel the car loosing traction like crazy on ice. Once again, I have never met one person who drove RWD who was happy about the way it drove in the winter.

Besides, you seem to be focused on straight line stopping. AWD is much more useful if you were to hit an ice or gravel patch.GLKChick is more likely to benefit from the added control than from taking turns quickly.

Sportstick

Michelin makes excellent tires and they make lousy tires, and not all of them - even so-called "all season" - are qualified for below 40 degree F usage. In the winter, my car is on Blizzak WS60 (70 hadn't come out yet) and it does well, both in Michigan and on trips into Ontario. Loosing traction is mostly a function of your tires, as the only benefit of awd is to take the given amount of torque being delivered by the powertrain and dividing it up among 4 wheels instead of two so it does not overwhelm the ability of an individual tire to gain traction. Get higher traction tires...even Blizzak makes very compromised "performance" winter tires which do not have as much traction as their "studless" winter tires, so careful choices must be made.

I guess I need to introduce myself to you to break your streak on meeting unhappy winter drivers. I can also introduce you to many others around here. And, we're much happier with how it drives all the other times. I don't know where you or the OP drives, but I will admit I do not drive in gravel, although awd has no benefit stopping on gravel either. Awd will help only if you decide to incrementally accelerate on that patch of ice or gravel...not just if you "hit" it....cruising over it or braking with awd will not result in any benefit. Stopping is the major safety benefit in the winter. Getting going a bit more easily is a convenience on a heavy snow day when one must go out. OP was concerned about safety. Awd's benefit in getting going is moderate and not worth the cost and loss to the car's behavior the other 360-something days of the year. Studying to purchase the proper tires is where a winter driver's resources should be concentrated first.

Again, I have one of each and drive both on Blizzaks in the winter...it's primarily the tires. Having tried to explain this a few times, I wish you the best and many years of safe winter driving!

DinB

You are creating a paradoxical situation for me now... If RWD is so great then might as well get a C63 then. But if you get C63 might as well buy an Audi S5. But that is a AWD so back to square 1!!!

Sportstick

LOL! Part of the reason a C300 does well is the relatively moderate levels of torque. A "muscle car", from a Shelby Mustang, to a Z06 Vette, to a C63 delivers so much torque to the rear, it will very quickly overcome even the best winter tires' ability to maintain traction unless driven with a feather-foot! As torque goes up to those levels, even in the dry, it can be helpful to split it up and use all four wheels to get the power to the pavement. But we are talking about garden variety levels of power in this thread, so no need to fret!

The abiding reason not to buy an Audi is if you don't need a service advisor as your new best friend.

accce

Snow tires are just a bandaid to AWD. If you had AWD you would not need your snow tires.

GLKChick

Thanks for all of the replies, everyone. I didn't realize that there were such strong feeling on both sides of the topic (AWD vs RWD). I am torn. Everyone seems to have a good reason behind choosing one or the other.

Okay, I have come across this scenario several times on the highway during good weather conditions. There will be a car bumper, wheel, or dead deer, etc. in the middle of the road. Would AWD be safer in this condition if I needed to make a sudden swerve out of the way of something?

DinB

I am an AWD dsupporter, but I don;t agree with this. When the weather gets below a certain temperature, all season tires are too rigid and will glide like a hockey puck on ice. I would put winter tires as #1 and AWD as #2.