E 550 RWD?
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From: SoFlo
2013 CLS 550
RWD v 4 Matic
Agreed as to the virtues of All Wheel Drive in the rain. But my daily is a Toyota Landcruiser and the wife just got a '12 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 4X4.
The E would be a civilized hot sedan used and driven selectively. The 4Matic is parasitic to HP and my driving enjoyment. I am also considering the new CLS, but am unsure if I would prefer the stealth blend of an E vs the look at me presence of the CLS. A Renn Tech flash will be fit to either soon after delivery.
The E would be a civilized hot sedan used and driven selectively. The 4Matic is parasitic to HP and my driving enjoyment. I am also considering the new CLS, but am unsure if I would prefer the stealth blend of an E vs the look at me presence of the CLS. A Renn Tech flash will be fit to either soon after delivery.
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From: Central Pennsylvania
2012 S350 Bluetec 4Matic, Diamond White, P2
I have a 2011 Bluetec. They only come in RWD. A set of snow tires and I get around pretty damn well in the snow. Having grown up in South Florida, I cannot imagine you having any issue whatsoever with any RWD vehicle. RWD allows the front tires to perform better than 4matic or FWD because the tires are only tasked with steering, as opposed to having to provide thrust and steering. This is why most sports cars are are RWD. Better balance and handling.
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From: PA
18'Porsche GT3, 16' Ram 3500 mega diesel,30' Model A Ratrod, 17' E43
I have a 2011 Bluetec. They only come in RWD. A set of snow tires and I get around pretty damn well in the snow. Having grown up in South Florida, I cannot imagine you having any issue whatsoever with any RWD vehicle. RWD allows the front tires to perform better than 4matic or FWD because the tires are only tasked with steering, as opposed to having to provide thrust and steering. This is why most sports cars are are RWD. Better balance and handling.
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Respectfully disagree with the last post (and two posters there). The last thing you want is to be caught on Florida's highways in summers downpours in E550 rwd or E63. I mean there's just so much water falling per minute that water just "stands" on the road regardless of how good (and it is good) road's water evacuation design is.
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From: PA
18'Porsche GT3, 16' Ram 3500 mega diesel,30' Model A Ratrod, 17' E43
Respectfully disagree with the last post (and two posters there). The last thing you want is to be caught on Florida's highways in summers downpours in E550 rwd or E63. I mean there's just so much water falling per minute that water just "stands" on the road regardless of how good (and it is good) road's water evacuation design is.
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Its just a matter of preference. Even most of the pickups down there are 2wd. I spend 3 months during the winter in Boca and if I owned a vehicle down here it would be 2wd. What do people do on motorcycles when that downpour comes? because there are alot of bikes in florida, all year long. Not questioning the performance of the 4matic, I'm sure its great in the rain, but My 2wd 550 handles just fine in the northeast in the rain(and after the snow melts), so I think Florida would be a cakewalk.
2. Lived in northeast for 30 years. That rain does not even compare to #1 above.
Last edited by threeMBs; Feb 23, 2012 at 05:10 PM.
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From: PA
18'Porsche GT3, 16' Ram 3500 mega diesel,30' Model A Ratrod, 17' E43
Yeah, I know about those downpours. I used to get caught in them on a1a, on the red bike in my sig, all the time... No back fender wasn't fun...lol
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From: SoFlo
2013 CLS 550
No thanks
Ok, we get a lot of rain. But, I would venture a guess that at least 75% of the vehicles on FL roadways during any of the many fore mentioned downpours are 2WD. When it rains, all traffic slows to a crawl and there you are. FL doesn't experience an inordinate amount of crashes as result of 2WD vehicles losing control in the rain. Given the drive ability and performance of the RWD, I'll say no thank you to 4 Matic in this class vehicle.
Last edited by Turbo3Six; Feb 23, 2012 at 08:50 PM.
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From: Central Pennsylvania
2012 S350 Bluetec 4Matic, Diamond White, P2
Respectfully disagree with the last post (and two posters there). The last thing you want is to be caught on Florida's highways in summers downpours in E550 rwd or E63. I mean there's just so much water falling per minute that water just "stands" on the road regardless of how good (and it is good) road's water evacuation design is.
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2015 GL450
The main point is that very few of us will need to worry about these things EXCEPT under conditions that make 4matic useful!
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From: SoFlo
2013 CLS 550
A slightly used E63 would no doubt be a fine ride.
But, the performance potential of the new 2012 poweplant is what has my interest. A 4.6L Twin Turbo V8, once tuned, will make some serious hp and torque. So for the $25K (approximate) price variance between the E 550 and E 63...a RWD, badge delete, lowered and tuned E 550 would suit me just fine.
Older E63's beware... of the tuned turbos. Smoke'm if you got'm boys!
But, the performance potential of the new 2012 poweplant is what has my interest. A 4.6L Twin Turbo V8, once tuned, will make some serious hp and torque. So for the $25K (approximate) price variance between the E 550 and E 63...a RWD, badge delete, lowered and tuned E 550 would suit me just fine.
Older E63's beware... of the tuned turbos. Smoke'm if you got'm boys!
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From: Central Pennsylvania
2012 S350 Bluetec 4Matic, Diamond White, P2
Ehhhh...this is more complicated than it might seem. In some conditions, it can make it easier to steer by having the front tires pull the nose of the car in the direction you want to go. Also, the overall effect on the performance of the car is complicated by the additional consideration that with RWD the rear tires are tasked with providing lateral grip in a turn AND 100% of the thrust, instead of just some of the thrust with AWD.
The main point is that very few of us will need to worry about these things EXCEPT under conditions that make 4matic useful!
The main point is that very few of us will need to worry about these things EXCEPT under conditions that make 4matic useful!
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2015 GL450
Ehhhhh.....it is really not a difficult concept to understand, but, I understand it can be elusive to some. A tire has only so much traction available to it on any given road surface. If some of the traction available is being vectored to propulsion, there is that much less dedicated to adhesion/steering. There are always exceptions, as someone above pointed out by naming three fairly common, if not ubiquitous, vehicles that do fine with AWD setups. What I stated is the "rule of thumb" not the absolute rule.
Check out:
http://www.rallycars.com/Cars/4wd_turbo_cars.html
I've quoted its conclusion for our discussion:
Most people have the wrong impression that 4WD is only useful on slippery roads and conditions. The best argument against this impression is to drive all three types of vehicle (front or rear wheel drive) on a dry tortuous road. In the first tight corner try extracting the car at the limit of its tires' grip and see what happens. Wheel spin is simply unavoidable.
A front wheel drive car will have its inside wheel spinning and will almost stall in the absence of a self locking differential. The only choice left to its driver is to lift off.
A rear wheel drive car will also have its inside wheel spinning and will get into oversteer. In the absence of a self locking differential the driver, apart from counter-steering, will have to ease on the gas pedal if he is to avoid exiting the road.
A full time 4 wheel drive car can negotiate the same corner with the gas pedal almost floored...
Last edited by ttoE550; Feb 23, 2012 at 10:32 PM. Reason: clarity
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2015 GL450
I am not sure I would agree that it is a rule of thumb. I'd much rather drive a FWD in snow than a RWD. In fact, I did for many, many years. Using the front tires to pull the car in the intended direction works better than pushing with the rears, at least for the way I drive. Of course, 4matic just takes the fun out of it!
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2003 E500
Check this out:
The type of vehicle that's best for you depends on the conditions you typically face. for most drivers, four-wheel drive might be overkill. The 4-Wheel-Drive Myth - Podcast
The type of vehicle that's best for you depends on the conditions you typically face. for most drivers, four-wheel drive might be overkill. The 4-Wheel-Drive Myth - Podcast
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 640
Likes: 6
2015 GL450
Check this out:
The type of vehicle that's best for you depends on the conditions you typically face. for most drivers, four-wheel drive might be overkill. The 4-Wheel-Drive Myth - Podcast
The type of vehicle that's best for you depends on the conditions you typically face. for most drivers, four-wheel drive might be overkill. The 4-Wheel-Drive Myth - Podcast
The point of the podcast is probably correct. Most people don't need 4matic most of the time. Probably most don't need it ever. Fair enough.
But I must've forgotten my meds this evening. The &*%($ about acceleration is simplistic. Loose quotes "AWD makes you go faster, but doesn't make you stop more quickly." The connotation is that folks with AWD floor their cars and drive 60 mph on 4 inches of ice, completely forgetting that they must stop when the child chases the snowball into the street.
But trying to climb the hill leading from my neighborhood to the first major street is all about acceleration. The areas I need to drive and the climate in my area (D.C.) probably say that -- broadly speaking -- I don't need 4matic. Consumer Reports would laugh at the money I've wasted. Yeah, right. If I want to leave home, I need the acceleration afforded by the 4matic to get up that freakin' hill. Otherwise, I'd have an E63.
Don't hate me because I can accelerate on snow!
