Posted by Kenneth Sloan on April 04, 2001 at 14:05:38:
In Reply to: Re: Re: small cars that carry large tubas posted by Rick Denney on April 04, 2001 at 10:25:09:
How about College Street, in Providence, RI? Any day in any February?
I'm happy to agree that AWD is useful in the hands of a pro, in the right
situation. Just like a 6/4 York. But, these days it's being marketted to
folk who don't need it, or who do positive harm when they try to use it.
I don't anticipate driving *this* car in any situation where AWD would be useful *to me*.
To tell you the truth, I don't really have all that much confidence in my ability to correctly handle simple FWD in serious snow emergencies - all of my really harrowing experiences have been with RWD. (remember, you're talking to someone who's main claim to fame is ice skating with a Sousaphone...) The "problem" is that I haven't been in enough situations where FWD and snow combine to make things truly interesting. And, I don't go looking for trouble quite as much as I did when I was surrounded by the massive 1954 Hudson.
Snow at TUSAB TEC? Can't happen. Oh...you don't call that little flurry we had in 2000 *snow*, do you? I drove in for that one, in a RENTAL (from BWI). Let's talk about Rochester, NY in 1977-8 (any Eastman folk want to tell Rick about that winter?) MC probably could handle it on his bike (because they plow the SIDEWALKS there and throw the snow into the street!)
But seriously, in another situation I'd be pleased as punch with many of the AWD systems coming on the market. They just aren't a good choice for my intended use of *this* vehicle. Lots of short term commuting through city streets in moderately hilly terrain (locals call it a "mountain", but I don't!), lots of 100-mile trips to nearby cities on perfectly straight and flat Interstates, and the occasional road trip (Raleigh/Durham, Orlando, DC, Memphis). 99% of the time, something like Audi's Quattro would be counter-productive.
As for Toyota Corolla "Z-eating"...all I can say is that my Z took me every place I personally felt qualified to go. Only rarely did that involve one-on-one challenges. It's not always about pushing the envelope - sometimes it's enough to have a really big envelope so that real life is boring. Oh...that was your point about AWD, wasn't it?
Ken "can I fit a Gronitz in a BMW Z3 coupe?" Sloan