Why are there so many AWD cars now?

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May 7, 2018
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Northern KY
The vast majority of Mazda and Subaru’s lineup are AWD now, and most of the used Lexuses I’ve been seeing are as well. It seems like there are a lot more full-time AWD vehicles than just a decade ago. Are these appealing to people who drive in the snow a lot? It just seems like you are paying extra for something else to go wrong. At least on my wife’s RAV4 you can turn it off when you don’t need it but that’s not the case with most I’ve seen. I read somewhere that many of the systems can’t tolerate even a small tire diameter mismatch, so if you damage a tire you have to replace the entire set?

I must officially be an old curmudgeon now because I want nothing to do with AWD vehicles other than a true 4x4 truck, and that’s not as a daily driver.
 
1) You're not alone.
2) Sensitivity to unevenly worn tires is, in my opinion, a ridiculous thing to design into a system. Failure to mention this downside during the selling process is dishonest.
3) An AWD system likely has better handling characteristics and often leans towards a 50/50 weight distribution but most drivers don't push their vehicles to the point of needing it.
4) AWD systems (and other options) added to cars generate more sales revenue. Sellers needn't be bothered with customers' actual needs.
 
The vast majority of Mazda and Subaru’s lineup are AWD now, and most of the used Lexuses I’ve been seeing are as well. It seems like there are a lot more full-time AWD vehicles than just a decade ago. Are these appealing to people who drive in the snow a lot? It just seems like you are paying extra for something else to go wrong. At least on my wife’s RAV4 you can turn it off when you don’t need it but that’s not the case with most I’ve seen. I read somewhere that many of the systems can’t tolerate even a small tire diameter mismatch, so if you damage a tire you have to replace the entire set?

I must officially be an old curmudgeon now because I want nothing to do with AWD vehicles other than a true 4x4 truck, and that’s not as a daily driver.
Consumers value it and it's easy to sell the perceived safety factor.
 
Yeah, if you aren't in the snow belt , or go off roading, or have 500+hp I don't know why so many people buy AWD.
And even if you are in the snowbelt, if you don't have steep grades to climb or job where you have to get to work in almost all weather, I still would be happy with snow tires and fwd.
We need one vehicle with AWD for our steepish driveway and winter activities, and a bit of soft roading, and the Subaru has not much of a price or mileage penalty, so we are glad we have it.
Subaru hasn't sold a 2wd in N.A. since the 90's I believe and the whole vehicle is designed around the drivetrain, and they seem to have it figured out now.
I don't really worry about the matching tire wear thing, it uses one of the most common tire sizes and we run pretty normal tires, so if one needs to be replaced we'll probably just get a used one that's close enough. I don't think I've ever had to replace a single tire due to road damage yet in our years of driving so its not something I worry about.
 
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Marketing hype. Probably less than 10% of owners actually need or even use it. They are convinced by the salesman that AWD is superior in the rain, not just snow. I think my mother fell for it when she bought a RAV4 in 1997 in Florida of all places.
Agreed. It's a marketing scam to seller higher profit margin vehicles. The public has been convinced AWD is required and life saving in many scenarios.
 
Several variables:
1. Marketing! Subaru is prime example and actually IMO responsible for numerous accidents. They literally market as vehicle that is solution for snow, ice, and then they deliver vehicle with crappiest tires available. Owner keeps putting crappiest tires. Results as expected.
2. It became cheap to make AWD. Also, scale helps.
3. New AWD systems don’t exert big mpg penalty, they are not heavy etc.
4. Again, MARKETING!
 
In wet/sloppy weather the Subarus are great. I can't get my gf's Impreza to slip at all, granted it has no power either LOL.

The gain in traction is without a doubt noticeable with Subaru AWD. Whether it is worth it to you is another story.
 
It's like a fire extinguisher, or a backup generator. You may never need it, but if you need it even once it's worth it. I'll personally never buy a vehicle without it.
False analogy. AWD is used every time you drive the car whether you need it or not and so, wears as much as the other moving parts. Not so with a fire extinguisher or generator.
 
The vast majority of Mazda and Subaru’s lineup are AWD now, and most of the used Lexuses I’ve been seeing are as well. It seems like there are a lot more full-time AWD vehicles than just a decade ago. Are these appealing to people who drive in the snow a lot? It just seems like you are paying extra for something else to go wrong. At least on my wife’s RAV4 you can turn it off when you don’t need it but that’s not the case with most I’ve seen. I read somewhere that many of the systems can’t tolerate even a small tire diameter mismatch, so if you damage a tire you have to replace the entire set?

I must officially be an old curmudgeon now because I want nothing to do with AWD vehicles other than a true 4x4 truck, and that’s not as a daily driver.
My wife has had 3 RAV4s. None of them had a way to turn off the AWD.

My wife's 2004 RAV4 developed a leak in the transfer case at around 250,000 miles that the shop wanted over $1000 to repair. Instead, I refilled it about every oil change and it lasted to 400,000 miles. Casually noticing other RAV4s of her vintage on the road became rarer and rarer over the years. After 15 years, whenever we saw one, we began to notice that most were the non-AWD models. Easy to tell on the RAV4s because the AWD models came with factory tinted glass and the 2WD models did not. If my wife didn't have me to refill the transfer case and facing a $1000 repair at 250,000 miles, she would have traded it in and bought a new one.
 
Because they can charge more for it. Convince customers they need it, esp if vehicle is only available with it.
 
honestly people, its called option shift and profit margin. what were formerly options on a particular vehicle become standard.

for instance there was a time when power steering was an option(of just about anything else you can think of) and eventually it becomes standard.
 
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