AWD vs FWD
 

Which one is faster?

AWD is faster in the snow :p :D

You will have less power lost throught the FWD, when compared to the AWD, but AWD will always be faster than FWD in any real world situation because you can get all the power to the ground instead of like 1/4 of it with a FWD car. Both cars will have similar limits on handling, but when you get into a slide/drift i like AWD better becasue I can control it better.

Limits are not similar. Compare a FWD SVX to an AWD one. In very demanding handling situations, the FWD plows forward when pushed hard through curves. The AWD ones are completely neutral if you work the gas properly, and on slick surfaces you can even induce a bit of oversteer...I don't consider that to be "similar" handling limits.

I think my wheels spin faster. The car just doesnt seem to go as fast as the wheels. :D

AWD = superior
FWD = useless

any questions?

At some point, somebody who owns a FWD SVX will chime into this thread and say that the FWD SVX accellerates better than the AWD SVX. And they'll be right, because the FWD loses less power through the drivetrain and weighs less.

But, for my money, I want my AWD SVX. FWD SVXs have an open diff in the front, so in slippery conditions they'll be one-wheel-drive. They'll understeer a lot more than an AWD SVX.

Why do you want to know which one is 'faster?' What do you even mean by that?

Min is a FWD. I'm not sure about losing less power though. When I had it Dyno'd the tech was suprised at the amount of power loss. It was kinda high even for an auto, however we are a few hundred pounds lighter. I thought I was putting on better tires with the KUMO's, but I seem to spin alot more. I also rerouted the intake air (remove intake resinator). So either Im getting more power to the ground now, or less traction. Before I had to work to spin the tires on a dry /straight take off. Now I have to work at not spinning.

I don't find that surprising. The transaxle really was designed to do AWD, so it goes through a couple extra steps to get power to the front wheels than a typical FWD car does. But I would still argue that, without the transfer clutch and rear half of the drivetrain, a FWD SVX still suffers less drivetrain loss than an AWD SVX. A FWD SVX may be more complicated than a regular FWD car, but it's still less complicated than an AWD SVX. :p

might be. I've never been in any other SVX then mine. So I cant say how and all wheel drive compares.

I know what you mean
 

I've got FWD also and never driven an AWD one.
Although, I can't imagine that FWD and AWD with a 90-10 split could be very different though.

BTW isn't the torque split on the JDM models different? like 40-60?

Re: I know what you mean
 

You're forgetting that it's a variable torque distribution (VTD) system. Yeah, it'll be 90/10 on the freeway, cruising at a constant speed. But it'll split it up to 50/50 in many situations. That's pretty different compared to one-wheel-drive, in my book.

Having own the following SVXes:

94 L FWD
94 LSi AWD
92 LS-L AWD

I can say this from my personal experiences:

94L FWD: Feels like a typical FWD car. Acts/handles like a typical FWD car. Most likely the fastest of the bunch and I have gotten 130s in this car even in heavy rains.

92LS-L : Quickest of the lot. When you step on her, she moves like a bat out of hell. Coins fall out of the holder.

94LSi : A typical 4WD car. Acts like one, feels like one. Handles like on. Fun to drive around 60-80mph. Not the quickest or the fastest.

Does it answer the questions? I am not sure if Earl has FWD SVXes as well. Check with him as well.

Fwd AWD ?
 

One of the differences that i think would show up between the two, is when the AWD looks like spinning the front wheels it engages the rear wheels to prevent it. Power is then applied to all wheels.

In the FWD if the front wheels look like spinning, the torque control turns the engine power down to prevent it from happining.

Harvey.;)

Well then ya better get your happy A$$ to the next Reading event and ride in as many SVX's as you can... There will be all types there!!

Re: Re: I know what you mean
 

Why does everyone continue to believe that the torque split is 90f/10r??? The Road and Track SVX manual says plain as day that the Torque Split is 60f/40r and it can vary as much as 90% to the rear or front.... It is 60/40 because that is about what the weight distrabution on an LSi model is... Please everyone just look at the Road and Track SVX book and you will see plain as day what it is...

Re: Fwd AWD ?
 

Ahhhh, no. The FWD's dont have traction control. When they start spinning, they keep spinning. Until the driver lets off, the car starts finally moving, or something breaks.

Top Speed?

Re: Re: Re: I know what you mean
 

I wouldn't exactly call it a 'manual.' :D

But if you could tell me which pages to look at, I'd be happy to read where it says that. Still, I wouldn't take everything that book says as gospel without corroborating evidence. I've owned my SVX for long enough that I don't actually remember where I first read that torque split was typically 90/10 and up to 50/50. But I'm pretty sure that the most it'll transfer to the rear is 50% - not the 90% you claim.

Edit: I just looked and the R&T Guide does claim that, under normal driving conditions, the torque split is 60/40. But in the same sidebar they claim that the car uses the ABS sensors to detect wheelspin and this isn't the case. The car uses speed sensors 1 and 2 in the transmission to detect wheelspin.

That same sidebar claims that the car can shift enough torque to make it rear-wheel biased. But no numbers are given and at this point I consider their information suspect. Again, I'm almost 100% positive that the US SVX is only capable of putting 50% of its power to the rear. Subaru tends to tune its US-bound cars towards the understeer side of things.

Top speed is debatable, and actually when you ask whether FWD or AWD SVXs are faster, something else comes into play.

When the 1992 SVX was introduced, it was advertised with an estimated top speed of 143mph. Some people claim to have gone faster than that. I took my '93 to a little over 130 (GPS verified). That was plenty fast enough, and the car was still accellerating.

But, starting with the 1994 MY SVXs, Subaru electronically limited the cars to the estimated 143mph top speed.

I would venture a guess that, without the extra weight of the back half of the drivetrain, FWD SVXs might have a slightly higher top speed. Unfortunately, we can't test this because all FWD SVXs were built after Subaru introduced the electronic speed limiter.

Re: Re: Re: Re: I know what you mean
 

I didn't mean to refer to it as a manual.. I'm not very good with words so ya have to kinda bear with me... The only reason why I stand behind the 60/40 split is because I asked myself this question... What would be the point of making a car with a torque split of 90/10??? What good would that do?? I just don't see what subaru would have to been thinking if they made an AWD system like that... That would mean that our AWD cars behave like a FWD car when we are just crusing on the Hi-way right?? AAHhhhhhHere I go... The only reason I really don't want to believe it (Not that it applies to me anymore anyway :D:D:D 5MT:D:D:D) Is because all I have owned were FWD cars and I hated the way that they drove... I guess I could just be in denial about the whole thing... Who knows... I am interested in it though but now I just don't know what to believe... I wish we had a book that could be referenced to to find all our questions like this... That way there would be no doubt at all... anyway :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :cool:

See here's another thing that I would like to know for sure... Mine is a 1995 and I've never had mine against the claimed 143 top speed, however Porter's SVX is a 94 and still an auto... His has been well past it... He said that the previous owner (IcedoutSVX) Had a picture of the speedo pinned beyond the 160 mark!!! And let me just give Porters SVX props for a sec... That thing pulls something viscous!!!! It is really fast for an auto!!! I actually think it is faster than my 5mt!!! (Not prooven yet)... :D.... But it could be partly that suspension that he has... Who knows... I'd just like for someone who has the balls and an Auto tranny to take thier car out on the really straight stretch of road and find out forsure if there really is a limit on them... That's all I want, proof...

I never knew the top speed was est. at 143 mph. I have had my 92 up to 135 without much effort, now I have a number to shoot for. Hopefuly the local police will understand.

Re: Re: Fwd AWD ?
 

Do they break the front diff like the AWD does. Like when the C solenoid stops driving the rear wheels?

Harvey. ;)

i know that when driving mine in slippery (read snow and rain) with the crappy tires that i have on it, the car is very much so neutral. Although there are some rare instances (probably me making a mistake) where it really just plows forward, with and without the ABS going. its really easy to also get it to oversteer especially around tighter turns. I wish i had more experience with other cars, but i know that the one time i had the FWD fuse in, it felt a fair amount faster from 40-80 in second gear, but off the line you spin the tires through half of first gear.

Re: Re: Re: Re: I know what you mean
 

I think that when Road & Track were researching this article they got confused between the two different transmissions. The US version that they driving and the Euro version that FHI were talking about.

They took a bit of this one and a bit of that one and came up with the end result, that wasn't either. They weren't up to the job in a technical sense.

Harvey.;)

I have a 1994 FWD and reached 145mph at two diffrent times with the auto transmission. To my surprise I was actually able to push 140mph with the 5sp manual last month considering the low gearing I now have. I've never driven an AWD SVX but as for my FWD, once I get full traction the acceleration is incredible:D

Wait. How is the 1992 LS-L faster than the 1994 LSi. Are they not the same car? What changes prompted this.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I know what you mean
 

Well, when you're cruising at a constant speed on the freeway, or sitting at a light, you don't exactly need the help from the rear wheels, do you? The car can save itself some gas, as well as wear on the transfer clutch, by sending most of the power to the front.

It's really no big deal, man, and it doesn't make an SVX any less cool. It's actually really cool, because it's so adaptable so quickly. Yes, it's 90/10 in some situations, like cruising at a constant speed in good traction conditions. But it's not difficult to make it shift torque to the rear, and it does it very quickly. I've driven plenty of cars that don't do it very quickly. The SVX's VTD setup is very quick to react - far faster, in fact, than the viscous setup in the 5MT. ;)

Look, whether or not you want to believe something isn't the issue. I'll have to find some definitive info on the setup in the SVX...it might be in the FAQ, I'm not sure.

That's cool... Yea I have noticed a little pause between the transfer of power fully to the rear in the Manual... Wouldn't mind having the STi's Mechanical front and rear Diff's... That would be awesome...

You might want to read up on how viscous couplings work. Then you'll know why you have that brief delay. :) I recommend www.howstuffworks.com.

Neither would I...I suspect a rich mans conversion soon ;)