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Buick Breaks Down Drivetrain Options And Explains What’s Driving Your Wheels

If you hadn’t figured out which wheels were powering your vehicles as of yet (shame on you if you didn’t), Buick is offering a lesson in drivetrains for those of you looking for more insight into how front-wheel, rear-wheel and all-wheel drive work in concert with your vehicle to offer you uniquely different driving experiences.

Front-wheel drive, or FWD, by far has become the most prominent choice from auto manufacturers, mostly because of its small packaging to enhance fuel economy. The biggest advantage to FWD vehicles, though, is the weight of the powertrain sits above the driving wheels, offering greater traction during slippery and wet conditions.

Then we arrive at the standard in performance drivetrains, RWD. Power is sent, obviously, to the rear wheels and can effectively handle higher engine power and more heft from vehicle weight. As we’ve seen over the past few decades, RWD has slowly been phased out in favor of FWD platforms with AWD variations. RWD today is normally saved for performance duties and large trucks.

But let’s not forget the rust belt’s favorite option, all-wheel drive. AWD operates as either a FWD or RWD system, and power is sent to the front and rear axles to prevent wheel slip, but backs the power off if computer systems see their is no slippage occurring. Power is transferred automatically via a single-speed transfer case, which allows the transmission to split the power between the rear and front wheels. All-wheel drive allows for seamless power transition without any input or activation from the driver. AWD is currently offered the Regal, LaCrosse, Encore and Enclave.

Finally, not to be confused with all-wheel drive, four-wheel drive, or 4×4, allows for maximum traction with a two-speed transfer case with high and low ranges. Although not found on any Buicks, GM offers a handful of the products with 4×4 for the best capability in slick conditions.

Former GM Authority staff writer.

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Comments

  1. This barely scratches the surface on AWD and 4×4 systems. In terms of how deep each goes, especially AWD, this doesn’t even touch the subject, even within Buick there are different AWD systems and configurations used.

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  2. Buick, with just the slighted greater attention to detail, has the capacity to join both Lexus and Audi in the strata of the “doctor’s” car.
    CR ranked Regal ahead of Benz, Audi and Cadillac. GM must leverage such success buy building a solid, healthy and well regarded brand.
    To do less would be wasteful. There is no reason why Chinese success can nottranslation into American success.

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  3. Buick’s explanation of RWD plays to their lineup, and is only partially true.

    Everyone from BMW, to Audi, to Mercedes, to Dodge, even Pontiac used RWD where appropriate.

    Further, this notion of RWD being progressively phased out is only true if you’re Ford. RWD has had quite a comeback since the oil crisis of the ’70s. FCA and GM alike are expanding their RWD offerings, for example… FCA where affordable buyers prefer, and GM in the premium segment. Toyota even has returned to RWD. Progressively phased out is not what today’s market represents.

    And, RWD has additional benefits with proper software and controls, can compete rather well with FWD in poor traction situations. Ask the new CTS.

    Bottom line: Car makers will sell what they have, not what may be the best for you.

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  4. I still dont understand why Chevy doesnt offer awd in any of their sedans. Not a wise decision in my eyes.

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  5. GM was the best AWD system in this assay. Volvo had winter tires, summer tires were others. However, the AWD system was the best gm even better than Qattro. Clarifying the first place there was no goal. The aim was to identify the best awd

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  6. Buick needs to push the AWD systems on their cars to set themselves apart than just FWD.

    The key to Buick and even the Cadillac models is the use of a Haldex AWD system that is pretty much the state of the art for the market.

    Chevy is out because AWD add much to the price of a car and make it difficult to price. The Impala is the only car that has a price point able to absorbed this.

    The fact is FWD is only here because of the packaging and because they have convinced that it has more traction in winter. The fact is the weight transfer of a car under acceleration moves the weight to the back as soon as you step on the gas. It does make it easier for unskilled drivers with a point and gas situation if they can not counter steer,

    RWD for me is much easier to drive as you can steer with the wheel or the gas and Limited slip make is so easy.

    The fact is with this story some of it is spot on and some of it explains a much more detailed process to a less than full explanation.

    Also the rust belt or as we call it the snow belt is not prime AWD area. While it helps no everyone here has it or wants it. To be honest it is only a small minority that has these cars here. I find areas that do not have much in slippery conditions have higher sales as the folks there are not used to it and like the extras drive. Here we just don’t even think of it and if we need more drive most people here just buy a truck or SUV here.

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    1. Price – So why can Subaru sell you an AWD Impreza imported from Japan for less than $20k, and at the same time you can barely get a pokey Cruze for kind of coin? Nobody can explain this. It makes no sense.

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      1. No one will explain it to you because you would still never understand and would just continue to troll.

        Because they won’t make any money if they make it cheap and if they do make a profit would you pay $30K plus for a Cruze?

        Also if you note you may get AWD but in the mid west here you don’t see many old Impreza’s. Subaru’s here rust out and often become expensive to repair as they age.

        While Subaru is a decent value new it is still not a great long term car. If it was then why does it not out sell a Civic and many other top sellers? It is not a bad car just not a great car.

        GM could cut more corners to add AWD to a Cruze. It would have more traction but less MPG. But it would be a small segment that would buy it. Better to offer the better AWD in a Regal where it can be done on a better level at a price that will give you an even better Haldex based system.

        The bottom line is Subaru it Aint’t an Audi.

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    2. Ford offers AWD with the Taurus and Fusion, Dodge offers it with the Charger. Dont tell me that because of price Chevy cant offer it as an option. Alot of people will pay the extra coin for peace of mind. If i wasnt a GM loyalist i wouldn’t have bought the wife an Impala because if this. I would have no problem spending extra for an AWD Impala. And no i dont want a SUV or CUV.

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      1. They can offer systems but why bother with a system that is not much more advanced than a old 6000 STE system like some of those you named.

        As for a lot of people paying the price look around some models sell well many sell in small numbers. If the market was larger we would see more systems but it is still a small segment even with those offering systems.

        Keep in mind where they add AWD to a car the money has to come out else where in the car too if you want to keep things competitively priced.

        You can have a 300 Chrysler, Taurus and Impala two with AWD and one with out all at the same price. Two of them are going to have to give up $1500 of value someplace to keep priced with the impala or you will have to increase the price.

        Then if you take the time to design and build such a system it take more money and time to engineer and to test and certify for the EPA. You then have to weight this to how many you will sell and how many you need to break even.

        This is not just a simple let do it because it feels good deal. This is why we see this system offered on higher priced car more often as they have more room to make it less a risk.

        Some models are easier to do than others. Companies like Subaru share many parts with more than one model that helps on pricing where at GM the Regal parts will not just plop into a Lacrosse. Now as GM replace these old models we may see more sharing of the better systems to drive down cost.

        Right not Ford shares their system with more than one model and the Chryslers share it with more than one model. None of them are top systems and pretty basic at that compared to the better systems out there that split the power well to each wheel.

        Note I use the name Haldex. If you are familiar with the company you should read up on them. They are the leader in AWD systems and used buy many of the biggest names and Procar that builds many of the best Rally cars in the world. While a Subaru rally cars looked stock it has a lot of work done by Procar.

        All AWD system are not equal or all that good. Many are better and many are just enough to be called AWD at best.

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        1. Actually yea they could, as you said, plop it on there. LaCrosse and XTS offer it, they ride on the same platform. Hell offer it on the Malibu as well. “Lets do it cause it feels good” how bout they do it because the competition OFFERS it.

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          1. Actually physically they can plop it on there but you still have to price it. Adding things as such to a value priced model adds to the price. How much do you really thing people will pay for a Chevy? By the time you price it out the Buick becomes a better choice as you get a better version for just a little more money.

            Sure we could put it on the Malibu like the Regal. But then would you pay $42K for a Malibu? The Regal is priced there now and is basically the same car with a few better features.

            Just because the competition does it does not mean it is selling or in great volume. Dodge offered the Magnum wagon too and even in AWD but it was axed due to poor sales. The Chrysler 300 today offers AWD but yet they mostly sell RWD and it is discounted down to the point you can buy it for the price of a Malibu. Also Chrysler has one of the lowest quality rankings in the industry and the second lowest repeat buyers.

            You can do a hell of a lot of things but at the end of the day you need to sell these cars and you have to make and show a profit.

            Ok a LTZ Impala stickers at $40K and invoice is just over $38K. Ok now you add to this the price of AWD $2000. That puts you in the area where Buick already is. They sticker the Lacrosse loaded at $47K and factory inv of $45K. Then also how many are you going to sell?

            The fact is the average Impala is sold for around $34-35K before rebates. Add AWD to this and you lower the areas you can make money. Then you figure in the number of AWD cars would be less than 20% at best and there is little meat on the bone after that.

            I expect at some point the Impala to get AWD but GM first needs to sort out Buick and Cadillac to give Chevy room to move up. If you do it now they will be stepping all over each other.

            Sure Ford and Dodge offer it. But so does GM in Buick. If you want it you can get it. at GM you have three divisions doing the work of two at other companies. It is a blessing and a curse but Buick is making money globally so it is a deal they have to keep in place.

            When marketing and building a car there is much more involved than just saying hell this is a good idea. You need to do your home work and price carefully and Market wisely to make money. If not you build cars like the Aztek and go bankrupt. Been there done that and not going back again.

            This is big picture stuff and one mistake could be billions lost. You may not only be stuck with a bunch of expensive Chevys but you may also damage sales at the other brands you offer.

            The Chevy SS sounds like a great idea too but the price is killing it. Once you get to that price point there are a lot of good options and they are not Chevys. Some claim sales were down due to no standard shift but the fact is it is just too damn expensive for a Chevy that is not a Camaro or Corvette. The G8 sold mostly automatics with no issues but it was cheaper. The magnetic suspension and other goods in the new SS make it a better car but the added cost is killing it. Cut the price and no profit.

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  7. I’m afraid RWD. RWD only in very good conditions. RWD is a wiser course of today, however. RWD is much more difficult to manage. RWD is oversteers. FWD is understeers. smart AWD system is the most robust

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    1. The fact is RWD with proper tires and Limited Slip will go about anywhere you want. You can steer with the steering wheel or throttle if you kick off the stability control system. Add Stability control and traction control even the most unskilled driver should have no issue.

      FWD understeers massively. With out stability control and traction control you lose your steering and go straight right into what you see ahead of you. The physics of FWD unload the front end as you accelerate as for ever reaction there is a opposite equal reaction. This is why FWD drag cars have wheelie bars to keep the front wheels planted as the weight all goes to the rear.

      AWD is good for traction but you pay a price in that it used more power to drive the other wheels and it adds weight to the cars. They have improved this but it is still a factor. A good AWD system will also add to the price that most will not pay in a cheaper model car.

      It is in all you want or the skill level you have. The fact is some folks just can’t drive in snow and need FWD because of poor car control skills but Stability control has negated that for the most. The biggest thing against RWD is that so many of them come with summer performance tires and few change them out.

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  8. the same facts also fwd. Drag cars are in another world. There’s no difference whether you think FWD, AWD, RWD. okay, this dispute has been around for a long time, and it is people who want AWD, RWD, FWD, and what is the best. fwd have the same opportunities as well as improving the maintenance of RWD. However, the most fundamental is that AWD is best for keeping the power in all conditions, and getting the best shot. The more powerful the machine is useful to awd.
    AWD is also a tendency to understeer and oversteer but is awd consideration and secure.
    However, whether such disputes does not stop. what is important is that GM is now a very good AWD system. However, the GM must not fall asleep and has yet to evolve better.

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  9. A good AWD system should not understeer and should be relatively neutral. A cheaper more basic system is often FWD based and will understeer.

    I agree AWD is great for putting power down but it also has things you have to deal with. We build a car at work with a Syclone AWD system and while it produces 0-60 times in the 3 second range it also suffers in the quarter miles. Remove the front drive shaft it is slower 0-60 but faster 1/4 mile due to the fact it take 150 HP to run the front drive system.

    The better Haldex systems help minimize this but not all cars like a Terrain or cheaper system will have this.

    The only real reason we have FWD is because of packaging of a smaller car. The FWD system was instituted to save space and provide more interior room as well reduce weight with the elimination of the rear axle and drive line in the center of the car.

    They marketed the hell out of it that it was better traction but it really was not. We here in the snow belt learned that long ago. The only real performance advantage is the car is now point the wheels and gas for those who have little to no winter driving skills. But even with the new Stability systems most cars are no brainers to drive anymore in the snow.

    I do agree GM needs to remain involved with AWD as it is a growing segment as some folks feel the needs and their money is as green as anyone’s.

    GM has done a pretty good job on their AWD system in the last 5 years but their marketing has been poor. They have a very good system but they rely tell little about them and market them poorly such as this story.

    If you have a good system tell people why it is better and show it.

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  10. Does anyone happen to know if the AWD system on a 2011 Buick LaCrosse is front biased, or rear biased? I’m thinking it probably is front biased acting like a FWD system when the road is dry and engages more of the rear wheels when things get messy but would like to confirm it. Please let me know.

    Reply

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