Hercules

Will a RWD car be able to suffice during winter and bad weather? I've heard iffy things about this, having good and bad points.

I intend to get the RX-8 as my daily driver. So let me know!

BlueAdept

What... has the world been contaminated completely by the "build 'em cheap" front wheel drive generation.

I've owned front wheel drive, rear wheel drive and 4 wheel drive vehicles.... and really, 4 wheel drive aside... rear wheel drive is infinitely preferable.

Would you think twice about a 325i BMW??? There may be other things to concider about the RX-8 before deciding it is good as a daily driver... but IMHO the FWD/RWD is just a matter of learning how it handles.

If you plan not to have an exciting drive to work, go gentle when it rains.... as it WILL get a bit lively at the rear... but it's somthing you'll get to love.

What sort of weather conditions are you talking about, because I don't think there are any conditions where I would take an FWD car and not a RWD car..... although there are conditions where I'd leave either and take my Landrover.

Rich

I agree with BlueAdept, but would add that good snow tires are probably going to be necessary. The stickier the stock tires are during the summer, the less traction they'll have in the winter. Add to that the fact that they're wide, and it could be stuck going nowhere fast in winter. Add a set of Blizzaks or other high quality snows and you'll be much better off than anyone in a 4WD vehicle with all-season tires.

IMHO, good snow driving is a result of:
1. good common sense from the driver (no tailgating!)
2. good driver skill (& experience)
3. good snow tires

BlueAdept

I'm afraid mine's gonna be kept away from daily driving... my trip to work is grueling on a vehicle and I think I'll just stick with the Landrover...

People can hit it, scrape it in a car park... do whatever... and I really don't care, you can't intimidate somone driving a vehicle made entirely of girders and grime.

BlueAdept

That said... I might drive it daily... just not to work... infact I think I might just go driving for the pleasure again... been a while!

Immi

Haha... sounds like a derby to me.

I dont think the RX 8 will be able to handle the fierce winters of Canada. So it will not be my daily driver.

Styjan

Yes, daily driver!

zoom44

daily driver. cant afford another car. when its too bad out i'll take my wifes truck or light rail. portland has a great light rail system.

red_base 95

It will be a daily driver for me. I can't afford to have it sit at home!

As previously mentioned regarding inclement weather, prudent driving and selection of good snow tires should be all a person needs to deal with that issue.

I can't wait to get my hands on one for a test drive. there is a dealership only 5 minutes from my office. Can you say "long lunch hour"?
Bonus Item - I recently discovered that my company participates in Ford's X-plan purchasing, which qualifies on Mazda products (I already checked that out), Jaguar and Volvo as well. Not Aston-martin though I just hope the RX-8 is not subject to exclusion like Thunderbird and F-150 Lightning currently are.

That would seriously blow chunks

Rich

I think the RX-8 will do better in the Canadian winters than the Miata, and there are plenty of daily driver Miatas up there and in Alaska. I suppose it depends on where you live and what you'll be doing with it, though.

Elara

No matter what I get, RX-8 or Miata, it'll be my daily driver. What's the point of having the car if you don't take advantage of it as much as possible!

I've never had much problem in either rear-wheel drive or front-wheel drive in the snow or otherwise. I just won't drive like a dummy in bad weather conditions. It's really just a matter of common sense about the whole deal, as was mentioned before.

Immi

you're probably right - but i'd rather not drive a manual rwd car - period

ill just get a fwd car for my daily

KayakDaddy

Even if I dont' have to go anywhere that day, I will still drive it. It is well suited to be a daily driver, it's versatility is one of the most attractive parts of it.

You do have to be more careful with RWD in ice and snow, especially if you have 250 horses trying to spin those wheels. People have been driving RWD in inclement weather for almost a century though. I guess I'm lucky that I don't have to take this into account to much living in South Carolina. We get snow here about two or three times a year. Heck, it hasn't rained here since April, I wish it would though, my grass is dead.

enjoy

If the RX-8 does become a reliable daily driver that would certainly change the rotary engine's image for the better. With the environmentally friendly emissions and good MPG i am assuming this car could be a great commuter car for those who drive long distances to work on the weekdays and also be an exciting car to drive for leasure on the weekends.

BlueAdept

I think people have been brainwashed by the motor companies who tell us that FWD is better.... It's mostly just cheaper to make.

IMO you have to be equally careful in a FWD car.... agreed it behaves differently once you push past a limit... FWD will tend to understeer, while RWD will oversteer under power...

I don't get a lot of snow here, but I would say that it has been no more or a problem for me to drive rear wheel drive cars in poor weather than front wheel drive... My highest power car was rear wheel drive, and in slipery conditions it quickly trained you to drive with respect, but was never ill mannered.

KrisA

A RX-8 with 205/55/16 Nokian winter tires should handle a Canadian winter no problem. I used to drive my old RWD AE86 GT-S in the winter and it was a handful, until I put some skinny Nokians on it... then it stuck like glue and make me feel like Burns in Sweden! All it takes is the right tires, a good driver, and some common sense.

WankelWannabe

I'm not worried about the RWD aspect... it's the ground clearance that could be a problem in the snow.

It might turn into a rotary-powered snow plow!

KrisA

Taller tires would help with ground clearance, perhaps 205/70/16's would do the trick. Also Miata's are decent in the snow with the right tires, and you don't get that much lower than that.

there really shouldn't be an issue until there is about 10 inches of snow on the ground... beyond that stay home or call a cab!

Personally I'd be more concerned about the rotary engine starting and not blowing up in -35C weather. I've heard of people destroying their 12A's in very cold weather.

enjoy

Yes FWD is much cheaper to make and i also believe easier, and FWD has understeer, i've never driven a FWD car without understeer, and RWD sometimes have oversteer but not all.

BlueAdept

Hmmm... I guess that really is fairly "inclement"... on the weather front!!!

Anyway, I think FWD/RWD is a fairly moot point... you'll crash either if you don't know what you're doing and don't respect the road conditions...
I don't agree with "enjoy" though, my rear wheel drive Triumph was very well balanced and at the limit it would drift without either over or understeer... but I could get either over or understeer on demand depending on power and steering input... That's how it should be, and those cars that didn't have oversteer are just waiting to bite you if you push them that little bit harder. IMHO if you can't reach the limit, then you'll never know where it is, and that could be just as much of a problem..

As for the snow, the ground clearance could be a problem, but I'll defer to the others,,, if you can get taller snow tyres and the Miata is OK, then I don't see a reason why this should be an issue...

The spy photo's showed it being tested in some pretty nasty cold conditions... so perhaps earlier problems sith cold will be sorted.

enjoy

I said some RWD cars have oversteer doesn't refer to all of them, same with FWD cars some have understeer. i didn't refer to all of them, i currently drive a 1992 Mercedes Benz 190E 2.6 and ive topped it out at about 135MPH and it has great handling with no cases of oversteer; but thats beside the point, i was onyl refering to some cars sorry if i didnt phrase it correctly. and yes you can make your car have over or understeer depending on the power and steering, i agree with that.

BlueAdept

Anyone have any links on handling and driving techniques... I'm sure we've all had our own experience... and everyone thinks they are the best driver right? But I'm sure we could all learn from each other, and a link to a "hints & tips" page from say a professional racing driver or somthing would be a good read.

n22lasing

I think the RX-8 would be a great Daily Driver. With new technology in it like Stability control, a Limited Slip diff, and Traction Control you might not even notice the snow. I went to Canada in 1991 ( the last time I saw snow :D ) and I rented a Ford Crown Victoria. I thought it would haddle terrible especially since I have no winter driving experience and it's rear wheel drive. To my surprise I didn't have any trouble at all. I was even able to out corner smaller front wheel drive cars in and out of the snow w/out any wheel spin or slippage. Ah, the beaty of technology.

BlueAdept

Last time it was REALLY cold here I took a wrong turn and ended up on a road made entirely of ice!!! It was not pretty as it was downhill and and a 90 degree bend at the bottom.... 5mph was enough to guarantee that there would be no stopping!

I decided that I could not make the turn, at least not without risking finding myself in a worse position... so I used the kurb to stop the car... slightly damaging a wheel and puncturing the tyre.... I was only about 100 yards from my friends house so I imediately ran to his house to get him to help me move the car out of harms way, but it was too late, we returned 5 minutes later to find another car embedded in the back of mine... and my friend ended up diving over his car to avoid being hit by a third car which almost joined the stack!!!!!

NEVER under estimate ice... Snow is one thing, but ICE can really ruin your day...

Rich

While those can help a tiny bit, good snow tires make a MUCH bigger differenct. All the fancy technology in the world won't mean a thing as the coefficient of friction between the tires and the snow approaches 0. In a snow storm, I'd rather have a balanced RWD car with snow tires than a 4WD vehicle with traction control and all the other techno do-dads on all-seasons.

Technology can't give you more grip, it can just help you use what's there a little better.