Best 4WD/AWD system on sub-£5,000 sporty car?
Discussion
Four-wheel drive systems on new cars are constantly getting slicker, offering the benefits of improved traction and greater agility than older four/all-wheel drive models could.
Which sub-£5,000 used cars, however, offer systems that add to the driving experience, rather than just helping you to pull off without wheelspin?
For this kind of money we’re talking A3/A4/A6 with Quattro, X3, X5, Golf 2.8 4MOTION, R32 mk5 (just about), WRX, Legacy Spec B, Forester, X Type, Mazda 6 MPS to name a random selection.
Do any of these jump out to you as particularly good driver’s cars because of their four/all-wheel drive?
Thanks.
Which sub-£5,000 used cars, however, offer systems that add to the driving experience, rather than just helping you to pull off without wheelspin?
For this kind of money we’re talking A3/A4/A6 with Quattro, X3, X5, Golf 2.8 4MOTION, R32 mk5 (just about), WRX, Legacy Spec B, Forester, X Type, Mazda 6 MPS to name a random selection.
Do any of these jump out to you as particularly good driver’s cars because of their four/all-wheel drive?
Thanks.
The SUVs, no.... I like Audi’s Quattro system for grip- debatable on driving enhancement over RWD etc (personal preference).
The one on your list that stands out is WRX... the cartoon squirtability of those is still excellent fun and a characteristic of a car designed with AWD in mind.
R32 interesting but more because of engine than drive train would be a very ropey one for sub £5k these days.
The one on your list that stands out is WRX... the cartoon squirtability of those is still excellent fun and a characteristic of a car designed with AWD in mind.
R32 interesting but more because of engine than drive train would be a very ropey one for sub £5k these days.
whp1983 said:
The SUVs, no.... I like Audi’s Quattro system for grip- debatable on driving enhancement over RWD etc (personal preference).
The one on your list that stands out is WRX... the cartoon squirtability of those is still excellent fun and a characteristic of a car designed with AWD in mind.
R32 interesting but more because of engine than drive train would be a very ropey one for sub £5k these days.
Thanks. I suppose because driving enjoyment is subjective, but the element I’m talking about here is agility, the ability of the front end to turn in, regardless of the surface or conditions.The one on your list that stands out is WRX... the cartoon squirtability of those is still excellent fun and a characteristic of a car designed with AWD in mind.
R32 interesting but more because of engine than drive train would be a very ropey one for sub £5k these days.
As you said, the baked-in AWDness of the WRX probably makes it stand out compared with other models. I used to have a Legacy 3.0R Spec B and that was a very well balanced car with a pointy front end and decent traction.
Mine was limited by 15-year-old suspension and crappy Nexen tyres. Imagine replacing those would have sharpened things up further.
Does anyone have any experience of the Audi A3/A4 3.2 Quattro - or even A6 4.2 Quattro - or Jaguar X-Type 3.0, X5 or other reasonably performance-oriented models?
I’ve driven so many newer four/all-wheel drive cars, just not many from this era!
I really liked the xDrive 4wd system on my 2004 E53 X5 4.8iS and at full throttle you could really feel it shift the power to the rear wheels. Years back I also really liked the 4wd system on the Sierra XR4x4's I had. However I didn't rate the haldex 4wd system that was on the 2012 Audi TTS that I had though.
cerb4.5lee said:
I really liked the xDrive 4wd system on my 2004 E53 X5 4.8iS and at full throttle you could really feel it shift the power to the rear wheels. Years back I also really liked the 4wd system on the Sierra XR4x4's I had. However I didn't rate the haldex 4wd system that was on the 2012 Audi TTS that I had though.
Damn. I was hoping no one was going to rave about the X5 4.8iS. I have a massive soft spot for these, despite them being completely gratuitous - over-blingy, oversized, far too heavy and not tasteful enough!
RoVoFob said:
cerb4.5lee said:
I really liked the xDrive 4wd system on my 2004 E53 X5 4.8iS and at full throttle you could really feel it shift the power to the rear wheels. Years back I also really liked the 4wd system on the Sierra XR4x4's I had. However I didn't rate the haldex 4wd system that was on the 2012 Audi TTS that I had though.
Damn. I was hoping no one was going to rave about the X5 4.8iS. I have a massive soft spot for these, despite them being completely gratuitous - over-blingy, oversized, far too heavy and not tasteful enough!
RoVoFob said:
cerb4.5lee said:
I definitely loved mine for sure!
How ruinous was it? Big repair bills all the time or relatively low maintenance for the type of car? I fear the former...As they've got older I've read that they are very needy cars to be fair. Pan roofs fail and the air suspension can be very problematic as well I believe(among other things). They do have a lovely feel good factor about them for me though, and the noise from the V8 is just awesome.
cerb4.5lee said:
I had it at 6 years old and it only had 37k miles on it. It was faultless for the 17 months and 15k miles that I had it for, however it did have a little oil leak(common for these) and it used to return around 12mpg on my commute which for me was pretty ruinous!
As they've got older I've read that they are very needy cars to be fair. Pan roofs fail and the air suspension can be very problematic as well I believe(among other things). They do have a lovely feel good factor about them for me though, and the noise from the V8 is just awesome.
Phew. You’ve put me off again!As they've got older I've read that they are very needy cars to be fair. Pan roofs fail and the air suspension can be very problematic as well I believe(among other things). They do have a lovely feel good factor about them for me though, and the noise from the V8 is just awesome.
I really don’t get the concept of SUVs, but as a BMW and 4WD/AWD fan, the X5 does appeal. The 320hp 4.4-litre V8 is no doubt a wiser option, but even then, it’s hardly light, economical or particularly reliable! Sadly, there’s a Le Mans Blue X5 4.8iS that keeps parking on my road. It looks damn good for a 15-year old SUV. Must resist, must resist, must resist...
Discovered that first-gen X3s are very cheap yesterday. Had an hour of madness last night when I convinced myself that an X3 3.0i would make an interesting performance car. Thankfully I think I’ve recovered now.
Takemeaway said:
The A3 3.2 quatrro with the DSG gearbox is/was a sensational car in my opinion
I'm not sure how they've aged but when i had mine a few years back it was faultless (if not a little thirsty!!)
It’s good to hear some love for the A3. They always seemed to be damned with faint praise when they were new, but a compact, high-quality hatch with a tuneful V6 and all-wheel drive has always sounded appealing to me. I'm not sure how they've aged but when i had mine a few years back it was faultless (if not a little thirsty!!)
It’s a grown up alternative to the chubby looking R32 with a much nicer looking interior. Just a shame they’re so expensive these days. Especially compared with big-engined A4s and A6s...
The WRX is the standout, the rest are swift cars that are okay steers, but that's not to say you can't enjoy them but as drivers cars they're not a patch on something like a Focus ST as a drivers car.
Unless you're an oaf with the throttle & have the cheapest tyres fitted then wet weather pace won't be that badly affected.
I'd probably go for the A3 & live with the high tax.
Unless you're an oaf with the throttle & have the cheapest tyres fitted then wet weather pace won't be that badly affected.
I'd probably go for the A3 & live with the high tax.
ZX10R NIN said:
The WRX is the standout, the rest are swift cars that are okay steers, but that's not to say you can't enjoy them but as drivers cars they're not a patch on something like a Focus ST as a drivers car.
Unless you're an oaf with the throttle & have the cheapest tyres fitted then wet weather pace won't be that badly affected.
I'd probably go for the A3 & live with the high tax.
I’ve always seen the Impreza WRX as a poor relation to the Impreza Turbo 2000, which is much lighter and has pretty much the same power. I suppose the AWD should be more sophisticated, though.Unless you're an oaf with the throttle & have the cheapest tyres fitted then wet weather pace won't be that badly affected.
I'd probably go for the A3 & live with the high tax.
Maybe I am an oaf, but I do like being able to be completely confident in the amount of traction the car has when pulling away. Rear-wheel drive is more than good enough for that in most cases, though...
As you said, decent tyres in most cases should be good enough, unless you have a heavily turbocharged front-wheel drive car that has a big dollop of power that suddenly overwhelms the front tyres.
ZX10R NIN said:
The WRX is the standout, the rest are swift cars that are okay steers, but that's not to say you can't enjoy them but as drivers cars they're not a patch on something like a Focus ST as a drivers car.
Unless you're an oaf with the throttle & have the cheapest tyres fitted then wet weather pace won't be that badly affected.
I'd probably go for the A3 & live with the high tax.
I almost went down the WRX route when I got my Legacy, import legacy twinscroll has the 2.0 petrol engine with 260 bhp (if auto) and feels fun (stock bilstein suspension) and fast but more refined than the ImprezaUnless you're an oaf with the throttle & have the cheapest tyres fitted then wet weather pace won't be that badly affected.
I'd probably go for the A3 & live with the high tax.
Of course, this point is very subjective to the individual "the ability of the front end to turn in" and i have not driven a modern 4wd sports saloon, but having purchased a Subaru Impreza 2000 Turbo new back in 2000, i was quite shocked at how under-steery it was in stock form (and very noticeable on a trackday). So 4wd alone may not be the panacea
Roboticarm said:
I almost went down the WRX route when I got my Legacy, import legacy twinscroll has the 2.0 petrol engine with 260 bhp (if auto) and feels fun (stock bilstein suspension) and fast but more refined than the Impreza
The sporty Legacy models seem to channel a lot of that traditional Subaru goodness, but with a chunk more refinement. Lovely machines. I was really impressed with the Spec B I had. Just needed better tyres and probably a suspension refresh as the springs and dampers were 15 years old.
4anascooter said:
Of course, this point is very subjective to the individual "the ability of the front end to turn in" and i have not driven a modern 4wd sports saloon, but having purchased a Subaru Impreza 2000 Turbo new back in 2000, i was quite shocked at how under-steery it was in stock form (and very noticeable on a trackday). So 4wd alone may not be the panacea
Yes, very true. 4WD/AWD doesn’t mean that something is inherently good to drive.Interesting to hear that the Turbo 2000 would be so understeery, though. Most of the reviews I’ve read talk about them being very agile, but I suppose they are pretty old cars now and maybe more recent reviews are of cars that have been fiddled with to some degree...
RJWR said:
I briefly drove a WRX impreza. I only noticed fantastic things, a surge on acceleration and more car than | could handle at 22. For me, you can pick them up cheap and are the stand out car for this thread
They’re not cheap any more. Most of the early 2000s ones seem to be £5,000+, even for those with more than 100,000 miles on them and questionable service histories. Unless I’m just looking in the wrong places...!Gassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff