Winter Car Guide - Winter Wondercars
By Joe Lorio
You don't need a high-riding SUV or crossover to get the winter traction benefits of four-wheel drive. There are myriad sedans, wagons, coupes, and even convertibles that offer four-wheel drive (usually called all-wheel drive in passenger cars) either as standard or optional equipment. We've gathered up a complete list of AWD passenger cars; the list is long and the choices are many. Although the advantages of four driven wheels are obvious in slippery road conditions, the technology comes at a cost. There is usually a cost premium associated with all-wheel drive, and sometimes a fuel economy penalty as well. So for each car listed we've indicated the extra cost of the all-wheel-drive option, or the cost differential compared with the equivalent two-wheel-drive model, as well as its EPA gas mileage ratings, and the fuel economy penalty versus the two-wheel-drive version of the same car.
Acura
Acura's top sedan, the RL, has always come standard with all-wheel drive. The TL gained an all-wheel-drive model with its 2009 redesign. The TL SH-AWD also comes with a larger, more powerful V-6 engine than the front-wheel-drive TL. The "SH" in TL SH-AWD stands for "Super Handling," which denotes Acura's active rear differential technology. It can send engine torque not only to the front or rear wheels but also to one specific rear wheel or the other, which is supposed to aid even dry-road cornering. The same system is on the RL as well.
RL
Price: $47,440
AWD cost: standard
City/Hwy MPG: 16/22
AWD penalty: n.a.
TL SH-AWD
Price: $39,265
AWD cost: $3550 (vs. TL)
City/Hwy MPG: 17/25
AWD penalty: 1 mpg city, 1 mpg hwy
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