I am potentially looking at buying a new car in next coming months. I’m looking at the Nissan rogue because my current car is Nissan and I’ve been pleased with it for the past 12 years and I would like the extra room an suv has. The only thing I don’t like is that the majority of suvs are AWD. Nissan does make the rogue in FWD but I was only able to find 1 in my nearby dealerships. So it seems that if I want an suv I’m stuck with AWD or I have to stick with a sedan. For context, my first and current car is a 2012 Nissan versa.
Tldr: do the benefits of AWD and having an suv outweigh the downside of having to replace every tire if you get a flat in one with AWD. Or should I just try and stick with FWD?
EDIT: thank you for all the responses. It is very clear now that I do not need AWD and will stick with FWD. And apparently, I need to look into different cars makers. I have had good luck with my Nissan but according to comments Nissan isn’t a good company anymore.
EDIT 2: I didn’t realize that there are 2 different types of AWD. There’s full and reactive. Technically, the car I have now is AWD because it does divert power to the back wheels if it detects them slipping. My apologies for not fully understanding the terminology before making the post. My original post was directed towards full AWD, when there is power to all wheels all the time. Thanks for the help !
Traction control and other related features is a bigger deal than AWD in my opinion. In the past five years I’ve had AWD engage maybe twice.
Also, you can replace two tires at once as opposed to all four, depending on the specific vehicle and how much the difference will be between the tires you’re keeping and getting rid of. You only need to replace all four if the difference is enough to cause issues.
There are a ton of crossover SUVs with FWD, though. Here are a few:
- Honda CR-V
- Toyota RAV4
- Lexus RX 350
- Toyota Highlander
- Hyundai Tucson
- Hyundai Palisade
- Kia Telluride
- Nissan Kicks
- Nissan Rogue
- Nissan Murano
Another vote for FWD!
AWD is expensive. It’s not just the upfront cost of the option. It’s also an ongoing cost. An AWD vehicle costs more to insure, maintain, and repair. It will also get less MPG than a FWD car.
These will add up to thousands of more dollars over the lifetime of the car.
Keeping fresh, high quality tires on the vehicle will go a long way towards bridging the gap between FWD and AWD. They’ll also cost a hell of a lot less money.
