[AL.]

Well, it won't give you any extra grip and, in the dry, the 180 RWD struggles to lose traction out of corners, so I can't imagine that the AWD would be any faster on track unless it's wet.
I like to drive my cars. So, not having to control the throttle would make them more boring to me.

Of course it will give extra grip.
Simple physics.
A car with the power going through all four wheels under acceleration will have more grip than one with it only going through two as there is twice the contact patch with the road.
I'm sure as you say in a 180 it doesn't make a difference unless it's in the wet but trust me in a performance car it can make a big difference as CRS 123 has found on his F-Type.
On mine I have to tread carefully in damp or wet conditions and AWD would give better security.
Coming from an AWD car to mine I have had to adapt my driving style back to RWD.
I'll repeat again when it comes to cars with higher performance it can make a difference in the dry.

Here's an interesting vid of Chris Harris comparing an AWD A45 against a RWD BMW 135.
Forget the costs/which one has the best interior etc etc but see what he says about the difference in dynamics on the road as well as the track.

It is simple physics, but like a lot of people do, you're confusing grip with traction.

AWD provides you with more traction, which helps you get off the line quicker and helps to accelerate out of corners when you have more torque than grip.

Braking into and going around a corner rely on grip, not traction, hence a RWD car will perform the same (if not better) than an equivalent AWD car.

The fact that the vast majority of proper performance cars are RWD adds weight to the argument that AWD is not better unless you're in a rally or off-roading.

I've just watched the video and I'm struggling to work out how it's relevant; the A45 and M135i as tested in the video are very different cars.

I can completely appreciate that for a novice, an AWD will always be the safer option on the road and if you compared two cars, that were identical other than drivetrain, a novice would be able to drive the AWD version faster. However, RWD will always win for the purist and will generally have more dynamic capability.

 

[PhilB]

It is simple physics, but like a lot of people do, you're confusing grip with traction.

AWD provides you with more traction, which helps you get off the line quicker and helps to accelerate out of corners when you have more torque than grip.

Braking into and going around a corner rely on grip, not traction, hence a RWD car will perform the same (if not better) than an equivalent AWD car.

The fact that the vast majority of proper performance cars are RWD adds weight to the argument that AWD is not better unless you're in a rally or off-roading.
I've just watched the video and I'm struggling to work out how it's relevant; the A45 and M135i as tested in the video are very different cars.

I can completely appreciate that for a novice, an AWD will always be the safer option on the road and if you compared two cars, that were identical other than drivetrain, a novice would be able to drive the AWD version faster. However, RWD will always win for the purist and will generally have more dynamic capability.

The reason I posted the video was to show the difference between AWD and RWD on two performance cars and said as such in my text.
Grip and traction are the same thing.
Oxford English Dictionary : "Traction - 3. The grip of a tyre on a road or a wheel on a rail"
But I'm obviously one of the novices so I'll let the "purists" get back to their RWD.

 

[Byrus]

I live in Chicago and am waiting to get the MY18 since the 25t will come in AWD. On numerous occasions I've had trouble just getting a RWD out of the driveway or parking spot due to the snow. Expecting AWD to make a big difference in that scenario.

 

[gmh]

I live in Chicago and am waiting to get the MY18 since the 25t will come in AWD. On numerous occasions I've had trouble just getting a RWD out of the driveway or parking spot due to the snow. Expecting AWD to make a big difference in that scenario.

Nah just get a tractor to pull you out 😁

 

[Byrus]

Lol. Not a bad idea in Chicago.

 

[NewLester de Rocin]

:lol: :lol: :lol: Yes, there it is. THAT's the familiar debate I posted about. The Unresolved Argument. The Undiscovered Country.

Cohesion/traction/grip. Coefficient-of-Delta. Videos and charts. I only have to mention it, and the debate resumes in any arena.

I can be sitting at a Starbucks coffee shop catering to nothing but elderly ladies during a Mothers Only Celebration Day… and if I say "Hmm, I think a 4WD saloon would have been superior to a RWD version on that wet downhill Pilkington street 3 blocks from here. :roll: "---immediately one of the elderly gals will say "MY SON SHOWED ME UNASSAILABLE VECTOR-PHYSICS EVIDENCE THAT THE FRONT WHEELS IN A RWD CAR CONTRIBUTE NO MORE THAN 47.3 lbs per micron-squared in a low-torque downhill turn, and… while THE FRONT WHEELS ON AN AWD CAR OF EQUAL WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION DIMINISHES THEIR CONTRIBUTION by as much as 13% in the first 3.7 seconds, and 17% every 2 seconds afterward…"….

It's fun…

I never knew the AWD debate even existed, until I lost my FWD car. I never knew owning a RWD car could be so cool. All this physics that come into play, and can be tweaked by the driver as he becomes more educated in "the mechanics of driving".

 

[PhilB]

I never knew the AWD debate even existed, until I lost my FWD car. I never knew owning a RWD car could be so cool. All this physics that come into play, and can be tweaked by driver as he becomes more competent about "the skill of driving".

Oh it's a real biggie!
There are purists who believe RWD is the ONLY real drivetrain.
As soon as FWD or AWD are mentioned (God forbid) the pitchforks come out and the torches are lit.
Personally I think all have advantages but it's a topic that can start flame wars!
:lol:

 

[Late for Tea]

Yes, I also agree that AWD does everything better in the snow including handling, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF STOPPING. In Michigan I see this catching a lot of those infamous SUV drivers out in snowy conditions. They have their confidence built up by the sure footedness and traction provided by AWD but somehow seem to forget we are governed by the same laws of physics when it comes to stopping.

Being in the auto business and living in the snow belt has provided me the unique opportunity to drive several of the same models of vehicles, both configured with 2WD vs AWD back to back in several inches of snow. I will tell you that the back end will come out on you (or the front end just push when trying to turn) without AWD in the snow. If you ever have an opportunity to do this, take both vehicles to an empty parking lot and intentionally slide around. You will find that the AWD vehicle not only holds a line better, but makes corrections much more quickly. You can actually modulate the accelerator to make some interesting maneuvers that would be nearly impossible in a 2WD car or truck. Off the line traction is greatly improved as previously mentioned. The XE is further aided by the snow mode which actually works quite well ... I had to use it just yesterday. On a banked curve on the expressway (motorway) if you press the accelerator too hard you will feel the back end let go and begin to slide down the embankment. It becomes even more complicated with additional speed. AWD all but eliminates this phenomenon that seems exclusive to RWD systems in the snow.

In the dry I have never been able to make the XE break grip. I have intentionally tried on 2 separate occasions but could only make 1 attempt each. I can not be sure, without further evaluation and a comparable RWD model, to tell you if that is a product of the AWD or just the XE design.

In the wet I would expect the performance advantage offered by AWD to be somewhere between the dry and full snow. For me, I typically do not do anything in the XE in the wet that would cause a loss of traction. I can tell you I could get my RWD Mercedes to fishtail all over the place, albeit intentionally, quite easily on a wet road. My FWD Volvo C70 would also push and sometimes slide in the wet when I was in a position to safely drive aggressively. It once did so completely by accident and I slid across the roadway into what would have been oncoming traffic. Fortunately there was no one there to hit. Taking that same roadway in my AWD S60R Volvo with the exact same drivetrain sans the AWD, I never came close to losing it, even at nearly twice the speed that caught my C70 out.

 

[maccraw]

My previous car was an X-type and have also had much experience with Land Rovers and other 4X4's. For me, I'd always go for the FWD.

 

[bob_mcn]

:lol: But this could solve ALL those problem choices. :lol:

 

[Goddard]

I'll throw some fuel on this fire. Have a Google on tyre traction ellipses. In simple terms your tyres generate grip front to back, for acceleration and braking, and also side to side for going around bends. You can't use maximum sideways grip at the same time as maximum front/back grip. We all know this intuitively because we can stop faster in a straight line than around a bend. The available grip/traction looks more like an ellipse.

So in terms of RWD Vs AWD,

Going around a bend whilst not braking or accelerating is the same for both. Using simply the lateral grip available for both front and rear tyres.

Going around a bend whilst braking is the same for both. Using the lateral grip, but balanced between the compromise of how much braking grip you are using, which takes away from available lateral grip.

Going around a bend whilst accelerating AWD wins because you can apply some forward power to front tyres and some to rear tyres. This reduces the lateral grip available, but because it's shared front to back you are using a total combined greater than you can with just RWD.

Again this is a big simplification, but explains the principle.

So technically AWD is superior for performance. Modern AWD systems are very clever and most of the time will run very similar to a RWD because that is all you need, but it will definitely prove a bonus when you do need it.

 

[benweston]

RWD is more fun than AWD in most weather conditions - the back end is a lot livelier and I find that RWD setups usually have a little more poise and accuracy than AWD which tends to dull the sensations slightly. The XE is about the best RWD chassis I've ever driven with huge levels of grip/traction (I don't want to get involved in that debate :lol: )

That said, I'd have got AWD on my XE if it was available - it's a road, not track, car. Even with 237bhp, it easily wheelspins and loses power out of a junction or in lower gears. Sometimes this can be quite tiring and AWD would eliminate that as well as providing more confidence in very wet and icy conditions.

Of the new model line up, the 250ps 2.0-litre petrol AWD would be my pick.

 

[Goddard]

Personal preference is something totally different. I've never had the pleasure of AWD but same as you I would have likely picked it if available at the time. Greater security in bad weather and faster in the dry? No brainer for me.

 

[147daytona]

Personal preference is something totally different. I've never had the pleasure of AWD but same as you I would have likely picked it if available at the time. Greater security in bad weather and faster in the dry? No brainer for me.

AWD doesn't make a car any faster, in fact it can often be slower because of the extra weight and friction of the AWD system.

 

[benweston]

Personal preference is something totally different. I've never had the pleasure of AWD but same as you I would have likely picked it if available at the time. Greater security in bad weather and faster in the dry? No brainer for me.

AWD doesn't make a car any faster, in fact it can often be slower because of the extra weight and friction of the AWD system.

Depends. AWD systems are a lot more efficient, and lighter, than they used to be. It certainly gives a car more traction which is why the difference in 0-60 between the AWD and RWD versions of the XE is about 0.2 seconds in the AWD car's favour. Which is fairly significant in 0-60 times.

 

[PhilB]

I think we have pretty much done the AWD v RWD thing to death and hidden amongst all this the OP has decided on RWD.
He is now asking about speccing the car but it got buried amongst the "discussion".
:lol:
So to get back on track I have made some initial suggestions and any further thoughts about speccing a new XE to help him out would be appreciated.

Hi Guys. Thanks for the replies. I live in the North East of England so might just opt for the RWD. Is there anything extra you would recommend to have added when I order it.

You will get answers due to personal taste but over time some things have come out that a lot go for.
Parking pack that gives you front sensors and rear camera.
Split fold rear seat.
Spare wheel.
If you like your music then maybe go for the 380 Meridian if it's not standard on your car.

 

[AL.]

Personal preference is something totally different. I've never had the pleasure of AWD but same as you I would have likely picked it if available at the time. Greater security in bad weather and faster in the dry? No brainer for me.

AWD doesn't make a car any faster, in fact it can often be slower because of the extra weight and friction of the AWD system.

Depends. AWD systems are a lot more efficient, and lighter, than they used to be. It certainly gives a car more traction which is why the difference in 0-60 between the AWD and RWD versions of the XE is about 0.2 seconds in the AWD car's favour. Which is fairly significant in 0-60 times.

Do we know what the weight difference is between identically specced AWD and RWD XEs?

 

[Goddard]

AWD doesn't make a car any faster, in fact it can often be slower because of the extra weight and friction of the AWD system.

Sorry to disagree, but it certainly does. If AWD was allowed in LeMans, Formula 1, NASCAR, guess what? all the cars would be AWD, every single one of them. The additional weight, or additional drivetrain losses are secondary issues which don't outweigh the benefits in a speed battle. **I wanted to clarify this point to say that I am assuming there is extra grip to be exploited where AWD is a benefit, if the cars aren't traction limited then yes no benefit - with downforce on modern F1 cars it would be a rare occasion where they were limited.

Some may not like the way a car responds with AWD vs RWD, but you can't argue that it isn't faster. It's like saying not having traction control or ABS brakes is faster. Anything that makes better use of the potential traction/grip available from the tyres will make the car faster.

Again though, most of us spend our time driving around quite happily in traffic not really worrying about that.

 

[PhilB]

Do we know what the weight difference is between identically specced AWD and RWD XEs?

From the Jag website:
250bhp R-Sport petrol RWD: 1,540 kg
250bhp R-Sport petrol AWD: 1,595 kg.
Difference of 55kg

Now as I said in my previous post can we please get back to the OP's request for help speccing his XE.
The RWD v AWD debate is one that will run and run and it's diverting this thread away from helping him out.
Thanks.

 

[JiggyJag]

Front park sensors / rear camera are a must
I really like the glass roof - lets a lot more light into the car
Folding mirrors are also good for me