FWD -> AWD is it worth it?

[Redline]

All AWD CUPRA owners that moved from a FWD cupra to AWD cupra. Are you happy?
What's your general experience? Do you miss the lighter more nimble FWD or are you enjoying the faster 0-100 times in the AWD?

Anyone tracked both?

I am thinking about going Stage 1 and i really do like 0-100 accelerations but i know the FWD is already almost at it's physical max. It's like 5500-7000 quid to upgrade my 290 to 300 AWD and i don't know if it's really worth it. I test drove a 300 AWD once and it was faster but felt slower. Very weird experience.

What's your 2 cents about this?
I am considering the 300 because you can go 400HP 450nm and 0-100 in around 4 sec with just a new inter-cooler if i understand correctly.

 

[Damo H]

You hit the nail on the head. The AWD feels slower. It’s quicker to 60 l, but I’d say slower from 30.

The thing is without a remap, your mum could drive the 4WD fast.

This is a good video to highlight how a guy who has no real track driving ability can drive what is a much slower car a lot faster and still hands free call his mum. Skip to about 5 minutes 30 for the track stuff, but these guys are awesome and I recommend watching them.

I’d day standard the FWD is the more driver focused car, if slower in real world terms.

However with decent tyres, and a strut brace along with a tweak to VCDS I’d say my Carbon is now just as much fun, if not more fun than my old 280. And now it’s Stage 1, it’s just busy fast.

 

[Redline]

.

Is the carbon AWD?

Fun Video.
Reminds me of when i drove an AMG A45. FAST & Grippy. But pretty non dramatic.
This is why the sub 800kg cars with 200+hp are so much fun, they are light and nimble and just feel fast as hell.

It's quite the dilemma....

 

[Janusz]

I would love stage 3 awd so I could chase bikes from standing start.
On the other hand I love the " I wanna kill you feeling" it gives when you get esp to off and really push it on twisty roads. Front wheels on locked haldex trying to slide out of the road, left foot braking and so on.
I think fwd still gives hot hatch feeling.
Awd is missing the tooth.
Though on paper it is a faster.

 

[S4BiT]

I am/was happy in winter time, that I moved back to all-wheel-drive car. BUT as the slippy times goes now and the grip comes back, I really miss my GTI PP or other FWD cars previously owned (all them with the limited slip diffs). Why? Because they are so much more fun to drive, much more drama, much more nimble etc. etc. So if I had the money, I would own both, as in winter time I love the AWD.

 

[Jaco2k]

I will just drop this here that I have just posted

https://forums.seatcupra.net/index.php?threads/teaser-my-ice-track-video-is-coming-along.450336/

 

[Damo H]

Is the carbon AWD?

Fun Video.
Reminds me of when i drove an AMG A45. FAST & Grippy. But pretty non dramatic.
This is why the sub 800kg cars with 200+hp are so much fun, they are light and nimble and just feel fast as hell.

It's quite the dilemma....

Yeah, carbon editions are just 4drives.

 

[G.P]

Whats the percentage diff. between the front/rear diffs on the Leon?

 

[S4BiT]

Whats the percentage diff. between the front/rear diffs on the Leon?

Its a Haldex equipped car so the maximum of split is 50:50

 

[Damo H]

Its a Haldex equipped car so the maximum of split is 50:50

I’ve read the car is capable of sending 100% power to the rear on the MQB setup, the Docus RS can too. It was noted as one of the downsides to the A45AMG that they’ve programmed to only be able to send 50% power to the rear.

Annoyingly I can’t remember where I saw this.

 

[S4BiT]

I’ve read the car is capable of sending 100% power to the rear on the MQB setup, the Docus RS can too. It was noted as one of the downsides to the A45AMG that they’ve programmed to only be able to send 50% power to the rear.

Annoyingly I can’t remember where I saw this.

Very interesting, as i know quite shure that the Haldex system cant do that over 50%
I wont argue tho, as far as i dont have proof

 

[S4BiT]

I know that it can send 100% of power to one wheel on MQB platform with VAQ diff in front wheel drive cars, maybe that did some confuse?

 

[Jaco2k]

Yeah, I don't have references either, but I am pretty sure it can send 50% max to the rear.

 

[LouG]

You hit the nail on the head. The AWD feels slower. It’s quicker to 60 l, but I’d say slower from 30.

The thing is without a remap, your mum could drive the 4WD fast.

This is a good video to highlight how a guy who has no real track driving ability can drive what is a much slower car a lot faster and still hands free call his mum. Skip to about 5 minutes 30 for the track stuff, but these guys are awesome and I recommend watching them.

I’d day standard the FWD is the more driver focused car, if slower in real world terms.

However with decent tyres, and a strut brace along with a tweak to VCDS I’d say my Carbon is now just as much fun, if not more fun than my old 280. And now it’s Stage 1, it’s just busy fast.

MCM is a bit of a piss take. I wouldn't take all they do as gospel.

 

[LouG]

I would love stage 3 awd so I could chase bikes from standing start.

Though on paper it is a faster.

That'll be Harleys then, because you wouldn't stay in the same time zone as the latest Hyperbikes.

 

[KernelOkey]

For a daily driver in Sweden 4drive is the way to go, maybe a 2wd is more fun a few months a year but I wouldnt trade that for abit less fun 12months

 

[Jaco2k]

For a daily driver in Sweden 4drive is the way to go, maybe a 2wd is more fun a few months a year but I wouldnt trade that for abit less fun 12months

Spot-on! I guess the answer to the OP will vary widely depending on geographic location.
Up North, it is more a necessity than a convenience.
I owned the Skoda Octavia VRS MQB "cousin" before so I have some FWD experience of the same platform.
At least in Finland, there is almost 6 months of winter and when it is not winter it often rains.
The AWD makes it much more convenient to live on a day-to-day and the added weight on the rear axle makes the car somewhat more planted, specially when moving swiftly on the motorway.
I agree that track times are not going to be as good as the FWD, since it is heavier, lacks the clever front diff and it has some power loss from the rear driveshaft.
It really depends on what you are looking for.
If I lived in Portugal or Spain, 100% sure I would consider the FWD, although... My last 4 cars have been wagons, which means the handling is screwed from the start

 

[JonnyG]

Agree 100% with the above ...as a previous Golf R owner I personally prefer AWD to FWD for long term ownership in the UK. The traction is so much better which is great for those wet and icy months when you can still use nearly all the power of the car in all circumstances .... away form the lights uphill, accelerating away from roundabouts, bends etc. The car feels so much more planted. The downside is that you lose that nimbleness and lightness on twisty open roads and on track when the FWD is probably faster in the dry.

 

[Damo H]

MCM is a bit of a piss take. I wouldn't take all they do as gospel.

Nothing in what I wrote suggests MCM is gospel . Just showing how easy it is to drive a golf R quickly. They're still awesome though, very funny. If you don't like em don't watch em.

 

[seatgraham]

Agree 100% with the above ...as a previous Golf R owner I personally prefer AWD to FWD for long term ownership in the UK. The traction is so much better which is great for those wet and icy months when you can still use nearly all the power of the car in all circumstances .... away form the lights uphill, accelerating away from roundabouts, bends etc. The car feels so much more planted. The downside is that you lose that nimbleness and lightness on twisty open roads and on track when the FWD is probably faster in the dry.

Is that on winter tyres? 4drive on order. But will be summer months when it arrives.