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Re:Bring back the station wagon by adamcstephens on Tuesday June 01, 2021 @06:23PM (#27362230)
Until Subaru offers 2WD cars, they will be inefficient options. Why can’t we also have station wagons that are designed solely for the road?
Re:Bring back the station wagon by jlg23 on Tuesday June 01, 2021 @07:22PM (#27362747)
AWD does not automatically imply off-road capabilities, just better/safer handling. The chassis ain't made for loads encountered off-road.
Re:Bring back the station wagon by throwaway0a5e on Tuesday June 01, 2021 @10:23PM (#27364070)
It makes an obscene amount of difference.

A FWD wagon will practically get stuck on wet grass if there's even a slight incline. AWD is a ton better. And I say this as someone who has FWD and AWD variants of the same station wagon in my garage right now.

Re:Bring back the station wagon by adamcstephens on Tuesday June 01, 2021 @09:37PM (#27363785)
Sure, AWD is great for some conditions. It’s not necessary for most, and with good tires a FWD can be just as safe. The problem is that full time AWD is less fuel efficient.
Re:Bring back the station wagon by throwaway0a5e on Tuesday June 01, 2021 @10:22PM (#27364060)
They offered FWD through 1993. The real world gains in fuel economy were negligible then and less now.
Re:Bring back the station wagon by nradov on Tuesday June 01, 2021 @10:12PM (#27363999)
There is nearly zero efficiency penalty for modern AWD systems.