I probably wouldn't buy a truck, but it's at least a possibility that I'd get one for hauling materials and towing around town. If I did, I'd prefer a RWD model just to save a little money. I find the modern obsession with AWD a bit baffling. AWD doesn't help you stop in bad weather, so it feels like an illusory advantage there. RWD can be "interesting" compared to FWD, but modern traction control on an electric drivetrain should make it a non-issue. (In practice, I can abuse the accelerator on my non-truck RWD Teslas pretty badly without any issues with losing traction.)

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cheschire 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

When was the last time you drove on an unplowed road with only rear wheel drive?

Unpowered wheels become uni-directional skis, regardless of their ability to turn left and right.

	▲	toast0 31 minutes ago \| parent \| next [-]
		Half of my vehicles are RWD only, and my roads are very rarely plowed. No big deal most of the year... Of course, when it snows, it's diffferent, but local geography means if it's snowing enough to matter and the plows haven't gotten around, it's not worth it to be driving, regardless of drive configuration. If driving throw unplowed roads with snow and ice is a regular thing for you, sure. But lots of people never drive in those conditions, so AWD adds weight and complexity that's unnecessary. But people like to be prepared for everything.
	▲	AngryData 2 hours ago \| parent \| prev \| next [-]
		Basically never? And I live in a deep rural area 30 minutes from the northern border. Where do you live that you drive through unplowed roads? The only time ive ever wanted AWD or 4WD is once or twice knowingly risking getting stuck by pulling off of people's driveway onto their lawn.
	▲	wat10000 2 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		A few months ago when it snowed last time. I used to occasionally drive a V8 with no traction control in Wisconsin winters. It was fine, just took a little care. A modern electric drivetrain is about a million times better. Unpowered wheels still steer just fine. AWD certainly does better. But I'd rather be cautious and take it slow anyway.

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dec0dedab0de 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I've never driven an AWD, but having a 4x4 in a snow storm is wonderful. Waking up and driving through the pile of snow from the plow to go to wawa before I even think about shoveling is an absolute luxury. Plus, driving on the beach is pretty fun too.

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sunshinesnacks 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> AWD doesn't help you stop in bad weather

I frequently think about this when weather gets bad! I already have AWB (all wheel braking?). Seems like AWD could make it too easy to get in a situation where my AWB isn’t sufficient to stop

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saalweachter an hour ago | parent | next [-]

Snow tires, people! Snow tires!

A FWD vehicle with snow tires is frequently better in the snow than an AWD without snow tires. Better control, better stopping, better uphill on snowy roads.

	▲	mingus88 an hour ago \| parent [-]
		Yep All cars are “all wheel stop” All wheel drive doesn’t matter when you lose traction and need to stop. When you are sliding on ice all cars perform the same, and the quality of your tires is what matters. AWD just gives people false confidence to drive faster than they can stop. I convinced my wife to stop buying the absolute cheapest tires by telling her it is literally the only part of the car that actually touches the road. Why would you cheap out on that?

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dghlsakjg an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

Yup. Growing up in Colorado you realize that AWD is frequently the cause of the trouble in bad weather rather than the solution.

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creaturemachine 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

You get better regenerative braking performance out of FWD or AWD. Since typically the front brakes do most of the work, it makes sense to have that energy go into the motor rather than friction braking.

	▲	kgermino 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		That's true, but if you stay in the regenerative zone it doesn't (seem to) make that much of a difference in practice. All the braking power happens in the rear if you only brake the rear wheels