wutaguy

http://www.torquenews.com/1574/2015-...ing-next-level

shs111

Can someone weigh in on how the PAWS system works in snowy conditions? I live in Boston, drive a 2005 RL (love it, even as it's aging) and am thinking about either the RLX (PAWS, not SH-AWD hybrid) or possibly waiting for the TLX. Any opinions?

d1sturb3d119

iTrader: (1)

Simply put it is not a magical system that can save you in every situation. It improves stability and cancel's understeer provided the driver does not upset the chassis through a corner by making any abrupt throttle or brake corrections.

Under hard braking it provides better stability by changing the toe angle of the rear wheels and controlling the direction of the car. Under cornering it will cancel understeer by rotating the rear of the car. While changing lanes it minimizes the need for steering angle and provides a more crisp and predictable feel.

Under low traction from a stand still however the car is still FWD and will not be able to jump off the like like the SHAWD car's do.

victorber

After driving through 3 Blinding whiteout blizzards on our last trip through WY on US-84, I can tell you that the P-AWS sys works very very well. Along with CMBS, LKAS/LDWS and the rumble strips on the road edge.

I never had a loss of traction, but their were a few moment where I though I had to change my shorts!

George Knighton

We had a pretty bad winter here.

The RLX is hardly a snow and ice car. :-) It's not dreadful, but I went to the RLX from a TL SH-AWD, which was an absolutely awesome and very underrated snow and ice car.

My saying that the RLX is "hardly" a snow and ice car might be tainted by coming to the RLX from a very good snow and ice car.

P-AWS is too quickly discounted as a gimmick by too many people, including usually very reliable people like Consumer Reports. I think that their problem is that they still haven't driven the car enough. It's on their list but they haven't revised their initial impressions yet to reflect what really goes on.

As some evidence that they haven't driven it enough, in a recent broadcast Consumer Reports told people to basically buy a Chevrolet Impala instead of an RLX...and they were clearly discounting P-AWS as a gimmick on a front wheel drive car. They felt the Impala front wheel drive car was just as good.

Well, guys....

I've driven hard the new Impala. It's nice, but it is very much a front wheel drive car and handles not even as well as a modern Accord.

There is no comparison to the RLX and I think this could be one of those times that Consumer Reports is going to have to revise its published comments about a car.

P-AWS really works. It's not what SH-AWD does, and a number of us looking for that won't like P-AWS as a substitute. Nevertheless, P-AWS serves to flatten the car out and eliminate understeer in a way that allows you to apply more power in any given handling situation!

NOTHING (!!) like an Impala!!

victorber

Thank You George, very well stated, just supports my personel experiences with P-AWS, in snow.