1987 OnRoad 4WD Comparo | Retro Review

motorWeek is made possible by Thai Rak comm rockauto.com State Farm and Weather Tech well hello and welcome again to motor week we have a very special edition of motor week this time we're going to take a look at four-wheel drive vehicles ones that are made to be used on the street four-wheel drive equipped cars vans and station wagons are a growing phenomenon and a lot of people are asking us if they should check off the four-wheel drive block on their new car order form we hope to help answer that so we've collected five very different four-wheel drive models and we're going to explain the pros the cons and the purpose of each Pat Goss will be along to to explain the special maintenance needs for on-road four-wheel drive vehicles so let's get to the cars now our first subject is the latest newcomer to a growing list of cars offering four-wheel drive it's the mercury topaz all-wheel drive as you might have guessed the Ford Tempo also offers this four-wheel-drive system but whether you up for the Ford or the Mercury the idea is the same improve traction and safety in bad weather at first glance the mercury topaz all-wheel drive looks like any other topaz mercury decided that rather than build a special model with all sorts of unnecessary extras it would make four-wheel drive a simple add-on option the only external feature that distinguishes our test car from any other topaz is a small badge on the trunk lid you have to look under the car to see the real difference what you'll first notice is a two-piece driveshaft like those on most rear drive cars throw a vacuum actuated dash switch and a sliding clutch collar arrangement in the front transfer case links the automatic transmission with the driveshaft power is then transmitted to a limited slip differential that turns the rear wheels this systems power transfer gearing looks simple for a modern four-wheel drive but we're told it was very difficult to engineer it can be actuated at any speed or even when the car is standing still Ford's designers are careful to stress that the system is for dirt roads or pavement and bad weather only unfortunately we were cursed with good weather for the whole time we had the Topaz and an earlier four-wheel drive tempo so we looked for the wettest cow paths we could find our little rutted Road John showed the system to have excellent traction with no change in the cars normal docile handling as you might expect four-wheel drive requires more power than you get from a standard topaz Ford solve this by making the 2.3 liter high output engine part of the all-wheel drive package this four-cylinder engine puts out 100 horsepower and 125 pound feet of torque track performances typical family car with a 0 to 60 time of 14.9 seconds the quarter mile ended in nineteen point seven seconds at 69 miles per hour power runs through a smooth shifting three-speed automatic transmission this is the only transmission available with all-wheel drive our slalom handling test also brought no surprises the Topaz has always been a stable car with good road grip an excellent steering field body roll is moderate the four-wheel independent suspension maintains a good balance between performance and ride comfort braking is equally confident with an average stopping distance of 115 feet from 55 miles per hour our test car came in top-line LS trim that means a plush roomy interior that compares favorably with more expensive Mercury's the seats are comfortable and supportive with an optional 6 way power adjustment for the driver's seat the dash is well designed with plenty of ventilation and all controls in easy reach topaz gauges include a clear attack but no readouts for oil pressure or volts other features include standard intermittent wipers comprehensive climate controls and this optional cassette stereo the all-wheel drive system is $915 extra on any topaz including the bass GS and performance trimmed GS sport the luxury LS grade four-door starts at only ten thousand seven hundred eighty three dollars an hour car auctioned out to twelve thousand nine hundred thirty two its sister all-wheel drive Ford Tempo begins at ten thousand one hundred ninety four modestly priced models for such traction flexibility so Ford has taken an already popular family car and added the one thing that was missing the ability to get around under any road or weather conditions other options may offer comfort or convenience but this is the one that really delivers peace of mind now there are many different kinds of four-wheel drive systems some only work part-time or on-demand and system on the Topaz is a good example of that but other systems can be used to send power to all four wheels all the time such systems are known as full-time four-wheel drive a Subaru is one of the leading sellers of on-road four-wheel drive and they've been getting along with an on-demand system for years well now they've introduced a full time system and we tried it on their Highline GL ten the four-wheel drive Subaru GL 10 turbo is a car that tries to be all things to all drivers a high-performance car a family car a luxury car and a foul weather car and for that you pay a hefty price fifteen thousand seven hundred forty-four dollars as for the full-time four-wheel drive you can order it in any Subaru sedan or three door coupe although the system is engaged all the time there's also a locking center differential that's meant for use only on the most slippery surfaces Subaru claims the full time system improves the car's handling and performance the theory is since power goes to all four wheels all the time there's no power loss two wheel spin on full throttle start well acceleration is brisk in the GL 10-hour car went from zero to 60 and 10.3 seconds and ran the quarter mile in seventeen point six seconds at seventy eight the theory seems to work since the all time four-wheel drive GL 10 was slightly faster than the last part-time four-wheel drive GL 10 we tried but some credits should also go to the engine horsepower is up slightly over last year for the 1.8 liter turbocharged flat-four it's now rated of 115 horsepower and 134 pound-feet of torque maybe if the engine had twice the power the GL tends full-time system might have shown more of an acceleration advantage we also couldn't see that much of an advantage to the new system in handling the GL 10 is only as confident as before and it still has the same flaw a power steering pump that won't deliver power to the steering and quick turns as for quick stops the GL 10 is good its brakes are easy to modulate fade is minimal and our stopping distances were good averaging 115 feet from 55 the only thing to complain about here is too much nose dog most drivers will be more impressed with the GL tens luxury the suede look upholstery is new this year the seats have supportive bolsters and the drivers site is height adjustable and has an adjustable lumbar support the rear seat is comfortable for two average-sized adults and shoulder belts are supplied the GL tents digital instrumentation is revised this year and many of the driver controls have also been altered we approve of most of the changes but there are still no readouts for oil pressure or volts there is a four-wheel drive indicator a switch on the console controls the ride height for when the snow gets really deep the GL tends pneumatic suspension will also level itself to compensate for loads and for those lows the GL 10's plenty of trunk space for most sedan type chores plus a rear seat back with flat folding inserts for carrying long items the Subaru GL 10 turbo is a very versatile car that performs almost all its advertised functions fairly well as for its full-time four-wheel drive system while it may not improve its high performance image that much it's always there when you need it in bad weather and that's what's most important now suppose you want a four-wheel-drive vehicle for improved foul-weather traction but let's also suppose that you don't want to be bothered with pushing any buttons or pulling any handles to engage the system well some manufacturers are coming out with completely automatic four-wheel drive systems they work without any help from the driver Volkswagen is one of them and they call their offering the Vanagon synchro the Volkswagen Vanagon synchro hardly looks different from any other Vanagon external changes are limited to larger tires and an extra inch of ground clearance the syncro system works by automatically transferring power between the front and rear axles that's done by a revolutionary viscous fluid coupling device which measures wheel slip and sends power to the front wheels when they start losing traction the viscous coupling is a sealed unit and Volkswagen claims the four-wheel drive synchro needs no more maintenance than the standard rear drive Vanagon if you live where there is really extreme weather you can order an optional driver operated locking differential in the rear this keeps both rear wheels turning at the same speed for additional traction the synchros power comes from a new 2.1 liter fuel-injected four-cylinder that standard on all Vanegas this engine produces 95 horsepower and 117 pound-feet of torque that's a healthy boost over last year's 1.9 liter engine despite the improvements though accessibility for service is still a chore because of the underfloor rear engine bay even with the new engine the Vanagon isn't going to win any awards for speed zero the 60 took 16 point five seconds and the quarter mile ended in twenty point nine seconds at 67 miles per hour the standard four-speed manual transmission has a rough nachi feel that makes quick shifting a problem synchro equipped vehicles get an extra low gear for tough terrain but if you want the syncro you can't get an automatic braking fared much better with 115 foot stops from 55 all stops were straight and the firm pedal made modulation easy and handling tests the synchro tended to throw its tail out in tight turns for the fine power steering made recovery easy the interior is what we've come to expect from Volkswagen handsome but Spartan with firm adjustable seats and a functional well designed - passenger room is generous with easy entry and lots of head and leg room while the cargo floor is anything but flat you can carry broad and long items by folding the seats into their bed position of course all this versatility doesn't come cheap the GL syncro has a base price of sixteen thousand nine hundred five dollars an option our test vehicle cost a hefty 19 thousand nine hundred thirty five dollars so compared to other Volkswagen van agains the sing crow isn't roomier more comfortable or even better-looking but it can go places a regular Vanagon can and it does so without any extra effort from the driver now if you like the idea of having four-wheel drive and the idea of not having to think about it but the Vanagon is too big for your needs there is another alternative the Honda Civic wagon with what they call real-time four-wheel drive now while Honda introduced a part-time four-wheel drive Civic wagon two years ago the new model uses a full time system whose automatic technology is basically the same as on the Vanagon we don't really know what real-time means but it does work as well as any full-time driver engaged four-wheel drive system owners will think it's even better after they feel the system transferring power to the proper wheels all on its own and we don't think Honda could have picked a better package to endow than the Civic wagon as we noted when we last tested the front wheel drive Civic wagon there's room for five adults inside the seats have good lower back support but they're a bit too flat and overly firm and if you want to carry something other than passengers the Civic wagon will oblige with a wide flat cargo floor a hatch that extends clear down to bumper height and double folding seats that allow 10 different cargo and people carrying configurations other interior amenities include a dash with very well placed controls and Honda's traditional instrument pod with a big if incomplete set of gauges plus there storage space everywhere even under the front seats and while the two wheel drive Civic wagon has this nifty storage area above the spare tire the four-wheel drive Civic wagon has only a hard floor the added four-wheel drive running gear takes up the extra space and the spare tire gets a new home too under the car on the 4x4 and the standard civics beam axle is replaced by a live one we're sorry to say there's no limited slip differential that means you'll need to keep three wheels planted at all times so even though there's some extra ground clearance here don't try to go too far off-road the four-wheel drive Civic wagon powered by Honda's trusty 1.5 liter 4-cylinder it makes 72 horsepower and 83 pound-feet of torque it comes mounted to a six-speed manual transmission the extra gear is a super low hill pulling first the shifter seems to give up some precision for the extra gear an automatic is not available and when we put the four-wheel-drive Civic wagon into action we found an advantage to its drive system that conventional part-time systems don't have the Civic wagon won't spin its front wheels off the starting line when the viscous coupling drivetrain senses the spinning wheels it then sends power to the rear wheels unfortunately that doesn't make the four-wheel drive Civic wagon any faster our car took 16.1 seconds to reach 60 miles per hour two seconds slower than the last two wheel drive Civic wagon we tested we attribute the difference to the four-wheel drive cars extra 250 pounds of weight but that didn't hurt its braking for our car stops took an average of 120 3 feet from 55 not bad and they were well behaved all around as for handling the 4-wheel Drive Civic is slower to respond to driver inputs than the standard wagon and there's more body roll if not exciting the four-wheel drive Civic is competent base price for the Honda Civic 4x4 wagon is ten thousand one hundred four dollars fourteen hundred dollars more than the two wheel drive wagon it may not be the most attractive four-wheel drive vehicle going but the Honda Civic wagon could be one of the most efficient all-around packages and it's automatic viscous coupling four-wheel drive is definitely the wave of the future now your car may not have the latest four-wheel drive system but maybe you like it just the same if you do have a car that you think special we'd like to see it and maybe even share it with everyone send us a good color photograph and a description to motorWeek Owings Mills Maryland two one one one seven that's motorWeek Owings Mills Maryland two one one one seven who knows maybe we'll make your car a star okay now it's time to get back to four-wheel drive when you think about full-time four-wheel drive and high performance only one name comes to mind howdy and there's more to the now-famous Quattro's and just improved foul-weather traction the audi four-wheel drive system also improves overall performance and handling and Quattro also means something more luxury especially where Audi's flagship the 5000 CS Quattro is concerned unlike the other vehicles we've looked at this luxury touring sedan is the only one that gains a serious performance advantage from its full-time four-wheel drive traction is so superior to the front drive 5000's that the tires barely chirp when launched from a standing start an acceleration is smooth and fast 0 to 60 takes only nine point five seconds and the quarter-mile flashes by and sixteen point five seconds at 84 miles per hour but the four-wheel drive difference really shows at handling limits the Quattro is extremely stable for such a large car and swings easily through turns and hard corners you can still accelerate smoothly something that's difficult to do in some front drive cars the firm steering reacts better for wide fast curves than slower tighter slaloms but the four-wheel independent suspension does a good job of containing body roll in accident avoidance maneuvers the 5000 sheer size might overwhelm the chassis but the Quattro is extra traction succeeds in letting the driver maintain competent control in addition to the regular full-time four-wheel drive all Quattro's have a dash control that locks the midship and F differentials you lock the center differential for driving on roads slick from rain snow or ice the rear unit is only locked in extreme conditions like deep snow sand or mud the Quattro can move as long as one wheel has traction many other four-wheel drive systems must have traction to at least two wheels in the same conditions for braking the Quattro gets four wheel anti-lock disc brakes which halt the car down from 55 with a distance average of only 110 feet on dry pavement but the anti-lock brake system can be turned off the theory is that the car will actually stop shorter without anti-lock in deep snow or sand also when the center RF differentials are engaged the anti-lock braking system is automatically canceled and each wheel is no longer rotating independently of the others the system cannot function properly that means you don't have the anti-lock action in those situations where you might need it the most an engineering problem that is no doubt getting much attention power for all this hardware comes from a turbocharged intercooled five cylinder that displaces 2.2 liters this superb powerplant puts out 158 horsepower and 166 pound-feet of torque the turbos life is enhanced by water cooling the coolant continues to circulate even after the engine is off and the Quattro's inside easily lives up to the promise of the outside the interior is pure luxury with every 5,000 series option except heated seats included as standard equipment the leather covered seats are firm and supportive but lack side bolsters needed for serious driving the leather covered door panels include power windows door and mirror controls and two of the 10 stereo speakers the stereo itself is in the center - below the automatic climate control above and to the left is a multi-function trip computer the instrument cluster includes a center digital readout for engine functions not covered by the large analog gauges the only available transmission is a slick shifting 5-speed manual and topping off the 5000 CS turbo Quattro is a tilt retracting power sunroof and a huge trunk with a very low sill the trunk also has out he's unique through the seat ski bag you can carry long thin items without sacrificing much of the cars roomy seating ability the Quattro's highway ride is expectedly firm but not harsh you know when you hit a bump but the suspension forgets it quickly notable noise is limited to the engine which is louder than those in most other upmarket European sedans and all of this Quattro's luxury performance and traction doesn't come cheap the 5000 CS Quattro will set you back over $31,000 now that's an awful lot of money but in the world of on-road four-wheel drive the Audi 5000 CS Quattro is the only one that offers serious drivers everything they should desire in a four-door sedan as you've seen on road four-wheel drive covers a broad spectrum of designs from the part-time system in the Mercury Topaz to the full-time Subaru GL 10 turbo systems can be strictly utility oriented like the Volkswagen Vanagon synchro or the Honda Civic wagon or they can be for higher performance like the Audi 5000 CS Quattro but the question remains is on-road four-wheel drive for you well if you can't remember how many times last winter you had a slick road scare or were stuck in the snow then you don't need it a good front drive car probably suits you fine but if bad weather makes you afraid to leave home then on-road four-wheel drive is something you should consider there's one more thing to remember these systems are not meant for going very far off road a gravel or dirt road through the woods is okay but not for forging rivers or climbing stumps we hope we've helped you decide and we'll see you next time on motor week [Music] [Music]

Channel: MotorWeek

Views: 154,652

Keywords: MotorWeek, MW, car, truck, suv, cuv, crossover, auto, automobile, vehicle, motor trend, review, drive, first drive, video, Quattro, AWD, 4X4, TURBO, Synchro, tutorial, demo

Id: 56R0xo-puws

Length: 21min 23sec (1283 seconds)

Published: Thu Apr 04 2019