Topic: Winter Test: Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep AWD Products

[Autos_Editor]

All-wheels on deck.
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[tpl]

It would have been even more interesting to have tested the vehicles with the tires they have  from the factory.  Outside PQ I bet a lot of people will drive through the winter with those tires. It would be a good test of the innate goodness of the stability and traction control systems as well.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

It would have been even more interesting to have tested the vehicles with the tires they have  from the factory.  Outside PQ I bet a lot of people will drive through the winter with those tires. It would be a good test of the innate goodness of the stability and traction control systems as well.

There are also a lot of people also equip their AWD cars with proper winter tires.  Here in Winnipeg, I see plenty of AWD CR-V's, Patriots and Subarus with proper winter tires on.  Hell, I even see some 4x4 trucks with winters installed.  THAT gives me a smile everytime (kudos to them), just like that PowerWagon with Blizzaks.  Awesome!

There is NO reason why FCA should hobble their vehicles AWD capabilities by using All Season tires.  Winter tires are available to anybody, and in almost any size to fit almost any vehicle.  YES, it's up to the end user to purchase and install them, but in order to make the most of your AWD, you'd be foolish not to.

[Noto]

I take this test more so as a message:

FCA builds winter capable cars.

I agree.  I have no doubt that your FCA vehicle will not get stuck as easily as a FWD, RWD, or something with less ground clearance; however, it doesn't seem like the tests really did show anything regarding stability in real world driving - that, to me, is of primal importance when selecting AWD systems.  This is where Subaru shines and gets my constant praise (it certainly isn't in the luxury of the vehicles ).

I will repeatedly slam FCA for its build quality, however.  I recently drove a Cherokee and there were some serious concerns on such a new vehicle.  Unless you often go offroad, I could not recommend any FCA vehicle, and even then, Jeep is the only brand that truly shines.

[Fobroader]

Wow...thats a lot of different way to get power to all four wheels......for me, gimme a nice part time system with a rear locker and a good set of studded all terrains. No matter how bad it is, our Jeep has never batted an eyelash at the weather.

[mrthompson]

Interesting comparo/test.



Love this pic...."The Leviathan rises from the depths"

[Solstice2006]

Nice refreshing article.  I understand it's a FCA sponsored event. Would be interesting if they added some non AWD models, either the competition, or their own.  But maybe that would defeat the purpose?  Maybe the non AWD vehicle could manage the course?  If not the course, normal streets, and highways? 

[Great_Big_Abyss]

Interesting comparo/test.



Love this pic...."The Leviathan rises from the depths"

THAT truck is basically the most unstoppable factory spec vehicle available on the market right now.

[SaskSpecV]

Would be interesting if they added some non AWD models, either the competition, or their own.  But maybe that would defeat the purpose?  Maybe the non AWD vehicle could manage the course?  If not the course, normal streets, and highways?

Can't the AWD system on some of these vehicles be disabled?  For the 4WD trucks, easy - just leave it in 2WD.  And wouldn't the FCA AWD vehicles have a FWD- or RWD- setting?  If so, running the vehicle through the course twice (with and without AWD) would make the comparative benefit of AWD easy to ascertain.   

[Solstice2006]

Would be interesting if they added some non AWD models, either the competition, or their own.  But maybe that would defeat the purpose?  Maybe the non AWD vehicle could manage the course?  If not the course, normal streets, and highways?

Can't the AWD system on some of these vehicles be disabled?  For the 4WD trucks, easy - just leave it in 2WD.  And wouldn't the FCA AWD vehicles have a FWD- or RWD- setting?  If so, running the vehicle through the course twice (with and without AWD) would make the comparative benefit of AWD easy to ascertain.

Right, so I would be interested in those results...

[Great_Big_Abyss]

Would be interesting if they added some non AWD models, either the competition, or their own.  But maybe that would defeat the purpose?  Maybe the non AWD vehicle could manage the course?  If not the course, normal streets, and highways?

Can't the AWD system on some of these vehicles be disabled?  For the 4WD trucks, easy - just leave it in 2WD.  And wouldn't the FCA AWD vehicles have a FWD- or RWD- setting?  If so, running the vehicle through the course twice (with and without AWD) would make the comparative benefit of AWD easy to ascertain.

Depends on the system.  The 200, for example, cannot have AWD disabled.  Also the JEEPS, depending the model and AWD mode present, may or may not be able to disable AWD.

[Fobroader]

Interesting comparo/test.



Love this pic...."The Leviathan rises from the depths"

THAT truck is basically the most unstoppable factory spec vehicle available on the market right now.

I don't know.....the Wrangler Rubicon is very capable as well.

[Great_Big_Abyss]

I don't know.....the Wrangler Rubicon is very capable as well.

The key area where the Powerwagon surpasses the Rubicon is on the inclusion of a winch.  Note, I said 'factory prepped'.  YES, it is very easy and quite cheap to install a winch bumper and winch on a Rubicon which would bring its capability past that of the Powerwagon (shorter wheelbase, mainly), however, that JEEP would now be considered modified, and no longer to factory spec.

I guess it depends on the situation, too.  The Powerwagon probably wouldn't make it over an obstacle a short wheelbase Rubicon would, winch or not.  I'm thinking here of something on a purpose built off-road trail.  That being said, if you're in the back woods on a very poorly maintained logging road that has been washed out, the Powerwagon will be my choice!

Give me my bag of chains and straps and a Hi-Lift jack kept under the rear seats, and a chainsaw with some fuel/oil in the bed, and that truck will be unstoppable.

[Fobroader]

I don't know.....the Wrangler Rubicon is very capable as well.

The key area where the Powerwagon surpasses the Rubicon is on the inclusion of a winch.  Note, I said 'factory prepped'.  YES, it is very easy and quite cheap to install a winch bumper and winch on a Rubicon which would bring its capability past that of the Powerwagon (shorter wheelbase, mainly), however, that JEEP would now be considered modified, and no longer to factory spec.

I guess it depends on the situation, too.  The Powerwagon probably wouldn't make it over an obstacle a short wheelbase Rubicon would, winch or not.  I'm thinking here of something on a purpose built off-road trail.  That being said, if you're in the back woods on a very poorly maintained logging road that has been washed out, the Powerwagon will be my choice!

Give me my bag of chains and straps and a Hi-Lift jack kept under the rear seats, and a chainsaw with some fuel/oil in the bed, and that truck will be unstoppable.

Youre right, the winch is mandatory for offroad.....but, the lighter weight and smaller size of the Rubi wins it for me.

[initial_D]

A heavy truck driving in 'deep mud' would be a very interesting  exercise.

No doubt AWD/4WD vehicles with snow tires are great in test. Like others mentioned, would be better if a 2WD with snow tires are included for comparison.

[tooscoops]

well, rubicon x has the winch ready bumper... but not factory winch.. have to get it through mopar parts (or if you don't want to pay extra to get it from people who don't know winches, a 4x4 shop)...

would be fun! is the off road course the one i see just off the main highway out there? i always thought that was a dirtbike track or something.. but it was huge and had some serious terrain, so i wasn't certain.

would be fun to do this product showing... really take a peek at the different systems... amazing how many different ones there are... when many models offer upwards of three different systems, it can be confusing when you try to figure out just what each vehicle uses... the i get customers coming in who are upset that i can't define all my competitions awd/4x4 systems and limited slips... i have enough to remember with my own!

[Benhaze]

I don't know.....the Wrangler Rubicon is very capable as well.

The key area where the Powerwagon surpasses the Rubicon is on the inclusion of a winch.  Note, I said 'factory prepped'.  YES, it is very easy and quite cheap to install a winch bumper and winch on a Rubicon which would bring its capability past that of the Powerwagon (shorter wheelbase, mainly), however, that JEEP would now be considered modified, and no longer to factory spec.

I guess it depends on the situation, too.  The Powerwagon probably wouldn't make it over an obstacle a short wheelbase Rubicon would, winch or not.  I'm thinking here of something on a purpose built off-road trail.  That being said, if you're in the back woods on a very poorly maintained logging road that has been washed out, the Powerwagon will be my choice!

Give me my bag of chains and straps and a Hi-Lift jack kept under the rear seats, and a chainsaw with some fuel/oil in the bed, and that truck will be unstoppable.

Youre right, the winch is mandatory for offroad.....but, the lighter weight and smaller size of the Rubi wins it for me.

+1

Rubicon all the way for me too. And putting a winch in front of a Wrangler has never been a problem. Power Wagon is too big and too heavy for many off-road courses.

[redman]

Rubicon would be ideal for mud and snow but I don't think it shines in the snow or ice. Give me a Grand Cherokee for the white stuff on the road. I find the GC to be very capable (with proper tires) in the snow and ice. FCA has done a fine job with the array of Quadra Trac Tech.

[jaari]

It would have been even more interesting to have tested the vehicles with the tires they have  from the factory.  Outside PQ I bet a lot of people will drive through the winter with those tires. It would be a good test of the innate goodness of the stability and traction control systems as well.

There are also a lot of people also equip their AWD cars with proper winter tires.  Here in Winnipeg, I see plenty of AWD CR-V's, Patriots and Subarus with proper winter tires on.  Hell, I even see some 4x4 trucks with winters installed.  THAT gives me a smile everytime (kudos to them), just like that PowerWagon with Blizzaks.  Awesome!

There is NO reason why FCA should hobble their vehicles AWD capabilities by using All Season tires.  Winter tires are available to anybody, and in almost any size to fit almost any vehicle.  YES, it's up to the end user to purchase and install them, but in order to make the most of your AWD, you'd be foolish not to.

Yup , Running studded Nokian Nordman 5's on our '15 CRV here in NWO

[johngenx]

Rubicon is an awesome device and I wouldn't put much of anything ahead of it in terms of capability.  Lockers galore and immense clearance and amazing suspension travel make it a brute.  Oh, and sway bar disconnect?  Articulation!!!

The only place the Jeep 4x4 and other part time systems lose some ground to AWD is on the highway when conditions are variable.  True AWD systems (Subaru and some others) are on tap all the time.  But, when things get really obscene, the Jeep is amazing.

Driving over Paulson Summit in a storm a few of us were busy dodging all the vehicles unable to make it up the deep snow on the steep switchback section: a few Scoobs and a Rubicon made 'er up - all on snow tires.  Thanks to the really poor road surface the Rubicon was able to keep 4x4 engaged and then it just kicked ass.

A Subaru that's often overlooked as an uber-capable winter machine is the STi - yes it lacks the big ground clearance, but the DCCI AWD system is frickin' amazing.

OT: The only FCA product I'd actually buy is a Wrangler.