AWD vs FWD

[Rider-trx_250ex]

the time has come for me to start driving and i cant drive on my own yet but i want to buy a car pretty soon. Now i was looking at eclipse gsxs because i have heard many good things about them and have been researching them for about a year and a half. Now the one thing i cant decide on is whether i want an awd(GSX) or a fwd(GST). the motors are the same and the gst is most of the time is a convertable and the gsx is a hardtop. they are both equally nice in my eyes its just the awd or fwd thing. since i cant drive i was wondering what is better in general.

[YFZ450Ridr]

im not positive but i think awd gets a little worse gas mileage. if you dont get a lot of snow or anything in your area i would just get front wheel drive. awd would be a dream though in the rain or icey/snowy conditions. fwd does do pretty good in the rain though since the motor is mounted right over the drive wheels.

i would check out the gas mileage on both, i think they would be the only difference. Gas and overall control in wet conditions. if they are the same are pretty close to the same i would go with awd, more control when you need it.

[mac450]

For a starting out driver i wouldnt suggest a DSM! unless you want to be working on your car more then driving it! Yea They can be reliable cars, most reliable dsms ive seen those are either stock, hardly driven or dont get the **** run out of them which most kids who just get there license always seem to do so!

[Guy400]

Originally posted by mac450
For a starting out driver i wouldnt suggest a DSM! unless you want to be working on your car more then driving it! Yea They can be reliable cars, most reliable dsms ive seen those are either stock, hardly driven or dont get the **** run out of them which most kids who just get there license always seem to do so! Maybe I got lucky with mine. I had over 100k on my '92 TSi AWD and was shoving 18psi into the stock motor and was running 13.6's all day long. Not a hint of problem.

[FasstMidnightZ]

I'd get the awd. It's going to be better for any condition. It will deff pull hard when you floor it at the stop light too.:p Plus I like hard tops more.
But, My Jeep is awd and man I love it. Esspecially in the rain, can't even tell.

[fast250r]

AWD will pull harder and handle better. FWD is good also but you will bo through tires quicker. They spin too much.

[Mxjunkie]

It really depends on your driving style because both front wheel drive and all wheel drive car's handle VERY differnt.. You may even like a rear wheel drive car more.. I myself perfer a rear wheel drive car though I will admit my brothers subarat is very fun :p

I'd find both and drive both if they let you if its a private seller they may even though your 16 I assume? See which you like better! :)

[LTR450_#67]

One of my best friends is a DSM junkie meaning he knows quite a bit. I live a mile from a drag strip and for his birthday last April we took his AWD Talon there and he pulled low to mid 12's on his tired 170k engine. He built his own custom exhaust from the turbo back with 3" tubing. He ran an old used 20G turbo, SAFCII, oversized intercooler and I think different cams. He's building a 2.4 block now....he's looking to get into the 10s for sure with his current build up.

As for AWD vs. a front loader....it depends. If you are dragracing from a stop you want the AWD traction to launch hard out of the hole. If you are doing highway roll ons you want the front loader cuz its lighter. I like the AWD myself cuz it feels like you are glued to the ground.


later

[Rider-trx_250ex]

Originally posted by mac450
For a starting out driver i wouldnt suggest a DSM! unless you want to be working on your car more then driving it! Yea They can be reliable cars, most reliable dsms ive seen those are either stock, hardly driven or dont get the **** run out of them which most kids who just get there license always seem to do so!

my mom just bought a sonata a few months ago and ill be driving that for now and the only dsm i would get is one that is stock so that i know everything that is done to it and i can put my own mods on it. I don't beat vehicles or quads so it will last me long and i and my father can pretty much tell if the car was beat or not. so i dont mind getting a dsm, plus the value of them is way past kbb or nada.

[flauge]

Id get a gsx, because with the same mods they'll be a lil quicker than the gst in a drag. They launch off the line a lot harder with the awd.
If it was me I'd get a pre 92 because theyre supposed to have a stronger bottom end, which means more boost:D
Ive also heard alot about the early 2nd gens getting crankwalk, just something to look out for if thats the ones your looking at;)

[LTR450_#67]

Yeah the 1st gen 4G63s are a lil better than the 2nd gens. The blocks are the same I believe. The cranks are what's different.

later

[TheFontMaster]

I don't know much about the different eclipse's, but when it comes to FWD, or AWD, there is no contest, AWD for sure. I hate FWD cars. You get so much more performance out of RWD, or AWD. In a FWD the front tires are doing more work, they are doing most of the braking, the turning, and the accelerating. All of that put together puts too much work on the front tires. Also an AWD car will just plain have more traction, and thats a good thing with almost anything you will be planning on doing to the car.

[bulkdriverlp]

what ever happend to the days of the '79 monte carlo? i used to drive that in the snow and hardly ever get stuck, now people cant keep it out of the ditch with awd? the new technology has made some people dumber when it comes to diriving. less skill is required as 20 years ago. jmo. id say go with all wheel drive why not?

[Rider-trx_250ex]

Originally posted by LTR450_#67
Yeah the 1st gen 4G63s are a lil better than the 2nd gens. The blocks are the same I believe. The cranks are what's different.

later

the main difference is the 6 bolt and 7 bolt motor

[400EXtreme]

get the awd better in every way well besides gas.

[gun32boarder]

Originally posted by mac450
For a starting out driver i wouldnt suggest a DSM! unless you want to be working on your car more then driving it! Yea They can be reliable cars, most reliable dsms ive seen those are either stock, hardly driven or dont get the **** run out of them which most kids who just get there license always seem to do so!

The reason most dsm's are not reliable is because people rebuild them themselves and do a half *** job. Such as reusing old gaskets and old parts. The are fairly reliable if done right, and by someone that know what he or she is doing.

[Smokin 440]

Originally posted by gun32boarder
The reason most dsm's are not reliable is because people rebuild them themselves and do a half *** job. Such as reusing old gaskets and old parts. The are fairly reliable if done right, and by someone that know what he or she is doing.

There are A LOT of problems in quite a few Dsm's and none in others, very hit and miss... Also some are just stock for stock much faster than others...

[gun32boarder]

Originally posted by Smokin 440
There are A LOT of problems in quite a few Dsm's and none in others, very hit and miss... Also some are just stock for stock much faster than others...

There is A LOT of problems in the talons/eclipses that were beat. Get a car that was taken care of you will not have the unreliability.

[flauge]

Yea, maintenence is real important with these cars. They'll kinda bite you in the *** if you go over on your maintence intervals, especially with the timing belt. Ive heard that they can pop before 60K miles:scary: .Thats another recall mitsu had,along with something going wrong with the computer. :ermm:
Also on the pre 92.5 models, they have stronger rods, but weaker tranny and diff.
Man all this dsm talk is making me want to get another one. I miss my 92 talon:(
Btw this might be a lil off topic but I saw this when i was looking up some dsm stuff haha.
www.machv.com
Yall notice anything out of the ordinary on this site.LOL

[Smokin 440]

Originally posted by gun32boarder
There is A LOT of problems in the talons/eclipses that were beat. Get a car that was taken care of you will not have the unreliability.

Even if some weren't beat, but were takin care of they still had their problems; not major stuff, just dumb little things... I think the odds of finding a GSX that hasn't driven hard or beaten is harder by the day...

[enduro400rider]

i had a 97 eclipse non-turbo it was fun for a few months but the car couldnt be driven anyware. mine was lowered on 19s with a body kit and all the other bolt on ect. I wish i would have bought a Talon TSI AWD that was stock. i had the choice between the two cars and i picked the non-turbo because of looks which really turned out to be a bad choice. Finding a stock GST or GSX is going to be pretty hard theres not many left untouched. and finding one that has not been beat...... thats a long shot. thats like buying a race car and never racing it. Those cars are fast and they were ment to be fast, therefore people drove them fast (and hard) As for the reliability on them they arent too reliable. From what i have read on other forums they tend to be a hit or miss kinda car. this may not sound right but you dont want to buy one with LESS than 75K on it. Basically from what i understand alot of the motors blew before 75K and the ones with more were said to be strong. i guess its like the weak cars were weeded out and the strong survived. thats what i read on a DSM forum.

[Rider-trx_250ex]

Originally posted by flauge

Ive also heard alot about the early 2nd gens getting crankwalk, just something to look out for if thats the ones your looking at;)

The 2nd Gens are more likely to have crankwalk than the 1st Gens but I was reading on a dsm forum site that crankwalk is worried about too much. all vehicles are secptable(sp) to crankwalk just 2nd Gens may have them more over the 1st Gens if there is even any walk.

[Rider-trx_250ex]

Originally posted by Smokin 440
Even if some weren't beat, but were takin care of they still had their problems; not major stuff, just dumb little things... I think the odds of finding a GSX that hasn't driven hard or beaten is harder by the day...

ohhh tell me about it, I,ve been looking for a decent one for ages...............but there is a place out in Palatine Illinois that is called Exotic Motors that sort of specializes in selling them, and i dont mind driving for about 244 miles lol. Has anyone ever heard of them before?

[gun32boarder]

check out tristatetuners.com. I believe there are two awd eclipses f/s. One needs a new motor and has 24k original miles and one with 74k original miles.

[woodzrider01]

Get the AWD, it sticks to the road like glue, when your on the throttle in the front wheel drive, you cant keep it on the road, but DSM's are very high matinence. I have a 96 TSI, the original engine crankwalked, so i put a 91' 6 bolt motor with 40,000 miles in it, but never had time to get it running perfect, its for sale, need money for college.

[Villageidiott23]

two words crank walk it will happen unless you dont rag ur car and either way itll show signs of it after 90,000. and AWD ull notice some lag in top speed compared to the FWD clipses. but itll take off faster and grip the rd better. try looking at a subaru....

[tom400ex]

hey I 'm selling a Talon Tsi turbo now. it has 106,000 miles at right now it has a blown turbo. but everything else is great. it has a new water pump and timingbelt after i fixed that the turbo went.
it also has a blitz body kit and giavonni rims on it and a nice system in it.

price $2,350. it on auto trader for pics and more about it.
its in New York

[gun32boarder]

Originally posted by Villageidiott23
two words crank walk it will happen unless you dont rag ur car and either way itll show signs of it after 90,000. and AWD ull notice some lag in top speed compared to the FWD clipses. but itll take off faster and grip the rd better. try looking at a subaru....


OMFGZZZ crank walk...........you do know it is not much of a problem as people hype it. It is more luck of a draw on the 7 bolt 4g63

[flauge]

Yea it really is luck of the draw on the 7 bolt ones. Mitsu built some of them with the cranks machined out of spec on the early 2nd gens. I think the 97 and up models are okay tho.Aftermarket clutches could also have something to do with it so ive heard.
Btw whenever i get me another dsm this is the first thing im going to do haha
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_Qul7MiImk

[TheFontMaster]

Originally posted by flauge
Btw whenever i get me another dsm this is the first thing im going to do haha
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_Qul7MiImk


LMAO, I thought that was just a joke, until they actually drove it.:p

[whiteflash]

Originally posted by Villageidiott23
two words crank walk it will happen unless you dont rag ur car and either way itll show signs of it after 90,000. and AWD ull notice some lag in top speed compared to the FWD clipses. but itll take off faster and grip the rd better. try looking at a subaru....


:rolleyes: Crankwalk does not happen nearly as much as everyone says, its a low percent.

To the original poster:
I have a 98 GST and i will spin all the way through 1st and 2nd on dry pavement, its even worse when its wet. If your planning on making alot of power, go with the GSX. If your thinking stock or some minor bolt ons, the GSt will be fine.

GSX's will also run you alot more than the GST's, so if you can find a decent looking GSt for cheap, i'd say go for it.