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Prices Paid: Buying & Leasing Experiences Subaru Forester Prices Paid and Buying Experience
2767 messages, Last post on Dec 07, 2009 at 3:19 PM
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Replying to: mai (Jan 30, 2005 5:58 am) |
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Hello everyone! When reading at the differences between the X and XS models, I noticed that the X model has front disc brakes and rear drum brakes while the XS model has both front and rear disc brakes? Could someone kindly tell me the difference between these two types of brakes and whether one kind is safer over the other? Much thanks in advance!
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Replying to: mai (Jan 30, 2005 5:58 am) -Frank |
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Replying to: ch-ch-ch-chia (Feb 01, 2005 4:56 pm) Drum vs. Disc: Today In today's automotive pantheon, it's not uncommon to find four-wheel disc brakes as standard equipment on medium-priced, non performance-oriented models. The majority of new vehicles, however, continue to utilize a front-disc/rear-drum brake setup. What does this say about the current state of braking systems? Are these manufacturers sacrificing vehicle safety in order to save a few bucks by installing disc brakes on only the front wheels? While a "yes" answer would certainly be great for increasing Town Hall traffic, the truth is that today's disc/drum setups are completely adequate for the majority of new cars. Remember that both disc and drum brake design has been vastly improved in the last 20 years. In fact, the current rear drum brake systems on today's cars would provide better stopping performance then the front disc setups of the '70s. And today's front disc brakes are truly exceptional in terms of stopping power. Combined with the fact that between 60 and 90 percent of a vehicle's stopping power comes from the front wheels, it's clear that a well-designed, modern drum brake is all that's required for most rear wheel brake duty. High performance cars like the Viper, 911 and Corvette can justify a four-wheel disc brake system, especially if their owners participate in some form of sanctioned racing activity on the weekends. The rest of us get more of a benefit from the lower cost of drum brakes. Expecting every vehicle built today to come with four-wheel disc brakes would require an across-the-board increase in purchase price, and that could stop new car buyers much quicker than any brake system. Bottom line is that disc brakes do a slightly better job of stopping by dissipating heat faster but I don't know that you'd ever be able to tell the difference. -Frank |
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Rear disc brakes offer better cooling, so if you carry heavy loads or tow, on a long descent they'd perform better. In normal driving you won't notice a difference because the drums can easily engage the ABS. You also get a rear LSD, i.e. the rear axle can shift power side to side for better tracion in snow. It's an incremental improvement, but still nice. You get climate control instead of manual A/C. On 2004s, they called it HAL, though, it was such a nuisance. The 2005s are better, but I still won't call it an advantage. You get a leather wrapped steering wheel, heated front seats (nice feature), power driver's seat, heated mirrors, wiper de-icers, alloy rims, and a 6CD changer instead of a single CD. That's a lot of stuff, but it does cost a bunch more. If you want more than half of those things, I'd say go for it. Especially the all-weather gear if you live in a cold climate. Good luck. -juice |
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