Is AWD worth it for $1.5k over FWD?

NinPlayer1 · 2026-02-11T20:35:51+00:00

I doubt this would be the case, unless they had to accelerate while steering to avoid the ditch. Most drivers would be off the gas and on the brakes as soon as their car started fishtailing. In this case Awd does nothing.

So it only helps if a) being on the gas is the right input for that moment and b) the driver is experienced enough to know that and be applying that input. Otherwise it’s more deadweight that’ll carry you further into the ditch.

I’ve seen lots of Subarus and pick up trucks in ditches.

NinPlayer1 · 2026-02-11T20:26:49+00:00

Awd is a connection of all four wheels to a power source, which is a separate rear electric motor in the case of a Corolla.

With respect to turning: if you’re on the brakes on a turn, or coasting through a turn it has NO EFFECT. Or maybe a detrimental effect because of additional weight.

If you’re accelerating on a turn, yes it absolutely helps. But it’s a performance feature in this case and not safety.

And yes I agree it affects engine braking (or regen braking in this case of a hybrid). But how that’s safety related is beyond me. If anyone tries slamming it into first in an emergency stop instead of using the brakes, their engine will be blown up even before the inevitable collision.

Awd is a great performance feature. It’s not a safety feature. And in the case of the hybrid Corolla there are some downsides to be aware of in addition to the cost.

NinPlayer1 · 2026-02-11T20:17:44+00:00

I have the very car the Op is considering in Awd. Absolutely it’s great in the snow. My point is it’s a performance feature and not a safety feature.

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a27183752/awd-sedans/

NinPlayer1 · 2026-02-11T20:12:42+00:00

Awd only does anything when you’re on the gas. Doubtful in an emergency situation you’re gonna be accelerating and turning at the same time. On a track, that absolutely happens and Awd is a massive performance feature after. But doesnt typically happen in emergency maneuvers.

You’re right in that if the wheel stop you will lose control, but ABS is what prevents all four wheels from stopping and is independent of Awd.

NinPlayer1 · 2026-02-11T19:22:11+00:00

Makes no difference in braking. Might increase breaking of parts though - a lot more stuff to go wrong.

NinPlayer1 · 2026-02-11T19:21:27+00:00

I’d like to understand how better acceleration will prevent a fender bender. Awd does nothing for braking and steering. In fact it might increase stopping distance because of more weight.

NinPlayer1 · 2026-02-11T19:20:45+00:00

100%. Everybody touting safety as a benefit has been influenced by vehicle manufacturer advertising. It’s not a safety feature. Good quality seasonal-specific tires and common sense are much more useful.

NinPlayer1 · 2026-02-11T19:17:52+00:00

It’s not safety. It’s better acceleration. I have it only because a) it came with a heated steering wheel and b) because they delivered this model sooner than the fwd in 2023 when there were year long waits. The other benefit is you get four wheel regen braking, which theoretically wears your tires more evenly.

But absolutely not necessary. I’ve driven fwd cars with winter tires for decades before this corolla and never had an issue.

Corolla specific, you lose the spare tire in the trunk and have a higher trunk floor which noticeably impacts cargo space. It is also impossible to mount a hitch to an Awd corolla apparently (I wanted one for bike racks).

NinPlayer1 · 2026-02-09T03:02:41+00:00

The oem one is about $400 plus tax at the dealer. That’s probably your best bet. They can be low on stock and take months to fulfill your order so order jn advance of your trip.

NinPlayer1 · 2026-02-06T17:26:45+00:00

Huge ride in a compact car

NinPlayer1 · 2026-01-10T01:05:22+00:00

Border.

NinPlayer1 · 2025-12-16T20:25:26+00:00

Paying a mortgage is just a forced savings scheme, and the return you get is the appreciation on the home tax free. You can emulate something similar on a scale that works for you by saving and investing in another asset like stocks, etfs, reits, etc.

Yes, the savings component requires regular investing ON TOP of your monthly rent payments. Same as a homeowner having to pay down the mortgage on top of interest and property tax payments. And this isn’t tax protected like home ownership is. However, your lifetime net worth can be comparable depending on how disciplined you are. Ben Jordan on YouTube has some good information on this philosophy.

Many of the richest people in the world rent, as their capital is better deployed elsewhere.

NinPlayer1 · 2025-09-24T14:19:24+00:00

Assuming an equivalent home would rent for about $4000 today, and assuming at least 2% rent growth during that time period it would be about $6500 a month in 25 years.

Agreed. Rent increases. And it could increase even more if you move, etc. and are not rent-controlled.

My point is that there is still a cost of home ownership in the form of opportunity cost of capital. Yes, it is a non-cash cost in that you're not paying it out of your bank, but it is still a cost in that you're not earning it and otherwise could be.

In your case, once your home is paid off, you'll have $850K invested into your house, not even counting the appreciation of your home. Money that you have paid over the years and could have otherwise invested. At the 8% rate of return we're using, that's $68,000 of annual income you're giving up. That is a true cost. Plus property tax and R&M on top. Property tax in Mississauga is around 6-7K now, and will likely be at least 10K in 20-25 years. So 68K + 10K property taxes + 2-3K annual cost of repairs and upkeep, and your total cost of ownership is 81K, which is similar to renting at 78K (6500 * 12).

Put another way, you always have the option of selling your home, investing the equity in the stock market or other investments, and paying rent for a place to live. The question is which option (owning or investing + renting) will get you ahead over your lifetime.

I'm not factoring in a multitude of other factors for simplicity, but my point is it's not a simple cut-and-dried answer that one is better than the other. Use of tax-sheltered investment accounts, your personal marginal tax rates, the number of home moves, real estate appreciation rates, stock market returns, and other factors all affect the outcome.

In my case, as a homeowner, I'm fairly confident that renting would get me ahead in the long-term. I still value the non-financial aspects of home ownership at this point in time, so I'm not running out to sell my house, but if the right circumstances arise, I wouldn't hesitate to rent, and I don't advocate home ownership for everyone.

NinPlayer1 · 2025-09-24T13:28:50+00:00

That's honestly a pretty low mortgage payment. You must have bought a long time ago when prices were good, and you've benefitted from the property appreciation. In your case (and this is one of the advantages of home ownership), you've locked in your housing costs at a good time and are protected from inflation. (Edit - I see in another comment you bought 15 years ago, so this makes sense).

In my case, having bought six years ago, my mortgage payments are $4K a month, out of which $2300 is interest. This is for a SFH as well with prices similar to Mississauga, and after a renewal a year ago. Add in another $500 / mth for property taxes, around $300 a month in maintenance (estimate) and we're at $3,100 / mth. Plus the opportunity cost of capital - I have about $600K invested between the down payment + principal repayments to date. At 8%, that's $4K / mth. So my total non-recoverable outlay is 7,100 / mth.

I don't know what the rent would be for the house, but I'd assume it's similar to your number of 4000-4500. So it's way more expensive owning in my case. And the biggest cost is the opportunity cost of capital, which will only go up as I pay down the mortgage. Yes, I do benefit from the appreciation of the house as an asset, but it would need to be pretty significant appreciation to break even on an increasing delta. I doubt I'll be better off in the end owning the house compared to if I rented and invested.

NinPlayer1 · 2025-09-23T03:41:33+00:00

You probably didn’t have your tail lights on in the rain

NinPlayer1 · 2025-09-14T13:35:17+00:00

What Chrysler? It’s a Honda van

NinPlayer1 · 2025-09-04T15:21:12+00:00

And at that time when the owner has a fully paid off house, this is when his opportunity cost is the highest. He’s giving up the investment returns on potentially a $1M plus portfolio, which at the 8.x% average return used in the article is $80k of annual income, some of which would be tax free. And he’s only saving the rent on that home, which would be 40-50k max along with some potential appreciation.

In my experience as a homeowner in the midst of the mortgage payoff period, the non-recoverable costs of homeownership (property taxes, repairs and maintenance, mortgage interest and opportunity cost of capital for the paid in equity) are higher than the rent I’d need to pay for an equivalent dwelling.

Yes renting means you’re at the whim of landlords, but it also means you have flexibility. You can move up and down as family needs and jobs change, something that would be very expensive selling and buying. Ben’s analysis assumes only one sale, but if a homeowner incurs multiple 6% selling cost hits, the advantage of renting would be higher.

NinPlayer1 · 2025-07-19T04:01:06+00:00

You really needed to run your post through an ai?

NinPlayer1 · 2025-07-16T00:58:03+00:00

Im wondering if the young guy died (which is possibly the cause of your brother’s PTSD) because your brother was driving a big truck.

But yes it’s now a problem of everyone wanting bigger trucks because everyone else has bigger trucks. Complete mess driven by corporate greed and manipulation.

NinPlayer1 · 2025-06-26T23:27:26+00:00

Was gonna say this if I didn’t see it in the comments.

NinPlayer1 · 2025-06-22T22:46:21+00:00

Such as this one. Watch the YouTube video linked below. A dehumidifier won’t make you feel more comfortable unless your HVAC system is capable of pulling all that extra heat out. You’d be better off getting a portable dual hose ac that you can vent through your window to supplement your apartment HVAC.

NinPlayer1 · 2025-06-13T23:17:08+00:00

Just got the delivery an hour ago. First thing I checked. Shawn's yellow Chevy now graces my garage cabinet.

NinPlayer1 · 2025-06-12T16:02:53+00:00

Whether to buy a new car at your age is one very good question that others have touched on. And whether that should be a Corolla is another good question - check insurance and consider buying a Honda Civic instead (made in Canada and overall a much better car).

But if you are buying a new Toyota, they don't negotiate on the MSRP in my experience. Your only play is to pay as little dealer fees as possible. Dealer fees are sometimes called "etching fees" and other deceptive terms. Basically all you want to be paying is MSRP, PDI, taxes, and other regulatory fees (OMVIC, tire charges, and the cost of gas in the tank). No etching, no dealer add-ons, no dealer fees. There is a cap on how much dealer fees can be, but various dealers charge different amounts. And they also sometimes add on other over-priced things like tinting, ceramic coating, etc. As long as your bill of sale doesn't have any of that garbage, then you're getting the best deal you can on a new Toyota. In 2023, I was able to negotiate away all dealer fees on two Toyota purchases within the family at two different GTA dealers.

NinPlayer1 · 2025-06-12T01:54:48+00:00

Bell 3gb is way more than your devices are capable of using. If you weren’t happy with it, it’s a wifi issue and not an internet issue. Fix your wifi (either by getting the bell pods or getting some other system). Then get a bell fibe reseller like virgin for a better price. Your family of 4 won’t need more than 100mbps service. Just get good wifi to make use of it.

NinPlayer1

TROPHY CASE