Considering all factors (price, performance, looks, etc.) which one would you pick as your favorite turbo AWD platform?

Mitsubishi hands down. Not because I am biased to Diamond Star Motors but I have actually posted a thread on an AWD comparison and Subaru took the cake. However Mitsu was not in the compitition. I know Subaru's symmetrical AWD seems to dominate in snow and what not but Mitsu has the selectable torque curve for driving conditions and active yaw control. And what disappointed me about Audi was one winter following I cannot remember what model but it was equipped with a quattro system, well he was have rear end tire spin issues and what not while my WRX was as calm as could be behind him. What about Nissan and the ATESSA system lol?

The design of the Subaru and Audi systems is just better overall. Mitsubishi's system uses a transfer case. That's weird about your friend's Audi. I've owned 3 and traction was never an issue, especially in snow. I had an '86 and '87 4000 quattro, and those things would blast through 2-3 feet of heavy snow on all-season tires. I haven't ever experienced Nissan's ATESSA system firsthand, so I can't comment. I was trying to compare the 3 most common systems I see in Colorado.

Part of me wants to go with Mitsubishi, but considering the fact that the Lancer Evolution is the costliest car to insure(5 year average in Arizona is about $59,000). The Subaru Imprezza WRX STi is the 3rd costliest car to insure(about $53,000 for a 5 year average in Arizona). Since Audi didn't make the list of costliest cars to ensure, I have to go with Audi on this one.

Holy crap, that's a lot to pay for car insurance! I would have thought an Audi would be much more costly to insure than a Japanese car. Maybe it's because they are safer and not viewed strictly as a performance car. The Evo and STi just scream "this car is fast and potentially dangerous!"

I owned a 2007 STi for 3 years and I really liked it. I tested it's performance in every way I could think of. The AWD system was very capable in , inclement weather and it was easy and straightforward to get more power out of the 2.5L. I had a friend with an Evo and it was pretty clear that they can make big power with minimal mods, more so for less work than the STi. But I didn't see many out in winter in Boulder compared to the amount of STis. Now that I've been associating with 3Zero3 Motorsports I've seen the true appeal of the Audi. Their AWD abilities are of course legendary, and they are beautifully built. Certain models are also easy and rewarding to modify, they are very popular because they carry a lot of the appeal of the Turbo AWD platorm and infuse it with a more upscale image. They're certainly not lacking in performance. I think what's great about all of them is how accessible they make performance driving to a great number of enthusiasts who still need a healthy dose of practicality and reliability to go with it.

The list that I saw was done by Forbes Magazine a few years back. The top 10 most costliest cars to insure is as follows. 1. Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 2. Merceds-Benz CL-Class 3. Subaru Imprezza WRX STi 4. Dodge Neon SRT-4 5. Nissan 350Z(now 370Z) 6. Mazda RX-8 7. Mercedes-Benz E-Class 8. Jaguar XJ 9. BMW 5 Series 10. Jaguar XK Now if you notice from this list, 5 out of 10 of the cars are tuner cars, which I thought was very interesting.

As I have owned a WRX 3 AWD DSM's and messed with an Evo or two, I will say the Subaru AWD is pretty amazing especially when it comes to their high end vehicles. And of course the Lancer Evolution's tech is amazing. I really cant say too much about Audi as I have never owned one, but it was weird seeing that guy lose traction like that. I know I said my top choice is from Mitsu but damn gotta give credit where credit is due, Subaru and Audi know whats up. I have read some stuff on the ATESSA drivetrain and it seems to fall into the "legendary" catagory. Oh and yeah, insurance in AZ. is ridiculous! I love it here in CO. where you get discounts for the AWD feature.

Wow, its more expensive to insure an Evo than a Benz??

Originally posted by drxlcarfreak

Wow, its more expensive to insure an Evo than a Benz??

Dude when I was in AZ, they wanted something like $317 a month to insure my cavalier...