Mazda proves it can conquer snow – and the competition
Company’s Ice Academy shows off i-Activ AWD
• Each year various automakers host winterdriving programs. Some of these events emphasize driving techniques, others showcase technologies that make winter driving easier and safer. Mazda’s Ice Academy is the automaker’s first winterdriving program, and it falls into the latter category.
Mazda held the event in Crested Butte, a tiny ski town in the middle of the Colorado Rockies. A blinding snowstorm closed several roads in the area, limiting the program to a snow- and ice-covered closed course designed to demonstrate Mazda’s iActiv AWD, available in the CX- 3, CX- 5 and all- new CX9. Bridgestone equipped all of the vehicles with winter tires, except for one CX-3 that rolled on all- season rubber for a tire-to-tire comparison.
I’ll spare you Mazda’s marketing jargon that waxes poetic about the synergy between horse and rider, and how the company applies various technologies to achieve a similar kind of bond between driver and vehicle. What I can tell you is that Mazda’s i- Activ AWD is a predictive all- wheel drive system designed to provide a quick and fluid transfer of torque among the four wheels, when traction ( or lack thereof ) demands that the wheels with grip are the wheels that drive. As revealed during the Ice Academy, this translates into enhanced control and exceptionally communicative feedback in treacherous winter conditions.
What makes Mazda’s AWD system predictive is the use of 27 sensors that measure things like individual wheel speed, engine speed, fuel delivery, yaw angle, and throttle and gear position. But the system also senses steering- wheel angle and input effort, brake pressure, outside temperature and even whether the wipers are activated. These parameters provide information that the system’s computer uses to determine driving conditions, allowing it to predict what the traction conditions are, and thus anticipate what corrective action might be needed.
Before we got to the actual testing, our hosts coaxed us to begin with an exercise designed solely for our entertainment. So with the top down, I entered a wintertire- shod MX- 5 for a brief interlude on a snowy rallycross course. With the stability control turned off, the iconic roadster arced around cones, tail end a- swinging, hurling snow off its rear tires like a snow blower, and inducing a grin so wide it hurt. Winter tires made the MX- 5 exercise possible; otherwise, all we’d experience is a static display of wheel spin.
The next test emphasized the importance of winter tires using a pair of CX- 3s, one on winter tires, one on all-seasons. It revealed something most Canadian drivers should already know: Steering is more precise, acceleration is more effective and braking distance is much shorter on snow and ice when using winter tires. This also applies when driving on cold pavement, where specialized rubber compounds provide better grip.
Next was the most telling exercise: A comparison of competing vehicles. A Honda CR-V and a Subaru Forester joined a CX- 5 on a snow-covered slalom course, followed by a long, sweeping right turn. All vehicles were equipped with Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 winter tires, and the target speed for the course was 38 kilometres per hour. Stability control systems were on for this test, which revealed each vehicle’s AWD characteristics — with some surprising results.
The first vehicle I drove was the Forester. I had high hopes for the Subaru going in, as there is a high-mileage Impreza in my household of which I am quite fond. But the Forester disappointed, exhibiting a lot of understeer, mostly evident as it transi- tioned through the slalom, pushing well past the apex cones and lacking steering precision. The Subaru’s stability control was more active under acceleration; not so much when lifting the throttle and steering. It consistently ran wide through the sweeping right- hander, too, something that could be detrimental on a snowy road, where an inattentive motorist might run wide into a snowbank or oncoming lanes.
The CR- V f ared much better, its stability control system braking the inside wheels when sensing a loss of traction during a turn, thus helping slow and steer the car. The Honda’s drawback was that it is abrupt and slows the car considerably, causing it to lose momentum. It then scrambles to find traction again as it accelerates back up to speed. The system worked well; it’s just that it felt jerky and unrefined.
The CX- 5 impressed, as it was the only car to pivot when it sensed a l oss of traction. When it began to understeer, it managed braking and front- to- rear torque distribution to induce a slight oversteer condition, swinging the rear end out noticeably and turning the car in the desired direction — and it did this consistently. I kept a steady speed throughout the course with all of the vehicles, yet the CX5 was the only one to exhibit this behaviour. The result was confidence- inspiring feedback and an uncanny ability to go where pointed.
The results were similar on the hill start. The Forester was first, and with the steering turned to the right, it spun the front wheels, unable to get going. Another attempt with the wheels straightened caused one rear and one front wheel to spin, again with no forward momentum. A second attempt was successful, albeit laborious. The CR-V managed much better, stalling only momentarily with the wheels turned to the right before rolling away over the hill. The Mazda CX5 moved from a stop as if it were on level ground.
A more thorough test that included more competing vehicles might have altered my assessment, but under these conditions and among these rivals, a Mazda with i- Activ AWD was the best equipped to handle the worst our Canadian winters can muster.