FWD vs. RWD
03-11-2008, 12:28 PM
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FWD:
Dry Performance: 6/10, Wet Performance: 8/10, Snow/Ice Performance: 8.5/10 (only beaten by 4WD at the top, with AWD and its unlocked differentials being somewhere in between the two)
Pros: Excellent traction and control in snow because of so much weight being over the drive wheels. Handling is also improved because of most of the weight being over the steering wheels equals more traction but at the same time, you've just conquered most of the weight you're trying to turn, therefore you don't experience fishtailing, or at least minimally.
Cons: Packing steering, major braking and drivewheels into just the front never seemed like that good of an idea. Not to mention that in a FWD car, they usually handle much worse than their RWD counterpart simply because the weight balance is so much better distributed with the drive wheels in the rear.
RWD:
Dry Performance: 9/10 (only beaten by AWD), Wet Performance: 6/10, Snow/Ice Performance: 4/10 (why all trucks should probably come with 4WD like it or not
)
Pros: Usually the characteristics of a RWD platform already shows excellent promise for creating the perfect 50/50 weight distributed car. The front is usually heavier, but never by too much. Trucks pretty much throw this out the window since their weight distribution is usually WORSE than that of a FWD car. Dry performance is always best in a RWD platform, especially in acceleration. When all the upper weight of the vehicle is dragging back and down to keep up with the drivetrain below it, you want it to be pressing straight down upon the drive wheels to attain maximum traction, not onto just those inactive wheels you find in a FWD car and leave the front ones begging for weight.
Cons: Snow and Ice is not the friend of anything RWD. This all comes back to the weight distribution. In a RWD vehicle, the weight is either balanced or usually still leaning towards the front, so when in a slippery situation where you can't get the back wheels to push hard enough forward for the rest of the car to hunker down on them and get traction, you've just found yourself in a pickle!
All in all, in my opinion, either FWD or 4WD for winter, and RWD, AWD or FWD for summer, but in that order of rank.
Dry Performance: 6/10, Wet Performance: 8/10, Snow/Ice Performance: 8.5/10 (only beaten by 4WD at the top, with AWD and its unlocked differentials being somewhere in between the two)
Pros: Excellent traction and control in snow because of so much weight being over the drive wheels. Handling is also improved because of most of the weight being over the steering wheels equals more traction but at the same time, you've just conquered most of the weight you're trying to turn, therefore you don't experience fishtailing, or at least minimally.
Cons: Packing steering, major braking and drivewheels into just the front never seemed like that good of an idea. Not to mention that in a FWD car, they usually handle much worse than their RWD counterpart simply because the weight balance is so much better distributed with the drive wheels in the rear.
RWD:
Dry Performance: 9/10 (only beaten by AWD), Wet Performance: 6/10, Snow/Ice Performance: 4/10 (why all trucks should probably come with 4WD like it or not
)Pros: Usually the characteristics of a RWD platform already shows excellent promise for creating the perfect 50/50 weight distributed car. The front is usually heavier, but never by too much. Trucks pretty much throw this out the window since their weight distribution is usually WORSE than that of a FWD car. Dry performance is always best in a RWD platform, especially in acceleration. When all the upper weight of the vehicle is dragging back and down to keep up with the drivetrain below it, you want it to be pressing straight down upon the drive wheels to attain maximum traction, not onto just those inactive wheels you find in a FWD car and leave the front ones begging for weight.
Cons: Snow and Ice is not the friend of anything RWD. This all comes back to the weight distribution. In a RWD vehicle, the weight is either balanced or usually still leaning towards the front, so when in a slippery situation where you can't get the back wheels to push hard enough forward for the rest of the car to hunker down on them and get traction, you've just found yourself in a pickle!
All in all, in my opinion, either FWD or 4WD for winter, and RWD, AWD or FWD for summer, but in that order of rank.
03-11-2008, 12:35 PM
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Originally Posted by wjcollier07
FWD:
Dry Performance: 6/10, Wet Performance: 8/10, Snow/Ice Performance: 8.5/10 (only beaten by 4WD at the top, with AWD and its unlocked differentials being somewhere in between the two)
Pros: Excellent traction and control in snow because of so much weight being over the drive wheels. Handling is also improved because of most of the weight being over the steering wheels equals more traction but at the same time, you've just conquered most of the weight you're trying to turn, therefore you don't experience fishtailing, or at least minimally.
Cons: Packing steering, major braking and drivewheels into just the front never seemed like that good of an idea. Not to mention that in a FWD car, they usually handle much worse than their RWD counterpart simply because the weight balance is so much better distributed with the drive wheels in the rear.
RWD:
Dry Performance: 9/10 (only beaten by AWD), Wet Performance: 6/10, Snow/Ice Performance: 4/10 (why all trucks should probably come with 4WD like it or not )
Pros: Usually the characteristics of a RWD platform already shows excellent promise for creating the perfect 50/50 weight distributed car. The front is usually heavier, but never by too much. Trucks pretty much throw this out the window since their weight distribution is usually WORSE than that of a FWD car. Dry performance is always best in a RWD platform, especially in acceleration. When all the upper weight of the vehicle is dragging back and down to keep up with the drivetrain below it, you want it to be pressing straight down upon the drive wheels to attain maximum traction, not onto just those inactive wheels you find in a FWD car and leave the front ones begging for weight.
Cons: Snow and Ice is not the friend of anything RWD. This all comes back to the weight distribution. In a RWD vehicle, the weight is either balanced or usually still leaning towards the front, so when in a slippery situation where you can't get the back wheels to push hard enough forward for the rest of the car to hunker down on them and get traction, you've just found yourself in a pickle!
All in all, in my opinion, either FWD or 4WD for winter, and RWD, AWD or FWD for summer, but in that order of rank.
Dry Performance: 6/10, Wet Performance: 8/10, Snow/Ice Performance: 8.5/10 (only beaten by 4WD at the top, with AWD and its unlocked differentials being somewhere in between the two)
Pros: Excellent traction and control in snow because of so much weight being over the drive wheels. Handling is also improved because of most of the weight being over the steering wheels equals more traction but at the same time, you've just conquered most of the weight you're trying to turn, therefore you don't experience fishtailing, or at least minimally.
Cons: Packing steering, major braking and drivewheels into just the front never seemed like that good of an idea. Not to mention that in a FWD car, they usually handle much worse than their RWD counterpart simply because the weight balance is so much better distributed with the drive wheels in the rear.
RWD:
Dry Performance: 9/10 (only beaten by AWD), Wet Performance: 6/10, Snow/Ice Performance: 4/10 (why all trucks should probably come with 4WD like it or not
)Pros: Usually the characteristics of a RWD platform already shows excellent promise for creating the perfect 50/50 weight distributed car. The front is usually heavier, but never by too much. Trucks pretty much throw this out the window since their weight distribution is usually WORSE than that of a FWD car. Dry performance is always best in a RWD platform, especially in acceleration. When all the upper weight of the vehicle is dragging back and down to keep up with the drivetrain below it, you want it to be pressing straight down upon the drive wheels to attain maximum traction, not onto just those inactive wheels you find in a FWD car and leave the front ones begging for weight.
Cons: Snow and Ice is not the friend of anything RWD. This all comes back to the weight distribution. In a RWD vehicle, the weight is either balanced or usually still leaning towards the front, so when in a slippery situation where you can't get the back wheels to push hard enough forward for the rest of the car to hunker down on them and get traction, you've just found yourself in a pickle!
All in all, in my opinion, either FWD or 4WD for winter, and RWD, AWD or FWD for summer, but in that order of rank.
03-11-2008, 12:42 PM
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I don't care for neither, I've had both. Honestly, I think FWD is the best tradeoff, you can make a FWD handle really good, look at the Mini Cooper.
I think ti falls on whether you live, North or South...
I think ti falls on whether you live, North or South...
03-11-2008, 01:14 PM
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Rear wheel drive since both my BMW and F150 is Rear wheel drive. Then again my Turbo Grand Prix is Fwd so I guess I have no preference . Awd would be the best choice.
03-11-2008, 01:59 PM
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FWD is the safest, IMO. Understeer is predictable. In my GP, I know how well I can turn. However, oversteer is unpredictable for most people, and people tend to over react. You can't really do anything wrong with understeer, because you have nothing left to do. Oversteer tends to make people spin and flip. :P
RWD is better, though. :P
RWD is better, though. :P
03-11-2008, 02:35 PM
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RWD... as long as you can control yourself (ie. not purposely sliding and doing doughnuts everywhere) you can get around just as good as at least FWD can.
03-11-2008, 03:15 PM
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Originally Posted by SSsuperchargedEi
RWD... as long as you can control yourself (ie. not purposely sliding and doing doughnuts everywhere) you can get around just as good as at least FWD can.
03-11-2008, 03:21 PM
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Originally Posted by SSsuperchargedEi
RWD... as long as you can control yourself (ie. not purposely sliding and doing doughnuts everywhere) you can get around just as good as at least FWD can.
