I'm not a gear head so i'm curious why do manufacturers still make cars with rear wheel drive. Obviously rear wheel drives are the worst to drive in stormy, inclement weather, so why are they still made? Why don't they just focus on front wheel drive and 4x4s?
Why do car manufacturers still make cars and trucks with rear wheel drive?
tonyc56
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That's a good example. Imagine trying to drive a fwd backwards up a ice covered slope and then one you loose grip steering is gone too. That's why RWD is superior as loses of grip on drive wheels don't mean loss steering.
Ask a different question: Why are there front wheel drive cars at all?
Money. It is cheaper to install a drive package that is a complete unit. If it were cheaper to make rear wheel drive, that's all there would be.
As far as handling goes, I've wrecked both with equal ease. I will say, though, it is harder to recover from a spin in a front wheel drive because you must do what is contrary common sense. You have to get on the throttle and drive out of a spin instead of lifting and trying to steer out of it.
Another thought: Towing aside, if light trucks were front wheel drive, there would be no need for four wheel drive. Don't believe me? Go pull your rear drive shaft and drive only with your front drive. You can go anywhere you can with 4 wd.
Money. It is cheaper to install a drive package that is a complete unit. If it were cheaper to make rear wheel drive, that's all there would be.
As far as handling goes, I've wrecked both with equal ease. I will say, though, it is harder to recover from a spin in a front wheel drive because you must do what is contrary common sense. You have to get on the throttle and drive out of a spin instead of lifting and trying to steer out of it.
Another thought: Towing aside, if light trucks were front wheel drive, there would be no need for four wheel drive. Don't believe me? Go pull your rear drive shaft and drive only with your front drive. You can go anywhere you can with 4 wd.
How do you spin in a front wheel in the first place? That's hard to do unless you pull the emergency brake for fun. (It is fun, too! I used to do controlled 180's that way.)
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Does such a vehicle exist?
You'd be the first person I've encountered who doesn't think the people trying to drive RWD on snow and ice are a complete joke.
While the RWD may technically handle better due to balance, it can hardly get going or climb a hill, plus the rear end brakes free on any turn under power. In very low traction, oversteer turns to a spin while understeer goes straight.
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Yes there's lot of cars made in all configurations. Most German. The higher performance ones will always be RWD because of how superior it is for grip and handling.
Also if you are under that much power that your back end is gonna come out then you need to learn to drive unless it was on purpose. But even if you do at least you still have a way to steer the car in RWD In a 2wd you have nothing. You just have to go where ever the car decides it wants to go as if wheels are spinning in fwd you have zero steering.
As an example if my Audi loses traction on the front wheels it will divert the power to the rear wheels so you still have some from of control at the front of the car. In the FWD braking is gone and steering is gone you just gotta sit back and hope for the best.
They both have their benefits.
FWD is more energy efficient.
RWD has better weight transfer for traction under load.
Advanced traction control makes almost any setup more controllable.
FWD's can handle excellent! Ever owned or driven a FWD race car? Having Sears Point (Infinion Raceway) nearby I used to run a car on the track often for NASA sanctioned events. What a hoot
In the snow I personally would consider them preferable as you can pull the vehicle around a corner with power or pull yourself out of a skid.
RWD with a locker is the equivalent to most 4WD's.
4WD is the least efficient, but hard to beat for traction. When rock crawling we used to start up the trail unlocked and see how far we could go before engaging the rear ARB locker. Once stuck again it was time to engage 4WD. If stuck again it was time to engage the front ARB locker.
AWD rules the roost for snowy or icy roads. Throw in advanced traction control and they can make a beginner driver far safer. For fun we used to have snow day races. My Audi Quattro ALWAYS won against everything! Full traction on all four wheels with light weight is unbeatable.
How about rear engine vs mid engine vs front mount engine? Got Porsche? Once a rear engine car breaks away you damn well better know what you are doing. The throttle is your friend. Track days are a blast.
FWD is more energy efficient.
RWD has better weight transfer for traction under load.
Advanced traction control makes almost any setup more controllable.
FWD's can handle excellent! Ever owned or driven a FWD race car? Having Sears Point (Infinion Raceway) nearby I used to run a car on the track often for NASA sanctioned events. What a hoot
In the snow I personally would consider them preferable as you can pull the vehicle around a corner with power or pull yourself out of a skid. RWD with a locker is the equivalent to most 4WD's.
4WD is the least efficient, but hard to beat for traction. When rock crawling we used to start up the trail unlocked and see how far we could go before engaging the rear ARB locker. Once stuck again it was time to engage 4WD. If stuck again it was time to engage the front ARB locker.
AWD rules the roost for snowy or icy roads. Throw in advanced traction control and they can make a beginner driver far safer. For fun we used to have snow day races. My Audi Quattro ALWAYS won against everything! Full traction on all four wheels with light weight is unbeatable.
How about rear engine vs mid engine vs front mount engine? Got Porsche? Once a rear engine car breaks away you damn well better know what you are doing. The throttle is your friend. Track days are a blast.
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Why Do Car Manufacturers Still Make Cars And Trucks With Rear Wheel Drive?
I have owned a Peugeot 205 1.9GTI, Renault Cliosport RS, Civic Type R and a Focos RS. Possibly the 4 best FWD sports cars ever made. The Clio even come 2nd behind a Porsche 911 Turbo for most fun cars of all time to drive. It was up against a bunch of exotic super cars too.
But there's a limit to what their capable of. 300hp through the front wheels of a street car is interesting to say the least. Even with the best LSD made it was a torque steer monster and it was tight around corners but to much weight up front
They both have their benefits.
FWD is more energy efficient.
RWD has better weight transfer for traction under load.
Advanced traction control makes almost any setup more controllable.
FWD's can handle excellent! Ever owned or driven a FWD race car? Having Sears Point (Infinion Raceway) nearby I used to run a car on the track often for NASA sanctioned events. What a hoot
RWD with a locker is the equivalent to most 4WD's.
4WD is the least efficient, but hard to beat for traction. When rock crawling we used to start up the trail unlocked and see how far we could go before engaging the rear ARB locker. Once stuck again it was time to engage 4WD. If stuck again it was time to engage the front ARB locker.
AWD rules the roost for snowy or icy roads. Throw in advanced traction control and they can make a beginner driver far safer. For fun we used to have snow day races. My Audi Quattro ALWAYS won against everything! Full traction on all four wheels with light weight is unbeatable.
How about rear engine vs mid engine vs front mount engine? Got Porsche? Once a rear engine car breaks away you damn well better know what you are doing. The throttle is your friend. Track days are a blast.
I have owned a Peugeot 205 1.9GTI, Renault Cliosport RS, Civic Type R and a Focos RS. Possibly the 4 best FWD sports cars ever made. The Clio even come 2nd behind a Porsche 911 Turbo for most fun cars of all time to drive. It was up against a bunch of exotic super cars too.
But there's a limit to what their capable of. 300hp through the front wheels of a street car is interesting to say the least. Even with the best LSD made it was a torque steer monster and it was tight around corners but to much weight up front
Correction - Toronado.
I'd be the second, then. Even though I drive a 4WD truck, the vast majority of time in the snow, including in the middle of storms, is 2WD. Even 100 lbs in the back gets me good enough traction.
Power oversteer is why not many people can corner a Porsche RWD well on pavement. That doesn't make it a dumb choice of car in general, but it does take learning to drive it. The oversteer / understeer thing isn't such a big deal when it's slippery, IMO. Detroit has set RWD cars up for ever with understeer to keep people from losing it when they jump on the gas and lose the rear end. Braking and turning, you can wash out either end, and you can get power understeer with the right RWD car as well..
Snow and dirt. Throw it sideways, hit the throttle, and hope it hooks up in time to make the sharp corner. Slows faster than using the brakes....
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Why Do Car Manufacturers Still Make Cars And Trucks With Rear Wheel Drive?
Lift off over steer is actually a bigger issue than over steer. Reason is most RWD ain't got the power to brake traction on the rear wheels to get over steer going well. Most will come to a sudden thump stop as tires gain traction. Where as on lift off oversteer it can put a FWD or RWD vehicle into a uncontrollable over steer situation when coming into a corner under power too quick. They **** a brick and then left off the throttle then bam sideways at high speed.
Lift off over steer is actually a bigger issue than over steer. Reason is most RWD ain't got the power to brake traction on the rear wheels to get over steer going well. Most will come to a sudden thump stop as tires gain traction. Where as on lift off oversteer it can put a FWD or RWD vehicle into a uncontrollable over steer situation when coming into a corner under power too quick. They **** a brick and then left off the throttle then bam sideways at high speed.
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I'll admit, my experience in inclement weather is in Alaska, where conditions might be a little different. Like release the brake, tires spin at idle kind of traction. Every day is completely different. Definitely a hell of a lot of fun though.
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Front wheel drive is an abomination of the automotive industry. Engines were never meant to go sideways.
Have you ever driven in snow or ice?
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They look crap too when sideways.
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This thread is really making me miss hogging around the frozen lakes. Just the right amount of crusty snow and you can spend 95% of the time sideways and in control.
edit: In FWD, 4WD, or RWD.
edit: In FWD, 4WD, or RWD.
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Yes a lot. Done quite a few seasons in the French alps and Canada and have lived in the mountains here for the last 8 years. It's no Alaska but I have had my fair share of 2wd 4wd, AWD, FWD and RWD to know what works best. i also know tires are the most important part even over 4wd or AWD which is why I just spent $4k on new winter tires for the car and truck even though both are 4wd.
Then you probably know how having the weight of the engine over the drive wheels in the winter is really helpful.
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Not only that, when you gun the engine, the car is supposed to do that lateral shimmy to demonstrate the V8's twisting torque. There's something very unnatural about how a FWD car does that hop & shake motion while starting.
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