FWD vs RWD?

[destrukshn]

more stability around corners, though they do tend to understeer a bit, depending on platform.
plus more traction.

[d15z1SUX]

with 4wd there is even more power loss thru the drivetrain. so fuel economy is even worse. but of course u get the advantages of grip. depending on the 4wd system you may get more understeer from it than oversteer.

[d15z1SUX]

ah... oops sum1 sed it already

[gnx1987]

Always wanted to know why manufacturers make FWD cars? What are the benifits over RWD? I've always suspected it was something to do with cost?

True. But what those retards who make the cars don't realise is the money they save on the cars they lose in sales to customers who prefer rear wheel drive. Manufacturers who are known for making rear wheel drive or known for making front wheel drive should not step the other way otherwise they'll be up s*** creek IMO anyway. Look at some of the American manufacturers. Buick, Chevrolet, Pontiac and Oldsmobile (which no longer exists) stepped over to front wheel drive and they lost a lot of popularity (doesn't help they look like crap). I guarantee if Commodores or Falcons went front wheel they would be rooted. That's why I hate Alpha Romeo's. Wicked looking cars but the fact that they've got high performance 6's in a front wheeler causes them to not be added to my dream cars list.

[silver_screen]

it aloows for cheaper production for the car...as money dosnt need to be spent on developing driveshafts to the rears and all that...and yea it allows for a more simpler design for the car and its mechanics and more room inside

simpler design for the mechanics??? im assuming u mean that its easier to work on...

i hate to tell u this.. but i am a mechanic and i absolutely hate workin on FWD cars...

no space for anything... timing belts??? pain in the ass... water pumps?? fkn nightmare... most RWD cars r north-south facing motors which allow very easy workin spaces.. FWD cars r very hard to work on.. especially when its a 3.2lt V6 like the vectras... Comin from someone who actually works on these products every single day, i would have to say that RWD cars r the pick of the bunch... i own both... im payin someone else to work on my honda, because theres no fkn way im breakin my hands n back to work on it... my other car is an rx7... now that is also a bitch to work on.. but atleast ive got a lil more space

[silver_screen]

Then what about 4WD like WRX, EVO and Skyline GT-R?

4WD and AWD cars r great under normal conditions... gravel and snow... awesome... wet roads... not as good as you'd think unless they have TCS then they r great... the GTR, while its a fast car in a straight line, doesnt handle as well as it should because its fkn heavy as anything... close to 1600kg isnt a good way to start a hipo car... wrx's and evos r better around the corners due to less weight. AWD/4WD cars understeer alot unless it has electrically controlled counterparts like the evo... that oversteers more than it understeers due to its elec parts... subies understeer a lil more because the lsd unit does that.. any lsd will compromise handling unless its set up properly and the driver knows how to drive it in those setups. a properly setup FWD car will almost always outhandle any RWD, 4WD or AWD car.. mainly because they r "lighter"... Most ppl forget that they r also front heavy which causes understeering and when equipped with lsd, only makes it worse BUT havin said that.. weight @ the front increases ur traction because theres more downforce which inturn allows for a higher threshold b4 ur ****ed.. but when ur ****ed... ur well and truly ****ed. Dont hold 4WD's in such high regard under normal street conditions. the fastest hill climb cars arent 4wd's.. they r tiny FWD cars. when u add gravel or snow or water.. 4WD will hold its own

Any questions??

[aimre]

^^^^ Ummm yeah. Why dont any of the "Good" car companies make FWD if they are infact so good? (Porche ferrari lambo etc?) Why dont we see FWD super cars?

with FWD u dont get that annoying bastard hump in the back passenger area(in most cases)

My FWD civic DOES have a hump in the middle, and so does EVERY other FWD car -> I <- have been in, so that aint a real reason.

Also, for novice drivers who can't control the accelerator (press the accelerator hard when panicking), it is safer with FWD.

Considering how now some of the cheapest cars have ESP now, that really shouldnt be a problem.

Cost, and that engine and drivetrain packages can be easily migrated from platform to platform.

Well if you kept ALL your platforms RWD then you wouldnt have a problem any more, would you?


I probably wont be buying another FWD car any time soon, and next car WON'T be a honda, why? they got nothing good anymore to offer people that ENJOY driving

[d15z1SUX]

its not that fwd is 'so good' its just good for everyday driving in terms of economy, practicallity and cost.

btw esp isnt totally fool proof. i heard of someone that spun their 350z in the wet and hit a traffic light with traction control on. and ive managed to get a commodore into a fishtail with traction control in the wet. mind you i was trying to test the limits of the traction control, which was kinda dumb anyway. :P

[aimre]

its not that fwd is 'so good' its just good for everyday driving in terms of economy, practicallity and cost.

btw esp isnt totally fool proof. i heard of someone that spun their 350z in the wet and hit a traffic light with traction control on. and ive managed to get a commodore into a fishtail with traction control in the wet. mind you i was trying to test the limits of the traction control, which was kinda dumb anyway. :P

it helps you drive, but it doesnt make the car idiot proof

[deon]

4WD and AWD cars r great under normal conditions... gravel and snow... awesome... wet roads... not as good as you'd think unless they have TCS then they r great... the GTR, while its a fast car in a straight line, doesnt handle as well as it should because its fkn heavy as anything... close to 1600kg isnt a good way to start a hipo car... wrx's and evos r better around the corners due to less weight. AWD/4WD cars understeer alot unless it has electrically controlled counterparts like the evo... that oversteers more than it understeers due to its elec parts... subies understeer a lil more because the lsd unit does that.. any lsd will compromise handling unless its set up properly and the driver knows how to drive it in those setups. a properly setup FWD car will almost always outhandle any RWD, 4WD or AWD car.. mainly because they r "lighter"... Most ppl forget that they r also front heavy which causes understeering and when equipped with lsd, only makes it worse BUT havin said that.. weight @ the front increases ur traction because theres more downforce which inturn allows for a higher threshold b4 ur ****ed.. but when ur ****ed... ur well and truly ****ed. Dont hold 4WD's in such high regard under normal street conditions. the fastest hill climb cars arent 4wd's.. they r tiny FWD cars. when u add gravel or snow or water.. 4WD will hold its own

Any questions??

hmm.. gtr fast in a straight line? but doesn't handle that well? mate obviously you have next to no idea, the simple fact that the r33 gtr was the first production car ever to break the 8 minute barrier around the nurburgring
PROVES it can "handle" straight line speed alone is not gonna get you a good time round that ring.
Hill climbs and "tiny FWD's" unfortunately dont go together, i believe one of the fastest "hill climbers" of the notorious pikes peak was the suzuki escudo, which was...AWD
AWD's only undesteer when they have a torque split of 50/50 or 60/40 (front/rear) if an AWD has a 60/40 split or an adjustable centre diff, like the Sti's the understeer is pretty much eradicated.
Put simply FWD will always be inferior to RWD or AWD due to the simple fact that the front wheels have to turn AND provide power. As aimre said honda dont really make a car thats enjoyable to drive (aside from the s2000 and nsx, which are rediculously overpriced) they make grannies cars and family cars. Although if your young and have limited money some of those older civics and integra's are cool but in terms of new cars they're no fun.

[deon]

its not that fwd is 'so good' its just good for everyday driving in terms of economy, practicallity and cost.

btw esp isnt totally fool proof. i heard of someone that spun their 350z in the wet and hit a traffic light with traction control on. and ive managed to get a commodore into a fishtail with traction control in the wet. mind you i was trying to test the limits of the traction control, which was kinda dumb anyway. :P

ESP and traction control are completely different. Tration control simply attempts to stop your wheels from spinning by cutting engine power. ESP takes input from your steering angle and other sensors and brakes individual wheels to keep the car from sliding, you'l find that if your stupid enough to try and take a 90 degree corner at 200k's your going to die watever car your in. if youve managed to fishtail a commodore with traction control, try doing it in a new commodore which has ESP and traction control.

[d15z1SUX]

interesting...
so that means with esp and tc it wouldnt fishtail i guess?