difference between FWD and RWD

[mperdue]

Well I've been driving my RWD 210 around for a month or so (4-speed) and I must say I can't really tell the difference between that and all of the FWD cars I've driven. About the only thing I've noticed is that it sometimes jumps over speed bumps with a different feel from a FWD car, but I can't really explain it. What differences should I notice or feel, if any? Is it more obvious when a car with more power such as a Z? I only drove my Z for 1 day before ripping it apart so I have no experience there.

[MikeW]

http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/techcenter/articles/43847/article.html

[texasz]

I noticed that the FWD holds the road even when it's wet better than a RWD (i.e. the RWD tends to break loose more than the FWD did).

[mperdue]

http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/techcenter/articles/43847/article.html

Thanks M-Dub. I probably should have done a Google search first anyway.

[sblake01]

The main reason that so many cars are FWD now is that production cost is lower than RWD. It has been my experience that FWD cars are more difficult and more expensive to maintain. There are problems that come up on a FWD car that are nonexistant on a RWD car. I have vowed never to own another FWD car. That's just my preference.

[mar2c]

try driving a FWD and a RWD in the snow. the handling difference is very easy to tell, especially when you're trying to accelerate!

[Walter Moore]

The difference between a FWD and a RWD when driving in the snow is that RWD cars SPIN into the ditch while FWD cars PLOW into the ditch.

I have owned and driven both over the years, and other than which end of the car reaches the ditch first, and the ability of FWD cars to fool inexperienced drivers into THINKING that they have more control over where the car is going, there is no significant difference.

All of the really great "snow" cars that I have ever owned were RWD. Those would be in order:

1976 Buick Electra limited (7.5L V8, 3 ton curb weight, Limited Slip Differential)

1987 Mercury Colony Park station wagon (5.0L V8, 3 ton curb weight, Limited Slip Differential)

1974 Volvo 164E (3.0L I6, 2 ton curb weight, standard differential)

(If the Volvo had had a LSD it would have been #1... It snows a LOT in Sweden apparently... )

Having said that, the 240Z is a sports car, and ALL sports cars are worthless in the snow. (Including FWD sports car wantabes...I have had some of those as well)

[240znz]

I had a Subaru Impresa WRX as a company car when I was in the UK. For those of you who don't know what that is then....wow have you been missing out. 2 litre boxer engine with big juicy turbo and full time 4WD. Before that I had a Citreon Xantia (stop laughing now!)

Biggest thing I noticed about the 4WD is that the car will "push" around tight bents when driven hard. Very hard to get used to but the harder you drive them the better they are. Big difference was noticed in the wet......mega grip all the time.

[Gee]

Go here:

http://www.flixvault.org/various.htm

and download RWD v FWD v AWD.

[mperdue]

Go here:

http://www.flixvault.org/various.htm

and download RWD v FWD v AWD.

Hey Gee,

Great video, but she cheated a little by using the beemer's traction control system (whatever that is). Not sure how that skewed the results. Interesting how the AWD vehicle had similar steering problems to the FWD car, just not quite as severe.

I need to find a big parking lot to try out some of these moves to feel it for myself. That's probably the only way to really understand it, and most importantly to know how to respond in an emergency.

Oh and as for the comments about snow - not an issue for me anyway being in TX but thanks for the info. On those 1 or 2 days when we actually have snow or ice I'll ride the bus

michael

[Fun_in_my_z]

Sports car are not worthless on ice...Never drove one on snow before.

Rwd has alot more power the fwd. Plus the burnouts look cooler!

[Corganx33]

"Rwd has alot more power the fwd"

... no..... but your right about the burnouts!!! I always thought front wheel drive cars burning out looked kinda weird.

You won't notice drastic differences unless you really push the car

Besides the obvious differences, if you think about it, in a rwd car... the rear wheels are forced to spin, so on less than ideal surfaces, the rear wheels would lose traction first, before the front wheels. On a FWD car, its the exact opposite.

Rear wheel drive cars have more of a tendency to spin out ( over steer ) in sharp turns when the traction is lost, front wheel drive cars have more of a tendency to skid ( under steer ) in a similar situation....

You won't notice drastic differences unless you really push the car or get in a situation with low traction.

just note that this is a simplified generalization of what you'll find as differences... other factors come into effect as well that have been ignored....suspension and tire differences have a huge effect on driveability in differnet conditions. such as RWD cars tend to be sports cars with stiff suspensions and summer tires that make it difficult to drive in snow....Bill's right on this one.. you put good winter tires on a sports car and some weight over the driving axle and you can drive a sports car in snow.... but then, why would you...?