For several decades, motorists have been arguing which drivetrain is better – FWD or RWD. And the answer to this question is especially vital for those who are going to buy a car. The Indianapolis car mavens from Indy Auto Man explain the pros and cons of both types of cars. Read also their FWD vs. AWD comparison on indyautoman.com.
Undisputable Classics: Front-Wheel Drive
Of course, the main plus of front-wheel-drive cars is that they are cheaper to manufacture and repair. In this case, there is no Cardan shaft, differential, and rear axle housing – fewer units and components are needed in production. Almost all budget cars are front-wheel drive. Among other benefits are:
- The overall simplicity of the design in comparison with RWD. The fewer parts, the less damage.
- As a rule, front-wheel drive cars are lighter. Due to the lower mass, the car accelerates and brakes faster, and consumes less fuel.
- A small bonus in the form of a more spacious interior – the missing driveshaft does not take up space.
Why Some Drivers Don’t Like FWD
The main disadvantage of FWD is uneven weight distribution. The load falls on the front resulting in the poor grip of the rear wheels on the road. Therefore, you need to be careful with such cars in winter: on a slippery road, the vehicle can spin. If you go into a skid, it is necessary to step on the gas, and the car will stretch its rear end. Other cons of driving FWD cars are as follows:
- Overload on the front wheels. The front wheels perform several functions: acceleration, braking, turning, and steering. The rear wheels participate very passively and do not wear out so much.
- FWD sacrifices free space under the hood. Now all the vital units are here: the engine, the steering rack, and much more. To carry out maintenance, diagnostics, or repair, you have to dismantle numerous parts and assemblies.
- The steering wheel receives a lot more vibration from the road. Here an amplifier will come to the rescue – the power steering – which will slightly alleviate the situation.
- If the cv joints break down, you have to change them, unlike RWD axle shafts which can be repaired.
Alternative for Experienced Drivers: RWD
Rear-wheel drive models gained the love of drivers for the following advantages:
- Even distribution of weight: in RWD cars, the mass is distributed approximately 50/50 to the front and rear, that is, more evenly than that of front-wheel drive counterparts. Even vehicle weight while driving improves maneuverability.
- The rear-wheel drive accelerates faster and better overcomes even steep slopes.
- A car with rear-wheel drive goes into a skid faster but comes out of it with the same ease. To do this, the driver only needs to turn the front wheels in the direction of the skid and, at the same time, release the accelerator and depress the clutch. There is a term “controlled skid”: spectacular driving with controlled skid is used by sports car drivers and simple lovers of pathetic drifting.
- Rear-wheel drive cars are more powerful: the engine is located longitudinally, so even a small vehicle can be equipped with a more powerful engine with many cylinders.
- During acceleration, vibrations from the engine are not transmitted to the steering wheel.
- Since the front wheels perform one single function – turning, a rear-wheel drive car is more maneuverable and has a larger turning angle. Roughly speaking, we spend fewer turns on the steering wheel.
Rear-Wheel Drive Shortcomings
In general, rear-wheel drive cars are maneuverable and can overcome bad road conditions more easily. And yet, the experts believe that their time has passed.
- High cost. Such a car has a more complex design, which implies additional elements to ensure the transmission of rotation from the engine to the rear wheels – a Cardan shaft, a rear axle gearbox, and a differential.
- Expensive maintenance and repairs. Based on the first point, a more sophisticated design requires more expensive maintenance and repair. This also includes a greater flow of working fluids. There are more oil seals in this system, and you need to monitor them more carefully – otherwise, they will leak, and the differential will remain dry.
- Rear-wheel drive (namely, the Cardan shaft) steals the usable area of the interior.
So What Is the Best Drive?
It is impossible to answer unequivocally. There is no better drivetrain, only different goals. If you are not a race car driver, not a scorching drifter, and not a fan of premium cars, a front-wheel drive car is most likely to suit you.
