Random Thoughts - FWD v.s RWD

[Custodian]

We are currently in a 4x4 Colorado CC (6 passenger w/ front bench seat). Our last ride was an 03 Blazer Xtreme RWD, and was transformed by mounting a set of winter tires from Tirerack. It is amazing what a couple of hundred dollars in the correct tires can do for a vehicle. I could place the shifter in 2 for a second gear start rather than first gear, and crawl away from any icy intersection. Then only had to keep the speed at a reasonable level and allow the ABS to work when stopping.

 

[ltoman]

If I lived where it snowed, I would have an AWD winter car and a RWD summer car if money allowed. If not, AWD everyday.

If I lived were it snowed again,I would move!!!!

 

[supercharged]

I really like performance of RWD (my first car was 95 Nissan 240 SE), but yes, it is challenging on wet surfaces...As far as snow and ice - RWD - stay away from it.
Just my $0.02

 

[Rapidity]

I got a Lancer Evo, and thats a AWD, great at winter time, and not soo bad in summer time either.

What kind of tires do you have for the evo? Just because it's AWD does not mean it will be king of the hill come your first snow day. I had an 02 WRX that I put summer performance tires on. It WAS NOT good in the snow at all. I left it home anytime there was snow on the ground.

Tires are what matter, period.

 

[gandblah]

modern day RWD cars can do very well in the snow, provided the owners upgrade tires. Even All Season tires are not well designed, the way a dedicated snow tire is. Between Traction Control, Stability Programs, and computer controlled automobiles we have closed that gap.

As for AWD, well look at most modern systems. They are tailored to kick in when needed, but for the most part offer greater bias toward front or rear wheels depending on design. Again closing the gap.

A FWD car typically is less clumsy in the snow as it has significant weight over its front end. This does not however offer a very rewarding drive outside of the snow. Torque Steer is a big culprit, and I have personally found FWD needs more warranty work for spider housing, axles, and other items that seem to fail faster due to all the weight on the front.

Why is RWD so bad in snow compared to FWD. I've been searching for a good article on the internet but haven't found one.

A FWD car typically is less clumsy in the snow as it has significant weight over its front end. - Why is that??? It's not like RWD's have their engines in the back of the car? The engine on a BMW is in the front too !! Just wondering?

Brings up another question - Will a RWD driven in the reverse drive as well as FWD car in the snow - just wondering ??

 

[Truls]

What kind of tires do you have for the evo? Just because it's AWD does not mean it will be king of the hill come your first snow day. I had an 02 WRX that I put summer performance tires on. It WAS NOT good in the snow at all. I left it home anytime there was snow on the ground.

Tires are what matter, period.

And Driver

I dont use summer tires on my car at winter here, nobody does (its agains the law) Summer tires at winter are as bad as winter tires in the summer

 

[PRB]

A FWD car typically is less clumsy in the snow as it has significant weight over its front end. - Why is that???

The answer is two-fold: it is a combination of weight distribution and which wheels control the vehicle motion.

Most front wheel drive cars have their engine mounted transversely. Picture a solid line running from one front wheel to the other. The engine is then turned sideways (the long way) across that line. More of the weight is on that line, applying more direct pressure to the front wheels and tires. Even if the engine is not transversely mounted, it is still in the front.

Also, the transaxle makes the front end even heavier. In simple terms, a transaxle is the FWD transmission and axle unit that is mounted on the engine and connects to the front drive wheels. This takes weight from the middle/rear of the car and mounts it on the front wheels.

So, why is all this extra weight good? It presses the wheels and tires onto the ground for better grip on the slippery surface. It just happens, that on FWD, these same wheels are moving the car forward or back and steering the car.

With the bulk of weight and control in the front, this gives FWD a natural bias toward better handling than RWD counterparts.

As for your question about putting RWD in reverse, it would not work the same since the weight bias is different.

 

[JSR]

Funny the thoughts this line brings back. I learned to drive before anybody even thought of FWD or you could do more than 30 mph with AWD
I left Detroit 30 years ago in a raging blizzard driving a white 68 Triumph GT6, (imagine a moving snowdrift). About 1500 pounds with all my stuff in it. Wheel track about 8 inches less than anybody else. Drove to Salt Lake for the winter with no problems canted about 15 degrees in the snow with one side of tires in the other car tracks and the other surfing the snow that piled up inbetween. Still sit with a list.
Since I have been in LA I have seen snow stick once. Just about this time of year, people trying to get into the malls, etc. About a half inch that stayed for maybe an hour. I just pulled into a parking lot and watched. LMAO!
They cannot even deal with rain here.
I still cannot drive a car with FWD, theres something just wrong to me.

 

[gandblah]

The answer is two-fold: it is a combination of weight distribution and which wheels control the vehicle motion.

Most front wheel drive cars have their engine mounted transversely. Picture a solid line running from one front wheel to the other. The engine is then turned sideways (the long way) across that line. More of the weight is on that line, applying more direct pressure to the front wheels and tires. Even if the engine is not transversely mounted, it is still in the front.

Also, the transaxle makes the front end even heavier. In simple terms, a transaxle is the FWD transmission and axle unit that is mounted on the engine and connects to the front drive wheels. This takes weight from the middle/rear of the car and mounts it on the front wheels.

So, why is all this extra weight good? It presses the wheels and tires onto the ground for better grip on the slippery surface. It just happens, that on FWD, these same wheels are moving the car forward or back and steering the car.

With the bulk of weight and control in the front, this gives FWD a natural bias toward better handling than RWD counterparts.

As for your question about putting RWD in reverse, it would not work the same since the weight bias is different.

Thannks a lot - that makes a ton of sense now !!

 

[Grimm]

The problem is that many people flat out don't know how to drive. I live in Michigan, and my first three cars were RWD owned for a total 6.5 years and I had a grand total of two snow incidents. One was when it had warmed up after some heavy snow and there was about four inches of slush on the road, and I hit a bad spot and lost control. The other was in a blizzard when a guy had stopped completely in the road and by the time I saw him it was too late.

Granted none of my cars were real horses, but they were all V6's that had some getup. All you have to remember is put some weight like one or two cinder blocks in the trunk, feather the gas taking off, and don't drive like an idiot.

I do think a big factor in why the OP saw cars like BMW's getting stuck is because they have such low profile tires. My cars just had run of the mill radials with good wall height and good traction. I never had snow tires either. Oh, and ground clearance is another problem. I know I've heard people with Mustangs say the cars are too low so it's hard to go through anything deep at all.