FWD vs RWD – Is Front Wheel Drive or Rear Wheel Drive better?
The act of deciding between rear wheel drive cars and front wheel drive cars is not nearly as cut and dry as most would want it to be. There are a great many models and manufacturers of both to choose from. Individual models may offer various features unique to that vehicle, however; generally speaking the differences between RWD vehicles and FWD vehicles are not as often considered regardless of whether they should be or not. RWD vs FWD differences lead to changes in performance and maintenance for the specific model and should always be factored in to a buyer’s decision when he or she purchases the vehicle in the first place.
Both types serve the same purpose, to provide propulsion to the vehicle by applying rotational force to either the front or rear set of wheels. There is a third type referred to as all wheel drive vehicles or 4WD cars where power is supplied to both sets simultaneously that attempts (and is more or less successfully) to give the features of both many times suffering only in efficiency. The biggest difference is that people selecting 4WD vehicles are usually looking specifically for those. People selecting either FWD or RWD vehicles don’t often have a specific preference. Many do not even know the difference, and still some people don’t even know there is one.
About RWD Cars
In general RWD cars came first. The engine supplies power to the transmission which then spins the driveshaft which is connected to the rear axle. This engine is probably the most widely recognized with the engine facing forward and its spark plugs aligned on either side of the block. This configuration does tend to provide more power and faster acceleration but when considering the majority of any vehicles weight is the engine which is usually located in the front; this can lead to traction problems in either wet or loose road conditions. Many sports and performance cars today still come in this setup since the drivers usually want to feel the punch in acceleration given by RWD. Properly treaded tires can alleviate the majority of traction problems and many advances in power distribution have left this a rare issue but make no mistake the first time you try to peel out from a stop in a RWD car when the road is wet and you will likely find yourself spinning in directions the car was never meant to go. This can scare the living daylights out of even the most confidant drivers so unless you are experienced in driving a RWD vehicle you simply may want to be more careful when you put your foot on the gas.
photo credit: jeffwilcox
About FWD Cars
FWD cars (front wheel drive cars) are a more modern creation and tends to be more common on the road today. The little bit you lose in power and acceleration is almost always made up in traction, stability, and control. For general transportation purposes a FWD vehicle will suit any driver just fine. Modern powerful engines give plenty of oomph to satisfy and modern timing tends to mitigate the acceleration gains. Aside from performance related issues, ease of access to major engine components tends to make the FWD car easier to maintain. The engine in this case is mounted sideways so that power is applied to the axle rather that a driveshaft and in this case the spark plugs end up lined in rows along the front and back of the block. It may be harder to reach those rear spark plugs, but the first time you need a water pump changed there is a obvious benefit to it being located in the side of the engine facing forward.
As you can see general differences between the two is often a matter of personal taste, so there is no real FWD vs RWD that fits everyone. As stated there are many models that use both configurations, in the end it’s up to you to decided between performance and traction. Modern technology has limited the downside of either, but some clear factors make the difference in what the buyer will choose. Most of us have a preference one way or the other already.