bz268

Hi,

I am looking at this video. She beleives that rwd handles the best among all three. I don't have much experience with rwd or awd. I do remember that I used to have a Chevy Chevette that was rwd. I also remember that I almost ran off the freeway when it was rainning one time. It scared the heck out of me.

So, is it true that rwd does really better or it is just depended on who drives it?


http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...372&q=top+gear

AS3.0CL

alot of the handeling has to do with the suspension of a car. alot of factors play into how a car handles, and to me that comparo was not good at all

mclarenf3387

Is it better how? There are many different situations where one is better that the other.

Crazy88

But
For mountains I'd prefer awd (obviously)
For the city, fwd
For racing or exotics, I'd get rwd.

bz268

let's say you are speeding in a school zone and a kid jumps out and you need to really go around the poor kid.

Osamu

i think rwd has the potential to "handle" the best, but what makes it dangerous is in certain cars, it tends to cause sudden oversteer espcially in low-grip situations, and most people (including myself) don't know how to control sudden oversteer, which can cause spin outs and such. plus when driving IN the lanes like we do, it might be dangerous to be kicking the rear end out on the freeway, even if it means you can corner faster.

fwd and awd may be prone to understeer, but in general that is safer, as long as you don't have to avoid hitting a penguin

on a track awd might even be faster than rwd (depending on the car) cause it has so much grip and can put the power down coming out of the corners.

rezurex

quattro has proven its merit in pro racing IMO. although it does make the car several hundred pounds heavier

RWD is awesome too, but yeah the suspension does have to be tuned right for the application. FWD integras, Ek-9 civic hatches, cooper S are examples of great handling fwd cars. but for most cars FWD sucks for spirited cornering. the tires wear out too fast

1killercls

here's something we have never covered before

GreenMonster

I didn't have a Chevette, but I did have a pinto... It was RWD and was highly unstable when I was running bald tires at about 90mph and had 20lbs of air in one of the rear tires

Doing a search for torque steer will pull up most of the FWD vs. RWD vs. AWD threads....

moomaster_99

Do a search.......

Paul

RWD handles great if you have had advance driving training and really know what you are doing. If not, go with AWD. I consider myself an OK driver. I do however drive harder than most people, after loosing control several times, I decided to go with awd for the added security. With that said, I picked the G35x cause of the 100% rwd until it looses traction capability. And let me tell you, this car saved me several times already. Where when the car is in rwd, the back lost it and I could only imagine what would have happened if technology didn't kick in and save me.

agranado

your sarcasm bites like a ravenous dog

SanJoseRoller

drag racing RWD...

FWD sucks at life....

stangg172004

Rwd>*.

runnerX

fsttyms1

Rwd>*.

ilitig8

Mid engine/ rear drive >*


Actually, you can make the argument that AWD is better by using the fact that it works so well for Audi in the series in which it is allowed. However, the handling isn't really better it is worse BUT it allows the power to be applied sooner and faster post apex. So it has its advantages but I would not classify it as a handling advantage but as a power delivery advantage. Further, RWD has much better feel and precision than AWD, kinda the sword and scapel analogy, they both get the job done but one is rather ham fisted the other elegant.

Given the current state of stability and traction control in upscale cars today, I would be hard pressed to agree that AWD offers any significant safety advantage outside the snow belt.

Finally, if I were to list the best handling cars from best to worst, it would be a LONG time before a AWD car showed up on the list and even longer before you saw the first FWD car that being the Elan.

bz268

I bet you have never had this one:

If you need to dodge little kids in a school zone all the time, what is better?

65 Fury Convert

NOOOOOO!!!!! Not another rear vs front vs awd thread!!!

bz268

No, it is not about awd. It is about dodging kids in a school zone.

stopsign

I think it's pretty car specific. My housemates mazda3 has snappier steering than my E36 M3 and can dodge stuffed penguins just as easily as my m3.

Rear wheel drive cars generally do have better weight balance so maybe that's a factor. Audi's have been generally known to have understeer when pushed to the limit.

When it comes to the turning circle though(and freeway onramps), I must say, rear wheel drive rocks, because you can floor it and not have the steering affected one bit.

M TYPE X

It's about not noticing anything when you run them over in your HUMMER!

We're "discussing" FWD/RWD/AWD on Freshalloy as well, if 'discussing' means screaming at everyone for pages and pages.

mrdeeno

that brings to mind the time I was driving in the 'burbs and saw a sign "Deaf Children Area". So I slowed down...

then I thought about it, why should I be afraid of deaf children?

So I sped up again.

bz268

hahahaha!!!