Why did most manufacturers shift to FWD for everything?
Discussion
Clearly things are a bit different with the demise of internal combustion and the growth of electric cars, but largely still a relevant question. Other than Mercedes, BMW, and Jaguar, virtually all mainstream manufacturers shifted to front wheel drive for even their biggest cars. But why? What was the advantage? I can see the packaging advantages for small hatchbacks, but those gains are marginal in a big saloon.
The disadvantage is that you end up with greater complexity, challenging packaging of the engine/gearbox, the front wheels doing everything, and often bigger turning circles. This is probably less important to the general buyer, but you're also always going to be fighting traction so big cars with any aspirations of performance (Aero Saabs and T5 Volvos come to mind) are constrained by limited grip.
Meanwhile Mercedes and BMW have persisted with the traditional set up for their saloons/estates and it just seems to work.
The disadvantage is that you end up with greater complexity, challenging packaging of the engine/gearbox, the front wheels doing everything, and often bigger turning circles. This is probably less important to the general buyer, but you're also always going to be fighting traction so big cars with any aspirations of performance (Aero Saabs and T5 Volvos come to mind) are constrained by limited grip.
Meanwhile Mercedes and BMW have persisted with the traditional set up for their saloons/estates and it just seems to work.
Olivergt said:
I've no real idea, but here are some that I have heard.
Cost, fwd is cheaper to make.
Interior space is better, no transmission tunnel
Safer handling, tendency to under rather than over steer.
More economical, less drivetrain losses.
Plus :Better in snow etcCost, fwd is cheaper to make.
Interior space is better, no transmission tunnel
Safer handling, tendency to under rather than over steer.
More economical, less drivetrain losses.
Better directional stability on motorways back in the day, although rwd cars have caught up.
Really better all around for most cars, RWD really comes into its own with higher power.
I personally, prefer rwd.
For the following reasons:
Front wheels only have one job, rear wheels only have one job.
Obviously it depends on the car, but the steering feel on a rwd tends to be better, certainly under hard acceleration.
It just seems to make more sense, sharing the work load between front and rear wheels.
For the following reasons:
Front wheels only have one job, rear wheels only have one job.
Obviously it depends on the car, but the steering feel on a rwd tends to be better, certainly under hard acceleration.
It just seems to make more sense, sharing the work load between front and rear wheels.
TVR Sagaris said:
The disadvantage is that you end up with greater complexity, challenging packaging of the engine/gearbox, the front wheels doing everything, and often bigger turning circles.
"The front wheels doing everything" is the only one of those I'd say is accurate, and it's fundamentally irrelevant for 90% of drivers and how they use their cars.It's not the 1950s, manufacturers aren't slinging an OHV 4 pot into an engine bay the size of a tennis court. Everything is complex. Everything is tightly packaged in there.
wyson said:
I far prefer FWD for a daily driver. Just much more brainless in adverse conditions.
Went on a skidpan, the FWD car was far easier to correct. The RWD car needed a lot more skill and was super easy to spin.
I had a RWD BMW once, I could feel that advantage a handful of times, hooning around Wales. Stuck in London traffic, not so much. Was bloody awful if it was snowing or frosty out.
Really? Complete opposite to me. RWD is vastly better in almost all scenarios. Okay stuck in London traffic makes no difference, pulling out of a wet junction into fast moving London traffic? RWD wins.Went on a skidpan, the FWD car was far easier to correct. The RWD car needed a lot more skill and was super easy to spin.
I had a RWD BMW once, I could feel that advantage a handful of times, hooning around Wales. Stuck in London traffic, not so much. Was bloody awful if it was snowing or frosty out.
wyson said:
I far prefer FWD for a daily driver. Just much more brainless in adverse conditions.
Went on a skidpan, the FWD car was far easier to correct. The RWD car needed a lot more skill and was super easy to spin.
I had a RWD BMW once, I could feel that advantage a handful of times, hooning around Wales. Stuck in London traffic, not so much. Was bloody awful if it was snowing or frosty out.
But if you drive a rwd car every day you soon get used to how they react in different conditions, once you've had to correct one a few times the muscle memory is there. Never really had an issue with any of my bmw's in bad conditions, I had winter tyres on my last one and it went everywhere.Went on a skidpan, the FWD car was far easier to correct. The RWD car needed a lot more skill and was super easy to spin.
I had a RWD BMW once, I could feel that advantage a handful of times, hooning around Wales. Stuck in London traffic, not so much. Was bloody awful if it was snowing or frosty out.
t as they just want to use it for transport.njw1 said:
But if you drive a rwd car every day you soon get used to how they react in different conditions, once you've had to correct one a few times the muscle memory is there. Never really had an issue with any of my bmw's in bad conditions, I had winter tyres on my last one and it went everywhere.
My first car was RWD in 1976 as have so many others. Which is why I've only had BMWs since 2005!
wyson said:
That is a RWD disadvantage in my book. Greasy surface or leaves, turning at a junction, the rear wants to swing out, traction control kills power.
FWD, there is a bit of scrabbling and understeer, traction control kills power, but the car doesn’t want to do anything out of the ordinary.
I prefer FWD’s behaviour!
Usually if you are patent enough at the junction, this isn’t an issue with either drive format!
But yes, this is a preference. This being PH in all, I can understand I’m probably in a minority.
You can buy cars without traction control! Mine is front wheel drive and lacks the aforementioned feature, so will quite often spin up its cheapo, plastic tyres when pulling out of a junction. FWD, there is a bit of scrabbling and understeer, traction control kills power, but the car doesn’t want to do anything out of the ordinary.
I prefer FWD’s behaviour!
Usually if you are patent enough at the junction, this isn’t an issue with either drive format!
But yes, this is a preference. This being PH in all, I can understand I’m probably in a minority.
Edited by wyson on Friday 16th May 20:35
None of the rear-drive cars I've had had traction control either. None were snorting powerhouses, but wet and greasy roads would occasionally cause them to misbehave. As others have said, one learns to correct such things in fairly short order.
My own opinion, which is no doubt worthless, is that rear-drive makes a ponderous saloon car feel somewhat less ponderous; it is, however, completely pointless in a hatchback of normal size. Front wheel drive is better for those.
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