FWD cars?

[koyv90]

Why so much hate on FWD Cars? I mean i get that rwd will be more fun and can drift and all that but everyone seems to be wrapped up in this RWD>Everything state of mind. Even though lots of people are coming from FWD cars.


Lets not mention that in Auto X and other tracks FWD cars like the integra and other models have been quite impressive and kept up with both RWD cars and AWD cars.

[Alias]

I think it's a combination of snobbery and armchair racers.

It's nice to have RWD in some situations but most of the people using this car as a daily driver, it's not going to have a real impact.

[Capt Canuck]

There isn't any 'hate' on FWD cars.
I reckon pretty much everyone here has owned at least one and likely enjoyed them as well.

Sometimes the praise for the FRS/BRZ can make it seem people are a bit up themselves when discussing the merits of FWD/AWD/RWD, but really unless you're looking to start another thread full of arguments, there really isn't anything to it.

Edit: oops Alias beat me to it

[Dark]

Oversteering is fun.

Anyway, move to off topic.

[koyv90]

Originally Posted by Capt Canuck

There isn't any 'hate' on FWD cars.
I reckon pretty much everyone here has owned at least one and likely enjoyed them as well.

Sometimes the praise for the FRS/BRZ can make it seem people are a bit up themselves when discussing the merits of FWD/AWD/RWD, but really unless you're looking to start another thread full of arguments, there really isn't anything to it.

Edit: oops Alias beat me to it

well i wasnt posting this to start arguments mainly wondering if others felt the same. I've seen many posts talking about enjoying fwd cars but a lot of the time i just see, "Cant wait for the Fr-S or BRZ RWD>Everything." The most is when comparing other cars people will say "Why the hell would you want that ITS FWD"

I just wanted to remind people that FWD IS and can be great!

[koyv90]

Originally Posted by Dark

Oversteering is fun.

Anyway, move to off topic.

yea sorry i didn't know where to post

[Draco-REX]

My first two cars were FWD. My next four were RWD. The following three are AWD. I've also driven FWD rentals, a FWD delivery vehicle at work, and a friend's FWD car.

AWD is my favorite, having the most control over the car's grip. RWD is a close second for pure fun factor and snow behavior. FWD is a distant last.

I do not like FWD cars. I don't like the way they feel. All that passive weight behind and a lack of control over the rear grip annoys me. They just don't feel properly balanced and don't match my driving style at all.

So yes, I immediately cross any FWD car off my list of cars to own. This isn't armchair racing, this is experience.

[Alias]

Originally Posted by Draco-REX

This isn't armchair racing, this is experience.

Hence the 2 categories I stated, you'd fit better with the snobbery :P

I was only trying to jokingly categorize people's biases, not ruffle any feathers.

I'd say I've got a decent bit of snobbery in relation to manual transmissions, I like them better and will scoff (quietly) at people who choose to drive automatics. This doesn't actually make one transmission better than another, it's just my biases and preferences.
Just like what wheels have power going to them will have different pros and cons based on the application and preferences of the driver.

[fatoni]

Originally Posted by Draco-REX

My first two cars were FWD. My next four were RWD. The following three are AWD. I've also driven FWD rentals, a FWD delivery vehicle at work, and a friend's FWD car.

AWD is my favorite, having the most control over the car's grip. RWD is a close second for pure fun factor and snow behavior. FWD is a distant last.

I do not like FWD cars. I don't like the way they feel. All that passive weight behind and a lack of control over the rear grip annoys me. They just don't feel properly balanced and don't match my driving style at all.

So yes, I immediately cross any FWD car off my list of cars to own. This isn't armchair racing, this is experience.

Learn to brake with your left foot

[Veloist]

I have never felt any of the 3 FWD cars I've driven (Corolla, Sienna, xD) understeer. Even in the mountains (Sierra Nevada), twisty roads and freeway on ramps. How fast do you people drive?

I have faith in FWD cars. Should be interesting to feel the difference in an rwd! Can't wait!

[old greg]

Originally Posted by Veloist

I have never felt any of the 3 FWD cars I've driven (Corolla, Sienna, xD) understeer.

Then I can say, without reservation, that you've never pushed any of those cars to it's limits.

[Veloist]

Originally Posted by old greg

you've never pushed any of those cars to it's limits.

So just because I've never understeered, it follows that I've never pushed the car(s) to its limits?

So when I drove our Sienna with my family of 5, (none of us are overweight) to Las Vegas, with all our luggage and everything, I didn't achieve the limit of the car while going up a steady 8% gradient at (no higher than) 70mph with the accelerator to the floor already?

Darn.

On another note, why would I need to push those cars to its limits on public roads? Is it the car's limit I'm retaining, or is it my own limit I'm retaining?

[Captain Snooze]

Originally Posted by Veloist

I have never felt any of the 3 FWD cars I've driven (Corolla, Sienna, xD) understeer. Even in the mountains (Sierra Nevada), twisty roads and freeway on ramps. How fast do you people drive?

I have faith in FWD cars. Should be interesting to feel the difference in an rwd! Can't wait!

I will go out on a limb here and state on constant throttle all fwd understeer. The weight distribution dictates this.This does not mean you are going to plough off the bend; I am saying that the side slip angle of the front wheels exceeds that of the rear.

Now if the the fwd is set up in such away it can exhibit lift off over steer. I have sticky tyres on the front and boring tyres on the rear of my vehicle and it has creamy smooth fun inducing lift off over steer.(My car weighs 1080 kgs with me in the car). Fun in the dry, requires careful driving in the wet. But I am suggesting most fwd cars have been designed for space and/or cost saving rather than it's steering characteristics.

Lastly on an important note. One can not say that rwd is faster/slower than fwd. One can say that this particular car/model is slower or faster. There are plenty of cars out there. Some fwd cars are faster than some rwd cars.

Originally Posted by Draco-REX

All that passive weight behind and a lack of control over the rear grip annoys me.

The weight distribution of my vehicle is something like 64% front. I don't know where you get all that passive weight from. You can, in the right car, have plenty of control over the rear but not all cars respond to lift off over steer. It is not something car manufactures want for the most part.

[Deslock]

Originally Posted by koyv90

Why so much hate on FWD Cars? I mean i get that rwd will be more fun and can drift and all that but everyone seems to be wrapped up in this RWD>Everything state of mind. Even though lots of people are coming from FWD cars.


Lets not mention that in Auto X and other tracks FWD cars like the integra and other models have been quite impressive and kept up with both RWD cars and AWD cars.

It's a personal preference.

FWD has cost, packaging, and efficiency advantages, and I'd never dismiss FWD as not being able to compete. I just don't find its dynamics fun anymore, and I'm glad that I don't have to put up with FWD torque steer and understeer (given that cars like the MX5 and FT86 exist).

The comments questioning the virtues of RWD remind me of the comments questioning the significance of low weight. FWIW, I'm even more of a lightweight snob than a RWD snob (and would much rather drive a MCS than a Charger).