I really hate FWD cars...why why why are they so popular
 

I had to drive a 07 Impala at work today. The car had somewhere near 5,000 miles on it, but I was ever so glad to get back into my 1983 Mercedes. I had to feather the pedal to take off so it would not spin the front wheels. Who would want something like this. The interior felt cheap. The uphostery was cheap and unacctractive.

I know that I have had three cars from 1983 a 1983 Volvo 244 turbo, a 1983 Mercedes 500 SL AMG and a 1983 BMW 633 CSI. I would rather ride a motorcycle everday then drive one of these soalless fwd econoboxes. I know that I'm talking about high end cars but hey they are 24 years oldr then this other stuff that some refer to as cars.

No wonder GM is in trouble. I think that the 1994 -1996 impala SS was actually an interesting car, I woudn't buy it, but for what it was it was decent. So now they have taken that same name and turned it into a Camry. I guess the camry is not a terrible car, I would just fall asleep at the wheel drving it.

Again I ask why the move to FWD. and Furthermore, why do people go for it?

People buy them, mainly because they don't know anything about cars, and more importantly, they don't care... Your average consumer/econobox driver could care less about the performance of their car...just so long as it gets them from Point A to point B, and gets good mileage.

Oh, and they're cheap to buy. ;)

I almost prefer FWD and AWD cars now, over RWD cars, the biggest factor here, is that they go better in the snow, and in nasty weather conditions. My 300CD did ok in the snow, but not as well as my Corolla, and my truck was worthless in the snow, unless I had it in 4-Lo.

Without traction control FWD is definitely easier on snow or ice. You just have to watch out for understeer but that's easier to manage than oversteer on RWD vehicles. FWD is also easier to maintain since there's no differential or driveshaft (old splitting flex discs come to mind). Drive the vehicle with the configuration you like and quit whining. I have one of each and I have no complaints (my RWD MB has traction control).

I agree.

After the last RWD Volvo (the V90) ceased production, at that very moment I mentally drew a line through the world "VOLVO" as a car company from which I would ever buy a new anything again.

I sure hated to do that.


So far as GM is concerned, they haven't made passenger cars for YEARS that I would even think of buying.

If I brought a new one home one the neighbors wouldn't even wonder "where he got that new car"

They would wonder why he rented one.....


Besides that, who wants to drive a car that sounds like a vacuum cleaner with a leaky cannister when you stomp it into passing gear?

I dont mind some FWD cars, they can still be made to handle well. There are a ton of fat, bloated RWD cars that understeer about as badly as most FWD cars (stock W123 300D turbo comes to mind.. plus it doesn't have enough torque/power to power-oversteer).

I had a couple of Saabs. I liked them ok but the rwd car with good balance like a benz is much more pleasureable to drive and safer in snow in almost all conditions. The fwd will get you out of a parking space with a lot of snow or your driveway but in every dynamic driving condition the well balanced rwd is safer and more controllable especially in the hands of a driver who understands the difference and drives accordingly.

FWD is more space effecient and cheaper to build, but more difficult and more expensive to service.

Tom W

Tom pretty much said it all. I would just add that in low-traction situations, FWD is just safer FOR MOST PEOPLE. Having the front wheels pull, as opposed to the rear wheels pushing ( often at a tangent to the intended direction of travel), makes for better directional control.

The argument initially raised regarding the soulessness of FWD is rather misdirected; Most modern cars either FWD or RWD are souless, and appliance-like. Such is what "the public" evidently wants.

Wow, just like Henry Ford's Model T that revolutionized American transportation.

The majority of people just want transportation, and are not obsessed with getting to 60mph 0.1s sooner at each traffic light. ;)

We've "been there, done that" on this issue here several times.
FWD, great for snow, I don't care what anyone says. 30 plus years of driving in both FWD & RWD, so I'm far from an inexperienced driver. On Seattle hilly-snowy-icey roads, I'll take FWD anyday. Period.
My Lexus has all that traction control crap and it's RWD, I keep it out of the snow!
Normal, dry road driving, I don't really care which I drive. How the hell can you tell, unless you're dumping the clutch everytime you take off? If you're doing that, go back to driving school.

Tires, tires, tires. My wifes' 400E with 4 studded, narrow, snows is positively awsome in the snow and ice, as is my wagon. She would never go near as well in a front wheel drive. What you grew up with driving has a lot to do with it.

The difference is at the limit of traction. A nose heavy car whether FWD or RWD will plow off the road on the outside. A car with equal balance like most benzes will just begin to slip sideways and will tighten its line if you let off the gas.

For my self, I much prefer it.

The other thing about fwd is if you happen to find yourself on glare ice and you just let off the gas in a turn the car will lose traction. This effect is probably negated at least to some extent by modern traction and skid control devices though.

For most folks if the above situation occurred would not know how to regain steering (put the car in neutral).

Tom W

Tom,
MOST people have no idea how to counteract a skid in any kind of car. They also do not know how to use the brakes--thats why we have anti-lock braking systems. Cars are designed for the "least common denominator" type of driver. i.e. a driver who does not know how to drive.
Then the ad guys go to work, and tell people that the car SHOULD do all the work for you.

For winter driving conditions I will stick to my Subaru. I am considering an Audi A8 as a replacement though.

I can't fathom why they are so popular. I hate them.