FWD's greatest attributes show up in low-traction conditions. If you start to feel the car getting unsettled on a slushy road, you can settle it right down with a dose of throttle. That's pretty welcome when you're trying to get by a semi on a messy interstate.

Many ice autocrossers prefer FWD to AWD because a front-driver tends to turn better than an AWD car while using left-foot braking. The AWD car accelerates better, but it doesn't necessarily deliver better control.

That assumes proper tires for the conditions at hand. Tires are at least half the battle.

RWD is more fun to drive, and for myself I prefer the car placement options available by using the gas pedal in a RWD.

4WD is essential when needed. I have one for pushing snow and use it in the winter as a commuter.

FWD is ok. I had a couple of SAAB 99s which were probably at the time as good as any FWD car there was for being fun to drive, but at the limit ultimately the front will simply slide off and its no fun. Its also more dangerous in very icy conditions since injudiciouis letting off the gas will cause you to break traction with the front wheels losing all steering. Lots of people have died in this way, including a good friend of my folks in her first FWD car. The main advantage of FWD is it is a cheap way to manufacture cars and allows very efficient packaging. ...also In certain deep snow situations (like getting out of a parking space) the FWD offers options that RWD does not, by turning the wheels and getting a new bite on the deep snow.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

RWD is more fun to drive than what? I’m not given to tossing my vehicles around so don’t understand how RWD considered more fun to drive. Can anyone explain this belief?

If you never come close to your limits of adhesion you will never see any differences. Of course if you unexpectedly hit ice or snow or even wet pavement you might find out about the limits of adhesion the hard way.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Good answer Tom.

I prefer RWD and for fun factor, the ultimate is a rear engine RWD, although you have to overcome some instincts in order to drive one fast. The instinct to back out of the throttle and hit the brake whenever the rear end starts coming around in a rear engine RWD can get you in a lot of trouble. You have to make yourself hit the go pedal instead of the slow pedal in that situation. If you can learn to do that they are hell for enjoyable to drive fast.

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2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution

Actually, I do enjoy our FWD Corolla (the 5-speed helps), but when the going gets slippery, I am somewhat irritated by the understeer. Stoneseller voted for AWD and FWD.

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"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."

I understand something about finding the limits of adhesion in different circumstances on the road. I only found intentionally sliding to be a weak thrill when i was a teen ager.

Even then I saw it as more reckless and a car is a bad platform for that kind of thing. Cars don’t come close to finding the limits of control compared to say a dirt bike, a bicycle on a single track trail, or snow skis on a steep mountain side with 2’ of new powder, or no new powder for that matter.

You want a real challenge? Try an expert ski run on an icy day. That will show you your limits and everything you need to know about balance, control, and finesse. Power sliding in a car?

Tossing a vehicle around on open road is someplace between reckless and stupid. I guess you are trying to imply that the adrenalin rush from intentionally losing control is “fun?”

But still that does not explain why RWD gives a better rush than any other drive configuration. Is it because most RWD sedans suck so badly when it comes to cornering and the ineptitude of the vehicle is considered fun?

^^ Not if that sedan is well balanced.

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2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

Take your Corolla to an icy parking lot sometime. With a steady light throttle, turn the wheel and then tap the brake with your left foot. The rear end will swing out as far as you want it to go. Add throttle and you'll straighten it out again. That's how an FWD car turns under low-traction conditions.

I have had all types of drives.
Rear engine/RWD - Corvair
Front engine/RWD -Impala, GTO, 300SDL, etc
AWD - Subaru and Volvo S80
4WD - Suburban and Jeep
FWD - Volvo S60

For the most fun the RWD cars are the way to go. You can steer them with the gas pedal better than anything else. I cannot wait t get another RWD toy toplay with...
Close behind are the AWD cars, The S80 Volvo handles much better than the S60- I can take turns at least 15 MPH faster in the bigger heavier AWD car than in the S60
In bad weather the AWD and 4WD cars are much better than either RWD or FWD.
Funny Story:
I had the Mercedes Diesel in my driveway up in New Paltz - it was a 1/4 mile slope up to the road. It snowed about 3 inches one night. I tried to get the Diesel up the slope and it could not make it. Even with light foot on the accelerator, the wheel would break loose and spin. The Suburban has no problem going up the hill and even pulling the SDL up with it.

Of course the Suburban even in 4-Lo is no match for black ice. (see this post Warning non-Diesel Thread!-Lucky to be alive today)

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"I have no convictions ... I blow with the wind, and the prevailing wind happens to be from Vichy"

Current
Monika '74 450 SL
BrownHilda '79 280SL
FoxyCleopatra '99 Chevy Suburban
Scarlett 2014 Jeep Cherokee
Krystal 2004 Volvo S60
Gone
'74 Jeep CJ5
'97 Jeep ZJ Laredo
Rudolf ‘86 300SDL
Bruno '81 300SD
Fritzi '84 BMW
'92 Subaru
'96 Impala SS
'71 Buick GS conv
'67 GTO conv
'63 Corvair conv
'57 Nomad

All 4 of my vehicles are 4WD or AWD. For the vast majority of driving RWD is great thus the selectable-disconnectible transfer case equipped vehicles. My wife's DD is a Subaru Outback wagon and it drives great and is reasonably economical.
On occasion, better traction under less-than-ideal conditions is necessary and I can switch or take the Subie.
We don't get much snow around here but there is frequent freezing rain and if it does snow, it melts during the day and refreezes at night. We also like to snow ski and travel in the mountains so while not a necessity the majority of the time, with regard to 4WD/AWD I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
Another factor that I've considered for years is resale. If you have a pickup for sale, if it's not 4WD you have eliminated half your potential market. Someone looking to buy a good used pickup will look at either 4WD or 2WD while someone looking for a 4WD pickup will not look at any other.

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1983 M-B 240D-Gone too.
1976 M-B 300D-Departed.

"Good" is the worst enemy of "Great".

I like my RWD 190D. Even with only 72hp, it is fun to drive. Easy to pitch into a turn and well balanced. Widen or tighten the line with the wheel or my right foot. I have NO desire for AWD. Full time 4wd is just a fuel waster unless you are somewhere that you need 4wd all the time or if you have SO many HP that you can't get it to the ground with only 2 driving wheels. FWD can be fun but I would only want it with a stick. If the rear end is trying to out run the front, just stab the clutch and things snap back where they should be. Had a '78 and a '79 (turbo) Scirocco. '78 didn't have enough hp to get into trouble (71hp) unless I REALLY tried (ok, so I tried). '79 with the turbo was bloody fast for a 2000lb car. Even then, I seldom was putting enough steering load and driving load on the front wheels at one time to lose traction.
On the track might be a different matter. FWD with an automatic is another story and a bad idea in snow/ice. As has been noted, lift on the gas and the back end will try to pass you if the road is slick.

Any fool can lose control. Gaining that control is the rush. Just like any fool can ski the conditions you mentioned. Whether you can make it down on your own or whether you have ski patrol or some helicopter airlift you to the hospital are different stories.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

You don't always choose to lose traction. if you find yourself with your traction lost and you have never practiced what to do to regain traction and control then you may crash.

Fun is another issue and I don't go sliding around in any manner which would endanger myself or anybody else or anybody's property.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

This is weaksauce, to borrow a phrase from tbomachines.

I guess skidding around street corners is yet another kind of uh, revered skill.