I live in a snow state and I have to say that front wheel drives are much safer in the snow than rear wheel drive. So, why aren't all vehicles manufactured with drive in the front instead of the back? Whats the reason? Pull versus push?

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1985 300TD Turbo Diesel Wagon
273,000 miles

All vehicles? A pickup truck would not be so good with FWD if you carry loads. We put 200# of sand in the back during winter and its fine.

For regular sedans and minivans FWD is great. Bigger or more powerful cars need RWD because the front wheels can't handle it all.

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1985 380SE Blue/Blue - 230,000 miles
2012 Subaru Forester 5-speed
2005 Toyota Sienna
2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible
1999 Toyota Tacoma

space and cost is an issue.

would you like to work on a V8FWD car? no..

The dynamics of a FWD car - regardless of the weather condition - are much different than those of a RWD car. Personally, I can not stand how a FWD car drives.

Have you ever tried to drive a FWD car at the limit on a dry road? They are good in the snow (AWD is much better), but they suck in dry conditions.

I just read about the Fiat X-19, they used a FWD engine and put it in the middle; thought that was a smart solution. Later adopted by different low cost "sport cars" makers.

I prefer RWD cars.

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1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

Even in snow I prefer over steer to under steer so it's rear wheel drive for me.

Good video that goes over some of the differences and faults.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shwgNV36xFA


To answer your original question....front wheel drive seems to be for the average motorist and is supposedly easier to control. Rear wheel drive is for DRIVERS.

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1982 300GD Carmine Red (DB3535) Cabriolet Parting Out
1990 300SEL Smoke Silver (Parting out)
1991 350SDL Blackberry Metallic (481)

"The thing is Bob, its not that I'm lazy...its that I just don't care."

FWD cars just don't act right when you get to the limit. That's the main reason I won't buy one. I also find having the engine mounted longitudinally with the transmission behind it and the differential in the back makes for a package that's generally easier to work on.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

the trouble with fwd is if you are on an icy road and happen to let off the gas a little too abruptly the front ene will lose traction. A good friend of my folks died by hitting a tree on an icy road. She lived in Michigan and was very experienced on ice and snow but this was her first fwd.

I prefer rwd in all circumstances except getting out of a parking space in 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.

I think RWD beats FWD in all ways, except 0-5mph in slippery conditions.
from 6-100mph I prefer RWD. Since I do most of my driving above 5 mph i will stick with RWD.

I have had 32 vehicles and only 2 were FWD, an 89 Tauraus and a 93 Saturn.
I didnt really care for either one, although both were reliable, low cost transportation.

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1959 Gravely LI, 1963 Gravely L8, 1973 Gravely C12
1982 380SL
1978 450 SEL 6.9 euro restoration at 63% and climbing
1987 300 D
2005 CDI European Delivery
2006 CDI Handed down to daughter
2007 GL CDI. Wifes

Like many poll questions, this simple question can not be answered "yes", or "no".
FWD is better is some situations as mentioned above. The compact packaging makes for a more efficient layout in a smaller car.( Less space to drive line/ more space to passengers).

RWD is better in others--like all-out at the limits type of driving ( how many of us do that?), or for heavy payloads like a PU truck. Even worse would be towing a large trailer w/ FWD.

AWD is good in some circumstances.

All these factors must be balanced with cost and competition in the marketplace.
There is no single answer.

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

I passed every car on the road near here last Friday on a hill when it was a slippery slush coating on the road. I have snow tires. I was at the light next to a car with FWD, light goes green, I pull away (uphill) easily....they are back behind spinning their wheels.

The dynamics and feel of a RWD car are way better than a FWD. I've never had a single problem in the snow. In fact, the FWD cars I have driven in the snow sucked majorly....

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

heh, Delorean used an X-19 to test engines in the early stages of development.They shoved a Ford V6 in it and ended up blowing the transmission to pieces

FWD is usualy a bit better in the snow, I know I have a hard time getting up the hill to my house with anything RWD.

AWD is king though.

Personaly I'm willing to live with RWD in the snow because we don't get much snow where I live, and the 3 or 4 days a year it really sucks I can live with. The other 360 days RWD is great.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Pretty well put, although I wouldn't say FWD Sucks. For the average driver it's probably a push under normal conditions.
For people (US) that appreciate the abilities of the automobile, FWD does SUCK except when the snow hits.

I do greatly like the handling of my FWD/AWD Escape over the wifes RWD/4WD yeep. Although only a part of that is due to the FWD/AWD vs. RWD/4WD.
In fact I am still impressed with the Escape's handling at high speed / hard cornering.

BUT I really miss my 4SP (Manual) but I realize today an Automatic is many times better, except under the most unusual circumstances,

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KLK, MCSE

1990 500SL

I was always taught to respect my elders.
I don't have to respect too many people anymore.