Front Wheel and Rear Wheel Drive

Before buying a car, many thoughts enter your head such as safety features, engine, transmission system, warranties, comfort, reversing sensors and cameras and most importantly the cost. In addition to this, you should also look into the drive wheel i.e whether you want a Front Wheel Drive (FWD) or a Rear Wheel Drive (RWD). The choice you make depends on your driving skills, terrain, weather and the tires used.

In a FWD, the power produced by the engine is transferred to the front wheels of the vehicle whereas in a RWD, the power from the engine is transferred to the rear wheels via a drive shaft.

 Transverse engines are employed in FWD where the crankshaft axis is perpendicular to the axis of the vehicle. In RWD, longitudinal engines are used where the crankshaft axis is along the length of the vehicle which increases it's weight. Majority of the cars use FWD these days while RWD is used in sports cars.






Each wheel drive has it's advantages and disadvantages depending on the conditions it is used.

FWD vehicles are much lighter than in RWD because in FWD, the front tires are right below the engine, it can easily transfer the power. In RWD, it requires more components to transfer the power to the rear of the engine.

FWD enjoys the benefit of increased interior space because in RWD, it requires the space below the passenger compartment for the components to transfer power.

The RWD are more balanced compared to FWD. This is because in FWD the engine and the transmission system is located at the front and so the entire weight is concentrated at the front of the car. However, the transmission system of RWD allows the weight to be more balanced. This is an advantage in conditions of snow and ice since high traction is required.

Since RWD are more balanced than FWD, they have advantage of better control compared to the heavy FWD.

The most important feature for car enthusiasts, drifting. RWD are known for their ease of drifting and are used in sports cars. In FWD, drifting is nearly impossible.

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