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FWD vs RWD in the snow


armin922

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What are some of the pros and cons of each in the winter? I know FWD is good in the snow but i hear ppl say if you know how to drive rwd in the snow they would prefer that. If theres weight in the back for a rwd, does it make it better in the snow than a fwd?
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RWD will put you into a lightpole.

 

FALSE

 

Decent set of tires, extra weight in the back, and a little patience is all you need. I have driven Camaros and 2WD S10's the past several winters and been fine.

 

That being said, if you have access to something FWD, it does make shit easier. I mean it's pretty hard to lose control of something FWD unless you're driving like a complete fuck

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Regular people prefer FWD in the snow because the extra weight over the drive tires makes it easier to get moving and climb steeper inclines. However, having the front tires do all the work, plus having a large front bias in weight distribution means that the car will understeer given the slightest provocation. You can counteract this somewhat by using your e-brake. But there are two major issues with that. First, you lack fine control with the e-brake. FOr the most part, you either have grip with the rears or no grip at all. Secondly, not every car has a hand-control for the e-brake. It would be very difficult to use the e-brake in a car that uses a foot control.

 

RWD is favored by some (myself included after 9 years of New England winters in RWD cars) over FWD in the snow because with some experience and a light touch on the gas pedal, you can have greater control over the car's yaw. With a front-engined, RWD car you get the weight distribution understeer but with the ability to finely control rear grip to counteract it. Like a drift car that is set, counter-intuitively, to understeer, this setup gives excellent directional control in the snow. Just don't forget the snow tires at ALL FOUR corners.

 

Now, a mid or rear engined RWD car is different. In this case, while you may be able to get moving almost as easily as a FWD car, the extra weight in the back will give the car a tendency to oversteer naturally. I wouldn't want to play too much with this driveline layout. The difference between grip and oversteer will be so small that a MR or RR layout will likely bite you in the ass and make you kiss the aforementioned lightpole.

 

But when's all said and done, AWD is just plain superior. Better hill-climb, better start off, and better yaw control than either FWD or RWD. But if an AWD car is not an option, I'll pick the RWD car every time. Especially in this area which is so flat compared to NE.

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For commuting to work, I'd take FWD; for having fun, nothing better than RWD.

I would disagree here. With a RWD car I can come up to a turn in the snow, blip the throttle to get the rears loose and maintain grip with the front. With a controlled slide (not a wild tail-out maneuver) I can follow a much tighter turn, say at an intersection, than a FWD would ever be able to without coming to a near stop.

 

 

But again, PROPER tires are neccesary for this. Trying to maneuver a RWD in the snow on all-seasons is just asking for frustration and trouble.

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Summary: Use appropriate tires for the season, and don't drive like an idiot.

 

 

People have no problem plunking down money for "Summer tires" or "Drag Radials" But will run around with bald brokedick A/S tires in the winter.

 

*sigh*

 

My Disco does just fine on DR's thank you very much.

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Summary: Use appropriate tires for the season, and don't drive like an idiot.

 

 

People have no problem plunking down money for "Summer tires" or "Drag Radials" But will run around with bald brokedick A/S tires in the winter.

 

*sigh*

 

i run my shit down to the cords like a real gangster

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where do people usually get the bags of sand to keep in the rear of trucks/suvs?

 

home depot has them for dirt cheap (get it?)

 

the short answer to your question is that regular people will favor FWD while car guys will favor RWD (in an AWD-less world). what Draco-Rex has said is pretty much all you need to pay attention to. snow tires are the most understated investment you can make. not only will they give you much better traction in snow, but they are designed to have maximum grip at much lower temperatures than all-season tires, even on dry pavement. invest in a narrow set of steelies with good snow tires and it doesn't matter what kinda car you're driving.

 

that said, I'll always prefer RWD in this weather. living in new england for 16 of my 23 years with a father who only drives RWD BMWs has given me enough experience to know that no one is really in control on the fluffy white stuff, but the best you can do is practice car control in a parking lot. most people are terrible in the snow because they don't know how their car will act in any circumstance. so practice. get out there and see what it takes to get your car to lose control, then see what it takes to regain control.

 

in short, it doesn't matter what you drive; put snow tires on it and spend lots of time learning to drive in adverse conditions and NEVER EVER TAILGATE IN THE SNOW.

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FWD can get you where you need if there isn't a whole lot on the ground.

 

RWD will put you into a lightpole.

 

Wrong! I drove my t/a all last winter. Only problem i had was I got stuck at work and have to leave my car over the weekend. But that's cause Honda did shit for plowing. Just know how to drive and you'll be ok

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I like this type of weather, you get to see people who think cars just take them places wonder why they aren't going anywhere even though they are doing all the things they normally do just like no variables have changed.

 

I vote RWD. I learned to drive on one of the worst, an 84 toyota 2wd with a really tiny flatbed. Dad always kept a set of Wintermarks on it, but it was still a very fun truck to drive in the winter. Actually all three of us kids learned to drive in all weather with that truck.

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I like this type of weather, you get to see people who think cars just take them places wonder why they aren't going anywhere even though they are doing all the things they normally do just like no variables have changed.

 

I vote RWD. I learned to drive on one of the worst, an 84 toyota 2wd with a really tiny flatbed. Dad always kept a set of Wintermarks on it, but it was still a very fun truck to drive in the winter. Actually all three of us kids learned to drive in all weather with that truck.

 

lol. I learned to drive in the winter in a 1989 Chevy 3500 Dually 2wd with 80k highway tires.

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