For Import Haters...

[Emulex]

ever change a clutch on a fwd? rwd?

nuff said.

 

[Viperoni]

It's all a matter of taste too.
I mean, if you like big torque like me, there's pretty much well no choice other than Domestic.
But if you like high HP with less torque, Honda's a good bet.

 

[tkim]

i didnt read the whole 3 pages of posts but i just want to say that imports (and the little ones) can beat mustangs and whatnot. are they reliable?? thats a whole different discussion. just for you hardcore cubic inchers, what about the the rx-7? 1.3 liters, putting out well over any piston engine.

bottom line: it's all personal preference!

happy driving and no road rage!

 

[geno]

<< ever change a clutch on a fwd? rwd?

nuff said. >>



How often do automatic cop cars need a clutch change?

 

[yakko]

<< I mean, if you like big torque like me, there's pretty much well no choice other than Domestic.
But if you like high HP with less torque, Honda's a good bet >>


There are other imports besides Honda.

 

[Zucchini]

FWD is inherently more stable/better traction then RWD because the engine weight pushes down on the front wheels, not the back. RWD is only safe when combined with antilock brakes and automatic traction control(can't remember name).

as for reliability, look at consumer reports, american cars don't do so hot.

 

[BigLance]

Imports are reliable But FWD SUCKS !!!!!

Hell yea RWD is more reliable... duh. Take an Auto Tranny out of a FWD car and take it apart.. study it, now take apart a RWD car's tranny like a GM 700r4... you will see the difference !

 

[Ornery]

Go tell that to your local police department, Zucchini. What do you know that they don't?

 

[Viperoni]

Zuchini that is the biggest load of d0g 5hit I've heard and the biggest misconception ever.
When a FWD car accelerates, the front is LIFTED and weight is TRANSFERED to the REAR wheels.
Not good, considering the FRONT wheels need grip, NOT the REARs.

one of the fastest civics in the world has HYDRAULICS ON ITS WHEELIE BAR to PUSH the front wheels INTO the ground. FWD cars are in no danger of wheelie'ing, that's for sure.

 

[Zucchini]

Did i say for racing? Don't think so, i thought we were talking normal every day driving like MOST people do. Very few cars are still rear wheel drive

 

[Ornery]

&quot;Very few cars are still rear wheel drive&quot;

Yeah, that's hilarious chuckles. Only the fastest, strongest, highest quality vehicles are RWD these days. Why do you suppose that is?

 

[Emos]

The police though will probably always use domestics for their police cruisers

Hate to burst your bubble but here goes....

Audi cruiser

 

[geno]

Ornery, I'd have to say AWD is the dominant layout in the more reliable cars. What cars in particular are you speaking about? As far as domestic goes, the only RWD cars (besides sports) I can think of are the Taurus, Caddies and umm... I dunno. Does Chevy make any RWD cars? Like the Impala (lol), Malibu (double lol)? AWD is more stable and is becoming the most desired drivetrain layout.

 

[Viperoni]

I'd still worry a bit with AWD's reliability, but there's absolutely no question it's the ultimate grip solution. Wasn't the Audi banned from a racing league because it had an unfair advantage over the BMW's/FWD's?

 

[geno]

I wouldn't doubt that they did. AWD will provide way less understeer as compared to a FWD.

 

[Viperoni]

But dont forget when an AWD car loses grip, it slides diagonally....not the ideal way

 

[Jal]

I have a Nissan Altima with 163K miles on it. Still runs like new. Looks like new too. I would like to get a new car soon, but I can't justify car payments again when I have a car with no problems. Guess I will run it into the ground (If it does not run me into the ground first)

 

[Ornery]

&quot;Chevy make any RWD cars?&quot;

Damn, you clowns are just being stupid now. Does the Corvette ring a bell? Camaro? What about all their trucks? Gee, what's Chrysler's top of the line car? Might that be a Viper? Might that be RWD too? Why? Hell, Chrysler is 99.5% FWD, might as well make the Viper FWD too, since that's so friggen preferable. Maybe they should make their RAM trucks FWD too. Boy, that would be kewl!

You think it's funny that cops can't buy a decent RWD Chevy? They aren't happy either, cause that's what they want. I bet 90% of the police cruisers are Crown Vics. Most of the rest are aging RWD Impalas. And I know you have some oddballs across the country with some other obscure vehicle used as a K9 carriers and what not. Doesn't change the fact that the vehicle of choice is a nice sturdy V8, RWD, body on frame, 4dr American cruiser. I'll leave you geniuses to figure out why...

 

[geno]

Cmon Ornery, read:


<< As far as domestic goes, the only RWD cars (besides sports) >>


Lemme single it out for you in case you missed it &quot;(besides sports)&quot;....Hmm last time I checked, the Camaro, Vette and even the Firebird were all *gasp* sports cars!! Who woulda thunk?? Might as well take the Viper outta there too



<< You think it's funny that cops can't buy a decent RWD Chevy >>


Haha, yup. Except for the Camaro and Vette, I think Chevy's car lineup sucks hardcore. Plasticy (inside and out) pieces of garbage...



<< Doesn't change the fact that the vehicle of choice is a nice sturdy V8, RWD, body on frame, 4dr American cruiser >>


Not for long (much to your dismay)...
And it might be YOUR vehicle of choice, but not America's

 

[Viperoni]

<< RWD Impalas >>



They're Caprices, not Impala's, silly
Although Impala's practically are Caprices, THAT'S NOT THE POINT!

 

[yakko]

<< Doesn't change the fact that the vehicle of choice is a nice sturdy V8, RWD, body on frame, 4dr American cruiser. I'll leave you geniuses to figure out why >>


Because they get them cheap and have the room needed for a polic vehicle. In Europe they use small car to chase you down and call in a truck to haul you away.

 

[Zucchini]

well thats easy, police need sturdy vehicles they can bash into things and cheaply repair

by the way, ornery, you might learn to debate a little better. Simply by providing proof, backing your arguement you can win people over. Instead you show that you lack concrete ideas and resort to name calling.

Here is a link showing WHY rwd is better then fwd.

http://corollaperformance.com/TechInfo/RWD.html

RWD still do need traction control to be safe.

RWD Pros
Fore-aft weight distribution more balanced. Braking performance enhanced. Tire wear more even. Cornering easier, more responsive. Lighter than AWD configuration for better acceleration and cornering performance and better fuel-efficiency. Better hard acceleration performance on good surfaces than with FWD. Better cornering ability because steering and propulsion are applied at separate axles. Greater agility because of lower resistance to changes in direction (lower moment of inertia). Longer wheelbase for smoother ride. Absence of torque steering effect common with FWD. No CV joints to replace

FWD pros
Good traction during mild acceleration on slippery surfaces. Lighter weight helps fuel-efficiency. Interior room enhanced by lack of longitudinal driveshaft. Less expensive to manufacture.

AWD pros
Traction enhanced on all road surfaces under all weather conditions. Faster acceleration &quot;off the line&quot; due to all wheels driving. Better road grip during cornering in adverse weather or slippery road conditions.

 

[BCYL]

Viperoni:
Yes, Audi was banned from using their quattro AWD system in BTCC (British Touring Car Championship) because they had an unfair advantage over other competitors. With AWD, they can break much later than anyone else entering a corner...

Emos:
That's a vancouver area cop car you showed! They also have a Land Rover, Beetle, PT Cruiser, ML320, and something else I forgot about... the one in your pic is an A6...

 

[Ornery]

Oops!

I've always considered the cop Chevy's to be Impalas, because with the beefed up suspension and tweaked 350ci, the only thing missing was the badge and alloy wheels.

Much to my dismay! Hah! Much to your local cop's dismay. You think they want to drive a wimp-mobile like you? Even the diehard GM departments would rather switch to Ford Crown Vics than the kind of FWD POS you'd like to see them driving!

I'm still waiting to hear why it's preferable to have a BMW, Rolls Royce, Mercedes, Porche, Bentley, Corvette and other top end sports cars use a RWD configuration rater than FWD. What goes through your little mind when you mull that over?

 

[Zucchini]

i guess u missed my post.