RWD vs FWD. Can the average driver tell the difference?

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Nyati13

Just by itself, "average driver" will mean that they can't feel or understand any damn thing about the car. Let alone which end of it is powered.

People who actually care about driving should be able to feel the presence or lack of torque steer, but there are a lot of newer FWD cars that do a great job of masking that.

Back when I had a Ford Escort, I could absolutely feel that it was a Front Puller. No doubt at all, but that's an easy example.

Mask? Yes. Eliminate? No.

Perhaps the minimal residual torque steer is worth the extra trunk space, efficiency, and lower cost.

Just a thought...otherwise, compromises like Civic SIs, Contour SVTs, and MINI Coopers wouldn't exist.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Nyati13

Just by itself, "average driver" will mean that they can't feel or understand any damn thing about the car. Let alone which end of it is powered.

People who actually care about driving should be able to feel the presence or lack of torque steer, but there are a lot of newer FWD cars that do a great job of masking that.

Back when I had a Ford Escort, I could absolutely feel that it was a Front Puller. No doubt at all, but that's an easy example.

Mask? Yes. Eliminate? No.

Perhaps the minimal residual torque steer is worth the extra trunk space, efficiency, and lower cost.

Just a thought...otherwise, compromises like Civic SIs, Contour SVTs, and MINI Coopers wouldn't exist.

I still have a *VERY* fond spot in my heart for a Contour SVT. That car is probably one of the best handling front drivers I've ever got my paws on. Great exhaust note for a V6 too.

 

[Aharami]

taking a turn in a FWD car makes u feel like u are at the tail end of the car and as if u are being flung around the turn. RWD car feels like the car is turning around u with u at the center of the car

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: vi_edit

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Nyati13

Just by itself, "average driver" will mean that they can't feel or understand any damn thing about the car. Let alone which end of it is powered.

People who actually care about driving should be able to feel the presence or lack of torque steer, but there are a lot of newer FWD cars that do a great job of masking that.

Back when I had a Ford Escort, I could absolutely feel that it was a Front Puller. No doubt at all, but that's an easy example

Mask? Yes. Eliminate? No.

Perhaps the minimal residual torque steer is worth the extra trunk space, efficiency, and lower cost.

Just a thought...otherwise, compromises like Civic SIs, Contour SVTs, and MINI Coopers wouldn't exist.

I still have a *VERY* fond spot in my heart for a Contour SVT. That car is probably one of the best handling front drivers I've ever got my paws on. Great exhaust note for a V6 too.

Yup.

As of 2005, I owned both an S2000 and a Contour SVT. Guess which one I still have

 

[RiDE]

Originally posted by: Atheus
I bet most people couldn't even tell you if their own car is front or rear drive.

Agreed.

 

[Fraggable]

I prefer FWD. I drove a 01 Mustang for nearly a year and it was ok, but my new 07 Malibu is an unbelievable step up in every way. 25HM more, electrostatic steering is weird but once you get used to it it's great. Handling is better and it's incredibly stable around corners.

I really didn't feel the advantage of RWD, maybe that was because I never had the Mustang above 90 on the highway and never got a chance to do any real racing or anything other than driving to work.

On topic, are you kidding? The average driver doesn't know what brand their car is, much less the model, much less how many cylinders it has, much less which 2 wheels are powered.

 

[Nyati13]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
Didn't someone here just make a thread about their RWD Focus?

Well, there are some RWD Focus out there. V8 Ford Focus

 

[randay]

I like the generalizations about how rwd and fwd cars drive. The question is too vague to answer, what qualifies as "tell the difference"? But I would like to say that the average driver knows whether thier own car is rwd or fwd. them know what that means as far as handling however, no.