Nice article, thx

CB G35 Coupe 6MT
19x8/20x10 Axis Se7en Mods

 

I always say i will never own a FWD car and those are the exact reasons.

Dan O

 

Like most things, its about context and application. PLUS anything you read in Slate is BS, so don't go by that.

Yeah, RWD is always a great choice for a sports car. But, there are places where FWD is great. In my family car, I would still want FWD, and I would want a GM FWD car. GM makes great FWD cars that do handle very well. My Alero GLS was a very fun car to drive, and Motor Trend was able to produce a .83 skipad number with it. Not to mention it was a HELL of a lot safer in snow. Plus, GM has the torque steer thing licked. That is one thing that amazes me about the new Maxima. Everyone who has driven it complains about the torque steer. Yet, it only has 260HP. Caddys have been running around for years with 300HP on the front wheels with no torque steer, and my dad's Aurora with 250HP never had that issue. All from supposedly "inferior" American cars.

Now, I love my G and would never trade it back for my Alero, except when its snowing. But a FWD car done well is not the hell this Slate article makes it out to be.

 

With snow tires and stability control systems, I'd beg to differ about FWD being safer than RWD in the snow. A RWD car with snow tires is more sure-footed than an AWD car with all-season tires.

And here's the thing I don't get... everyone keeps saying that correcting a skid is "not obvious" or "counter-intuitive." The first time I ever got into a skid in my 83 Crown Vic, back in the high-school days with little driving experience, it seemed pretty natural to me to turn the wheel the other way. These days it's rather instinctive, even.. rear slides out, lift throttle, counter-steer, car straightens out, get two blocks away, then the brain goes "Ack!" and signals the adrenaline after it's all over and done with.

2003.5 G35 Sedan Desert Platinum/Graphite Premium/Sport/Aero/Nav/Winter

 

Haven't tried the snow tires on my G yet, but sheer physics says that an AWD and FWD given equal tires will have better traction.

 

To tell you the truth, i like driving in snow with RWD better, as should most good drivers.

You can steer with the gas as well as the steering wheel while in a FWD, when you hit the gas... you keep going straight when the wheels slip. Being able to hit the gas and put the rear end where i want it really helps in situations when the car is moving down a slick or snowy road. The only advantage FWD has is starting from a complete stop but after that i would have to give the handling ability to the RWD because you have more ways to control your vehicle.




Dan O

 

yeah it might be fun but if u have to deal with snow for months on end like me i would much rather have front wheel drive. Dont get me wrong i love rwd in the summer but i find my self sliding all over the place with very little gas while i found my preveus car that was fwd seemed to be easy to handle in the snow. Even with snow tire winter can be a bitch with a rwd drive car. But i guess it can be for a fwd car also.

 

I didnt mean that i go out and do donuts and play around in the snow, i meant that i feel that i have more control with a RWD. I hate when i am driving FWD and the front tires slip and the car goes whatever direction the road is sloped to.

Dan O

 

That article is very good, shows the goods and bads of both FWD and RWD.

now comming back to RWD such as the G35coupe, I feel a lot more free driving a car. Never going to back to FWD, and I hope company's like Honda/Acura get the hint. Also get the hint about not selling top models in only automatic or manumatic.

ryoken, your right about wanting to counter steer. I took a freeway on ramp too hot in the rain and found myself facing the side rail. Instant reaction was to counter steer and correct, I over corrected and faced the other wall.

None of this every happened in a FWD car to me. I found the FWD to feel safer in rain and snow, but I could never regain control once I lost it. First time I lost control in a FWD I slid across an intersection and landed on an island, the damn car didn't want to turn left, the wheels just locked up as if I was going left, but I went straight. That does go back to what you said about good tires on a FWD car, the stock 165/85/15's don't cut it.

What the article said about giving a RWD car gas to tighten up the turn is true. That was one of the first lessons my dad gave me going through twisties. He pulled over at the mouth of the canyon and stuck me in the driver seat of a 88 lincoln town Car [img]/w3timages/icons/smile.gif[/img], surprising how good it turns. "look ahead, see the turn, initiate it, once your in the apex gun out, if the car goes wide give it more gas".

BS G35C 6spd navi/aero/prem

 

bigel, given equal tires yes, AWD is better than RWD in the snow. However, most people with AWD just limp along on all season tires, figuring the AWD will compensate.

2003.5 G35 Sedan Desert Platinum/Graphite Premium/Sport/Aero/Nav/Winter

 

"Haven't tried the snow tires on my G yet, but sheer physics says that an AWD and FWD given equal tires will have better traction."

Actually physics comes into play in several ways. With FWD, the same 2 tires are asked to perform 3 functions at the same time, ie. steer, brake, and accelerate. Because a RWD divides these tasks between the front and rear, handling is usually superior.
With AWD, there is usually increased mass to consider that can negatively affect handling.
AWD and FWD are superior to RWD only in starting out on slippery surfaces, especially up hill.

<font color=green>GG</font color=green>

 

I'd take my dad's Liberty with all season tires over any RWD car with any tires you want. That is all I am saying. AWD is just inherently better because you have twice as many traction points and twice as many points of thrust. I can't see why anyone would even argue this. Points of traction are what is all about... that is why tank treads are nearly unstopable because you have so much more points of traction and spreading of the weight over the traction points.

 

Ok, I have to ask how many of you people actually live where it snows. Because some of the answers are killing me.

If anyone should doubt the sheer logic of my argument, and your just one of these "show me" people, PLEASE pickup the May 2003 issue of Car & Driver. Go to the article on thier 2nd Annual Winter Beater test. You will find a RWD Camaro with snow tires, a FWD Renault, and a AWD Subrau. I won't even bother to tell you the results. You can guess.

 

I live in Chicago, but I bought my G35 Coupe in April, so I haven't had the joy of driving it in the snow.
But, when I owned my 4WD SUV (which I still kept just for this reason) from sheer fright of seeing those Mustangs and Camaro's trying to accelerate on a snow-covered road, I can assure you that RWD plain sucks.
Maybe some of you who commented aren't from a winter climate, but when it snows, your best bet is 4WD or AWD, 2nd is FWD, and last is definately RWD.
If you'd like to argue, drive up to Chicago in December, and my Montero Sport will easily take mine (our yours) G35 off the ine on a snow-covered road quite easily.
Before I owned my G35 Coupe I used to love when it snowed, becaue I'd kill any car w/RWD from the stop light with my 4WD. Doesn't matter how much HP you have, it's all about traction (and physics, which I did not major in), and in snow, RWD doesn't have much compared to FWD, and NOTHING against AWD or 4WD.