February 25, 2008

The front v rear-wheel drive debate has been raging for years, and each have their devotees.

The vast majority of cars have their engines at the front. As a result the front wheels – the steering wheels, so to speak - are very near the engine, so it requires less moving parts to turn the wheels. In short its cheaper and easier for the manufacturer.

Because the weight of the engine and driving components are placed at the front of the car, the centre of gravity is moved forward and puts a larger downward force on the front tyres, which can increase grip and traction. However, all of that weight bearing down on the two front wheels can be too much, and front-wheel drives are therefore notorious for understeer – when you go to turn but the car just goes straight on. It’s not surprising - with three forms of load on the front wheels; braking, driving and steering, something has to give and it's the grip that suffers.

The upside is that, because there are fewer parts needed in a front-wheel drive car, they tend to weigh less and the fuel efficiency is improved. In the days of 100 dollar-a-barrel oil taking petrol prices to new highs car drivers are more fuel conscious than ever before and front wheel drive cars have become more desirable.

On the inside of the car interior space also benefits from the lack of drive shaft and subsequent components under the car. The rear floor space can now be flat as there is no drive shaft to house and the lack of axle gives more flexibility for placement of the rear seats.

Handling is often cited as not being as sure footed as rear-wheel drive cars but there is a knack to driving them and some people love them. Front-wheel drive rally drivers have a saying ‘put the gas to the floor and steer – the rear will follow’.

Rear-wheel drive cars tend to be heavier due to the extra parts but the weight is more evenly distributed around the car. The drive shaft and axle provide good central and rear weight which helps the cars balance and adds to the cars even feel on the road.

Driving enthusiasts are likely to favour rear wheel drive cars as they offer a more traditional feel and a more balanced drive. The ride is often cited as being more natural owing to the even weight distribution and any vagaries are easy to deal with while on the road. But with power coming from the rear, they are prone to oversteer – floor a powerful rear-wheel drive car when you’re not pointing straight forwards and there’s every chance the back of the car will “overtake” you, and you’ll head into an oversteer spin.

Sure, it comes down to personal choice at the end of the day. But BMW has never made a front-wheel drive car. It seem’s you’re either in one camp, or the other.

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