Are rear wheel drive cars a fuggin liability??

[Guest]

In 1989 I passed my driving test, and tooled around for a few months in a 1.6 litre FWD shitbox. Then, being a revolting yuppie with a bit of cash, and shit fa brainz, I bought a 1987 E30 BMW 325i and a 1970 Triumph Vitesse Mark II. OMG how the fuck did I not die and kill everyone else on the planet? I had no clue, no skillz, and no chance of not being an utter knob. After a year or so of MIND SHATTERING TERROR, I went on a performance driving course and calmed down a bit, but, with hindsight, I was a dick.

[Guest]

In 1989 I passed my driving test, and tooled around for a few months in a 1.6 litre FWD shitbox. Then, being a revolting yuppie with a bit of cash, and shit fa brainz, I bought a 1987 E30 BMW 325i and a 1970 Triumph Vitesse Mark II. OMG how the fuck did I not die and kill everyone else on the planet? I had no clue, no skillz, and no chance of not being an utter knob. After a year or so of MIND SHATTERING TERROR, I went on a performance driving course and calmed down a bit, but, with hindsight, I was a dick.

[whitevanman]

Simple answer is NO, any car can have it's moment, but I personally would rather have the back step out than have the front go on a FWD any day.... especially in the snow. But perhaps thats just me.

[whitevanman]

Simple answer is NO, any car can have it's moment, but I personally would rather have the back step out than have the front go on a FWD any day.... especially in the snow. But perhaps thats just me.

[RichardMoss]

It's a matter of "horses for courses". In some conditions I would rather drive a RWD and in others a FWD or 4x4. The driver needs to be aware of the limitation of the vehicle and of himself. In general, FWD is the most fail-safe (and therefore most suited to women, members of the clergy and the French) but any car is a liability in the hands of a numpty (as shown by the camel jockeys who smash up their Landcruisers here when it rains!)

 

Perhaps more important is the quality of engineering and the standards of maintenance. Shagged out dampers and bushes can ruin the capabilities of the best cars in the world.

[RichardMoss]

It's a matter of "horses for courses". In some conditions I would rather drive a RWD and in others a FWD or 4x4. The driver needs to be aware of the limitation of the vehicle and of himself. In general, FWD is the most fail-safe (and therefore most suited to women, members of the clergy and the French) but any car is a liability in the hands of a numpty (as shown by the camel jockeys who smash up their Landcruisers here when it rains!)

 

Perhaps more important is the quality of engineering and the standards of maintenance. Shagged out dampers and bushes can ruin the capabilities of the best cars in the world.

[Negative Creep]

Owned a fair share of rwd cars before and as far as I can remember I never died once. Whilst you do have to treat them with more care, they way some people talk about them is similar to those who proclaim you will die in a blazing inferno the moment you turn the key in a car that doesn't have ABS or airbags.

[Negative Creep]

Owned a fair share of rwd cars before and as far as I can remember I never died once. Whilst you do have to treat them with more care, they way some people talk about them is similar to those who proclaim you will die in a blazing inferno the moment you turn the key in a car that doesn't have ABS or airbags.

[oman5]

I usually prefer RWD, the only time I had one step out of line was a 1989 BMW 320 that seemed to let go with almost no warning. I've had capris and found even those to be fine so long as you don't do anything stupid in the wet. The succession of RWD Volvos I've had let you know that you're cornering too fast by means of comedic body roll so you never really approach their limits.

I am a recent convert to FWD Peugeot 306s though, because they're ace.

[oman5]

I usually prefer RWD, the only time I had one step out of line was a 1989 BMW 320 that seemed to let go with almost no warning. I've had capris and found even those to be fine so long as you don't do anything stupid in the wet. The succession of RWD Volvos I've had let you know that you're cornering too fast by means of comedic body roll so you never really approach their limits.

I am a recent convert to FWD Peugeot 306s though, because they're ace.

[rml2345]

I used to think FWD was safe and predictable... Until the Yaris went very sideways on a roundabout and I crashed it. Now I think RWD is safe and predictable but I've only had 740s... The auto one was quite good for going sideways as it was such a gradual slide and very easy to catch.

I'm too scared to try it in the manual one though, so drive it like a giffer instead.

FWD seems more predictable for day to day numptying but RWD is easier to correct when it goes wrong.

[rml2345]

I used to think FWD was safe and predictable... Until the Yaris went very sideways on a roundabout and I crashed it. Now I think RWD is safe and predictable but I've only had 740s... The auto one was quite good for going sideways as it was such a gradual slide and very easy to catch.

I'm too scared to try it in the manual one though, so drive it like a giffer instead.

FWD seems more predictable for day to day numptying but RWD is easier to correct when it goes wrong.

[cort16]

Those new Toyota GT86's have been designed to be be easy to over steer, which makes journalists happy because of the low budget OMG drift angle they can publish in their magazines but joe blogs is just going to be shitting a brick driving it on a daily basis.

 

You can have all the seat time in the world with rear wheel drive cars, attend numerous track days,…. but it's the one time it snaps (oversteers) and you can't recover is the one you will never forget.

 

Oops

http://jalopnik.com/5935304/dealership-reveals-another-scion-fr+s-wrecked-within-first-month-of-ownership

[cort16]

Those new Toyota GT86's have been designed to be be easy to over steer, which makes journalists happy because of the low budget OMG drift angle they can publish in their magazines but joe blogs is just going to be shitting a brick driving it on a daily basis.

 

You can have all the seat time in the world with rear wheel drive cars, attend numerous track days,…. but it's the one time it snaps (oversteers) and you can't recover is the one you will never forget.

 

Oops

http://jalopnik.com/5935304/dealership-reveals-another-scion-fr+s-wrecked-within-first-month-of-ownership

[face]

In nearly 25 years of driving I have only had 2 RWD cars - MK2 Escort 1300 Sport and an MX5.

 

The Escort was lowered on RS alloys which helped, but neither car felt anything other than 100% safe round bends and what-not.

 

You just have to respect the road conditions and adjust your speed and driving style to them.

 

Saying that, I have had my excellent handling Puma for a couple of months or so and have already had a pants-filling moment due to no doing what I just wrote above.

[face]

In nearly 25 years of driving I have only had 2 RWD cars - MK2 Escort 1300 Sport and an MX5.

 

The Escort was lowered on RS alloys which helped, but neither car felt anything other than 100% safe round bends and what-not.

 

You just have to respect the road conditions and adjust your speed and driving style to them.

 

Saying that, I have had my excellent handling Puma for a couple of months or so and have already had a pants-filling moment due to no doing what I just wrote above.

[Volksy]

He'll kill me for this, but here is our very own M. Imp having a moment...

 

[Volksy]

He'll kill me for this, but here is our very own M. Imp having a moment...

 

[Jimcit]

My first car was a spitfire, which was very easy to handle, except one time when I was driving down a country lane on a gentle curve and the whole car in very slow motion performed a perfect 180 degree turn and ended facing the other way in the carriageway. Looked around, no-one saw, so I carried on.

 

My old company car was an MX5 which I looked like a massive tit driving, you had to go some to make it step out of line, and even then it was very easily corrected. Except in the snow. When the company was liquidated and Santander came to repossess it in the snow, I'd abandoned it in the company yard, it was half buried in a snow drift and watching them try to drive it onto a beavertail at a 45 degree angle was amusing.

 

I've definitely had more near misses in FWD cars. My old A4 used to understeer a LOT and caught a few people out who had borrowed it, particularly in the wet - Audi introduced an electronic diff about 12 months after the initial launch, so maybe it wasn't just me?

[Jimcit]

My first car was a spitfire, which was very easy to handle, except one time when I was driving down a country lane on a gentle curve and the whole car in very slow motion performed a perfect 180 degree turn and ended facing the other way in the carriageway. Looked around, no-one saw, so I carried on.

 

My old company car was an MX5 which I looked like a massive tit driving, you had to go some to make it step out of line, and even then it was very easily corrected. Except in the snow. When the company was liquidated and Santander came to repossess it in the snow, I'd abandoned it in the company yard, it was half buried in a snow drift and watching them try to drive it onto a beavertail at a 45 degree angle was amusing.

 

I've definitely had more near misses in FWD cars. My old A4 used to understeer a LOT and caught a few people out who had borrowed it, particularly in the wet - Audi introduced an electronic diff about 12 months after the initial launch, so maybe it wasn't just me?

[cort16]

He'll kill me for this, but here is our very own M. Imp having a moment...

 

 

 

oops. By the looks of it there's no way he could have recovered it. Was the car badly damaged?

[cort16]

He'll kill me for this, but here is our very own M. Imp having a moment...

 

 

 

oops. By the looks of it there's no way he could have recovered it. Was the car badly damaged?

[Lacquer Peel]

I've owned two not very powerful and heavy RWD cars.

Briefly, I was scared of my first one, a Ford Scorpio, but they handle really placidly. The Volvo 940 was set up for safe understeer and lolling about.

Both could be drifted around greasy roundabouts easily.

[Lacquer Peel]

I've owned two not very powerful and heavy RWD cars.

Briefly, I was scared of my first one, a Ford Scorpio, but they handle really placidly. The Volvo 940 was set up for safe understeer and lolling about.

Both could be drifted around greasy roundabouts easily.

[coalnotdole]

I don't think RWD are any more of a liability than FWD. You can just as easily make a tit of your self in something driven by the front wheels.

 

Interestingly the only time I have lost control of a car it was FWD. I driving down a damp country road road just outside Selby. I was approaching a sharp left hand bend with a bit too much speed which caused the ford Orion have an attack of epic understeer... The car left the road on the other side of the bend skidding into a boundary ditch which rolled the car over onto the drivers side and came to a halt in a farmers field. Where we had to climb out of the passenger door to asses the damage. Turned out alright the Orion was pushed up the right way with the help of some passing coal merchants and once out of the ditch it drove out of the field and home without incident.

[coalnotdole]

I don't think RWD are any more of a liability than FWD. You can just as easily make a tit of your self in something driven by the front wheels.

 

Interestingly the only time I have lost control of a car it was FWD. I driving down a damp country road road just outside Selby. I was approaching a sharp left hand bend with a bit too much speed which caused the ford Orion have an attack of epic understeer... The car left the road on the other side of the bend skidding into a boundary ditch which rolled the car over onto the drivers side and came to a halt in a farmers field. Where we had to climb out of the passenger door to asses the damage. Turned out alright the Orion was pushed up the right way with the help of some passing coal merchants and once out of the ditch it drove out of the field and home without incident.

[Bobthebeard]

I have had (mostly) rear wheel drive cars since I passed my test in 1980. Nothing scary has ever happened, however, I don't do anything reckless or owt. I try to drive within my limitations/comfort zone rather than exploring the handling limitations of the car. Having said that, I do the occasional bit of B road hooning in my 944 when feeling brave/confident, but never anything approaching the limits of grip/common sense.

Presumably this debate has been going on since the dawn of motoring, sliding the Horsey Horseless into a hedge, losing the back end of a Stanley Steamer on a greasy cobble stone etc...

Bet traction engines were a real hoot to do donuts in the coal yard car park!

Give a man* a vehicle and at some point he* will be a tit.

 

*Other sexes are available.

[Bobthebeard]

I have had (mostly) rear wheel drive cars since I passed my test in 1980. Nothing scary has ever happened, however, I don't do anything reckless or owt. I try to drive within my limitations/comfort zone rather than exploring the handling limitations of the car. Having said that, I do the occasional bit of B road hooning in my 944 when feeling brave/confident, but never anything approaching the limits of grip/common sense.

Presumably this debate has been going on since the dawn of motoring, sliding the Horsey Horseless into a hedge, losing the back end of a Stanley Steamer on a greasy cobble stone etc...

Bet traction engines were a real hoot to do donuts in the coal yard car park!

Give a man* a vehicle and at some point he* will be a tit.

 

*Other sexes are available.

[jonny69]

RWD doesn't just bite you in the arse for no reason. It only does it if you're driving like a dick. This is coming from someone who drives a twitchy RWD Ford, and all my cars have been RWD.

[jonny69]

RWD doesn't just bite you in the arse for no reason. It only does it if you're driving like a dick. This is coming from someone who drives a twitchy RWD Ford, and all my cars have been RWD.