Rear Wheel vs. Front Wheel Drive Cars: What Are the Differences?

by SpeedLux
wheels pictures

When choosing a car, there are many things you should consider. What will be the main use for your car? Will you need to put high miles on it? what kind of drivetrain do you need?

You have to decide between rear-wheel vs. front-wheel-drive cars when you are making a car purchase. So here is a quick guide to the pros and cons of these kinds of drivetrains.

What Is A Drivetrain?

To understand what these two kinds of drivetrains are, you first have to know what a drivetrain is. Drivetrains are the components of the vehicle that allows the car to move.

This includes the engine, driveshaft, transmission, axles as well as the wheels of the car. All of these work in conjunction to make the car go. If you have problems with your drivetrain you can find the solutions at www.sportcompactwarehouse.com

What Is A Rear-Wheel Drive Car?

A rear-wheel-drive car is a vehicle where the power generated from the drivetrain is sent to the rear wheels of the vehicle. It comes with many advantages.

These types of vehicles are better for towing because the wheels pulling the weight is closer to the object. It gives you better handling because the rear-wheels provide the power while the front wheels can focus on steering.

Rear-Wheel vehicles also tend to be generally cheaper for maintenance because they don’t have as many parts packed into a small area.

However, they do come with certain cons as well. Adverse conditions like heavy rain and sleeting snow, make handling and maneuvering more difficult.

It also might have less interior room and trunk space because of the accommodation for the machinery in the back. They tend to be more expensive at the initial buying price as well.

What Is A Front-Wheel Drive Car?

Where a rear-wheel-drive car pushes a car, front-wheel-drive cars pull the car forward. The majority of the drivetrain sits under the engine and this gives them an easier ability to go up steep hills. They also have generally better gas mileage than other drivetrains.

In contrast to rear-wheel-drive cars, they are much less expensive to maintain over the long term. However, because the weight of the car sits at the front, the handling of these types of cars is not as good as other drivetrains.

When they accelerate, they tend to veer to either side because of “torque steer”. Other drivetrains don’t have this issue.  

Rear-Wheel Vs. Front-Wheel Drive Cars

When choosing rear-wheel vs. front-wheel-drive cars, the best one is the one that can fit the most needs. If you are a sporty person, maybe the rear-wheel is the best fit. 

But if you are more family-oriented, most likely the best cars for you are sedans that use either front-wheel or all-wheel-drive systems. Choose the best one for you today.

For more articles like this one on the best cars to keep in your repertoire or other automotive-related topics, be sure to take a look at our blog site.

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SpeedLux

SpeedLux is a high-authority automotive blog providing the latest automotive news and reviews. SpeedLux covers everything related to cars, bikes, and motorcycles, from news and reviews, to troubleshooting guides, tips and tricks, and more. SpeedLux was born in 2009 and we have over 20,000 articles published on our blog. We thank all our readers, as well as our partners, without whom we could not have reached this level.

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