Are FWD cars such a bad thing

[Neale]

With all of this talk of the Falcon nearing extinction it has got me thinking.

There are a lot of people devastated by the replacement being FWD, and I have also noticed a lot of people thinking that it wont be as good because it is not going to be a RWD straight 6.

I have driven & owned my fair share of different model Falcons & still own a RWD Cortina. But when the time came for a new car I had no problem buying a FWD Focus because it suited my needs better & was & still is a good fun car to drive (on & off the track) despite being a 4cyl FWD.

I understand that for certain uses a car needs to be RWD, but as a daily driver that you load the family into & even an occasional track car if you are that way inclined, is a FWD car really such a bad thing?

[Giant Cranium]

If we are talking utes, then yes they are bad. But cars I'm not to fussed. Dads mondeo titanium is better at most things then his g6e

[Road_Warrior]

It depends on the type of car. It makes sense for certain types of car but for others hell no.

There are a lot of people devastated by the replacement being FWD, and I have also noticed a lot of people thinking that it wont be as good because it is not going to be a RWD straight 6.

There's been no replacement announced yet, just lots of guessing and assumptions. There may not even be one, so suggesting it is a FWD this or that is premature. I don't think the FWD issue is what has upset people, what has upset people is killing off a storied nameplate that has meant a lot to Ford fans and has become a part of the social fabric of this country for 50 years, not to mention killing off an assembly plant that people rely on for their livelihoods which build the said car and because synonymous with "Ford Australia". You can't really replace that sort of thing, with anything.

[TheInterceptor]

Yep. Because i tow stuff and carry heavy things.

And because theres nothing like sliding the tail out and hearing the mighty Inline 6 roar.

[PG2]

Road Warrior is right - we are getting plenty of exercise at the moment jumping to conclusions in regards to what Ford is going to do.

In regards to in-line 6 RWD cars? Generally, it comes down to personal preference.

I, myself prefer the in-line 6 cyl RWD. BUT that is only my preference. As a matter of fact, I used to drive Commodores and only swapped over to Falcon when Holden went to the V6 in the VN.

I have read on some other threads that the in-line 6 is a big lazy thing that will not rev. I personally prefer the big lazy in-line 6 and the fact that I do not have to generally rev it past 2500rpm to get it going - I just love the low-down torque. Once again, I used to drive Commodores and loved the VL for the same simple reason that the motor was a big lazy in-line 6.

I hate having to rev the guts out of cars to get them to go - except of course for V8s.

[Resurrection]

FWD = no throttle on power slides
RWD= throttle on power slides (more fun)

[smokinfalcon]

Exactly, you can have so much more fun in a RWD car, unfortunately today your classified anti social though for having fun in a car.
Drove my mum on a 100km return trip to the doctor in her 2010 Mazda 6, when you take off from an intersection where you have to turn left or right, you feel everything in your feet from the pedals to your hands from the steering wheel, kind of a shuddering feeling (hard to describe) but it just feels horrible.

[Neale]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

It depends on the type of car. It makes sense for certain types of car but for others hell no.



There's been no replacement announced yet, just lots of guessing and assumptions. There may not even be one, so suggesting it is a FWD this or that is premature. I don't think the FWD issue is what has upset people, what has upset people is killing off a storied nameplate that has meant a lot to Ford fans and has become a part of the social fabric of this country for 50 years, not to mention killing off an assembly plant that people rely on for their livelihoods which build the said car and because synonymous with "Ford Australia". You can't really replace that sort of thing, with anything.

Totally agree that its a shame that ford has pulled out of building cars here & you are spot on saying that we will probably not know for sure for a while what will be available come 2016. But it would be a pretty safe bet to say the after 2016 if your choices of RWD cars will be very limited.

The question I was asking was, will it really matter if future family cars are FWD as opposed to the traditional RWD like the Falcon & Commodore

[Gothefalcon]

FWD has it's merits... that's why I added it to my RWD I6 Falcon !!

Truth is... the average punter wouldn't know the difference as they sedately drive to & from work, the shops, etc....
It helps to have RWD on boat ramps or for towing large trailers/campers... but for everyday driving, FWD cars have been doing the job successfully for years ! RWD is better for the enthusiast.... but a lot of new cars come in AWD now, to cater for them...

I, for one, will be very sad to see the traditional I6 RWD Falcon go... but lets wait and see what the future brings, before we get too upset at it's replacement ! There's always Mustang for the fun times !!??

Dhru

[pottery beige]

they ere no good at skids..

[-RADICAL-POSTURE-]

Originally Posted by pottery beige

they ere no good at skids..

Originally Posted by Wise

1700 installed

... And they look absurd when they try.

[ryeman]

Originally Posted by smokinfalcon

Exactly, you can have so much more fun in a RWD car, unfortunately today your classified anti social though for having fun in a car.
Drove my mum on a 100km return trip to the doctor in her 2010 Mazda 6, when you take off from an intersection where you have to turn left or right, you feel everything in your feet from the pedals to your hands from the steering wheel, kind of a shuddering feeling (hard to describe) but it just feels horrible.

Only after disabling DSC.
To me THE difference is in the tactile steering feel, not being corrupted by torque.

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by smokinfalcon

Exactly, you can have so much more fun in a RWD car, unfortunately today your classified anti social though for having fun in a car.
Drove my mum on a 100km return trip to the doctor in her 2010 Mazda 6, when you take off from an intersection where you have to turn left or right, you feel everything in your feet from the pedals to your hands from the steering wheel, kind of a shuddering feeling (hard to describe) but it just feels horrible.

Everyone's version of fun is different. I've had much more fun in my old XR5 and new ST than I ever did in the falcons I had.

[OLD BALDY]

Except as mentioned above most of us have only driven little BUZZ boxes FWD and the are buzz boxes. Maybe a larger car FWD will be better!! any one driven the large yank tank FWD?

[ryeman]

Originally Posted by DJM83

Everyone's version of fun is different. I've had much more fun in my old XR5 and new ST than I ever did in the falcons I had.

Or perhaps a Clio Cup

[Alan D Segal]

Originally Posted by OLD BALDY

Maybe a larger car FWD will be better!! any one driven the large yank tank FWD?

Or an Aurion? Or a Magna/380? They might be an indication of what FWD is like for you in a larger car.

[Trump]

Yes, they are the work of the devil.

/thread.

[ryeman]

In Europe the Mondeo can be had with the 1 litre EcoBoost !

[Yellow_Festiva]

I think less than 5% of sedan drivers 'need' RWD to be honest. I mean, really need it, perhaps for towing and any other genuine reason RWD is needed over FWD.

I have loaded up my Focus to the hilt, inside, on top and behind - regulary towing a full trailer or a 15foot boat and can't think of a time I was ever stuck, or left thinking that RWD would have made any of those driving situations any better.

Same could be said if it were a full sized sedan..... Car companies spend millions upon millions in R&D to lower the fuel consumption figures with each new model, while cramming more tech, features and safety in at the same time, which adds weight.

It's a financial decision. Easy weight reduction, less parts, more compact drive train = reduction in consumption... saving money.

[LeadFoot81]

I love my RWD XR8, but my Fiesta (merely a Zetec) is just as much fun on my favorite stretches of road. Yes its a different type of fun, but it comes in the same amount, I can only imagine what the ST will be like (I'll still keep the AU though, I love it too much)

My experience with WQ and WS Fiestas has taught me that you should never ignore a car based on its drive configuration. In the future I'll happily consider FWD, RWD, or AWD as long as its well sorted and does what I need it to do.

[Kable72]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

I think less than 5% of sedan drivers 'need' RWD to be honest. I mean, really need it, perhaps for towing and any other genuine reason RWD is needed over FWD.

I have loaded up my Focus to the hilt, inside, on top and behind - regulary towing a full trailer or a 15foot boat and can't think of a time I was ever stuck, or left thinking that RWD would have made any of those driving situations any better.

Same could be said if it were a full sized sedan..... Car companies spend millions upon millions in R&D to lower the fuel consumption figures with each new model, while cramming more tech, features and safety in at the same time, which adds weight.

It's a financial decision. Easy weight reduction, less parts, more compact drive train = reduction in consumption... saving money.

Less consumption until you try to tow the same load with a RWD. FWD aren't supposed to be used for towing because all the weight is on the rear of the car but there isn't any drive at the rear. Not saying you can't because you quite clearly do but there is a reason RWD dominate when it comes to towing.

[tranquilized]

Both configurations have their merits, but the way I see it FWD's benefits are mainly practical and sensible - ie, boring.

RWD is always the choice for a true performance car. The weight of the driveline in the rear makes 50/50 weight distribution easier to achieve. The engine can sit behind the front axle line improving handling and balance. Massive horsepower is possible with no impact on steering. Makes for better styling proportions - short front overhang, long bonnet, long dash to axle ratio. These are all attributes that appeal to the enthusiast more than anyone else. They come at a cost being overall weight of the car (though this is negligible these days) and space inside the car.

The main reason anyone bothered to invent FWD was to mount the engine transversely, moving it further to the front of the car, allowing the firewall and windscreen to move forward resulting in a lot more room inside the car, plus the lack of the drive shaft tunnel. This makes FWD the obvious choice in smaller cars.

FWD is a compromise to performance, no two ways about it. There are loads of fantastic performance FWD cars out there that I would own in a second, and have an absolute ball driving. But they are pusing the FWD performance envelope, and to take the next step up RWD is required.

For a family car as the OP asked, FWD is completely suitable and 99% of drivers wont notice or care. FWD makes total sense - from a manufacturing cost saving point of view, from a fuel economy point of view, from a efficient utilisation of interior space point of view. But thats about it...

[stevz]

Those who use their cars as A to B appliances will obviously not care which wheels are driven, but anyone who has an interest in cars and a passion for driving will know that fwd just doesn't cut it in terms of feel, handling and driving enjoyment. Then there is also the fact that rwd is far more robust, easier to work on and superior for towing and carrying heavy loads. You don't see any fwd trucks out there and there is a simple reason for that.
Lastly, when I was growing up, the general concensus was that small fwd cars were for women, or men who bat for the other team. So for me it will be rwd till the day I die.

[mcnews]

Originally Posted by stevz

Lastly, when I was growing up, the general concensus was that small fwd cars were for women, or men who bat for the other team. So for me it will be rwd till the day I die.

ROFLMAO

[MONSOON]

fwd cars can be a real pain to work on, with the timing and accessory belts usually jammed up next to the side of the engine bay/suspension tower

[Joe5619]

Yes!!!

[Trump]

The reasons I hate wrong wheel drive are as follows:

1. Torque steer. Its not fun when you nail it and the thing wants to send you towards the nearest pole.
2. Understeer. Its not fun when you want to turn and the car keeps going straight.

[2011G6E]

The only argument most people can come up with is "it's fun to slide the tail out".

Not exactly a prime reason for the majority of people to purchase a car.

Too much emphasis is put on 0-100 times, quarter mile times, and rear wheel drive as if they are the only factors that should come into your decision to buy a new car. I would lay money on 95% or more of buyers not caring a jot about the first two, and probably 80%-plus not even knowing, or caring, if a car is front or rear wheel drive.


In answer to the original question, the answer would be "Not any more". The days of horrifying torque steer and bad packaging with front wheel drive are long gone. What most people might be able to pick in some models as "torque steer" today is nothing, literally not worth worrying about, compared to stuff of decades past...for example, the terrifying Ford turbo Telstar TX5. That thing defined "torque steer" and was actually dangerous in some conditions.

"Towing big loads"? Yes, people do...but these days they don't hitch the big van or horse float to the back of a V8 Falcon like in decades past...now they buy a four wheel drive or twin cab ute. Living on the Capricorn Highway out here, we see the yearly "migration" of the Grey Nomads and thousands of other people with caravans large and small. We also see a huge number of horse floats going back and forwards through town.
I could honestly count on one hand the number of times in the last year I have seen a big van or horse float being towed by a Falcon or Commodore...the vast majority are four wheel drives, followed by twin cabs and utes including those set up as fifth wheelers, followed by F250's (which seem to be gaining in popularity), with a few Dodge Rams and Chev Silverado trucks. Smaller vans are towed, usually, by smaller SUV's. Of course, one day we did see a classic Mini Cooper S towing a tiny teardrop caravan trailer...now that was a sight!

Looking a the "top ten selling cars" for the last year, they're all front wheel drive, apart from the Commodore slipping in at number four or so.

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by stevz

Those who use their cars as A to B appliances will obviously not care which wheels are driven, but anyone who has an interest in cars and a passion for driving will know that fwd just doesn't cut it in terms of feel, handling and driving enjoyment. Then there is also the fact that rwd is far more robust, easier to work on and superior for towing and carrying heavy loads. You don't see any fwd trucks out there and there is a simple reason for that.
Lastly, when I was growing up, the general concensus was that small fwd cars were for women, or men who bat for the other team. So for me it will be rwd till the day I die.

You need to get out of 1950's and into the 21st century.
Have you driven a Focus RS, ST, Fiesta ST, Renault Clio Sport, Megane RS265, etc? All are FWD but will shame many more powerful RWD cars around a track.

When you were growing up people used to start their car with a winch, lighting was provided by a candle and wheels were made of wood.

[mcnews]

The Mini Cooper S we just got has an LSD which goes some way to alleviating the on power dramas of FWD but in a perfect world it too would be RWD.