Can you feel the difference between FWD and RWD?

PiKe

PiKe

PiKe

Caporegime
Joined
18 Oct 2002
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I can feel front wheel drive cars pulling me along, whereas a rear wheel drive car pushes you along, I also feel that in a front wheel drive car that the steering is always trying to centre itself when you're accelerating through a corner.

Am I just imagining this?
 
As freefaller has said, any competant driver that actually has a feel for the way the car communicates with the driver will be able to feel the differences between FWD and RWD.
 
Some of it also depends on the location of the engine.

I.e. the differences between front-engined FWD car and a front-engined RWD car aren't as great as it may be with a rear or mid-engined RWD car.
 
I've got a Saab 9-5 Aero. It puts around 260lbft through the front wheels. I also have a Vauxhall VX Turbo which puts around 260lbft through the back wheels.

Even taking away all the other massive differences in configuration and car type, trust me when I say...you DEFINITELY CAN feel the difference ;)

P.S. I'd forgotten all about torque steer till I bought the Saab after years of RWD or 4WD.
 
If you're driving 'sedately', the line blurs, if you're hooning, then it becomes fairly easily apparent IMHO
 
Yes after switching to the mondeo. You can definately feel the difference the steering pulling against you when you corner. The steering is also heavier in the mondeo than the 200SX but thats just probably natural.
 
you can tell as soon as you boot it

on front wheel drive cars you can feel the steering get very heavy, you almost have to wrestle with it to keep it straight

do the same thing with Rear Wheel drive, and it remains just as light as if you you were pootling along.
 
Absolutely, night and day (imo), in fact, I dislike driving fwd cars (granted I'm not driving around in an elise).
 
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