The Sunday News
Lovert Mafukure
CARS are fun to drive, some are made for fun, some are made for driving Miss Daisy and some are made to work.
There are Front-Wheel Drive cars (FWD), Rear-Wheel Drive cars (RWD) and there are All-Wheel Drive cars (AWD) and Four-Wheel Drive (4WD). Choosing a certain drive-train layout depends on many things and you want your car to serve you in the best possible way. Let’s see how we can choose.
Front-Wheel Drive
Front-Wheel Drive cars are most common because they are cheaper to manufacture, that means they are also cheaper to buy. They are generally lightweight and therefore offer better fuel economy. They also offer more space than their Rear-Wheel Drive counterparts because they do not have to accommodate long drive shafts (Propeller Shaft) connecting to the rear wheels. That just about sums up all the advantages of a Front-Wheel Drive car.
Front-Wheel Drive cars are not very durable. They require regular changing of constant velocity joints (CVs) and drive shafts as they tend to wear out quicker because of the constant twists and turns of the front wheels.
Front wheelers also suffer from what motoring enthusiasts refer to as “under-steer”. This means that a car with FWD setup turns less sharply in the corners as all the weight and power distribution is on the front wheels and they lose traction for braking or steering. On wet surfaces or in snow, one would notice a car ploughing straight when the wheels are turned fully.
In some high torque sports cars with Front-Wheel Drive, a phenomenon known as “torque steer” is also common, whereby it becomes difficult to keep a car straight as the wheels respond to power being delivered to the front wheels and it pulls to the left or to the right. Lastly Front-Wheel Drive cars are more difficult to control when they lose traction. Steering and power is all on the front wheels and in low traction conditions. It becomes more difficult to steer the car.
All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
All-wheel drive is the best of both worlds. You get a front and rear wheel drive in one car, meaning you get the advantages of both. Manufacturers of cars like Subaru have mastered the art of using AWD on all their cars with their symmetrical AWD system. The best thing about it is traction. You have the best traction possible with AWD. Picture this, a leopard and a seal. A leopard uses all fours and can outrun a seal by far, a seal uses front legs to drag its body.
Car Maniacs liken cars with FWD set-up to a seal because it uses front wheels to pull its whole body. Naturally, the leopard is at an advantage. You get the picture? A leopard is better than a seal. Now, with all four wheels driving a tone of metal — you get better traction, better take off and better handling. The major draw-back with AWD is weight; more weight means more fuel consumption. It also costs a bit more than a normal front or RWD drive car but gives you an advantage both on-road and off-road and in difficult weather conditions. In motorsports, Subaru has an edge over others, perhaps it’s the boxer engine and AWD setup. It grips onto the tarmac like magnet — traction for Africa.
Also note that some cars, usually trucks and SUVs have 4WD set ups (Four Wheel Drive). The only difference with 4WD is that with some cars you can engage and disengage the front wheels as and when you need them and they are made for off road capability.
Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD)
If you are a car enthusiast, a petrol-head and car maniac get a RWD car! Finish and klaar. Why? Because . . . hey it’s fun to drive. Any car enthusiast should have a RWD. That’s why BMW makes even the 1 series a RWD. It’s the mind blowing driving experience, you can swing back and forth, spin it, do donuts you name it. The RWD is the ultimate big boy toy. That is why most sports cars have rear drive-trains. A RWD car is more balanced; it spreads the weight from front to back well, almost achieving the ideal 50/50 weight distribution ratio. Apart from that, RWD cars are strong, stronger than FWD. There’s no turning movement on the rear drive-shafts as is the case with FWD. With proper maintenance, the differential and or drive-shafts can even outlive the car itself.
RWD cars suffer from over steer — this is some awesome experience which results in the car fish tailing. Basically, it’s when the car turns more sharply than the driver intends as the rear wheels lose traction and slide out of the turning circle. Like Jeremy Clarkson once said — for reasons that are extremely difficult to explain to normal human beings, petrol-heads prefer RWD and if you want all the fun buy one.
They tend to be bad however, in bad weather and can easily lose traction on wet roads. One has to learn the basics of counter steering to correct over-steer as it is common with RWD cars. Apart from that they are more expensive to make than FWD cars and consequently to buy. With our grey imports though, that is not an issue. So take it from me, buy a RWD. It’s fun, durable and it’s double the fun!
Anti-lock braking system (ABS) and traction control systems in modern cars help two-wheel drive cars both FWD and RWD to handle better. These systems help the cars to maintain good traction and still be controllable under hard braking or difficult weather conditions. Choosing the correct drive train set up will depend on what is best for you. A Front-Wheel Drive will give you more cabin space, lesser fuel consumption and its cheaper but it’s not very durable.
An All-Wheel Drive gives you advantages in both good and bad weather. Lastly, Rear-Wheel Drive offers durability and more load carrying and towing ability and it offers you all the fun a car can offer if you are a petrol head.
Lovert Mafukure is a Japanese Imports consultant. For comments or questions regarding all Japanese Imports, Spares, Maintenance and Motor Insurance you can contact him on WhatsApp +263772339938 or email [email protected]
