In Defense Of Front-Wheel Drive

Kinja'd!!! "TheHondaBro" (wwaveform)
12/06/2014 at 15:03 • Filed to: front wheel drive

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It's most certainly been in your life at one point: front-wheel drive. Some call it the anti-christ in the world of oversteer and burnouts. We all love rear-wheel drive, but there is a surprising amount of hate for front-wheel drive. Perhaps it doesn't exist here on Jalopnik more than it does anywhere else on the internet, but I'd like to get to the bottom of this animosity here.

First, let's take a look at the most radical FWD car made. The fastest FWD car to tackle the 'ring: the Renault Mégane RS 275 Trophy-R, which set a record time of 7:54:36.

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If you need an example of how FWD can flex its muscles, this is it. This is Renault's craziest Mégane yet. The hatch has lapped the ring !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . If its appearance doesn't show that, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

It packs everything Renaultsport knows about hot hatchery into one tuned Megane RS. Think of the new RS 275 Trophy-R as the GT3 of Meganes, thanks to a 2.0-litre turbo tuned to 271bhp (275ps in metric, hence the name) and a crash diet stripping 100kg from its kerb weight for the sake of spicier performance and better handling.

As we have yet to see what the turbocharged Honda Civic Type-R can do around the 'Ring, this will remain the fastest and most radical front-wheel drive car right now.

Okay, you don't want a car that looks like something you'd wear on a construction site. You want something a bit more... beige.

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A Honda Accord, specifically with a V6 engine. It might not be a visually-stimulating car, it might have an under-powered 3.5L V6 engine (276 horsepower), but with a 0-60 time in the mid-5 seconds, it's no slouch, either.

The car can be equipped with a 6-speed MTX which takes it to 60 !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Sure there are limits to FWD. Providing too much power to the wheels that also do the steering will overload the entire drivetrain and create an ungodly amount of understeer. That being said, FWD is very capable of performance, and it's about time it gets the respect it deserves.


DISCUSSION (34)


Kinja'd!!! Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > TheHondaBro
12/06/2014 at 15:09

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At the end of the day whether its FWD or RWD, turbo or N/A, 4 cylinder or v8, hatchback or sedan; a good car is a good car.


Kinja'd!!! Jayhawk Jake > TheHondaBro
12/06/2014 at 15:10

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Inb4 'it still sucks to drive'


Kinja'd!!! tromoly > TheHondaBro
12/06/2014 at 15:12

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Front wheel drive can still be really quick.

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Kinja'd!!! Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > TheHondaBro
12/06/2014 at 15:16

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Fine, I'll say it. The most un-jalop words ever:

I want an accord


Kinja'd!!! Axial > TheHondaBro
12/06/2014 at 15:16

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Granted, there are many fantastic FWD vehicles. However, think of how much better those FWD performers would be as RWD. The list is endless...

> Chevy Impala

> Honda CR-X/Del Sol

> Honda Prelude

> Honda/Acura Integra

> Toyota Celica GT


Kinja'd!!! Jedidiah > TheHondaBro
12/06/2014 at 15:17

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I don't like strut suspensions; most fwd cars have them. You can make dumb configurations handle as good as you want depending on your engineering budget—take a look at the 911 for example.

As we get better at computer simulation and design, we'll see the cheaper, easier to mass produce configurations become more close to optimal. While this will improve handling significantly; however, these layouts will still have flaws that cannot be corrected without significant compromises.


Kinja'd!!! TheHondaBro > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
12/06/2014 at 15:20

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I got some even more un-jalop words:

I own an Accord.


Kinja'd!!! Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > TheHondaBro
12/06/2014 at 15:20

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I think Ford has warmed a few RWD masterlife hearts with the ST's.


Kinja'd!!! Will with a W8 races an E30 > TheHondaBro
12/06/2014 at 15:21

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What's wrong with an accord?


Kinja'd!!! Tipo Stradale Fever > TheHondaBro
12/06/2014 at 15:22

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Some of the most badass rally cars are FWD. Check out Jean Ragnotti just hauling ass with his Clio...


Kinja'd!!! MultiplaOrgasms > Jayhawk Jake
12/06/2014 at 15:22

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Now where is that guy who always posts sliding 106 .gifs?


Kinja'd!!! Goshen, formerly Darkcode > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
12/06/2014 at 15:24

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Way before the STs, man.


Kinja'd!!! TheHondaBro > Will with a W8 races an E30
12/06/2014 at 15:24

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It's no diesel turbo rotary Miata :P


Kinja'd!!! Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Goshen, formerly Darkcode
12/06/2014 at 15:25

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?


Kinja'd!!! Goshen, formerly Darkcode > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
12/06/2014 at 15:25

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Ford (a.o.) have been building decent front-wheel-drive cars before the STs.


Kinja'd!!! Goshen, formerly Darkcode > MultiplaOrgasms
12/06/2014 at 15:27

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KirkyV called for the duty!


Kinja'd!!! themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Axial
12/06/2014 at 15:28

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THe celica and prelude are the only ones I agree with. What everyone forgets about FWD is how much interior space it can free up. You no longer have a big honkin transmission tunnel, nor do you need a rear differential so it frees up trunk space. You also have a lot of weight on the drive wheels for low to mid throttle traction which is why it's common to see RWD cars struggle on even small inclines without good winter tires in the snow. I had a friend with a V6 mustang who couldn't go down this one street in winter.....I never knew it was an incline before he told me.

At the end of the day, FWD cars in the modern sense give you so many advantages for use as a car. Performance FWD car give you a good taste of both worlds - supremely easy to own and drive daily, but also fun to drive when the mood takes you. The celica and prelude are low-slung, 2+2 coupes with a performance bend from the word go with limited trunk space and so-so fuel economy for their size. They should be RWD if the magical engineering fairy could grant it. But the CR-X? No way, man. Let it have its massive trunk and all around ease of use with a chassis capable of holding up to rallying but an engine that loves to sing. The integra? It is a civic done fun. Screw the SI, you want the integra! And the impala? The impala's drivetrain doesn't matter. If it was RWD no one would buy it cause it wouldn't be performance RWD, it would have limited trunk and interior space, the drivetrain noise would increase and overall the car would be worse off for it.

The lexus GS has RWD, but you don't see everyone on here singing its praises new. Only as a used drift missle for 5 grand. The entire infiniti lineup is RWD or AWD now.......And no one here seems to care as the G series is poo-pooed for not being cheap like the Z car and the rest "doesn't have a manual" but hands down, they make some damn fine cars to drive that are RWD and no one cares. Both here and in the showroom. THeir naming doesn't help.......But still, being RWD does not magically make a car better. In fact, it can sometimes make it worse.


Kinja'd!!! Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Goshen, formerly Darkcode
12/06/2014 at 15:30

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Yes, but they really haven't captured (at least American) hearts like the ST's.


Kinja'd!!! Tohru > TheHondaBro
12/06/2014 at 15:41

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I can beat that.

"I own a Camry." -Takuro Spirit


Kinja'd!!! Saoul-Virage > Axial
12/06/2014 at 15:41

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A RWD CR-X ?! It would be tricky to drive : light, RWD and with a short wheelbase.


Kinja'd!!! TheHondaBro > Tohru
12/06/2014 at 15:43

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Camrys can be good with that V6. Suchs they don't make manual ones anymore.


Kinja'd!!! Goshen, formerly Darkcode > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
12/06/2014 at 15:47

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Meh, America had a very small sport compact market until the FnF craze anyway.


Kinja'd!!! Saoul-Virage > MultiplaOrgasms
12/06/2014 at 15:48

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I search for some "best of 106 in rallying" and didn't find anything good. So I'll just give you that :

Renault Clio Groupe A (260hp, FWD, 7 gears sequential gearbox) driven by Jean Ragnotti (French Rally Legend)


Kinja'd!!! RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > TheHondaBro
12/06/2014 at 15:49

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Actually, FWD tends to mostly get my respect when it's light, not when it's heavy and powerful. There are some exceptions, but gen 1 Golf > V6 Camry to drive, all the way. It's not about performance in any direct way, it's about fun-to-drive. Speed is fun, go-kartiness is often more fun, and the sensation of the latter is much better served by FWD than the former. MUCH.


Kinja'd!!! Axial > Saoul-Virage
12/06/2014 at 15:50

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But also without much bottom-end torque to throw you around.


Kinja'd!!! Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Saoul-Virage
12/06/2014 at 15:56

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I really want an old clio williams.


Kinja'd!!! djmt1 > TheHondaBro
12/06/2014 at 15:57

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You should include this somewhere. It sums up my feelings on the whole FWD matter pretty well.


Kinja'd!!! Funktheduck > Tohru
12/06/2014 at 16:05

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Former corolla owner here.


Kinja'd!!! Axial > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
12/06/2014 at 17:23

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I feel like you are ignoring the elephant in the room, BMW. Until very, very recently, they've been RWD/AWD exclusive and they seem to be doing positively grand. Complaints about comfort. noise, and cargo space are not things you generally see regarding their cars. And now, Alfa and Dodge are planning on going the same way. Cadillac also seems to be moving in that direction, but only time will tell.

As for the Impala, we're going to have to disagree there. If the Germans can figure out how to make a comfortable, roomy, RWD sedan, then so can the General. They've even styled the Impala as a RWD vehicle. They've also already shown they can make a comfortable RWD sedan. Twice. And how often do you see a non-LTZ Impala? I haven't even see one. Every single time I see one, it's an LTZ. That tells me there's room in the wallets to make performance drive-trains. For all we know, our prospective owner bought the Impala because it looks better than the SS (and it does...the Impala is head and shoulders above the SS inside and out).

Finally, Infiniti gets poo-poo'd for being cheaply built, because they are cheaply built. Or, rather, they are not built any better than their Nissan counterparts. I've had people consider a Lincoln MKZ over a Q70. That's fucked.

You are absolutely right that RWD doesn't magically make a car better, but it does offer maneuvering characteristics that I generally find desirable. Which is what I'm after in this discussion. Even if it were also about being comfortable, a CR-X with the transmission up front doesn't lose its cargo space and a Del Sol doesn't have cargo space at all. Furthermore, I love the whining noises made by manual gearboxes. The Integra should have always been a 3-slayer.


Kinja'd!!! anon-sxmcyecofnu1eocpqsk9iq > TheHondaBro
12/06/2014 at 17:52

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Brown diesel rotary turbo manual wagon Miata?


Kinja'd!!! TheHondaBro > anon-sxmcyecofnu1eocpqsk9iq
12/06/2014 at 17:53

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I actually want to develop an engine like that.

Senior project?
Senior project.


Kinja'd!!! anon-sxmcyecofnu1eocpqsk9iq > TheHondaBro
12/06/2014 at 17:55

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Hell yeah. Imagine the noise...


Kinja'd!!! TheHondaBro > anon-sxmcyecofnu1eocpqsk9iq
12/06/2014 at 17:56

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The whining of the turbo, the diesel bit, and the shriek of the rotary.


Kinja'd!!! anon-sxmcyecofnu1eocpqsk9iq > TheHondaBro
12/06/2014 at 18:02

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I can imagine it... glorious!