h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I always wondered how those worked.

I have to say, though, that I do prefer rear-wheel drive cars. They're a little smoother. You just have to watch it in the snow. Or sand. Don't get a rear-wheel drive anywhere near sand. Trust me on this one.

Plus they're way way easier to fix. Changing the plugs on a front-wheel drive V-6 with A/C is a nightmare...

A lot of sand or snow problems are caused by lack of traction.
Rear wheel drive is fine if there is enough weight at the back.

Rear wheel drive is definitely not better when traction is poor - the rear wheels will always tend to move sideways. Front drive is inherently better in these conditions. The main reason BMW keep rear wheel drive is that it pleases motoring journalists to be able to slide round corners with the rear end hanging out. The vast majority of drivers of rear wheel drive cars lack the skills or training even to appreciate the difference, let alone capitalise on it.

If BMW were really serious about the front/rear mass distribution they would put the gearbox over the back axle, in my view.

Having said which, the main reason car makers use front drive is nothign to do with safety and everything to do with simplifying manufacture - engine and drivetrain are one compact unit which can be plugged into any shape or length of body with only minor adjustments to the Ackermann angles.

In think the successes of many rear-engined cars in rallying and hill climbs suggests that rear-wheel drive is ideal when traction is important. While almost no modern cars are produced with a rear engine layout it has been successful for Volkswagens, Skodas, Hillman-Imps - all very useful cars in bad road conditions.

A lot of snow problems are caused by driving too fast. I drove a rear-wheel drive vehicle for pizza delivery in snow country in a town with a lot of hills with no problems. It's all in knowing how to drive the things. I saw a guy with a 4 wheel drive vehicle in the snow drift across 2 lanes on a parkway in the snow. That shouldn't happen, right? Except that he drove like an idiot.

I was always amused by Americans complaining that big Volvos can't be driven in snow. Swedish drivers don't appear to have this problem - maybe America has the wrong kind of snow*?

* (c) British Rail

It may be true that rear wheel drive cars skid more easily (especially when you have a heavy right foot), but when the rear wheels break traction the front wheels can still do their steering job, so you can keep the car from spinning (if you know how to react).

On a front wheel drive car the driven wheels have two jobs: drive and steering, so when you hit some ice and the front wheels start spinning, you lose both drive AND steering! This makes a spin much harder to correct.

So - while a rear wheel drive car spins more easily, a front wheel drive car is harder to get out of a spin if it does happen. Take your pick...