The drive of a car can be said to be the most important of its characteristics. When choosing a car for yourself, you get lost and don’t know which drive to choose and how they differ from each other. Let’s figure out together which choice will be best for you and consider all the pros and cons of these three car drive systems.

Front wheel drive FWD

Front-Wheel Drive – this is when the thrust from the engine is transmitted only to the front two wheels. It has two main advantages for both manufacturers and car owners. The first advantage is that its design and assembly becomes cheaper to manufacture since the entire drive mechanism is located inside the engine compartment, resulting in fewer moving parts. Fuel consumption is approximately 7% more economical compared to rear-wheel drive. The engine and transmission itself are located in one place in the car, unlike a rear-wheel drive (RWD) car. Front-wheel drive is much easier to control; such a car is more difficult to skid. If you are buying your first car, then buy a front-wheel drive one.

Another advantage of front-wheel drive is that the front wheels have better traction – especially in rain and snow. On the front wheels that pull the car. accounts for the weight of the heavy engine and gearbox. This weight additionally acts on traction, which leads to a higher directional stability of the car than a rear-wheel drive one, especially in bad weather conditions.

Flaws? Front-wheel drive vehicles are prone to understeer. Because the front wheels perform two functions simultaneously – driving the car, i.e. taxiing and direct movement of the car i.e. car traction. In this case, the rear wheels practically do not participate in driving the car. Also, in a high-power front-wheel drive car, the torque transmitted from the engine to the front wheels makes it difficult to feel the steering wheel better.

Rear wheel drive RWD

Rear-Wheel Drive – this is when thrust from the engine is transmitted only to the rear wheels. They rotate and push the car forward.

Here are the main advantages of a rear-wheel drive car. Firstly, it is simpler and more reliable. You have the engine in the front, the gearbox in the middle and the drive axle in the back, with the front axle doing the turning. On such a car, the steering wheel feels better; the drive does not affect the steering. Such cars have an advantage during acceleration and have controlled skidding of the rear axle. Most sports and racing cars are rear-wheel drive.

Flaws? RWD cars are bulkier and more expensive to produce. As a result, they have a higher retail price. The cardan tunnel “eats” the usable area of ​​the car interior. There won’t be enough space for three passengers in the back seat.

All-wheel drive AWD

In such a car, the transmission transmits torque to all four wheels, which significantly improves cross-country ability. Theoretically, a car with all-wheel drive (All-Wheel Drive) gives you some advantages over rear-wheel drive (RWD) and front-wheel drive (FWD) vehicles, while minimizing all the weaknesses of both systems.

The biggest advantage of AWD is excellent traction. Whether on wet or dry road surfaces, on paved roads or gravel, a four-wheel drive vehicle will have much higher levels of grip. That’s why all-wheel drive was once only used on all-terrain vehicles.

But, inevitably, there are drawbacks! The two biggest ones are weight and cost. AWD vehicles can weigh hundreds of kilograms more than similarly sized FWD or RWD vehicles, and this affects a vehicle’s acceleration and fuel economy performance. Another disadvantage is the added complexity and cost associated with installing AWD. There are more components and assemblies that require maintenance, which means that the cost of maintaining such a car will be higher.

So which one is right for you?

As you can see, there is no easy answer to which type of drive is best for you. The type of drive that’s right for you depends on how you use the car, the conditions you typically drive in, and what you expect from the car overall.

If you’re looking for a family car that will mostly be driven on good roads, FWD front-wheel drive will be more than sufficient. If you want a sportier, more balanced vehicle, a rear-wheel drive RWD vehicle may be a better choice. Or, if you want good all-terrain capability no matter the conditions and don’t mind paying a little more, you should probably look at a vehicle with AWD.

REMEMBER: You can always contact our car service center, where your car will be happy to receive professional technical assistance. You can also make an appointment with us for a scheduled technical inspection! Please familiarize yourself with our car repair and diagnostic services.