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Rear-wheel-drive cars are back and we have EVs to thank

thedrive.com

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Re: Rear-wheel-drive cars are back and we have EVs to thank

#11

Post by klyrs »

PaulHoule wrote: post #8
singleshot_ wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

RWD cars allow you develop a much higher degree of skill at driving because of the requirement to separately manage traction on the drive and steering axles.

For one thing, you can enter and maintain a drift in an FR car. In a FF car you can easily enter a drift but the car will either straighten out or go into a spin. I’d tell you about my tactics for going around corners fast in a FF car but I’d get downvoted…

Come on, you have karma to spare, I'm dying to know.

Re: Rear-wheel-drive cars are back and we have EVs to thank

#12

Post by PaulHoule »

klyrs wrote: post #11
PaulHoule wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For one thing, you can enter and maintain a drift in an FR car. In a FF car you can easily enter a drift but the car will either straighten out or go into a spin. I’d tell you about my tactics for going around corners fast in a FF car but I’d get downvoted…

Come on , you have karma to spare, I'm dying to know.

“One foot on the brake, One foot on the gas”. You apply brakes and the gas simultaneously when going through a corner.

Re: Rear-wheel-drive cars are back and we have EVs to thank

#13

Post by randerson »

PaulHoule wrote: post #8
singleshot_ wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

RWD cars allow you develop a much higher degree of skill at driving because of the requirement to separately manage traction on the drive and steering axles.

For one thing, you can enter and maintain a drift in an FR car. In a FF car you can easily enter a drift but the car will either straighten out or go into a spin. I’d tell you about my tactics for going around corners fast in a FF car but I’d get downvoted…

It's a pity parking brakes are all electronic now. That used to be my go-to.

Re: Rear-wheel-drive cars are back and we have EVs to thank

#14

Post by doubled112 »

klyrs wrote: post #7
segmondy wrote: post #2

RWD are harder to drive in snow and slippery conditions.

As somebody who learned to drive in snow in a RWD vehicle, I think FWD is frankly ridiculous in slippery conditions. If you lose traction in the front, you lose all control of the vehicle. With RWD, you rarely lose traction on all 4 tires, so you always have at least one working control. I've never really gotten the hang of driving FWD in snow, and greatly prefer RWD. The trick, in my experience, is to learn how to g…

> If you lose traction in the front, you lose all control of the vehicle

You only have so much traction to accelerate, brake, and steer. Sharing them on the same wheels seems objectively worse at the limits to me, except in the sense that every car is all wheel stop.

I think some of the safety issues associated to RWD were problems of the days where they were more common. Trucks need weight in the back, we know that, and winter tires are way better now.

You have to learn how the car handles when it's not an emergency to know what to do in a panic. I toss every car I own around in a snowy parking lot at least once so I know what it'll do. This seems insane to a lot of people I've talked to.

That said, I think understeer is safer and more predictable in most situations for people who use their cars as a transportation appliance. You point and shoot, so to speak. Most people aren't driving at the limits.

Re: Rear-wheel-drive cars are back and we have EVs to thank

#17

Post by yamtaddle »

PaulHoule wrote: post #8
singleshot_ wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

RWD cars allow you develop a much higher degree of skill at driving because of the requirement to separately manage traction on the drive and steering axles.

For one thing, you can enter and maintain a drift in an FR car. In a FF car you can easily enter a drift but the car will either straighten out or go into a spin. I’d tell you about my tactics for going around corners fast in a FF car but I’d get downvoted…

FF = Front-wheel drive

FR = Rear-wheel drive

For anyone else who couldn't puzzle out WTF those meant, I'll save you looking it up.

Re: Rear-wheel-drive cars are back and we have EVs to thank

#18

Post by winrid »

PaulHoule wrote: post #12
klyrs wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Come on , you have karma to spare, I'm dying to know.

“One foot on the brake, One foot on the gas”. You apply brakes and the gas simultaneously when going through a corner.

Left foot braking is indeed used to go fast in a FWD car. But you can use it in RWD too to manage balance.

Re: Rear-wheel-drive cars are back and we have EVs to thank

#19

Post by klyrs »

doubled112 wrote: post #14
klyrs wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As somebody who learned to drive in snow in a RWD vehicle, I think FWD is frankly ridiculous in slippery conditions. If you lose traction in the front, you lose all control of the vehicle. With RWD, you rarely lose traction on all 4 tires, so you always have at least one working control. I've never really gotten the hang of driving FWD in snow, and greatly prefer RWD. The trick, in my experience, is to learn how to g…

> If you lose traction in the front, you lose all control of the vehicle You only have so much traction to accelerate, brake, and steer. Sharing them on the same wheels seems objectively worse at the limits to me, except in the sense that every car is all wheel stop. I think some of the safety issues associated to RWD were problems of the days where they were more common. Trucks need weight in the back, we know that,…

> Most people aren't driving at the limits.

Strictly speaking, if your car is out of control, you're driving past the limits. The whole point of the parking lot exercise is to learn where the limit is. I drive like a granny, but prepare for the worst. And I've learned over the years to avoid the first day of snow in a season.

Re: Rear-wheel-drive cars are back and we have EVs to thank

#20

Post by klyrs »

PaulHoule wrote: post #12
klyrs wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Come on , you have karma to spare, I'm dying to know.

“One foot on the brake, One foot on the gas”. You apply brakes and the gas simultaneously when going through a corner.

Thanks, I hate it. :)
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