Advantages and disadvantages of front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive cars. Which drive is better? Front, rear or all-wheel drive

Although, in fact, there are 4 main types of drive - four-wheel drive usually divided into 4-wheel drive and all-wheel drive (when the car has more than two axles).

Which of these drive options is better: full, front or rear, depends on the driving style, the nature and surface of the road you are driving on, the type of car itself (is it a sports car or full SUV) and some other conditions. But what type of drive is right for you, what are the differences between rear, front and all-wheel drive and how they all work. Let's look at the differences between these types of drive separately, and at the end we give a general table with the pros and cons of each type.

Front-wheel drive

The bulk of cars in our country, and in most countries of the world, produced since the late 1990s, use front-wheel drive. First of all, this is due to the space efficiency of the front-wheel drive, its relative cheapness. The car's front-wheel drive ensures that the engine, transmission and power train are located in one compact housing that is conveniently located under the hood, freeing up the rest useful part vehicle for passengers and cargo.

Front-wheel drive

This allows, of course, to offer more inner space while maintaining the compactness and budget of the machine. Almost all front-wheel drive vehicles have engines mounted across the length of the car - this way the engine torque is transferred to the wheel rotation as compactly as possible - with less extra details, gearboxes and more.

Pros of front wheel drive:

• Front-wheel drive has additional advantages in snow and rain: the weight of the engine directly over the drive wheels gives the car better grip on slippery roads. Thus, front wheel drive car significantly less prone to skidding, and the critical speed at which the car will begin to skid is higher than that of a rear-wheel drive car, all other things being equal. This is perhaps the main advantage of front-wheel drive.
• Compactness. As mentioned above, the location of the engine next to the drive wheels greatly simplifies the design of the machine and gives much more free space both under the hood and in the cabin and under the bottom.
• Compactness determines budget - a front-wheel drive car is also much cheaper to design and build than a rear-wheel drive and, all the more, all-wheel drive.

Cons of front wheel drive:

• Although, despite the fact that a front-wheel drive car is less prone to skidding the rear axle, if a front-wheel drive car has already been driven into a skid, then the car is much more difficult to get out of this skid due to the same design.
• And more about skidding - if you remember the driving school course, then when skidding the rear axle on the front drive, you should increase the gas supply to get out of the skid. And this is instinctively impossible for some drivers. The thing is that in an emergency panic situation, many drivers - especially inexperienced ones - press the brakes, which is not acceptable for a front-wheel drive car and only aggravates the skid.
• Since the drive wheels are also swivel, this introduces its own limitations, firstly, on maximum angle the rotation of the wheels, and the wear of an increased number of mechanisms - first of all, the so-called "grenade", which provides drive to the turned wheels.
• Since the main components are located under the hood in front of the car, the front-wheel drive makes its own adjustments to wear. brake mechanisms. The fact is that when braking, the main weight of the car is transferred forward (when moving forward, of course). This means that the already heavy front of the car works out braking even more, which leads to significantly more rapid wear brake mechanisms on the front axle of the machine - first of all, brake pads. Often the rear pads are changed when the front pads have already been replaced twice.
• For the same reason that the weight is transferred forward, on the contrary, when the car accelerates, its weight is transferred to the rear wheels, which determines worst grip with the road leading the front wheels. Thus, we get that the front-wheel drive is more prone to slipping, which is on charged powerful cars is just a tragedy. That is why most sports cars- rear-wheel drive.

Rear drive

Rear-wheel drive most often means that the engine in front, located longitudinally along the length of the car, sends its torque to the rear wheels through a long cardan shaft. Meanwhile, the most simplified components rear wheel drive make it generally cheaper than front-wheel drive, contrary to the statement in the pros of front-wheel drive above, however, if you include everything high tech in modern rear-wheel drive, such cars end up being much more expensive.

Rear drive

In the past, almost all cars were rear-wheel drive for a long time, because it seemed like a very simple design due to the fact that mechanics and vehicle designers had even a vague idea of ​​​​how to equip a car with front-wheel drive and still leave the front wheels turning.

Rear wheel drive advantages:

• Rear-wheel drive has its main key advantage - performance. Since during acceleration of the car, inertia transfers a significant proportion of its (car) weight to the rear wheels, which are the driving ones, the likelihood of their slipping is much less than in the case of front-wheel drive. That's why most sports cars like Chevrolet Corvette, Ferrari, Lamborghini, muscle cars like Dodge Challenger, performance sedans such as the BMW 3 Series, and large luxury cars, such as Mercedes-Benz S-class use rear wheel drive.
• In front-wheel drive, one set of wheels provides both movement and control of the machine. Rear-wheel drive allows these duties to be shared between the front and rear wheels, while spreading heavy mechanical components along the entire length of the car allows its weight to be distributed more evenly between the front and rear wheels. better handling.
• Despite the fact that the rear-wheel drive skids easier slippery road, it is the rear-wheel drive that is also easier to get out of the skid, for which in the overwhelming majority of cases it is enough to simply stop transmitting the drive to them, but, on the contrary, release the gas pedal and let the engine speed slow down the rear axle.
• Since the front wheels are not simultaneously driving, the simplicity of the design allows them to turn at a larger angle, which reduces the overall turning radius of the machine.
• Drift - of course, where without this plus! It is the rear-wheel drive that provides such an opportunity, thanks to the slipping rear wheels and turning the front ones.

Rear wheel drive cons:

• The main disadvantage is that front-engined rear-wheel drive requires a transmission "tunnel" that runs through the center of the car, taking up valuable interior space, although this is of lesser importance in larger vehicles.
• Rear wheel drive may also be less desirable for driving in rain and snow. The thing is that since when cornering it is rear axle more prone to skidding, then the drive to these rear wheels causes them to slip more on slippery roads, which only increases the likelihood of skidding. Therefore, in theory, rear-wheel drive is easier to skid (this is why drifting is only possible on rear-wheel drive). Although currently electronic systems stability control (ESP) eliminates this problem, although not completely.
• Another significant disadvantage of rear-wheel drive is that when cornering, more effort is required from the engine, because the rear wheels push the car forward, while the front wheels are turned to the side, due to which a little power is lost.

By the way, not all rear-wheel drive cars have the engine in front. Some high performance machines have the engine in the middle or at the rear. These cars include Ferrari, Lamborghini and other cars. And, of course, it would be crazy to put the engine in the middle or rear in such cars, while they would be front-wheel drive.

Rear wheel drive with mid-engine engine layout

Meanwhile, almost all trucks are equipped with rear-wheel drive, since when they are loaded, the bulk also falls on the rear, which reduces the possibility of slipping of the drive wheels.

Four-wheel drive

Technically, all-wheel drive can be divided into three subgroups: permanent all-wheel drive, plug-in all-wheel drive, and adaptive all-wheel drive. All of these systems have the ability to deliver power to all four wheels of the vehicle, which improves traction in bad weather and over rough terrain, and are more commonly found on off-road vehicles. vehicles such as Jeep Wrangler and Toyota Land cruiser. All types of all-wheel drive also offer much better traction, allowing the car to enter tight corners at higher speeds, so you can find all-wheel drive performance sedans in the catalogs, such as the Audi RS7, for example.

All-wheel drive (with reducer or system automatic connection all-wheel drive)

Adaptive all-wheel drive most commonly found on SUVs, crossovers, and sports cars (and some family cars and minivans). This system can transfer power from the engine between the front and rear wheels as needed. Moreover, most SUVs transfer 100% of engine power to the front wheels; but when they start to lose traction (on slippery roads, for example), power starts shifting to the rear wheels as well. Moreover, power distribution does not always occur in 50/50 shares, although it is close to this value.

Plug-in all-wheel drive- This is the simplest type of all-wheel drive, which is implemented on SUVs such as Jeep Wrangler, Ford F-150 and good old Niva. These systems have a device called transfer gearbox, which allows the front axle to be connected (or, conversely, disconnected from the transmission manually). Most of the time, the car is driven in rear-wheel drive mode; but when more traction is needed, the driver manually switches to four wheels using a special lever.

Permanent four-wheel drive. In such an all-wheel drive system, all wheels are constantly pulling force from the engine. Today, this system is rarely installed on modern cars.

Advantages of all-wheel drive

• Of course, the main advantage of all-wheel drive is cross-country ability.
• Much better handling, which allows you to enter corners faster and feel more confident on slippery roads.

Cons of all-wheel drive

• The main disadvantage of all all-wheel drive systems is their additional mechanical complexity and, as a result, the high cost of production and design.
• All 4x4 vehicles tend to be less fuel efficient as they require more than 2x more wheels compared to front or rear-wheel drive, but also various kinds of gearboxes and shafts.
• Tires of all-wheel drive cars are erased already all four, and not in pairs.

What is best for you?

The vast majority of cars (and, believe it or not, many crossovers) are front-wheel drive. This suitable choice for most drivers as it provides good grip with the road in bad weather and decent interior space.

If you're a sports car fan or live in a place where the weather is usually good, you're advised to consider rear-wheel drive. There are plenty of good front wheel drive sports cars out there though (like the Volkswagen GTI).

If you live where it rains and there is a lot of snow, where most of the roads are dirt or off-road, then an all-wheel drive SUV is your choice. Many rear wheel drive premium sedans offered in all-wheel drive versions, as well as many crossovers and SUVs can basic modifications have front or rear-wheel drive, and in more expensive ones - all-wheel drive.

Which is better: rear, front or all-wheel drive - comparison table

Let's look at the gradation of ratings (bad, satisfactorily, good , excellent ) different sides and characteristics of full, rear and front-wheel drive.

Conditions	Front-wheel drive	Rear drive	Four-wheel drive
Budget car	Great	Fine	Badly
Handling on dry roads	Great	Great	Great
Handling on slippery roads	Fine	Satisfactorily	Great
Traction on eroded clay, snow	Satisfactorily	Satisfactorily	Great
Behavior on powerful cars	Badly	Fine	Great
The complexity of the design, the total weight of the system	Great	Satisfactorily	Badly
Braking efficiency	Satisfactorily	Great	Great
Maneuverability	Satisfactorily	Great	Satisfactorily
Loss of power (consequently, increased fuel consumption)	Great	Satisfactorily	Badly

So which is better, front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive?

Mikhail Gorbachev

And again the dispute is front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive?

"And why are such serious companies as Mercedes, BMW, Jaguar, Porsche still producing cars not with front-wheel drive, but with rear-wheel drive?" a neighbor once asked me. And really, why? Let's figure it out.

Firstly, there are Mercedes with front-wheel drive, for example, the subcompact "A class", as it should be compact car golf class size or smaller. Secondly, in our country it is customary to think that front-wheel drive has begun to be used on mass cars relatively recently. This is wrong. Even at the very dawn of the automotive industry, inventors experimented with models of the first self-running carts driven by the front wheels. The first front-wheel drive steam tractor with a boiler located directly above the drive wheel was invented in 1764 by the Frenchman Nicola Joseph Cugnot. During the tests, the control system jammed, and the car crashed into a wall. The wall suffered more than the prototype of a front-wheel drive car!

First stock car with front-wheel drive was produced before the Second World War in 1931. It was a two-stroke German "DKW" German automotive company Auto union. Why not before? Let's answer this way: it happened as soon as it became technically possible to make the front wheels drive. The whole difficulty lay in their drive, and the matter was complicated by the fact that torque from the motor must be transmitted to them, that is, simply, they must push the car forward and turn at the same time. Moreover, the speed of rotation of the wheel should not change depending on the angle of rotation. Takin' axle shafts came to be called equal jointed drives angular velocities. In short, as soon as these special hinges were invented, the production of front-wheel drive cars began to improve. And how could it be otherwise, because just in production with them there is much less trouble compared to the classic rear-wheel drive lineup, which means that it is cheaper to make such cars. Judge for yourself - the cardan is not needed at all, rear axle- lightweight and without gear. And you power unit assembled with a gearbox - quite compact and mounted on a machine complete with axle shafts, suspension and front wheels. It looks like this: a car body floats along the conveyor, gradually acquiring wiring, interior, rear axle with wheels, and at the very climax, a power unit is rolled under it from below: bam, bam and the car is ready.

This is understandable, but it is not clear why the above firms have not switched to front-wheel drive designs. And there is no need to argue that these firms produce big cars, and the bulk of front-wheel drive cars are mostly Golf class cars. This is not entirely true. Firstly, there are many companies that produce mid-range front-wheel drive cars, such as SAAB, Volvo, Alfa Romeo, etc. Secondly, in the United States, luxury cars are produced with eight-cylinder engines located across and with ... that's right, front-wheel drive, Cadillac, for example. And to make a "stretch" option out of such a car - a stretched limousine, is generally easier than ever, there is no cardan! Lengthen yourself brake pipes And exhaust system with a silencer to health, and this is the most difficult work after inserting into the body additional sections. So which is better, front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive? Let's take a look at the pros and cons of both.

Rear wheel drive advantages:

1. The motor and gearbox are suspended from the body on fairly soft elastic elements, which means that their vibrations are practically not transmitted to the body. This creates increased comfort. Sitting in a Mercedes, for example, it is difficult to determine whether the engine is running - no body shaking!
2. No reactive moments are transmitted to the steering wheel during acceleration.
3. When abrupt start the weight is redistributed to the rear, and the drive wheels slip less.
4. Better axle load distribution. In addition, work is optimally distributed between the front and rear tires: front - turn, rear - push the car forward.

Rear wheel drive cons:

1. In production - more expensive.
2. RWD cars are heavier and they always have a tunnel in the middle of the body, which reduces the usable area of ​​the cabin.
3. Worse patency in deep snow and in the dirt.

Pros of front wheel drive:

1. Cheaper to manufacture.
2. There is no cardan and, accordingly, there is no need for a tunnel, which increases the usable area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe cabin.
3. Excellent directional stability and traction on snow and mud.

Cons of front wheel drive:

1. Vibrations from the power unit are transmitted to the body, since it is rigidly fixed to it - this is the specificity of the design.
2. When gas is added under certain conditions, reactive forces are transmitted to the steering wheel. It’s not that he escaped from his hands, but he still tries to live his life!
3. When starting hard, the weight is redistributed to the rear, the front is lightened, and the drive wheels show an excessive tendency to spin.

Conclusions: for cars with a sporty character, a rear-wheel drive design is better suited: examples are PORSCHE, BMW, Jaguar. Isn't it a bad illustration of this strong argument? The same can be said about increased comfort- and in this case, rear-wheel drive is preferable: Mercedes, Rolls-Royce, Bentley. In both cases, more expensive production justified, but the disadvantages of the comfort of front-wheel drive cars are not. Front wheel drive is great for mass production inexpensive cars. As for the American front-wheel drive multi-cylinder dreadnoughts, the Yankees will always do something unimaginable.

What about front wheel drive athletes? There are some. For example, the VW GTI is a great example sports car for beginners! If we are talking about cup racing series, where cars of a certain model of the same brand perform, then why not? European cup series races are known, such as Renault, Mini, Alfa Romeo, Seat and of course Volkswagen. Moreover, since 2002 the latter can also be seen on the race tracks of Russia. And if it comes to powerful machines, then the concept of Dr. Ferdinand Porsche prevails here: a real racing car must be rear-wheel drive, and its motor must be placed as close as possible to the rear axle!

WHICH DRIVE IS BETTER?

Here is what anyone will answer this question for you automotive engineer: "On a rear-wheel drive car, the turned front wheels create a braking effect, and the pushing rear wheels create excess force. Hence, the rear-wheel drive vehicles tend to skid, that is, the rear axle slips in a turn, which is called oversteer. A front-wheel drive car in corners is characterized by drift of the front wheels due to excess or lack of traction at excessive wheel angles, which is called understeer."

“I would buy a BMW or a Mercedes, but I drive in winter and I need front-wheel drive, I will have to buy an Audi,” one of my acquaintances reasoned, many motorists also argue in exactly the same way. They feel more confident in a front-wheel drive car on winter roads, both in corners and on straight sections of the road, and assure that their cars do not skid. We will talk about how to drive a car with front or all-wheel drive on a slippery winter road a little later, but now something else is important. The author of the above saying announced the truth that cannot be refuted: on a slippery and dry surface, cars with various drive behave differently.

Let's start with asphalt. I am absolutely sure that the "average" driver will never notice the difference when driving on paved roads in the behavior of a car with front, rear and all-wheel drive. This difference only appears during very fast cornering. This is where racing experience comes in handy. It allows you to make a conclusion that is quite unexpected for many readers: rear-wheel drive on asphalt is better. The car handles better and holds the road better. Proof? If it were the other way around, Formula 1 cars would definitely have front-wheel drive, and the victories of rear-wheel drive body sports cars in highway-ring racing would be considered an accident, but today it is, on the contrary, a regularity. "A rear-wheel drive car is easier to drive, it wants to turn itself," Lev Fridman, a well-known racing driver from the City Motorsport team, described the behavior of his racing BMW. “And most importantly, at the exit of the turn, when you press the gas, the rear-wheel drive car accelerates intensively, and the front-wheel drive inevitably blows off the ideal trajectory, which greatly interferes with acceleration.” Maybe to control front-wheel drive and rear wheel drive cars mobiles are absolutely required various equipment? Yes and no. The biggest difference with a front wheel drive car is this: the front tires do almost all the work - handling, acceleration and most of the braking. It is very easy to overload them and force them to do overwork. As a result, tires overheat, and they significantly lose their grip. The driver of a front-wheel drive car must be very careful when stepping on the gas at the exit of a turn. A sharp pressure on the gas leads to a redistribution of the weight of the car, lightening the front end, which causes severe understeer of the car. As a result, the car begins to drift to the side. In order to understand how a front-wheel drive car still behaves on high speed in a turn, let's see what tricks a race car driver uses in a front-wheel drive car. Drivers use left foot braking to enter a turn with a light brake pedal applied. In the middle of a long corner, an experienced rider will step off the gas for a fraction of a second to cause weight transfer and load the front of the car, which will reduce understeer, and the front tires will start to hold the road better after this technique. Sharply adding gas, already starting from the middle sharp turn, a racer performing on a rear-wheel drive car, causing the wheels to slip, as if turning the car around its axis, delicately fitting into the turn, and at the same time starting powerful acceleration. If you try to do the same on a front-wheel drive car, then the front end will "push through" straight and the car will be carried off the track. When driving a front-wheel drive car, the rider should try to "straighten" the front wheels out of the corner as early as possible, that is, to get a late apex. This means a late entry into the turn, which allows you to slightly straighten the trajectory at the exit of the turn.

But back to civilian driving. The driver of a front-wheel drive car feels confident on a slippery winter road, thanks to excellent directional stability. When driving in a straight line and during acceleration, a front-wheel drive car "dances" on the road much less than a rear-wheel drive car. "It's clear that it's better to pull than to push." holds better winter road exactly because of this reason. The drive wheels of a front wheel drive car pull the car along and are less prone to skidding than a rear wheel drive car that is pushed forward by the rear wheels.

Depending on which pair of wheels the torque is transmitted from the engine, cars are divided into rear wheel drive And front wheel drive. There are also all-wheel drive vehicles, but they are a separate topic.

rear wheel drive vehicles move due to the fact that it is the rear wheels, resting on the ground, "push" car in front of you. The front wheels in this case serve only to change the direction of movement.

An example rear wheel drive vehicles can serve as Zhiguli models from VAZ 2101 to VAZ 2107.

Front wheel drive vehicles are set in motion by the front wheels, which, "clinging" to the road surface, "pull" car body behind you. In such cars, the rear wheels are needed only so that the body with its rear part can rest on the road, and not drag along the asphalt. But the front wheels perform two functions at once - they both move and direct the car.

Among the cars of the Volga Automobile Plant, the front-wheel drive models are VAZ 2108, 2109, 2110, 2111, etc.

The difference in the principles of driving a car with rear and front-wheel drive in favorable conditions (low speed, dry asphalt, etc.) is insignificant. But in extreme conditions ignorance of this difference can lead to disastrous consequences.

Understand the behavior of rear-wheel drive and front wheel drive vehicles on a slippery road, a barge floating along the river will help us.

Yes, yes, the usual barge. Like a car, it can be driven from behind ("pusher") or from the front (tugboat), it does not know how to swim on its own (especially against the current).

Rear drive

A barge with a rear drive is obtained as follows. A "pusher" comes up from behind, rests against the stern of the barge and then pushes it in front of him along the water surface (Fig. 58 A).

Now imagine that at some point the "pusher" slightly "overdid it" and as a result rear end barges began to actively deviate towards the shore (Fig. 58 b).

Do you think it is worth continuing to push the barge? That's right, it's not worth it, otherwise it will completely turn sideways across the river.

Rice. 58. Rear wheel drive

What happened to the barge on the river is no different from the skidding of a rear-wheel drive car on a slippery road (Fig. 58 V). The rear wheels act as a "pusher", and therefore it is impossible to continue to "push" the car with them! Otherwise, she will begin to spin in such an intricate dance that it will be practically impossible to get out of it meaningfully. To avoid this, at the very beginning of the skid rear wheel drive car you need to stop "pushing on the gas" and start actively working with the wheel.

To eliminate skidding of the rear axle of a rear-wheel drive vehicle, the foot force on the gas pedal should be reduced.

Sometimes it is enough just to ease the pressure on the "gas" pedal, and sometimes it is better to release it completely. But it is the driver himself who must feel what actions to take. this moment the situation demands of him.

Front-wheel drive

Now our barge is pulled by a tug (Fig. 59 A). And he was so carried away by this matter that at one of the turns of the river the back part of the "caravan", namely the barge, was carried to the shore (Fig. 59 b).

What to do? Reduce or increase traction?

If you do not add "gas", do not pull the barge by the "nose", then it will definitely crash into the shore. Consequently, the tug should slightly increase the speed of movement and "pull out" behind him everything that "dangles" from behind him.

Rice. 58. Front wheel drive

In a front-wheel drive car, the rear “hangs” - the trunk is on rear wheels X(Fig. 59 V).

These are the front wheels, "clinging" to the road, pulling the car along with them, and the rear wheels are so simple, they live on their own. Therefore, when entering front wheel drive car exactly increase traction on the drive front wheels will help get rid of skidding. By adding "gas" (within reason, of course), you will force the rear wheels to return to the front track.

To eliminate the skidding of the rear axle of a front-wheel drive car, you should slightly increase the speed.

Oversteer

So, the skid arose at the turn. And at the turn of what?

The fact of the matter is that it does not matter where the skid occurred - at the turn of the road, at the intersection or at the training ground. It is important that the skid arose as a result of a sharp turn of the steering wheel. And now we have the same problem - the rear of the car begins to shift to the side relative to the trajectory of the front wheels and the longitudinal axis of the car.

Based on previous conversations (steering while skidding), to stop skidding steering wheel it is necessary to turn towards the naughty trunk of your car.

If the back of the car went left, then the steering wheel must also be turned left. At the same time, we must not forget about the leading actions of the steering wheel when returning the trunk to its place.

What should we do with our feet?

With the left foot, everything is clear - in extreme situations the clutch must not be touched. We have already agreed on this for a long time. The right leg is a little more difficult. First of all, you need to remember which car you are currently in - rear-wheel drive or front-wheel drive, and only after that start working with the "gas" pedal.

By car with rear wheel drive it is necessary to weaken the force on the gas pedal or even completely remove the gas. Otherwise, the rear wheels can accelerate the trunk so much that it will overtake the hood of your car.

If you take off the "gas" and use your hands correctly, the rear wheels will line up behind the front ones and the car will start moving exactly where you originally intended to turn. Later, when the car "calms down", it will be possible to add "gas", but only a little, preventing the wheels from slipping relative to the road surface.

Arguments about which car is better to choose, rear-wheel drive, front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, belong to the category of disputes about which gearbox is better - manual, robotic or automatic, or about the advantages and vice versa. But since motorists exaggerate the topic of the drive from year to year, it means that not everyone has yet realized what are the advantages and disadvantages of each of the mentioned transmissions. In this article we will talk about the pros and cons of front, rear and all-wheel drive, and let the reader, based on our arguments, make the choice for himself - a car with which transmission suits him best.

Choice #1. Rear drive

If you just list the brands that produce cars with rear-wheel drive, it becomes clear why many motorists are seriously considering buying a car with this type of transmission. Just listen to these names - BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Bentley. Hands, as they say, themselves reach out to take a stronger drive of the cars of these companies.

Why such well-known firms Do you prefer rear wheel drive? Of course, they have models with other types of drives in their cohort (front and more often all-wheel drive), but rear-wheel drive cars have become the most popular. The answer is simple: it's all about comfort and better handling than front-wheel-drive cars. Speaking of rear-wheel drive cars, one cannot fail to mention such sports cars as the Nissan Skyline, Toyota Celica, Honda NSX - icons of car racing fans. That is, we draw an intermediate conclusion, rear-wheel drive is chosen by lovers of comfort or high-speed driving.

Now let's take a quick look at design features rear drive. The design of a rear-wheel drive car can be with any engine layout: front-engine, mid-engine or rear-engine. The power unit for such cars has a longitudinal or opposite arrangement. from the engine is transmitted to the rear axle, which is the leading one. In addition to various engine configurations, a feature of a car with a rear-wheel drive layout is the presence of a cardan, and, accordingly, a tunnel running along the bottom of the car and interfering with the rear row passengers sitting on the sofa in the middle. However, since most modern cars with rear-wheel drive from the premium class, then they have a 2 + 2 seating formula - that is, there are two full-fledged seats in the back, separated by a tunnel on which a table is placed.

Rear wheel drive advantages:

The almost complete absence of vibrations from the engine, which in rear-wheel drive vehicles has a longitudinal or opposite arrangement and is suspended on softening elements;

More controlled skidding of the car, which occurs at a relatively lower speed than cars with other types of drive, and therefore easier to correct - just let off the gas and turn the steering wheel in the direction of skidding;

BMW M3 and Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG - rear-wheel drive cars in a controlled skid

Lack of reactive moments on the steering wheel when the car accelerates. This is due to the fact that the front wheels, which are associated with the steering mechanism, are not leading;

A wide variety of techniques for driving a rear-wheel drive car at speed - which is especially appreciated by racing fans;

Reduced, in comparison with a front-wheel drive car, the turning radius, which is explained by the absence of restrictions on the turning angles of the front wheels of a rear-wheel drive car by the hinges of equal angular velocities;

Optimum distribution of torque between the front and rear axle: The front wheels turn and the rear wheels "push" the car forward.

Rear wheel drive cons:

The production cost of a rear-wheel drive car is higher than that of a front-wheel drive car due to the more complex design;

The presence of a massive cardan shaft and the tunnel going from the engine to the rear axle hides usable space in the cabin and increases the curb weight of the car;

Worse, compared to front- and all-wheel drive vehicles, cross-country ability loose snow, more prone to skidding on icy roads.

Choice #2 Front wheel drive

Most modern cars have received a front-wheel drive layout, mainly due to the simplicity of this design and lower production costs. In addition, more compact motors began to be installed on cars with front-wheel drive, located not along, like in rear-wheel drive, but across the body. And the absence of a cardan in the design makes a front-wheel drive car, on the one hand, more compact, and on the other, it allows you to get more voluminous usable space in the cabin and luggage compartment cars. Since front-wheel drive cars are the most common, more economical and relatively cheap, they are chosen by a larger number of buyers.

A little about the design features of such cars. As the name suggests, the main feature of this type drive – transmission of torque from power plant to the front wheels. The front-wheel drive layout allows you to create six variations in the placement of engines - three in the longitudinal and transverse planes. The rear-wheel drive layout has four such variations. Transverse motors in front-wheel drive vehicles can be located in front of the front axle, above it and behind it. The longitudinally mounted engine has exactly the same installation options. In addition, front-wheel drive vehicles have the ability to assemble the power unit in different ways. In a serial layout behind the motor is located main gear followed by a gearbox. In a parallel arrangement, the motor and gearbox are on parallel axes and at the same height, and finally, in the so-called "floor" arrangement, the engine is above the transmission.

Volkswagen Golf one of the most popular front wheel drive cars in the world

Pros of front wheel drive:

Relative cheapness of production and maintenance;

The absence of a cardan shaft and a rear axle housing makes it possible to make the car more compact, lighter and more spacious both in the cabin and in the luggage compartment;

Better front-wheel traction on slippery roads due to the fact that the engine and transmission are located next to each other, and not spaced apart, as in rear-wheel drive cars;

Better dynamics and efficiency of front-wheel drive vehicles due to lower curb weight;

Better than rear wheel drive cars, patency on loose snow due to the fact that the front wheels have optimal grip on the road surface due to the mass of the engine located in front of the machine;

An excellent and slight degree of understeer, in which a car entering a corner at speed tries to return to a straight-line trajectory on its own. This, of course, affects the better safety of a front-wheel drive car.

Cons of front wheel drive:

Due to the location of the engine on the front axle and its rigid “coupling” with the frame, vibrations from the engine are transmitted to the body, which makes the comfort inside the cabin lower than in a rear-wheel drive car;

Reactive moments are transmitted to the steering wheel during acceleration, which complicates its control;

There is a moment of wheel slip at sharp acceleration car. This happens due to the fact that during acceleration, the weight from the front axle is transferred to the rear, the front wheels lose traction with the road surface;

A large load on the front tires, which play a major role in accelerating, braking, turning the car. Accordingly, their service life is reduced.

Choice #3 All wheel drive

Perhaps the most desired of all drives for Russians is full. It is great for driving on our less than ideal roads, and is a reliable assistant when overcoming off-road. Currently, the popularity of all-wheel drive vehicles is growing. Moreover, this applies to machines that use plug-in all-wheel drive systems, which allows such models to have good dynamics and be economical. Most best option- , in which the base is the drive to front wheel, and if necessary (going off-road), the rear axle is also connected. It turns out that all-wheel drive vehicles will appeal to those who often travel off-road.

A few words about design features four-wheel drive vehicles. All-wheel drive allows you to transmit torque to both axles at the same time, which ensures optimal grip of the wheels with the road surface. There are three groups of all-wheel drive transmissions: permanent all-wheel drive, all-wheel drive on demand and automatic all-wheel drive. Permanent in its design has an interaxle differential with locks, transfer case. There is no automatically connected all-wheel drive in the design, only one axle is leading (most often the rear), and the second one is connected automatically as soon as intelligent system AWD will detect that the drive axle wheels have lost traction. All-wheel drive, connected on demand, also does not center differential, the front axle is the leading one, and the rear one is connected through multi-plate clutches.

Advantages of all-wheel drive:

Excellent adhesion of all wheels to the road surface, which ensures no slippage when starting on slippery surfaces, as well as high permeability car;

The best handling ever high speed due to the optimal weight distribution along the axes (typical for all-wheel drive sports cars);

High reliability of the design (especially for permanent all-wheel drive);

Relative simplicity of design for cars with all-wheel drive (for cars with permanent all-wheel drive, the design is more complex);

Cons of all-wheel drive:

Increased transmission noise;

Uncomfortable driving in the conditions of movement on city streets;

Big weight all-wheel drive transmission, which directly affects the dynamics and efficiency of such a car;

Expensive maintenance and repair.

So, having weighed all the pros and cons of cars with rear, front and all-wheel drive, each motorist can make his own, reasonable and subjective choice.

When buying a car, one of the decisive moments is the choice of drive. Which is better: front, rear or full? Almost every motorist will answer that all-wheel drive is cool, if you buy a car, then you need to give preference to him.

But the answer will not be so unambiguous if we consider all the advantages and disadvantages of each of the types. In addition, all-wheel drive can be connected. Maybe you should choose it as the most successful alternative. But it also has many nuances.

How to choose? What are the points to be guided by when buying a car with a particular type of drive? How not to make a mistake, so as not to bite your elbows later? To answer all these questions, you should familiarize yourself with each species in as much detail as possible.

What's better

Choosing front or rear wheel drive for your vehicle is major decision, which will subsequently play a significant role in the quality of management, how you will behave in extreme situations, in how you will drive in general. Few people know, but in foreign driving schools there are two training courses for future drivers. This is the control of front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive cars. This is due to the fact that the concept of managing them is completely different.

To understand what are the main differences between front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive cars, you should take a closer look at the diagram of both mechanisms. This will help you decide which drive is better: front or rear.

How are rear-wheel drive cars

Initially, all cars had this type of drive. In this case, the rear axle is the leading one, to which torque is supplied from the engine.

The unit in such cars has a longitudinal arrangement in front of the car, that is, under the hood. It is connected to a gearbox. A cardan shaft comes from it, followed by a rear axle, where a crankcase is installed, inside of which there is a differential. The latter distributes torque to both rear wheels.

The differential, in turn, is located between the two rear axle shafts. It is on them that the torque is distributed, and already from the axle shafts it is transmitted to the wheels.

Benefits of a rear wheel drive car

Flaws

1. The final price of cars with rear-wheel drive is higher. Therefore, most middle-class cars are produced with a front one.
2. The usable area inside the car interior is reduced, especially in its rear part. The reason is the presence of a cardan tunnel inside the cabin.
3. When bad road conditions vehicle performance is worse. But this statement can be challenged by the fact that neither front-wheel drive nor rear-wheel drive is suitable for off-road driving.

If you don’t know which drive is better - full or rear, then they have a lot in common, so it will be quite difficult to choose.

Front wheel drive device

Later, front-wheel drive cars appeared that did not have half of the parts listed above in the chassis. Torque from the gearbox is transmitted directly to the front wheels. And behind is a regular axle, on the sides of which two wheels are placed.

The first such cars began to be produced for wide use in the thirties of the last century, and this step is considered progressive for the entire automotive industry. Such cars have become more affordable due to savings on parts during production. A number of advantages over rear-wheel drive cars also play an important role in their popularization.

Advantages

1. The consumer price of such cars is much lower compared to rear-wheel drive cars, because the cost of additional parts and assembly is reduced.
2. The absence of a cardan tunnel, which increases the comfort in the cabin.
3. Good course stability excellent parameters cross-country ability snowy roads and dirt.
4. Front wheel drive cars significantly lighter than rear wheel drive.

Flaws

Features of vehicles with all-wheel drive

It is believed that all-wheel drive cars have collected all the advantages of front and rear wheel drive. And it is not surprising, because SUVs and crossovers are equipped with all-wheel drive, since they have to go through the most difficult roads without compromising driver and passenger comfort. But this type is also not without its shortcomings. Therefore, it is unlikely that anyone will have a question about whether four-wheel drive or front-wheel drive is better.

pros

• increased cross-country ability in extreme road conditions;
• with a sharp start, there is no wheel slip;
• when driving, you can not pay attention to the condition of the road surface;
• significantly improves the dynamics of the car.

Minuses

All-wheel drive cars have only two significant shortcomings:

• high price compared to rear-wheel drive and front wheel drive cars;
• more difficult control.

But the first factor is justified cross-country ability, and the second is compensated by a sufficient level of professionalism of the driver.

Another controversial issue is the choice between permanent and plug-in drive.

Which is better - four-wheel drive or plug-in

Advantages of constant drive:

• design reliability;
• with all-wheel drive, you can drive both on a normal road and off-road.

Flaws:

• increasing the weight of the car;
• high flow fuel;
• complexity of management;
• decrease in indicators of controllability.

Advantages of a plug-in drive:

• ease of management on the bad pavement;
• cars with such a drive have a relatively small mass.

The only drawback is that on smooth asphalt it is impossible to drive in all-wheel drive mode.

From all of the above, we can conclude that when choosing a car with a particular drive, you should be guided primarily by what roads you are mainly going to drive on. Price is also not the last factor, because it will greatly depend on the drive system. In addition, do not forget about your level of driving skills and driving style.

Here is a video that will help you decide on the choice of drive for your car: