Inferior front wheel drive

[tlong]

Took the Saab turbo out yesterday. It has been a while. I HATE FRONT WHEEL DRIVE! It is just funky after a year and a half with the beautifully suspended C4 and good ol' rear wheels pushing. Very unsettled, not much feedback on how much is too much.

Now the Saab spins the fronts at a roll, 5 speed, and great brakes. But it felt like it was sliding off the road on long sweepers. And the torque steer was just scary. Compared to the vette powertrain pushing into corners vs. being pulled by the fornts there is no contest for me. The advantages of FWD are outweighed by the road handling I've come to take for granted in the Chevy.

The AWD might be great but no experience there. It seems like after the late 80s-90s front drive preference things have come back around to the old style. I think it's much easier to drive a bit rapidly and maybe safer. Just a ramble....

 

[RedVetteMan]

Hey tlong,

You hit a nerve with me. I've been a front-wheel-drive fan for a long time, having owned various FWDs since 1978. Back in the late 90's I sorta-inherited a 95 T-bird from my wife's grandfather (they took away his keys when he hit 90...thats years, not mph). Anyway, it took me the longest time to figure out why it handled so nicely on the open road. It was reinforced when I bought my vette about 3 years ago. I really like RWD, especially when the weight is balanced as well as it is with the vette. I have even grown to appreciate it in my daily driver, an Explorer. My wife still drives a 97 Sable, and I have definitely found I don't care for the FWD.

Yeah, it was a ramble, but I enjoyed it.

 

[G Winter]

It is quite simple.. a front wheel drive you have to herd down the road. A rear wheel drive goes where you point it. Much less work driving a rear wheel drive car. The front wheel is fine on ice and snow but when the road is dry , give me rear wheel drive. And the Vette. I didn't know a car could drive that nice. Even my wife has noticed the diff. when she drives the vette. She will drive the vette over the Riv. any day.

 

[ZumZum]

Yeah, I used to have a Saab 900S (non-turbo) with the DOHC and 4 valves per cylinder head. The torque steer is something you really have to pay attention to powering out of a turn. Another thing is the power didn't even come on till you got above 3500 rpm or so. And don't get me started on that "drain pipe" exhaust sound.

 

[tlong]

The torque steer and the turbo kick got my attention the first run when I nearly knocked down the subdivision sign by inches. Great car otherwise, but no flat handling vette.

In the mid 80's I launched an Audi FWD right off a mountain road like the damn Dukes of Hazard; even had my brother in there. I blamed the car......:ugh

 

[warren s]

I LOVE FWD, I will never go back to rear wheel drive for my DAILY DRIVER. There is no way rear wheel drive is as good in the snow, and I gets lots of that in the winter. A good heavy FWD car can go almost anywhere (with in reason)

Comparing the Vette to a FWD drive car is kind of silly to me. But than again the idea of a performance FWD car is also a mixed bag to me. For open road fun its RWD, for Snow and go is FWD. I dont need 4WD or AWD either.

 

[tlong]

Front drive is superior in snow and ice. Have you been to Sweden? Saabs are like gnats.

The closest I get to ice is usually in my Martini shaker 'round here.

 

[ZumZum]

Unless your in reverse, ya can't do donuts with a FWD

 

[in-Vette-uation]

FWD is NOT superior in ice and snow unless you only consider starts. The steering is so bad you almost need to stop to go around corners. Even when you just let off the gas you may have control problems in slippery conditions. I will not contest FWD is better for starting on ice or snow, but that's it.:gap

 

[fast.asleep]

Unless your in reverse, ya can't do donuts with a FWD

sure you can: find a nice patch of ice, back up to get some momentum and as soon as your on the ice pull hard on the parking brake.

 

[black_81_vette]

Ha!!! rear wheel drive is the way to go!LOL I drive a corvair in the winter havent found nothing as good in snow ect, eccept a 4x4!!

 

[fast.asleep]

I prefer RWD in the winter as well. If I'm at a icy intersection I'll start my truck in 4wd but I put it back in 2wd when I get going.

 

[WhalePirot]

sure you can: find a nice patch of ice, back up to get some momentum and as soon as your on the ice pull hard on the parking brake.

My thoughts. Now, how do you do it w/AWD?:L

Engine over drive wheels really does it in the slippery. I remember an off-road experience with a turbo-Corvair; another beach ride with a VW camper.

 

[rrubel]

My thoughts. Now, how do you do it w/AWD?:L

You can get close to donuts in an AWD with the right setup. Forward gear, wheel cranked, floor it. It helps if your rear tires have more tread than the front, so you get pushed a bit, but you can do it... and handbrake turns are really fun!

I used to do donuts in my Subaru RX 5-speed. It's harder with the auto in the Outback, but possible. However, you massively understeer when you take your foot off the gas.

[RICHR]

 

[WhalePirot]

You can get close to donuts in an AWD with the right setup. Forward gear, wheel cranked, floor it. It helps if your rear tires have more tread than the front, so you get pushed a bit, but you can do it... and handbrake turns are really fun!

The studded tires don't help much, either.

 

[rrubel]

Heh. We can't use studded tires around here, nor chains. Just cables.
[RICHR]