eli5 fwd and rwd, What’s the difference between these two types of cars
In: 0
It’s in their name. Front wheel drive – the driven wheels are the front two pulling the car along the ground. Rear wheel drive – the driven wheels are the rear set pushing the car forward.
FWD and RWD are just the shorted version of the drive systems listed above.
FWD – Pull the car
RWD – Push the car
Its more efficient to Push a car than it is to Pull a car. However, for most snow receiving state, its better to have FWD, because RWD can fishtail in snow.
When you have fwd that means the axel that connects the front two wheels is attached to the drive train. When you press on the gas, it spins those two wheels. The other wheels spin freely. Fwd stands for front wheel drive. Rwd stands for rear wheel drive and is the opposite. The drive train is attached to the rear axel. The gas pedal spins the rear wheels and the front wheels spin freely.
Not an expert, also not a 5 year old (I hope I qualify):
* FWD (Front Wheel Drive) – The engine, is mechanically connected to the front wheels. When you press the gas pedal the engine attempts to spin the front wheels.
* Pros: The wheels you steer with are actively trying to “pull” the vehicle in the direction they are pointed (useful in snow and low traction situations). Front-wheel drive has less components than any other drivetrain setup, making the vehicle lighter and improving its gasoline mileage.
* Cons: Front-wheel drive tends to have a lower towing capacity than rear-wheel or 4WD/AWD drivetrains. In a similar vehicle, acceleration in FWD is slower than RWD.
* RWD (Rear Wheel Drive) – The engine is mechanically connected to the rear wheels. When you press the gas pedal the engine attempts to spin the front wheels.
* Pros: Towing large loads is easier since the wheels doing the pulling are located closer to the load. Acceleration. Better for drifting 😉 Slightly lower maintenance costs due to a simpler “mechanism and more space.
* Cons: Potential to “spin out” in low friction conditions (Snow, Ice, rain), slightly heavier.
Latest Answers