Most vehicles designed today come with front-wheel-drive {FWD} simply because many seem to believe they handle much better in adverse weather conditions such as snow and rain.  This is due to a number of factors, but mainly since the engine is located in the front of the car, and since most of the weight is on the front wheels, drivers feel a vehicle with FWD is more controllable – especially in bad weather. 

There are as many different opinions on whether FWD vehicles are safer than their counterparts, as there are manufacturers who make them.  Some believe that on slippery roads, giving a FWD vehicle too much gas in a turn will cause the front wheels to spin and the vehicle to skid – and although the skid may no doubt be a straight skid, easing up on the gas to regain control is the best method. On the other hand, some will say this is not how to operate a FWD when you feel it slipping from your grasp and instead, you should apply light braking and a little gas at the same time, all the while pointing the car in the direction you want it to go.

Back in the old days when most cars still had rear-wheel-drive, we were taught in drivers education that if we felt the vehicle was going into a skid or losing control on an icy road, the correct thing to do was simply to take your foot off the gas and turn your wheels in the direction of the skid until you could regain control.  Sounds simple enough and it was – at least, it always worked for me.

These days, I guess things are a bit more complicated, but I believe what it boils down to is simply what works for each individual driver.   I have a truck, which is a 4-wheel-drive and it gets me through the winter pretty darn good.  During other times of the year, I drive a car which is equipped with front-wheel-drive and all in all, once I became accustomed to how it handled, I haven’t had any problems at all - even when the streets are slick with rain, ice or snow. 

A buyer can still purchase a vehicle with rear-wheel-drive {although they are more expensive than FWD} and there are still plenty of old school drivers who actually prefer them and would rather be at the helm of a rear-wheel-drive vehicle, simply because the weight is almost evenly distributed between the front and rear wheels, which some say, makes turning corners easier since the rear tires take on most of the work. Some also believe rear-wheel-drive vehicles have better braking power – especially in sudden stops, again due to the weight distribution. 

Of course, the All-Wheel-Drive {or 4-wheel-drive} probably offers the best traction and safety all around. Studies prove that these handle as well as most rear-wheel-drive and better than most front-wheel-drive vehicles.  Unfortunately, the downside is that most 4-wheel-drive vehicles are costly to buy, costly to maintain and costly to repair – but some drivers say price shouldn’t be a consideration when safety is at stake.

Tags: Advice, General //