If rear-wheel is so good...

On Tue, 07 Sep 2004 15:19:50 GMT, (Rex B) wrote:

>On 4 Sep 2004 13:05:15 -0700, wrote:
>
>||then why not make all cars in production rear-engined, rear-wheeled
>||cars? I hate RWD. It's slightly less stable and less easy to control
>||to me.
>
>In normal street driving, the forward weight of a FWD car makes the car feel
>more stable. And for most street driving FWS or RWD makes no difference, other
>than the particular feel and handling characteristics designed into that
>particular car. There are plenty of well-engineering FWD cars that you would
>swear were convention RWD chassis.

Perhaps there are but I've never found one. They (FWD) all feel like
pure crap to me compared to any run of the mill RWD car of like price
point. No matter what they do, they always wind up with torque steer
and that strange low frequency grinding, growling thing they do when
you accelerate. I just can't stand them. Give me a Camaro, Mustang,
Crown Vic, RWD SUV, Corvette any day of the week then any FWD.
--
Elbridge Gerry, of Massachusetts:

"What, sir, is the use of militia? It is to prevent the
establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty. . .
Whenever Government means to invade the rights and liberties of
the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order
to raise a standing army upon its ruins." -- Debate, U.S. House
of Representatives, August 17, 1789

"AZGuy" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 07 Sep 2004 15:19:50 GMT, (Rex B) wrote:
>
> >On 4 Sep 2004 13:05:15 -0700, wrote:
> >
> >||then why not make all cars in production rear-engined, rear-wheeled
> >||cars? I hate RWD. It's slightly less stable and less easy to control
> >||to me.
> >
> >In normal street driving, the forward weight of a FWD car makes the car
feel
> >more stable. And for most street driving FWS or RWD makes no difference,
other
> >than the particular feel and handling characteristics designed into that
> >particular car. There are plenty of well-engineering FWD cars that you
would
> >swear were convention RWD chassis.
>
> Perhaps there are but I've never found one. They (FWD) all feel like
> pure crap to me compared to any run of the mill RWD car of like price
> point. No matter what they do, they always wind up with torque steer
> and that strange low frequency grinding, growling thing they do when
> you accelerate. I just can't stand them. Give me a Camaro, Mustang,
> Crown Vic, RWD SUV, Corvette any day of the week then any FWD.
> --
> Elbridge Gerry, of Massachusetts:
>
> "What, sir, is the use of militia? It is to prevent the
> establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty. . .
> Whenever Government means to invade the rights and liberties of
> the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order
> to raise a standing army upon its ruins." -- Debate, U.S. House
> of Representatives, August 17, 1789

I grew up on RWD cars here in the northeast (upstate NY) and they were
great as long as there was no snow on the road. All of them were skittish
at
best, and took some finesse to keep on the road when it was slippery, even
with snow tires. I never had an accident in winter time, but it was touch
and
go most of the time, and there were lots of tense moments. The FWD cars
I've owned so far are much better in adverse conditions - I can almost
forget
there's snow on the road, within reason.

My 2 cents...

And that is why all Camaro, Corvette or Mustang park their cars during the
winter months while RWD truck have to have weight on the back to keep them
on the road.


"AZGuy" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 07 Sep 2004 15:19:50 GMT, (Rex B) wrote:
>
> >On 4 Sep 2004 13:05:15 -0700, wrote:
> >
> >||then why not make all cars in production rear-engined, rear-wheeled
> >||cars? I hate RWD. It's slightly less stable and less easy to control
> >||to me.
> >
> >In normal street driving, the forward weight of a FWD car makes the car
feel
> >more stable. And for most street driving FWS or RWD makes no difference,
other
> >than the particular feel and handling characteristics designed into that
> >particular car. There are plenty of well-engineering FWD cars that you
would
> >swear were convention RWD chassis.
>
> Perhaps there are but I've never found one. They (FWD) all feel like
> pure crap to me compared to any run of the mill RWD car of like price
> point. No matter what they do, they always wind up with torque steer
> and that strange low frequency grinding, growling thing they do when
> you accelerate. I just can't stand them. Give me a Camaro, Mustang,
> Crown Vic, RWD SUV, Corvette any day of the week then any FWD.
> --
> Elbridge Gerry, of Massachusetts:
>
> "What, sir, is the use of militia? It is to prevent the
> establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty. . .
> Whenever Government means to invade the rights and liberties of
> the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order
> to raise a standing army upon its ruins." -- Debate, U.S. House
> of Representatives, August 17, 1789

I've driven thru many blizzards in RWD vehicles including a 69
Firebird 400 with street tires where I got caught in the middle after
the closed the road. It all comes down to knowing how to drive. I've
driven past many vehicles that had slide off the side of the road
including 4x4s with snow tires.

On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 20:48:52 -0400, "none" > wrote:

>And that is why all Camaro, Corvette or Mustang park their cars during the
>winter months while RWD truck have to have weight on the back to keep them
>on the road.
>
>
>"AZGuy" > wrote in message
.. .
>> On Tue, 07 Sep 2004 15:19:50 GMT, (Rex B) wrote:
>>
>> >On 4 Sep 2004 13:05:15 -0700, wrote:
>> >
>> >||then why not make all cars in production rear-engined, rear-wheeled
>> >||cars? I hate RWD. It's slightly less stable and less easy to control
>> >||to me.
>> >
>> >In normal street driving, the forward weight of a FWD car makes the car
>feel
>> >more stable. And for most street driving FWS or RWD makes no difference,
>other
>> >than the particular feel and handling characteristics designed into that
>> >particular car. There are plenty of well-engineering FWD cars that you
>would
>> >swear were convention RWD chassis.
>>
>> Perhaps there are but I've never found one. They (FWD) all feel like
>> pure crap to me compared to any run of the mill RWD car of like price
>> point. No matter what they do, they always wind up with torque steer
>> and that strange low frequency grinding, growling thing they do when
>> you accelerate. I just can't stand them. Give me a Camaro, Mustang,
>> Crown Vic, RWD SUV, Corvette any day of the week then any FWD.
>> --
>> Elbridge Gerry, of Massachusetts:
>>
>> "What, sir, is the use of militia? It is to prevent the
>> establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty. . .
>> Whenever Government means to invade the rights and liberties of
>> the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order
>> to raise a standing army upon its ruins." -- Debate, U.S. House
>> of Representatives, August 17, 1789
>

--
Elbridge Gerry, of Massachusetts:

"What, sir, is the use of militia? It is to prevent the
establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty. . .
Whenever Government means to invade the rights and liberties of
the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order
to raise a standing army upon its ruins." -- Debate, U.S. House
of Representatives, August 17, 1789

agreed about know how to drive. I believe that for traction on slippery
surface such as snow, there are place that RWD will get stuck while FWD car
will likely goes through. For example, my driveway has a slope at the end
of the driveway, a RWD drive vehicle much gently accelerate (I mean slowly)
to get off the driveway while a FWD vehicle can get off much faster. It is
clearly that FWD traction like night and day compare to RWD. Newer RWD
vehicle equip with more sophisticate traction control system to allow people
who prefer RWD vehicle like Mustang or Corvette to handle better in wet
surface but still not sufficient for winter drive (primarily vehicle
clearance).
I have driven Volvo 960 RWD during winter months with winter traction option
enable so I don't spin out of control. I have driven Z28 on a highway
cruising about 70 Mph on wet road (slight snowing condition) and all of
sudden I found myself 180 degree facing the road backward. That is when I
said enough is enough. Drive FWD for winter months is the prefer vehicle
beside AWD vehicle.

"AZGuy" > wrote in message
...
> I've driven thru many blizzards in RWD vehicles including a 69
> Firebird 400 with street tires where I got caught in the middle after
> the closed the road. It all comes down to knowing how to drive. I've
> driven past many vehicles that had slide off the side of the road
> including 4x4s with snow tires.
>
> On Tue, 14 Sep 2004 20:48:52 -0400, "none" > wrote:
>
> >And that is why all Camaro, Corvette or Mustang park their cars during
the
> >winter months while RWD truck have to have weight on the back to keep
them
> >on the road.
> >
> >
> >"AZGuy" > wrote in message
> .. .
> >> On Tue, 07 Sep 2004 15:19:50 GMT, (Rex B) wrote:
> >>
> >> >On 4 Sep 2004 13:05:15 -0700, wrote:
> >> >
> >> >||then why not make all cars in production rear-engined, rear-wheeled
> >> >||cars? I hate RWD. It's slightly less stable and less easy to
control
> >> >||to me.
> >> >
> >> >In normal street driving, the forward weight of a FWD car makes the
car
> >feel
> >> >more stable. And for most street driving FWS or RWD makes no
difference,
> >other
> >> >than the particular feel and handling characteristics designed into
that
> >> >particular car. There are plenty of well-engineering FWD cars that
you
> >would
> >> >swear were convention RWD chassis.
> >>
> >> Perhaps there are but I've never found one. They (FWD) all feel like
> >> pure crap to me compared to any run of the mill RWD car of like price
> >> point. No matter what they do, they always wind up with torque steer
> >> and that strange low frequency grinding, growling thing they do when
> >> you accelerate. I just can't stand them. Give me a Camaro, Mustang,
> >> Crown Vic, RWD SUV, Corvette any day of the week then any FWD.
> >> --
> >> Elbridge Gerry, of Massachusetts:
> >>
> >> "What, sir, is the use of militia? It is to prevent the
> >> establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty. . .
> >> Whenever Government means to invade the rights and liberties of
> >> the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order
> >> to raise a standing army upon its ruins." -- Debate, U.S. House
> >> of Representatives, August 17, 1789
> >
>
> --
> Elbridge Gerry, of Massachusetts:
>
> "What, sir, is the use of militia? It is to prevent the
> establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty. . .
> Whenever Government means to invade the rights and liberties of
> the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order
> to raise a standing army upon its ruins." -- Debate, U.S. House
> of Representatives, August 17, 1789