New and used car buyers have been debating the advantages and disadvantages between FWD versus RWD (rear-wheel-drive versus front-wheel-drive) for decades. Most vehicles, including cars, crossovers, SUVs, and pickups, offer one of these two types of drivetrain systems and each has its benefits. Although front-wheel drive cars first became available in the 1920s, they didn’t really hit the mainstream until the late 1960s with the introduction of the Oldsmobile Toronado and Cadillac Eldorado. Still, most cars were powered by their rear wheels until the early 1980s. Most of the industry moved toward front-wheel drive designs after the influx and immediate popularity of small fuel efficient FWD Japanese cars in the 1970s, like the first Honda Civic, Honda Accord and Toyota models. FWD has been more popular than RWD ever since as it’s the drivetrain system that powers most modern model types, including most sedans, hatchbacks, and crossovers. All-wheel drive is the third drivetrain option for consumers buying new or used vehicles. And AWD has gained popularity over the last two decades as the sales of crossovers and SUVs have increased. Then there’s on demand four-wheel drive or 4WD, which can be found in some SUVs, but is most common in pickup trucks like the Ford F-150. But which is best for you, FWD or RWD? Does rear-wheel drive or front-wheel drive offer better traction and safety in the types of conditions and on the types of road you most often drive? Here, we’ll answer these important questions along with these nine:

Is RWD or FWD better?

For most vehicle buyers most of the time, front-wheel drive is the way to go. Although rear-wheel drive has its benefits when it comes to ultimate performance potential, the benefits and advantages of front-wheel drive are considerable, which explains its extreme popularity with both car manufacturers and consumers. Here’s a list of the benefits of front-wheel drive over rear-wheel drive:

1. Front-wheel drive is usually cheaper to manufacture, which lowers the price of the auto.
2. Front-wheel drive keeps the car’s entire drivetrain system under the hood, including its transmission, which allows for an increase in interior space for the driver and passengers.
3. Front-wheel drive vehicles provide better traction in winter and slippery conditions, making them easier to steer.
4. Front-wheel drive is usually more efficient than rear-wheel drive, increasing fuel economy.
5. Front-wheel drive vehicles are usually easier to drive in turns. They usually don’t “fishtail” like a rear-drive car might on twisty roads and they are less likely for a driver to lose control and skid off the road.

Do RWD of FWD cars handle better?

Most performance drivers and car enthusiasts prefer rear-wheel drive over front-wheel drive. This is because RWD cars often handle better than FWD models. This is also one of the reasons most sports cars, sports sedans and muscle cars are rear-wheel drive. It’s also the reason some manufacturers like BMW and Mercedes-Benz offer more rear-wheel drive models. This is not to say front-wheel drive cars and SUVs don’t handle well. And there are many high-performance front-wheel drive models like the Volkswagen Golf GTI, which are very fun-to-drive. But front-wheel drive models aren’t as well balanced as a rear-wheel drive vehicles so their tires usually don’t have as much traction in turns.

With rear-wheel drive, more of the vehicles drivetrain components are in the middle or rear of the car. This puts more of the vehicle’s weight over the cars rear wheels, so the weight is more evenly distributed over the cars four wheels and tires, so they share the load more evenly. This takes some of the weight off the cars front tires. In a front-wheel drive car the front tires also have to steer as well as deliver the engine’s power and torque to the road. That’s a lot of work and it can be overwhelming for the front tires, causing them to lose traction sooner. With rear wheel drive, that work is more evenly distributed and the front and rear tires share the work. They work as a team. The front tires steer, while the rear tires get the power of the engine to the road. The result is usually a car with more ultimate traction on the road and vehicle that can turn at higher speeds with greater safety and offer its driver more handling performance. As a result, many of the best handling cars in the world, including the Chevy Corvette, BMW M3, and most Ferraris are rear-wheel drive. Recently, however, many modern high performance sports cars and sports sedans, like the BMW M5, have made the switch to all-wheel drive. Although an AWD system adds weight to a vehicle, it allows the cars four wheels to share the work of accelerating the vehicle, which improves overall traction and allows the auto to ultimately handle better. Some modern all-wheel drive systems, like the one in the BMW M5, even offer the driver a rear-wheel drive mode. With the push of a button the drivetrain switches from AWD to RWD, which can sacrifice some traction and handling, but it can also make the car more fun-to-drive for a skilled and talented high-performance driver.