Most mid- and low-end cars are front-wheel drive, and most high-end cars are rear-wheel drive.
Let us first look at the front-wheel drive system, which is also the most widely used today.
First of all, it can reduce the cost of cars, which is why many car manufacturers now use this drive system. Front-wheel drive (FWD) is much cheaper than rear-wheel drive (RWD) in terms of manufacturing and installation. It does not pass through the drive shaft under the cockpit, nor does it need to make a rear axle housing. The transmission and differential are assembled in one housing, so that fewer parts are required. This front-wheel drive system also allows designers to more easily install other components on the bottom of the car, such as the brake system, fuel supply system and exhaust system.
Reducing the weight of the vehicle is another advantage of front-wheel drive. Reducing vehicle weight can improve acceleration, braking and fuel economy. Since the driving wheels of a front-wheel-drive car bear the weight of the engine and drive axle, the adhesion of the driving wheels can be increased, which will be of great help to cars driving on wet and slippery roads.
The biggest advantage of front-wheel drive is that it can have a large indoor space, and there will be no big bulge in the cab because of the drive shaft passing through. Take a look at the Honda Civic, and you will find that this kind of car can also have a back seat space that many cars can’t match. The reason is that it has a flat floor, and at the same time, without the rear differential, there is also space for the trunk. Will be enlarged.
The main disadvantage of front-wheel drive is that it makes the car's handling worse. Because most of the mass is concentrated in the front of the car, the rear of the car will become lighter, so that the adhesion of the rear wheel will be smaller, and it is easy to drive the rear of the car on an ice-covered road. Sideslip. But this problem has now been solved. The designer will set the weight as much as possible in the rear of the car when designing. The ideal mass distribution is that the ratio of the mass to the front and rear wheels is 50:50, but the front-wheel drive Few cars reach or approach this ratio.
Another disadvantage is the load on the front wheels. The front wheels must transmit the force of the ground acting on the tires during acceleration, steering and braking. The adhesion of a tire is limited. When part of the adhesion is used for acceleration, it will inevitably reduce the force on other parts. The rear wheel bears very little such force, it only needs to roll with the front wheel.
The disadvantages of all front-wheel drive systems are the advantages of rear-wheel drive systems. As part of the mechanical parts move from the front to the rear of the car, the balance and operability of the car will be greatly improved. When a rear-wheel-drive car accelerates, the traction force will not be issued by the front wheels, so when accelerating and turning, the driver will feel a greater lateral grip and the operating performance will become better. This is why high-speed sports cars and high-performance cars in the world are all driven by rear wheels.
Low maintenance costs are also an advantage of rear-wheel drive, although this cost will vary greatly due to the difference in structure and model. But if your transmission fails, there is no need to repair the differential for a rear-wheel drive car, but it may be necessary for a front-wheel drive car, because these two components are made together. Of. However, after decades of development, the reliability of front-wheel drive vehicles has also been greatly developed, and the high maintenance cost may not be a big problem.
The disadvantages of rear-wheel drive are also obvious, such as relatively high assembly and manufacturing costs, more failures, relatively small indoor space, and so on. Now, more cars use independent rear suspension systems, so designers can put the car body closer to the differential and drive shaft when designing, which can increase the indoor space.
Low traction has always been a problem with rear-wheel drive cars because the load on the rear wheels is relatively small, but now electronic devices have changed this. The traction control force system and the electronic body stabilization system allow rear-wheel-drive cars to achieve the same performance as front-wheel-drive cars on wet roads. Improved tire design technology can also improve this defect of rear-wheel drive cars.
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