RWD means that the power from the engine is delivered to the rear wheels and the rear wheels push the car forward. The front wheels do not receive any power and are free to manoeuvre the vehicle. The disadvantage of a RWD vehicle are that they do not perform well in poor weather conditions such as rain or snow because they are more prone to loss of traction on slick roads.
The biggest advantage of a 4WD vehicle is that it provides the versatility and power to take on any terrain or weather condition. Power is transferred from the transmission to the rear wheels by way of a long driveshaft to a differential. RWD vehicles handle much better than front-wheel drive vehicles and you will notice the difference in curves, turns, and when navigating through traffic situations.
Rear-wheel drive vehicles are better for towing because the front wheels have better steering without a ton of weight on them. Plus, with the power transfer and the tongue weight of the trailer, the rear of vehicle squats, which gives the rear wheels more traction. Rear-wheel drive used to be the most common drive system until the advent of front-wheel drive in the early 80s. However, RWD vehicles can handle more horsepower and higher vehicle weights, which is why it is often found in sports cars, performance sedans, big trucks, race cars, and law enforcement pursuit vehicles.
But unlike AWD, most systems are driver activated, meaning the driver must engage the AWD function via a secondary gear shift or through a button or setting. Also, the nose-heavy layout of FWDs sometimes makes them succumb to torque steer or understeer, a condition in which rapid acceleration causes the vehicle to drift left or right on its own.
As a result, most high-performance sports cars choose rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive layouts. Fortunately, electronic traction control in many modern FWDs helps to mitigate torque steer and related problems. Front-wheel-drive cars can also have relatively large turning circles, as transversely mounted engines allow less space for the front wheels to turn. That makes large FWD sometimes challenging to make U-turns. For most of the automobile's history, rear-wheel-drive was the default configuration for vehicles.
The main advantage of the rear-wheel layout is that each set of tires has just one task, ensuring an equal amount of stress on both: The front set steers, while the rears handle the power.
Rear-wheel-drive cars can manage turns more smoothly as a result because the drive wheels aren't overtasked. The balanced feel of RWDs is why performance cars use the system. Rear-wheel-drive cars sometimes have more towing capacity than FWDs because the weight of the trailers gives the rear tires of the RWD more traction. Plus, the RWD's front tires, being less burdened than an FWD, can usually more accurately maneuver the trailer through traffic.
Rear-wheel-drive vehicle platforms have more flexible designs, as the engine can sit in the front, middle, or back of the car, whereas front-wheel-drive vehicles require the engine to sit at the front. RWDs can also handle larger engines because the weight and power of that larger powertrain are less likely to burden the front wheels. The ability to handle more power is why many law enforcement agencies continue to use rear-wheel-drive sedans as pursuit vehicles.
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