Re: So what's good about FWD?

["Doyt W. Echelberger" <Doyt@poboxes.com>]

You probably aren't missing anything.... and you ask  "why would anyone
build FWD cars......" 

I think it's all in your perspective of why manufacturers build cars in the
first place....to sell them and to pay the stockholders.

If you  build FWD cars, they sell real well. And emission standards push
manufacturers into satisfying that market with lighter cars having better
gas mileage. 

Almost no one who buys cars, races them. Most car buyers are looking for a
multipurpose vehicle, and accept compromises that will produce such a
vehicle. Since that is where the buyers are, that is what the manufacturers
build in large numbers. And they build them to get good emission test
statistics.

In the US new car market, maybe 3/4 of the buyers need a car that will
perform reasonably well in a 4 season
environment, and will get good mileage, and have a low cost, with plenty of
space inside, or outside in the truck bed in the case of small pickups.

This means, cutting weight, creating flat passenger/cargo compartments
without big tunnels, and having traction at the drive wheels in snow.   

FWD keeps the drive tires loaded, cuts weight of long,heavy drive trains,
and permits flatter floor space in the passenger box...hence, the minivans
and small, cheap, light weight trucks. It's a huge market, especially the
minivan craze that keeps evolving into 2d and 3d generations.

And people buy them, drive them to work, haul stuff on weekends, and maybe
have a couple more vehicles for other purposes.  Like a big conversion van
for camping and traveling with the family. Or a race car for just that
purpose. Or a luxury car that might also do well on the track. 

That leaves niches for BMW, MB, AUDI, etc.

And so that why I think they build FWD cars. Maybe I missed the reasons, but
there must be many, 'cause they are everywhere.

Doyt
 86 4KcsQ,  85 Jetta TD    84 Rabbit D   76 Westfalia     75 Chevy Suburban
old Goldwing in barn
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At 05:52 AM 1/18/97 EDT, you wrote:
>Since all the racers are delurked this might be a good time to ask this.
>
>I can understand the advantages of RWD over AWD -- predictability,
>low weight, low cost, less complexity (= more reliability, quicker
>to market).  And I can understand the advantages of AWD over RWD when
>you have more horsepower than traction.
>
>But I cannot figure out why anyone would build a FWD car.  You get the
>design constraints of a wheel with both steering and engine attached to
>it, along with all the disadvantages of 2WD, and you also get weight
>transfer to work against you.  There must be some reason everyone is
>making FWD cars.
>
>About the only advantage I've heard is that FWD cars are better than
>RWD in a low-traction environment and the only reason I can think of
>for that is that FWD cars always have nose-heavy weight distributions.
>Even if you want a weight balance other than 50-50 (and it doesn't seem
>to me that you would), wouldn't a rear-engine rear-drive car be the way
>to go?  Why aren't Camrys built like that?
>
>I just don't see any advantage to having a front-engine front-drive car,
>*no matter what* your priorities are.  But most cars on the road are
>built like that.  Including non-Quattro Audis.  What am I missing?
>-- 
>Shields.
>
>