25 January 2017

Advantages and disadvantages of front wheel drive

Front-wheel drive is mostly small and cheaper cars. Manufacturers like Ford, Honda, Toyota have small cars with front-wheel drive. In front-wheel drive the engine powers the two front wheels which pull the car, and adds to the car's grip of the road. Let us have a deep insight into the pros and cons provided by car with the use of the front-wheel drive. 


Advantages of front-wheel drive :

  • It provides good traction control.
  • Cheaper than AWD and RWD.
  • They are fuel-efficient and more affordable cars.
  • Help in making progress in the snow when travelling at a steady pace.
  • Increasing the volume available for passengers and cargo because of the single unit contained in the engine compartment of the vehicle.
  • Better crosswind stability.
  • FWD also helps cut down the car's weight by eliminating the separate transmission and axle assemblies used in RWD cars.
  • Lower car weight than other cars.
  • It is easier to correct trailing-throttle or trailing-brake oversteer.
  • The direct connection between engine and transaxle reduce the mass and mechanical inertia of the drivetrain that allows better fuel economy.
  • The powertrain can be often be assembled and installed as a unit, which allows more efficient production.

Disadvantages of front-wheel drive :

  • In low traction condition, the front wheels lose traction that makes steering ineffective.
  • Traction can be reduced while attempting to climb a slope in slippery conditions such as snow or ice-covered roadways.
  • Lack of weight shifting will limit the acceleration of a front-wheel-drive vehicle.
  • They can't compete in the sport of drifting this is not a big deal to car manufacturers.
  • In FWD the front axle typically supports around 2/3rd of the weight of the car quite equal to half weight this factor in the tendency of FWD cars to understeer.
  • Torque steer is the tendency for some high power FWD cars to pull to the left or right under hard acceleration. 
  • The driveshafts may limit the amount by which the front wheels can turn, they are generally unable to make the same U-turn as a similar-sized rear-wheel driver car.
  • FWD cars simultaneously put power to the road and steer the car.
  • CV tend to need replacing more frequently than in a rear-wheel-drive vehicle.
  • High wear because of CV joints.