What does front wheel drive mean? How does that work in the winter?

Question

What does front wheel drive mean? How does that work in the winter?

Answer 1

It means that when you press on the gas, the power goes to the front wheels.



Normally, wheels keep your car rolling forward, not sidways., If you hit the gas hard enough that the wheels spin, which is easy to do in the snow, then the car can slide sideways.



Imagine a car driving in a circle. This is the same thing that happens in a turn, but it is easier to imagine in a circle. Imagine that the front wheels spin so the front wheels will slide sideways. This turns the car out from the circle, making a less tight circle. As you go into a less-tight circle, the tires get a chance to regain their grip. That's good.



Now, let's imagine your car is read wheel drive and going in a circle. You hit the gas too hard and the rear wheels start to slide sideways. Now, your car is turning into the circle, making it tighter, which makes the tires lose their grip more. And you end up spinning around.



There's always some guy who tells you that with proper driving skill, a rear wheel drive car is fine in the snow. Don't listen. A rear wheel drive car will be a problem in the winter.

Answer 2

The engine is connected to the Front wheels, not the rear, or all 4.



This is lighter and cheaper, so most modern cars are set up like this. It does change how the car handles of course.



In snow conditions a Front wheel drive is usually better than a Rear wheel drive because the engine weight is over the drive wheels, and they tend to PULL your car, rather than being pushed from the back. This means better control and traction.



BUT, if you are worried about snow driving, look for a car with ALL Wheel Drive, where drive power is send to all 4 wheels for the best control and traction.

Answer 3

Front wheel drive (FWD) means the front wheels are driven or turned by the engine. The rear wheels spin freely.



It works well in the winter, especially for a beginner or novice driver because:



1. The driven wheels have more weight over them giving them more traction.



2. When you make a mistake (like go too fast through a corner) a FWD vehicle will tend to understeer or slide straight, which for a novice is better than oversteering.



3. When accelerating over an icy road a FWD car will tend to spin wheels a bit. This helps the driver feel the road condition and drive accordingly.



I've lived in some of the snowiest and iciest places in the USA all my life and personally feel that for most people a FWD vehicle is actually best for snowy and icy areas. AWD is of course better as far as traction during acceleration goes but since AWD vehicles make the road feel less slippery than it really is I find more AWD vehicles in accidents and off the road than FWD vehicles from overconfidence.

Answer 4

Front wheel drive means that the power from the engine is transmitted to the front wheels only, usually by what are referred to as half-shafts.

It works the same in the winter as in any other season. The front wheels, in essence, pull the car instead of rear-wheel drive that tend to push the car.

More new cars are front wheel drive now than 30 years ago.

Answer 5

The front wheel drive pulls the car behind it like a cart. When the rear wheels are powered the weight of the car ahead of it is unstable. The car can swerve. Dragged behind the front wheels this is not possible. In addition, the entire weight of the drivetrain is above the drive wheel, making for great traction. Generally, almost all cars are now front wheel drive and it is better in snow & ice.

Answer 6

Power to move the car cones from the front wheels instead of the back wheels is what front wheel drive means. There is more weight on the driving wheels in this case, allowing more traction.

Answer 7

Front wheel drive mean instead of having the differential in the back 2 wheels itll be on the front 2 wheels.if i jack up the back of a rwd car so tires off ground,the car wouldnt go no where because the back tires would spin but there off ground.if you jack up back of a front wheel drive car itll move forward,because the front wheels are the ones that spin.its better in winter because all the weight is in the front,with the engine and tranny.so less likely to lose control in snow.awd means its usually runs on rear wheels,but sensors can pick up if you are not getting traction,and if that happens then the front wheel will spin to to help you get traction.4wd meand you have the option at a press of button to have rwd or have all wheels spinning.both awd and 4wd add alot more weight because differentals both in front and back,so meaning youll get worse fuel economy

Answer 8

Front wheel drive PULLS your car. Rear wheel drive PUSHES your car.



With front wheel drive, since the power and steering are on the same wheels, it's easier to control in slippery conditions. Besides the engine puts much of the weight of the car right on the front wheels, providing better traction.

Answer 9

front wheel drive means that the front wheels are the driving wheels. This actually works well, as the wheels that steer are also the wheels that make the car go.

Answer 10

Front drive vehicles have more traction in winter driving than rear wheel drive. Better in accelerating and stopping. Better gas mileage too without the rear axle and driveshaft weight. All wheel drive is the best for winter driving by far.

Answer 11

Front wheel drive ( FWD ) means exactly that...the front wheels receive the power from the engine to propel the vehicle.



In the winter, FWD is actually beneficial because the weight of the engine and transmission is over the engine which helps with grip.

Answer 12

The weight of the engine, transmission and drive-axles provides force over the driven front wheels helps traction IF you have the correct tires. If the front tires are more than half worn out, steering control can be a hand-full in rain, ice or snow.

Answer 13

Exactly what it sounds like, the front wheels are the drive wheels. Works excellent in the winter, will get places the rear wheel drive cars get stuck.

Answer 14

It means the engine only drives the two front wheels of the vehicle.

Answer 15

The front wheels are the drive wheels, rather than the rear.

Answer 16

It means the vehicle is propelled forward using only the front 2 wheels, it's a bit more stable than rear wheel drive for a number of reasons but simply put, front wheel drive cars have the weight of the engine on them which helps them stick to the road better.

Answer 17

A little test for those who are brainwashed to think that front wheel drive is superior:



. Corvette, Cadillac, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Maserati, most Mercedes, most BMW, Vipers, and their peers are front-engine, rear drive.



. VW, FIAT,Chevy,Hyundai,Toyota,Nissan,Renault,Honda and their peers are front-engine, front drive.



Multiple Choice:



. Front Drive Cars are superior



. Front Drive Cars are cheaper to build.

Answer 18

it means your front two wheels make the car move

Answer 19

AWD or 4WD is good for winter. fwd cars are most common, I know Subaru makes a lot of awd cars, even sedans. But Honda, Toyota and most other car companys make their sedans fwd unless advertised.

Answer 20

It just means press on the gas