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seeing as i have always lived in so cal near the coast and never get up to the mountains i have never had the opportunity to drive in the snow and therefore have no experience of my own to draw upon so i thought someone might enlighten me as to why i hear so many people speak distastefully of rwd in the snow. i know all about the traction(or lack thereof) issues on snow. however, at one point in time virtually all cars were rwd and driven in the snow so i don't see why now people are so afraid/distasteful of it. understand of course this discussion assumes one is appropriately alert and diligent when driving in the snow.
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Generally speaking, you get better traction with weight on top of the tires - in the case of FWD, it's the engine. However, the thing that FWD has really got going for it is that you can turn the tires in whatever direction you are heading, which allows for better cornering/turning in snowy conditions. I'm sure there are more reasons.
Really, with good snow tires you shouldn't have that bad a problem with RWD in snow, unless of course you spun sideways into a ditch (possible in any car) and need to get yourself out.
On a side note, it is my opinion that everyone should have at least one shot driving in snowy/inclement weather. I went out with my freshman year roommate, who's from Maryland, during his first time driving in snow (driving his 5-speed 2000 Maxima, no less, though this was three and a half years ago) and it was highly amusing watching him spin the tires at 5500 RPM in first gear trying to get up his first hill. 
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my dad speaks a great deal of how much of a PIA it was to drive in the snow back in the "good ole days" he's a little more trusting now wiht the traction control electronics but he still is a little wary. FWD is very good in the snow for people who aren't too great of drivers which unfortuneatly is most of us in the US (there's a reason why ATX's are so popular)
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i love rwd in the snow!!
people now hate rwd in the snow because they are very impatient..they need to be at their destination..NOW!
and if that means tehy have to drive 75mph ona asnow covered highway they will. and knowing that rwd is a little more tricky to handle in the snow they don't like it.
my SVTC was the first fwd car i ever drove in the snow and i didnt like it, it was weird to me.
sure fwd can be nice in the snow especially when cornering, but when it comes to going up hills i prefer rwd since the weight of the car is now mostly transfered to the rear wheels.
hell my first car was an el camino, i never had any problems with that in the snow.
basically it comes down to haveing more inexperienced drivers on the roads today...meaning that they have less time behind the wheel of a rwd car.
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RWD these days is a lot better than RWD of years past. i drove an 86 Monte Carlo in college in NH and i almost died several times in that car with just rain! it was horrible on all roads.
the long and short of it is...for the average and below average drivers (ie. 90% of the population), FWD is safer because it is easier to control and correct understeer than oversteer. oversteer scares people into thinking they are going into a spin, so they panic and slam on the brakes, gas, radio, or whatever else they can get their hands and feet on. then, of course, theygo into a spin, panic more, and curse RWD forever. THAT is what makes RWD dangerous in the snow.
if you are an above average driver, have a set of FOUR good snow tires, and any semblance of traction control, you'll be fine.
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Originally posted by 98 SE:
However, the thing that FWD has really got going for it is that you can turn the tires in whatever direction you are heading, which allows for better cornering/turning in snowy conditions.
No. American drivers favor FWD in low traction situations becuase its understeer is predictable. Almost every FWD vehicle understeers. Turn the wheel all you want, but you are not turning the car. RWD vehicles tend to oversteer which most people do not have the experience to handle. So, they are surprised and put themselves into a guardrail, ditch, or other traffic.
I believe a balance RWD vehicle can perform better than FWD, but it is more work. Most people are just lazy.
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Originally posted by APT:
I believe a balance RWD vehicle can perform better than FWD, but it is more work. Most people are just lazy.
*DING DING DING*
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To most people a car is an appliance not a challenge to their abilities. Look pretty and get me where I want to go is what they want mostly. One of the reasons SUV's are so popular is people think that with AWD they'll be safer yet without having to think about it while they drive. Far as I'm concerned being able to drive well in the snow is a survival skill so learn it! PS. snow tire are for wimps, never owned a set. I'M HARDCORE BABY!
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Quote:
however, at one point in time virtually all cars were rwd and driven in the snow so i don't see why now people are so afraid/distasteful of it.
Two things to address here:
1> Though many cars were once RWD, since the 80's most people have driven only FWD, so a very significant percentage of the population has little to no experience driving RWD vehicles.
2> 25+ years ago, when almost all cars on the road were RWD, they also weighed twice as much as they do now. It's one thing to drive a 4500lb RWD-vehicle in the snow, it's quite another to drive a 2500lb RWD-vehicle in the snow.
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some people or so bad at driving in snow, that it front/all/4 wheel drive wont make a difference. i think it all comes down to the driver
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