I recently test drive a $6,000 BMW Z4 3.0i automatic -- what a great driving car. I'm not a fan of the styling, and this particular example was beat, but it was a joy to fling around. It doesn't have the daily driver utility of a FWD hatchback, but man it's a lot more fun. Count me firmly in the RWD camp.
If the car can't really power oversteer, RWD has basically no worthwhile advantages for a DD. If you wouldn't power oversteer your DD regardless of whether it could and vote RWD anyway, well... that's a whole other level of baseless rwd elitism.
I DD a rwd vehicle. It can't power oversteer. I was actually thinking on the way home tonight that it would make zero difference to me if it was FWD. Other than it would have a lower floor height and more interior room, but it doesn't lack for that anyway so.. no difference.
So to me, the question is only relevant if what you mean by it is FWD vs Power Oversteer. I'd say it depends on the car. Some versions of oversteer aren't fun (manual slow steering, super short wheelbase + high center of gravity, one wheel drive differential, etc etc), so even then it's nuanced. If it's the good kind of power oversteer i'd pick it over FWD. But the good kind isn't even all that common and not anywhere near as inherent to 'just' being RWD as 'internet RWD elitists' would have you think. If you call it straight and ask 'FWD in general vs sporty+powerful+limitedslip RWD', the question comes off as sort of...masturbatory. No offense to anyone who feels they resemble that.
Manual.
There is a reason there are few RWD cars in ice racing and those have heavily studded tires.
But really for everyday driving It doesn't matter. Unless you get snow/ice.
Vigo said:If the car can't really power oversteer, RWD has basically no worthwhile advantages for a DD. If you wouldn't power oversteer your DD regardless of whether it could and vote RWD anyway, well... that's a whole other level of baseless rwd elitism.
I DD a rwd vehicle. It can't power oversteer. I was actually thinking on the way home tonight that it would make zero difference to me if it was FWD. Other than it would have a lower floor height and more interior room, but it doesn't lack for that anyway so.. no difference.
So to me, the question is only relevant if what you mean by it is FWD vs Power Oversteer. I'd say it depends on the car. Some versions of oversteer aren't fun (manual slow steering, super short wheelbase + high center of gravity, one wheel drive differential, etc etc), so even then it's nuanced. If it's the good kind of power oversteer i'd pick it over FWD. But the good kind isn't even all that common and not anywhere near as inherent to 'just' being RWD as 'internet RWD elitists' would have you think. If you call it straight and ask 'FWD in general vs sporty+powerful+limitedslip RWD', the question comes off as sort of...masturbatory. No offense to anyone who feels they resemble that.
I feel a big DD difference between my 3.6 V6 FWD minivan, and my 3.5 turbo diesel RWD sedan just in how the nose turns in I always feel like its a bit different with FWD. That being said my old 2002 Ford Focus SVT was an absolute riot all the time and it was FWD so I am guessing its not the drivetrain setup that is going to make a difference
Also I would seriously consider a mk7 (I think thats the latest) GTI with the sport package (performance pack whatever) and the DSG trans. Shift gears like a manual, have auto capability for traffic. And you are a tune away from more aggressive settings and tons more hp
Crap. I have just typed out a really long reply on my phone and free Wi-Fi crushed it.
Suffice to say I daily drive both options and like most religious arguments there is no right or wrong answer. Drive a variety and buy the one that floats your personal boat.
Manual FWD all day every day.
I think that the automatic transmission in the RWD really matters a lot, since all automatics were not created equal. A good auto trans is alllmost as good as a manual for DD purposes, but a bad autotrans will make you want to pull over, set the car on fire and walk to whatever your destination is, even if its 100 miles away and 20 degrees and sleeting. So here's my way of overcomplicating things:
RWD/good auto > FWD/manual > RWD/bad auto
I hated the 6l45 in my previous E91, it lagged and jerked and was never in the right gear. The 5-speed auto in my Tacoma? obamanotbad.jpg
So I wrote a lot yesterday and lost it all thanks to free public Wi-Fi and a cell phone, hence my short reply. Background, being a Brit who started driving in the 80’s, that meant that most autos were the old fashioned three speed units that sucked up so much power and torque they rendered the average European car all but undrivable. They may work with big V8’s with masses of torque right off ideal, but they were horrible for ‘normal’ cars. That and the European general disdain for American Land Yachts meant I grew up with the common opinion that the only reason to drive an auto was if you had a limb missing and couldn’t drive a ‘real’ car. On top of that hot hatches were new thing and something like a GTi was only affordable by rich YUPPIES, remember cars were relatively far more expensive over there so a new GTi meant you were a high paid white color type. Then I grew up. Then I moved here. I soon found that not only can auto’s be fun, but in some cases they are preferable to manuals (C4 Corvette with the old Doug Nash 4+3 for instance, awful, give me the auto any day) Also I found that FWD cars can be fun.
I DD my auto Boxster from mid spring to late mid fall then swap to my manual Volvo C30 for the winter. Many on here consider a two pedal Boxster to be sacrilege, and while it wasn’t my first choice (I was looking for a manual S) It was such a great deal I couldn’t pass it up and I have zero regrets. Sitting on the freeway in stop go traffic is far more pleasant with an auto. The Volvo on the other hand I wouldn’t touch with a 99 ½ foot pole if it was an auto. I test drove one and the auto was so ill suited to the engine it was awful to drive. The manual makes the car come alive. In the past I’ve driven many other cars, but I’ve found that things like Mustangs are no longer fun to DD with a manual. The clutch just becomes too wearisome to press in/out/hold in traffic on a car like that for me. I didn’t mind in my 20’s, bit since my late 30’s and now pushing 50 I don’t want anything to do with a RWD Manual car over 300hp, it’s too difficult.
This discussion shouldn’t be FWD/Manual Vs RWD/Auto, it should be about specific cars. My last three DD FWD cars were all manual and I wouldn’t have bought any of them with an auto (C30, SVT Contour, Focus) and I wouldn’t DD a Mustang, Corvette or even something like a CTSV or modern 3 series with a manual. If we were talking an old E36/E46 then yes a manual, but modern autos are so so good I’m more than happy with them.
Yes. That is my response to this question.
I agree with Adrian, it's about specific cars. My E38 740i Sport is more fun to DD than the 5 speed manual Hyundai Accent we had for a bit. The 6 speed manual MINI was more fun than the E38. And the automatic E46 330cic ZHP we have is more fun than any of them. But that auto in a 325i would have been the least fun of any of them. So yeah, it depends on the car.
I can get the back to step out on 4 combos at will. All I got.
Jaynen said:Depends on the commute. If its 90% normal driving then FWD manual, if there is any stop and go traffic involved regularly than automatic
this
In my opinion, FWD has advantages over RWD and all wheel drive. On small cars it saves a significant amount of space and weight to place the engine and the drivetrain close to each other and it is cheaper to build cars this way. For less experienced drivers FWD is safer in a low traction environment. Most drivers will prefer the shooter turning radius and smoother ride of a RWD based vehicle. If you want to get full information about your vehicle the you should visit [this canoe site. since canoes have the best turning radius and traction of all]
I read the title and I thought "hmmm, this topic really interests me!".
I'd probably take the RWD with an automatic, but it's a close call.
Commuting with a manual transmission is kind of like riding in the back seat of a Mustang. In both cases, the conventional wisdom is that it's a pain in the butt, but I have no problem doing either one of those things.
I drive a (4x4) Sierra and it's pretty darned boring in RWD. I think I'd have to take FWD/Manual
I don't get why so many people are so adverse to driving a manual in traffic. Do you have terrible arthritis? Gout?
Out playing in the snow with the FiST the other day.
Throttle steer was really fun.
It really depends on so much more. An engine that has a good power band, a trans that doesn't shift like poop, inside wheel spin, blah blah blah. So while this topic is getting lots of response it is not very useful.
But I will follow anyway, quiet day here.
I don't know how to drive an automatic 
Never FWD under any circumstances.
RWD over everything.
Cactus said:I don't get why so many people are so adverse to driving a manual in traffic. Do you have terrible arthritis? Gout?
Nope, I'm in reasonable shape for a 50 year old and my strength is better than average. If you live in a heavy traffic area it just gets really really old spending so much time with the clutch in, out, in, slip, out etc. etc.
Also back to when the thread was new I say it's totally vehicle dependent. There are auto's I prefer over manuals and manuals I prefer over autos. My Boxster is an auto, which most people here consider a crime against humanity, but I like it. My Volvo C30 is a manual, I test drove an auto version and it completely destroyed the car. In general, but not 100%, I'd say when you get over 300hp for a DD a manual becomes an unnecessary pain. For small FWD hot hatches I prefer a manual.
For me, modern auto's don't take anything away from the driving experience. No matter what, I'm pretty sure I'll never own another three pedal daily driver. This from someone who used to consider the only possible justification for an auto was if you were missing a limb.
In general, I would pick FWD with a manual than RWD with an automatic, but it would realy depend on the two specific cars.
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