What considerations would you even begin with if you had to choose a car transmission (AWD vs FWD)? Would your decision be geared more towards fuel economy and efficiency, or the vehicle s ability to transport large numbers of people and goods, possibly over uneven terrains? Or a combination of all of the above. For some, a car is just a means to an end. To others, owning a big brand vehicle is something akin to a status symbol as an E Type Jaguar For Sale.
For the driving purist, a rear wheel drive (RWD) configuration will always be the one most desired. RWD is what Henry Ford had in mind when birthing the very first combustion engine propelled passenger vehicle. And its merits can still be seen, burning up the tracks in the high stakes world of Formula One Racing, for example. So why has the public been gradually shifting towards front wheel drive (FWD) and all wheel drive (AWD) vehicles instead?
The rising popularity of the FWD has been a slow and gradual one. Beginning in the nineteen fifties with the introduction of the Mini motorcar onto public roadways, the FWD began its steady ascent towards mass appeal and public acceptance as a viable alternative to a RWD setup. The AWD design was a comparatively late bloomer. Only making its first appearances in the nineteen eighties, courtesy of auto manufacturer, Audi. And under the guise of their Quattro engine.
You may have noticed that auto manufacturers typically have only one kind of drivetrain underpinning their full range of production vehicles. The reason being cost effectiveness. Development costs tend to skyrocket for every additional structure incorporated into a vehicle s design. Spending their time and development dollars on further optimizing their current setups, is considered wiser than possibly spreading their resources too thin over a wide variety of engine formats.
But with FWDs accounting for more than 50% of all cars bought, AWDs claiming around 30% of the market, and sales of RWDs only representing a miniscule 10%, is it any wonder a world renowned RWD manufacturer like BMW would be willing to shift gears to developing models with FWD transmissions? It would ve been foolish for them to do otherwise.
But even when money s no issue, overall efficiency still ranks highly amongst consumers when determining whether a particular vehicle best suits their needs. And the FWD wins on both counts. With its ease of development allowing manufacturers to pass the money saved on its development directly on to the consumer. Also, most FWDs consist of relatively lightweight constructions, making them a lot more fuel efficient than the other kinds of transmissions.
On the other hand, with all the additional components going into an AWD s construction, making it much less fuel efficient, and raising its overall price tag in the process, one might wonder how AWD vehicles have still managed to gain and maintain an advantage over RWD setups. The answer lies in technological development. Their performance enhancements, not to mention reductions in repayment premiums, have made owning an AWD more affordable and much more practical for everyone, from the stay at home mom to the busy construction site manager.
Ultimately, when choosing the most suitable drivetrain, it s your daily routine and weather conditions encountered that become the biggest determining factors. So long as you re willing to fork out for a set of snow tires in winter, choosing a FWD vehicle over an AWD one makes negligible difference in a long run. But when compared to a RWD, front wheel drives and all wheel drives still come up trumps for handling well under adverse weather conditions, like in snow or rain.
For the driving purist, a rear wheel drive (RWD) configuration will always be the one most desired. RWD is what Henry Ford had in mind when birthing the very first combustion engine propelled passenger vehicle. And its merits can still be seen, burning up the tracks in the high stakes world of Formula One Racing, for example. So why has the public been gradually shifting towards front wheel drive (FWD) and all wheel drive (AWD) vehicles instead?
The rising popularity of the FWD has been a slow and gradual one. Beginning in the nineteen fifties with the introduction of the Mini motorcar onto public roadways, the FWD began its steady ascent towards mass appeal and public acceptance as a viable alternative to a RWD setup. The AWD design was a comparatively late bloomer. Only making its first appearances in the nineteen eighties, courtesy of auto manufacturer, Audi. And under the guise of their Quattro engine.
You may have noticed that auto manufacturers typically have only one kind of drivetrain underpinning their full range of production vehicles. The reason being cost effectiveness. Development costs tend to skyrocket for every additional structure incorporated into a vehicle s design. Spending their time and development dollars on further optimizing their current setups, is considered wiser than possibly spreading their resources too thin over a wide variety of engine formats.
But with FWDs accounting for more than 50% of all cars bought, AWDs claiming around 30% of the market, and sales of RWDs only representing a miniscule 10%, is it any wonder a world renowned RWD manufacturer like BMW would be willing to shift gears to developing models with FWD transmissions? It would ve been foolish for them to do otherwise.
But even when money s no issue, overall efficiency still ranks highly amongst consumers when determining whether a particular vehicle best suits their needs. And the FWD wins on both counts. With its ease of development allowing manufacturers to pass the money saved on its development directly on to the consumer. Also, most FWDs consist of relatively lightweight constructions, making them a lot more fuel efficient than the other kinds of transmissions.
On the other hand, with all the additional components going into an AWD s construction, making it much less fuel efficient, and raising its overall price tag in the process, one might wonder how AWD vehicles have still managed to gain and maintain an advantage over RWD setups. The answer lies in technological development. Their performance enhancements, not to mention reductions in repayment premiums, have made owning an AWD more affordable and much more practical for everyone, from the stay at home mom to the busy construction site manager.
Ultimately, when choosing the most suitable drivetrain, it s your daily routine and weather conditions encountered that become the biggest determining factors. So long as you re willing to fork out for a set of snow tires in winter, choosing a FWD vehicle over an AWD one makes negligible difference in a long run. But when compared to a RWD, front wheel drives and all wheel drives still come up trumps for handling well under adverse weather conditions, like in snow or rain.
About the Author:
Get an overview of the things to keep in mind when buying a car and more information about a stunning E Type Jaguar for sale at http://www.hilltopjags.com/e-types now.
No comments:
Post a Comment