FWD in Large cars?

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by DJM83

My focus is the best car ive had.
Go for a drive in a quaife equipped car and get back to me.

Amen to that. The XR5T is brilliant handler. I love mine to bits.

[mondo_broady]

Originally Posted by grandpa_spec_au

from memory he said the XR5 was somewhere in the region of 500hp, and he seemed to be able to put it down fairly well.

errrr... NO. that would be some beast!! the new RS is only 320bhp or there-abouts... there is a guy in stheast qld who is having an engine build for his XR5 and he is targetting 300kw and it will be some sort of beast!!

most heavily modded XR5's run around 160-170kw atw... (220-230bhp atw) and are bloody quick and capable of 13's on the strip... with the 5T though, the killer edge is the torks... somewhere between 400-500Nm between 1500-5500 rpm or there-abouts in these modded examples...

[EvilBert]

Actually 300kw but I don't want to split hairs

[mondo_broady]

Originally Posted by EvilBert

Actually 300kw but I don't want to split hairs

yeah i edited that when pointed out... lol...

[mondo_broady]

just a little video for those who still think torqusteer is an issue in powerful FWD's or that they aren't "driver's cars"...

this XR5 ran 1:06 around Lakeside. To put it in perspective, in '96, Craig Lowndes group a commodore was running 1:01 around the same track...

you'll note at about 3:40min he goes past a VL brock director V8 and then at 5:00min an ex-V8 supercar blasts past on the straight but doesn't really pull away through the next series of corners...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peBBMzvUXL0

[grandpa_spec_F6]

Ah perhaps he was referring to the torque figure then, that's the trouble with secondhand information! I've seen it around, and I know that it's hellishly quick, but haven't had a chance to talk to the owner directly, this was all related through my mate with the bike.

Still, in a car that size even 300kw would be diabolical! I lied actually, I have driven a turbo diesel focus and that handled very well, was quite impressed, however this was the latest model so I would still steer clear of earlier FWD cars.

[mondo_broady]

Originally Posted by grandpa_spec_au

Ah perhaps he was referring to the torque figure then, that's the trouble with secondhand information! I've seen it around, and I know that it's hellishly quick, but haven't had a chance to talk to the owner directly, this was all related through my mate with the bike.

that makes sense...

[EvilBert]

Interesting Grandpa....

I work in Capalaba, Qld, and one of my co-workers (who is a big car nut) has told me about an apparent high-powered focus getting around this area. I don't know many details, but I've been told that it is around the power figure that I'm looking at with mine.

[grandpa_spec_F6]

Originally Posted by EvilBert

Interesting Grandpa....

I work in Capalaba, Qld, and one of my co-workers (who is a big car nut) has told me about an apparent high-powered focus getting around this area. I don't know many details, but I've been told that it is around the power figure that I'm looking at with mine.

If your one pushes anywhere near what this thing was, all I can say is that you will be VERY happy. Considering this was put up against my mates bike and won, which has aftermarket exhaust, 636cc race motor and a couple of other little goodies, it goes to show there is defiantly power to be extracted from these motors.

I will try and get some photos of it as I'm sure I've taken some, apparently he wouldn't open his bonnet to reveal all its glory, so I'm not sure exactly what it is running.

[mondo_broady]

if it were EB, i'd love to see it... it would be a beast!!


back on topic, i think several people quite adequately answered the questions posed by the OP with the only negs really being that you can't "drift at round-a-bouts" and torquesteer (only examples given were small cars)... although the understeer on dirt roads comment was pretty fair...

[Crazy Dazz]

Yeah, let’s try not to get into too much slagging…
Yes, all race cars are RWD. No, we don’t all drive race cars. Yes, in every day driving it doesn’t make too much difference, especially with traction control.

But I keep seeing this claim that FWD is more fuel efficient. Is that based simply on weight savings?
I love my XR4, it’s not only a complete hoot to drive, but I can comfortably fit 2 adults, 3 kids, and heaps of shopping. I’d hate to see what RWD would do to interior space on such a small car, but on a Falcon sized car, I can’t see it saving that much space.

[mondo_broady]

don't know if you'd say saving space, but it certainly allows for more space. i suggest you stop in at a ford dealership next time you go past and sit in a falcon, then a mondeo. that might answer your question??

[dannyhilton]

Originally Posted by mondo_broady

don't know if you'd say saving space, but it certainly allows for more space. i suggest you stop in at a ford dealership next time you go past and sit in a falcon, then a mondeo. that might answer your question??

Spot on. The foot-room in a Falcon (especially in the centre seat) is less than the Mondeo (driveshaft etc). I remember sitting in a BMW 1-Series and you'd wonder why they claim it to be a five seater car!!!

[mik]

the argument is old as the hills, for REAL drivers there is only one .........RWD

[oranpark addict]

Originally Posted by mik

the argument is old as the hills, for REAL drivers there is only one ...... RWD

TROLL IN THE RANKS!

[martinijosh]

Originally Posted by dannyhilton

Spot on. The foot-room in a Falcon (especially in the centre seat) is less than the Mondeo (driveshaft etc). I remember sitting in a BMW 1-Series and you'd wonder why they claim it to be a five seater car!!!

BUT, what about seat travel for the driver? I know the toyota sedans at work you can't move the seat very far back which makes them uncomortable to drive because my legs are all cramped up in the footwell (I'm 184cm tall).

[castellan]

FWD for large cars are for

[irlewy86]

I can see why car makers move to FWD for all their passenger cars. People with a real passion for driving are few and far between. Most don't know what a transaxle is and couldn't car less.

[Chopped]

A FWD large sedan with rear wheel steering would be "special".

[irlewy86]

Originally Posted by Chopped

A FWD large sedan with rear wheel steering would be "special".

Toyota and Nissan already make forklifts

[ch33z1l]

Originally Posted by martinijosh JWM I6

My car is a RWD, and all the sedans and hatches at work are FWD, they have **** all power

Probably more to do with the fact they have smaller engines and less power rather than being FWD?

[glavas]

Originally Posted by dannyhilton

Every drive pattern has its advantages. Packaging, efficiency, manufacturing costs, reduced weight are why FWD works among others. It's also much better on ice/snow. FWD is also (IMHO) more predictable for the average driver, having turned a ute sideways on gravel with a simple push of the throttle, I'll be the first to say RWD can take some mastering. The fact that the majority of the car driving public isn't an enthusiast proves FWD is here to stay.

Glad you like your XR4. The Fiesta, and more so the XR4, has gone a long way to prove FWD can be fun!

how can a na fwd 4 cylinder be fun? i cant find one posative about it.

slow
small
ugly
bad seats
bad in interior
no leg room
carnt tow
small boot.

weres the fun?

[mik]

nah just trying to add a bit of light heartedness , there`s no doubt the better versions of fwd are pretty dam good, there`s still no escapeing, engine gear box and diff are all over the front wheels, a good rwd gunna is better balanced, wanna do a repair on gear box or diff on a rwd, you don`t have to pull the engine out, best cars to tow with = rwd, space is a little better used in fwd , but as said in another post its less relevant in big car, i don`t think you can compare a mondeo fuel economyto a similar size car equipped with a bigger more powerfull engine, apples for apples.

[Chopped]

Originally Posted by glavas

......weres the fun?

Where is the fat !

Most modern large sedans are FAT (like western people!!).

Less Weight / More Fun

[Bucknaked]

Originally Posted by glavas

how can a na fwd 4 cylinder be fun? i cant find one posative about it.

slow
small
ugly
bad seats
bad in interior
no leg room
carnt tow
small boot.

weres the fun?

Mondeo is a 4cyl. It tows, boot the same size as a falcon, plenty of leg room. I think you need to go away and do your research. But then, wheres the fun?

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by Bucknaked

Mondeo is a 4cyl. It tows, boot the same size as a falcon, plenty of leg room. I think you need to go away and do your research. But then, wheres the fun?

And more features

[martinijosh]

Originally Posted by ch33z1l

Probably more to do with the fact they have smaller engines and less power rather than being FWD?

Selective quoting is your friend eh...

Read the whole thing. I was saying that they're low power FWD and the STILL have torque steer issues...

[XRSEX]

Originally Posted by glavas

how can a na fwd 4 cylinder be fun? i cant find one posative about it.

slow
small
ugly
bad seats
bad in interior
no leg room
carnt tow
small boot.

weres the fun?

My AE92 corolla was pretty fun. Weighed bugger all, was manual, comfy as, lots of leg room, who need a boot when you have a big stereo in it :P

[dannyhilton]

Originally Posted by glavas

how can a na fwd 4 cylinder be fun? i cant find one posative about it.

slow
small
ugly
bad seats
bad in interior
no leg room
carnt tow
small boot.

weres the fun?

I'm not even going to grace that comment with an educated answer. By the sounds you have no knoledge of small cars so me offering an educated point of view would be useless

Happy spamming!

[Suvo]

Well my brother has a FWD 3.5L V6 Verada and that goes pretty darn hard, yes torque steer is there and that is a downfall but we have had the Verada against my old mans Fairmont on a private driveway and the Verada stayed with it the whole way in 1st and 2nd, when it hit 3rd it really got moving. Not saying that FWD is the better way to go, but the verada does handle extremely well and is hard to break away.

I recon I'm gonna get flamed big time here but we DID have a Taurus and it wasn't a bad car, yes they aren't the prettiest things around but it was comfortable and some of the features it had were pretty nifty too. I wanted my old man to keep it but he wanted an AU II and he got it..... then sold it haha. The Taurus we never really got stuck into at all but as a daily driver it went alright, had very few issues with it and the FWD system seemed to work fine.

I have a BA Ghia and an AE82 Corolla and they both have their advantages, the Ghia can do some mighty fun things but so can the corolla. There isn't really a massive difference what they can and can't do. It all comes down to personal preference really, me I prefer my RWD but I am more then happy to drive any of the 3 FWD's in my family, they handle excellent (focus feels gutless tho... must fix that )