How to choose a car: front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive? Pros and cons of each option

The discussion about which drive is better - front or rear - has been going on for quite a long time. The term "drive" implies a certain assembly of the transmission through which the engine transmits rotational movements to the wheels - rear or front. At first, cars were only rear-wheel drive, now the vast majority are produced with front. Therefore, the question of whether to choose front or rear wheel drive remains relevant, because this is one of the factors on which driving comfort and fuel consumption depend.

Front wheel drive: advantages and disadvantages

Front wheel drive has features that affect the controllability of the car and require certain skills, especially when the roads are slippery and wet. Modern cars are equipped with stabilization systems that help to neutralize dangers and make driving predictable. Front-wheel drive cars:

• provides a smooth ride, because there is no propeller shaft and rear drive axle;
• guarantees good traction during snowfall, icy conditions, and rain;
• allows you to increase the interior and trunk of the car;
• cheaper to produce, so the car is affordable.

However, the redistribution of weight when accelerating the car can lead to its slippage, sometimes insufficient turning ability is noticeable at high speeds, a situation may occur when the steering wheel seems to be torn out of the driver's hands – torque. 

Features of rear-wheel drive

Rear-wheel drive has quite effective dynamics during acceleration, better controllability and stability on the track. The driver has more control, especially when skidding, when using the steering wheel and gas pedal. Rear-wheel drive is indispensable when you need to tow heavy trailers or when driving on bad roads.

The following can be highlighted as disadvantages:

• Cars with rear-wheel drive are prone to skidding on slippery and wet roads;
• The propeller shaft under the car interior reduces its space and trunk capacity;
• Such cars are more difficult to manufacture, therefore they are more expensive, and their significant weight causes high fuel consumption.

So far, rear-wheel drive is almost never used in the automotive industry, but it is used on some premium models and sports cars.

Which model to choose 

It should be noted that there are also all-wheel drive passenger cars - powerful SUVs and frame pickups. It is this 4x4 drive that provides high cross-country ability, but there is no durable manual gearbox, and the connection is carried out through an electronically controlled clutch, which can overheat and open. So the car can unexpectedly bury itself in sand, puddles or snow. All-wheel drive or front-wheel drive to choose is your decision, which should be based on an understanding of where you will drive this car, what tasks it will perform and what your objective driving skills are.

So, the key advantages of a front-wheel drive car are obvious, to take from car rental (Kharkov) exactly this configuration. Car rental in Uzhgorod, where there are many mountain roads, suggests giving preference to all-wheel drive cars. Car rental website of Payless company offers a large list of cars of different classes and brands, so the choice is yours.