MK5 Golf GTI

General => Random Chat => Topic started by: muckipup on November 29, 2011, 03:55:23 pm

Title: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: muckipup on November 29, 2011, 03:55:23 pm
Driving in to work last week and I spotted an MX5 facing backwards up an incline in an otherwise easy stretch of road after a large roundabout.

The week before was a BMW, again after a roundabout, again facing the wrong way with its back end half way up the bent-over lamppost in the not-too-challenging stretch of road after the roundabout.

I have seen plenty of crashes but whenever I see something ludicrous where the car was clearly all over the place prior to the crash (rather than just sliding off the road) and you are left saying "How the heck did the driver get into that kinda mess", it seems to be a RWD.

The Beemers seem to get a good reputation for road holding but are the more powerful RWDs really safe in the hands of the average driver because in the rare occasion that they lose it, they REALLY seem to lose it!
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: Beddie on November 29, 2011, 05:40:02 pm
I'd have no reservations about buying a RWD at all, also would be happy for Mrs Beddie to use it as her daily as she does now with the Golf  :happy2:

Imo it's a fallacy that RWD cars are inherently more dangerous than FWD/4WD, the only difference is in how the car behaves once approaching and when beyond the limit  but if pushed past that point in a modern car then you'll likely stack it anyway and then it's just a case whether you go through the hedge backwards or forwards...

Just think of all the BMWs, Mercs, Jags etc that are driven every day by all types of drivers young old and inbetween, it's not as if the hedges of britain are full of wrecked rwd cars lol

Yeah RWD is tricky to the inexperienced when pushing the limit but i'm willing to bet that if you took the average 320d company car driver and asked him/her which are the driven wheels on their car they would probably say the front...

Besides our dads and grandads had no choice other than RWD and they managed to survive even without ESP/TCS/DCT, you just man steered your capri, escort or rover sd1 on your cross ply tyres and got on with it  :grin:
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: vRS Carl on November 29, 2011, 05:54:14 pm
^^^^ What he said  :happy2:


Or put another way to answer the question as it should have been posed:

Would you buy a Man Wheel Drive car? - Yes yes yes and Yes  :driver: :evilgrin:
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: sub39h on November 29, 2011, 06:02:37 pm
owned a RWD car before. not powerful enough to get me in any trouble, but still!

would definitely own one again
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: stealthwolf on November 29, 2011, 06:14:07 pm
If you're that worried, get some advanced driving lessons that'll help you learn the limits of your car. Then you'll know what it can/can't do.

I've heard of some insurance companies who want people to have had 1-2 years experience with RWD before they will insure and a lot is probably to do with how people handle these vehicles.
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: WhiteGTI on November 29, 2011, 06:34:22 pm
Put it this way...I'm not sure I'd ever go back to a front-wheel drive car again! As great as they are, they just aren't the same as the feeling of a RWD car...

But Stealthwolf speaks a lot of sense ^^^.
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: Jk911 on November 29, 2011, 06:48:19 pm
Yes, I have just bought a BMW z3m coupe, 325bhp no traction control, it handles much better than my golf gti, I have had e46 m3, Porsche 911 3.2 Carreras, but do agree that to get the best from a rwd you do need to know what you are doing, but they are so much more rewarding to drive!! :driver:
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: Leonard on November 29, 2011, 08:15:34 pm
Why WOULDNT YOU buy a real wheel drive.

Apart from driving in the snow all benefits

Go test drive a Mazda RX8 and discover how much better it feels than the Golf.........
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: rdfcpete on November 29, 2011, 08:24:15 pm
Yeah RWD is tricky to the inexperienced when pushing the limit but i'm willing to bet that if you took the average 320d company car driver and asked him/her which are the driven wheels on their car they would probably say the front...

I expect that's very true Steve  :happy2:

Yes, I would have an RWD car too. Currently sniffing round 123d coupes.
I think if you're driving to the conditions, you shouldn't be caught out in any type of drivetrain as you describe muckipup.
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: rich83 on November 29, 2011, 08:26:59 pm
I quite fancy a 123D too Pete... seems to be a good compromise of looks/power/fun/running cost.  :happy2:
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: Beddie on November 29, 2011, 08:27:45 pm
Yeah RWD is tricky to the inexperienced when pushing the limit but i'm willing to bet that if you took the average 320d company car driver and asked him/her which are the driven wheels on their car they would probably say the front...

I expect that's very true Steve  :happy2:

Yes, I would have an RWD car too. Currently sniffing round 123d coupes.
I think if you're driving to the conditions, you shouldn't be caught out in any type of drivetrain as you describe muckipup.

There was a youtube vid last winter showing a woman with some snow sock thingys on the front wheels of her 120d trying to get up a hill  :grin:

123d is an excellent choice Pete!  :happy2:
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: Top Cat on November 29, 2011, 09:10:58 pm
Quote
Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?

Not for me!, front wheel drive for the win.  :driver:
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: Leonard on November 29, 2011, 09:18:59 pm
Quote
Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?

Not for me!, front wheel drive for the win.  :driver:

 :signLOL:
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: Phil Miller on November 29, 2011, 09:35:35 pm
id defo have another RWD car, only a screwdriver loses a RWD on normal roads, i always found it fun getting the arse end out and holding it there :driver:
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: lee_ on November 29, 2011, 09:42:46 pm
I've come from a Honda s2000, razor sharp handling and no driver aids.

As others have said, its a much more rewarding drive, hard to master but more involving for it.
Useless this time of year, i ended up parking it up all winter and driving round in a skoda felicia 1.3
which was part of the reason I sold up and bought the mk5. :driver:
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: gobbleplease on November 29, 2011, 09:49:17 pm
Yea got to love rwd, funtastic ! I used to go out late at night in the rain when no other cars were on the road just for a drive loved it ! Got to say i would feel a bit edgey being in a rwd car with my mrs at the wheel if it did go wrong though, you need to know what you are doing and be pretty quick to get them back in line and my mrs just hasnt got the skills, bloody good at the dishes though !!
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: Top Cat on November 29, 2011, 10:00:17 pm
Seriously guys rear wheel drive is a piece of cake to drive.  :laugh:

This is a handful to say the least.  :notworthy:

Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: gazbutS3 on November 29, 2011, 10:09:28 pm
want face  :smiley:

he can hustle that round :happy2:
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: Top Cat on November 29, 2011, 10:20:41 pm
He sure can. Got a bit excited on this lap though.  :surprised:

Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: rich83 on November 29, 2011, 10:26:07 pm
Im not ashamed to say that i would have suffered "multiple soilings" if driven around a track like that!  :surprised:
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: Oli on November 29, 2011, 10:38:57 pm
 I have both a FWD car - Ed30 and RWD car - 911C2S, and I love them both, for the huge smile they put on my face. For FWD for everyday and RWD for the weekend fun.  They both have their pro's and cons, but treated with respect, the rewards are equal
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: Hedge on November 29, 2011, 10:41:24 pm
Im not ashamed to say that i would have suffered "multiple soilings" if driven around a track like that!  :surprised:

I've just shat your pants just watching that.   :surprised:
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: rich83 on November 29, 2011, 10:43:15 pm
Im not ashamed to say that i would have suffered "multiple soilings" if driven around a track like that!  :surprised:

I've just shat your pants just watching that.   :surprised:

 :signLOL:
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: tony_danza on November 29, 2011, 10:55:43 pm
Do I even need to say it??

Nobody learns in RWD these days, it's completely alien, so no wonder as soon as bad weather arrives they end up in hedges.
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: Hedge on November 29, 2011, 11:20:27 pm
end up in hedges.

 :surprised: :confused:

My first car was a Hillman Imp awesome in the snow.  :happy2:
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: MAT ED30 on November 29, 2011, 11:31:30 pm
end up in hedges.

 :surprised: :confused:

My first car was a Hillman Imp awesome in the snow.  :happy2:

yeah mine was a 72 bug with a tuned up 1641cc in the back it never got stuck in snow and was a blast getting the arse out in some of the most fun driving i had was learning rwd car driving also had an r32 rwd running over 300bhp and that was fun too  :driver:
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: tony_danza on November 29, 2011, 11:34:37 pm

My first car was a Hillman Imp awesome in the snow.  :happy2:

That's because they set themselves on fire at will, the resulting heat melted all snow!!

Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: Beddie on November 29, 2011, 11:59:20 pm


Nobody learns in RWD these days, it's completely alien, so no wonder as soon as bad weather arrives they end up in hedges.

My first car was a MK2 Escort  :driver:
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: rich83 on November 30, 2011, 12:01:28 am


Nobody learns in RWD these days, it's completely alien, so no wonder as soon as bad weather arrives they end up in hedges.

My first car was a MK2 Escort  :driver:

That must have gone around the odd round about sideways?
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: muckipup on November 30, 2011, 12:10:12 pm
Interesting discussion...it seems that RWD get the  :happy2: from most people.

Just for the record, I have no issue at all with them myself and would love the fun factor myself.  The reason for the question was witnessing the aftermath of folks who had clearly lost control in a spectacular fashion (after breaking rear wheel traction by putting the foot down too much /  too early in a corner and then the 'old favourite' of over-compensating on the steering wheel and spinning, I guess). In short, not being able to handle a RWD car when they may have been able to get out of an understeer!
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: muckipup on November 30, 2011, 12:21:59 pm
Interesting that this should be in the Daily Mail today. Check the video at the bottom....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2067656/Two-Corvettes-plus-set-lights-idiot-drivers-equals--nasty-accident.html
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: tony_danza on November 30, 2011, 04:09:57 pm
Some people will crash any car, no matter what wheel drive it is - they're just spacktards.
Title: Re: Would you buy a rear wheel drive car?
Post by: tony_danza on November 30, 2011, 04:15:44 pm


Nobody learns in RWD these days, it's completely alien, so no wonder as soon as bad weather arrives they end up in hedges.

My first car was a MK2 Escort  :driver:

Ahh, the days where you could snag a 'steer from the rear' for a couple of hundred quid out of Loot.

I remember we had a hand painted 1600 Sport for about £300, it lived in my mate's barn and we spent months trying to kill it on Stretton airfield doing our best Vatanen impressions.

If I knew then what that car would be worth now - D'oh!!  :confused: