Is rear-wheel drive really weak in the snow?

Those who know a little car think of a luxury foreign car when it comes to rear-wheel drive. So, compared to the front wheel, you might think that the rear wheel method is a more advanced method. It is not necessarily that way. The main disadvantage of rear wheel drive is that it is easy to slip on snowy or icy roads. But these days it's not necessarily like that. I summarized it in ABC Tire.

Lack of grip and loss of steering feel

Rear-wheel drive literally refers to a car whose rotation axis is on the rear wheel rather than the front wheel. So, the power is applied to the rear wheels and the car moves forward with the force pushing from the back. The advantage is that the turning radius is short and the ride and steering feel are improved. However, it has the disadvantage that the interior space becomes narrow and driving becomes unstable on irregular road surfaces. It is especially famous for being uneasy on snowy and icy roads.

The reason is that the load on the drive shaft is insufficient in the front wheel method, and the traction is lowered. To get a higher load, you literally have to have weight. But with rear-wheel drive, the heavy engine is usually in the front. That is why traction is insufficient in situations requiring high friction.

Here, the steering wheel that determines the direction of the car and the power wheel that pushes the car forward are inconsistent, making it difficult for the driver to control the body, and the car slides easily. To put it simply, when the grip on the ice or snow is weak, even the control becomes difficult, so the car moves in an unpredictable direction for the driver.

The rear wheel drive has improved recently

However, it is becoming an old saying that the rear wheel is weak in the eyes. The reason is also due to advances in automobile technology. It can be divided into two main categories. The reason why the rear wheel mentioned earlier is weak to the eye is largely due to its grip and body instability. All you have to do is solve these two things. After all, auto-related companies do not spend astronomical R&D expenses every year.

First of all, traction can be solved with winter tires. When tire technology was poor in the past, the front and rear wheels were like hell. However, with the recent advances in tire technology, winter tires provide sufficient grip even on snow. So, even a rear-wheeled car can run on snow without problems.

In addition, vehicle body instability when slipping is gradually resolved as various vehicle body control technologies such as LSD, ABS, and attitude control devices develop. Of course, when you are very glanced, you must turn off ESP to escape.

Of course, it's a lot better than the past, but there are still limits. If you are a driver who frequently drives in a snowy area, it is obviously advantageous to purchase a car with a front wheel or a car with a four wheel.