Just Driving > Driving Lessons Articles > Birmingham Driving Lessons Articles > Front or Rear Wheel Drive?

Front or Rear Wheel Drive?

All cars, except 4 by 4, are either front wheel or rear wheel drive. On cars with front wheel drive the engine is connected to the front wheels of the car, whereas on rear wheel drive cars the back wheels are connected to the engine and drive the car forward.

Standard car brands usually use front wheel drive, i.e. Vauxhall, Ford, Kia and Hyundai, where as higher end car brands, Audi, BMW and Ferrari, usually use rear wheel drive. Why you may ask? Well, there is no real reason.

Car enthusiasts usually prefer rear wheel drive which is why the higher end brands design their cars as rear wheel drive. The reason why 'petrol heads' prefer rear wheel drive is due to something called over steer. This is where the back end of the car drifts out when turning around corners at speed.

Cars that are front wheel drive create under steer where the front of the car drifts out, and this simply just doesn't look as good! However travelling at speed around corners isn't something that you would do on your route to work.  For practicality reasons, front wheel drive is preferred as it handles better in poor weather conditions such as snow and ice, which is why the standard more common car brands use them.

It is hard to find a reasonably priced car that uses rear wheel drive, however the supply for rear wheel drive is increasing and manufactures Subaru and Toyota have made one available. BMW and Audi are now becoming more common on the second-hand market and rear wheel drive is becoming more accessible at a reasonable price for everyone.

To come back to the question of front or rear wheel drive, which is for you? It depends what you are looking for in a car. Although there are no differences in the way the car drives, rear wheel drives look better when driving at speed, but cars that use front wheel drive are more practical.

The car you use on your driving lessons Birmingham will probably be front wheel drive as most instructors use standard car brands as they are easier to learn in and cheaper to run. Most start in a front wheel drive car and may choose to go buy a rear wheel drive a bit later on in their driving life, the choice yours, it is up to the manufacture of the car which one they want to use. 

To check if we have any available Driving Lessons Birmingham, simply call us on 0800 783 4803 or enter your postcode below.

Just Driving the perfect choice for driving tuition.
Call free on 0800 783 4803