Rear drive for Impala? Better think it over

General Motors executives are trying to determine the drive system of the next Chevrolet Impala.

[Gene Heil]

I own a 2005 Impala and love it. I am 52 years old and live in Wisconsin. I remember driving rear wheel drive cars in the snow and ice and will never go back to rear wheel drive. Front wheel drive is the best thing since sliced bread. Remember the volkswagon adds in the 60s. They put the weight of the engine over the drive wheels. It works.

[Bill from Canada]

Why does the Chevy Impala lose its value so much.Drive it 3 years and they offer you $11000.00 for a trade that has 71000 KM's(44375 miles)And new was priced over $30,000.00.Thats taking quite a hit.

[Steve Oshawa]

Gene Heil wrote:

I own a 2005 Impala and love it. I am 52 years old and live in Wisconsin. I remember driving rear wheel drive cars in the snow and ice and will never go back to rear wheel drive. Front wheel drive is the best thing since sliced bread. Remember the volkswagon adds in the 60s. They put the weight of the engine over the drive wheels. It works.

Yeah, except the volkswagen was rear wheel drive. If front wheel drive is so good, why don't they use it on the race track?? Why don't sports cars use it?? Why do all the top of the line cars have rear wheel drive?? Face it, you've been sold a bill of goods by the car companies who wanted to make more profit by making their cars cheaper, and you think you believe it.

[Mike]

Steve Oshawa wrote:

<quoted text>
Yeah, except the volkswagen was rear wheel drive. If front wheel drive is so good, why don't they use it on the race track?? Why don't sports cars use it?? Why do all the top of the line cars have rear wheel drive?? Face it, you've been sold a bill of goods by the car companies who wanted to make more profit by making their cars cheaper, and you think you believe it.

So, you are saying that you think that a rear wheel drive car handles better in the snow than a front wheel drive car?

[Jeremy Mutz]

Traditionally, front wheel drive cars handled better on snow or ice. You can definitely see that if you drive a traditional car like a Crown Victoria, it does not handle as well as a front-drive Impala, in those condtions. But a more sophisticated, well-balanced rear drive like the Chrysler LX cars (300C, Magnum, Charger) handles very well on snow, ice (even with stability aids switched off). Electronic stability programs and traction control have really blurred the distinction.

Cost is definitely a consideration here--but so are many other things, like packaging. GM sticks with the W (Impala , LaCrosse, etc) platform because it can save money and because the bugs have been worked out of it long ago. It is also roomy for its size and it sells well the way it is. It's competition (e.g Accord) is also FWD, so there's no real need to switch. But a performance car or luxury car needs to be RWD to be taken seriously these days.

[Norm Sorensen]

Gene Heil wrote:

I own a 2005 Impala and love it. I am 52 years old and live in Wisconsin. I remember driving rear wheel drive cars in the snow and ice and will never go back to rear wheel drive. Front wheel drive is the best thing since sliced bread. Remember the volkswagon adds in the 60s. They put the weight of the engine over the drive wheels. It works.

I live in Minnesota, and I've had over 30 years experience in ice and snow. I can say, hands down, that a VW was the worst car I EVER drove in the snow. Oh yeah, it'd go forward, the problems arise when considering stopping or steering with so little weight up front. Leave aside keeping warm in a VW! What a horrible car!

[Louis J]

I live in Rhode Island, East Coast. Recently purchased a 06 Cadillac CTS. Should I be concerned about winter driving? I heard that the car is well balanced and should not be that bad in the snow. In the past I had rear wheel drive cars (Crown Victoria, T Birds, Olds 98, 88)
don't remember having to much trouble in the snow. Could it be driving habits? Anyone have any thoughts?

[george taylor]

Gene Heil wrote:

I own a 2005 Impala and love it. I am 52 years old and live in Wisconsin. I remember driving rear wheel drive cars in the snow and ice and will never go back to rear wheel drive. Front wheel drive is the best thing since sliced bread. Remember the volkswagon adds in the 60s. They put the weight of the engine over the drive wheels. It works.

i am 60 yrs old and i feel there is nothing better than traction from the rear end.LEARN HOW TO DRIVE!

[Julian Reeves]

I have lived on the east coast all my life, with 3 years in NYC and 4 in NH. I've been in the DC area for the last 35 yrs. I drove FWD cars from 1973 (Honda Civic) to 1996 (Honda Accord). I bought a 95 Crown Vic and relearned how to drive RWD. I've autocrossed in FWD and RWD and prefer RWD for the better control, both on the parking lot and on the street. With ABS, traction control (three Benzes and a 98 Volvo), RWD is as safe as FWD and can be equally safe in snow as long as the car is equipped with the proper tires (Snow tires on all wheels).
Since GM put a v-8 in the Impala, they should return it to RWD. At present, they have nothing that competes with Chrysler's sedans from either a value or performance perspective.

[Mark Rountree]

FWD is fine for low-powered, all-weather, point-to-point transportation, especially when the driver is inexperienced or ham-fisted, but that's about it. The front tires in most cars do most of the braking and nearly all of the steering. Putting power to the ground through them compromises both of those functions and limits the amount of power the car can have as well. Very few, if any, FWD cars with more than 250 HP have half the balance of the best Acuras or Hondas with FWD, and not ONE has handling that even approaches the benchmarks set by BMWs, Porsches, newer Corvettes and Vipers... actually, the list is extensive, and it includes some rather mundane vehicles with RWD. The post above that mentions race cars is dead on. FWD has as its design goals efficient packaging and lowest-commom-denominator safety concerns. God meant for high-performance cars to have rear drive. I'm sure he'd drive an M5 or a Z06.

[FWD Guy]

FWD rocks because it has like the best handleing. Now that gas prices are going up it would be stupid to have a RWD car. Plus everyone knows that FWD gets better gas mileage.

[shut up]

you guys are old i'm high

[DonutGuard]

I drive a rear wheel drive Caprice 9C1 from 1987, and another Rear wheel drive Caprice from 1995. It handles just fine in the snow, you just have to know how to drive. I will NEVER buy a front wheel drive car because you can't do ANY work on them, and the torque steer kills handling. Rear wheel drive evenly distributes the weight of the car, and when accelerating, puts all the weight towards the back of the car, and onto the wheels (thank you physics). Rear Wheel Drive is INFINITLY better than Frong wheel drive. End of story.

[DonutGuard]

Oops typo... "Frong wheel drive" although it's not too far off

Everybody knows FWD is really called "Wrong wheel drive".

To add though, my father owns a 1992 Buick Park Avenue, fwd V6 with Supercharger. I drove his car once just to see how it handled... I couldn't stand it... I'd accelerate out of a dead stop and the wheel would pull on me because of the torque steer. Personally I don't think they're any better in the snow than a RWD car because the weight is not evenly distributed. All you have to do is know how to drive.

Which reminds me... my biggest car, is a 1973 Pontiac Catalina with a 400ci V8 and RWD drivetrain, and custom suspension that puts the rear end 2-3 inches higher than stock. Once again, I can drive in the snow just fine with that car.

[Anti FWD Guy]

Everybody knows FWD gets better mileage than RWD?
My 3 best MPG cars (Highway)were:
1959 Fiat 1100 37 MPG
1979 Chrysler LeBaron V8 25 "
2004 Mercury Marquis V8 24 "

Al were RWD. I also owned one FWD car that got about 24 MPG and three that got about 22 MPG. I had Chryslers with 392's & 440's that got 19.2 and 18.5 MPG respectively and @ highway speeds of 70-75 MPH. I have no idea what they might have got if someone tried to economize with one of them.

[Rural Rider]

If you live in a rural area, RWD is a real problem. If I got paid every time I have pulled off the single-track roads, either to allow a passing car or to answer my phone, and couldn't get my old RWD Ford Sierra to move again - rear wheels just spin on the grassed verge and dig in - then I would be rich indeed. And that's with careful driving techniques, being gentle on the clutch etc, and having good tyres fitted. And we won't get into the debate about snow.

DonutGuard wrote:

I drive a rear wheel drive Caprice 9C1 from 1987, and another Rear wheel drive Caprice from 1995. It handles just fine in the snow, you just have to know how to drive. I will NEVER buy a front wheel drive car because you can't do ANY work on them, and the torque steer kills handling. Rear wheel drive evenly distributes the weight of the car, and when accelerating, puts all the weight towards the back of the car, and onto the wheels (thank you physics). Rear Wheel Drive is INFINITLY better than Frong wheel drive. End of story.

[Steep Hills - SI NY]

I do have to agree with the gentleman from Mold, snow and mud are a whole other set of criteria to deal with. I live on a steep hill that requires very tricky driving techniques, and that is coming from three different sides. I have a Sentra Spec-V with high HP engine and I will tell you that that car's wheels will spin a severe snowstorm. Now that being said I need to purchase a second car and I am wondering if 1997 E420 Benz will work for me if it has traction control?

[Russ]

All SUV's are either Rear Wheel Drive or Four (all) Wheel Drive.

Is that why they're so popular?

[Len from Michigan]

Louis J wrote:

I live in Rhode Island, East Coast. Recently purchased a 06 Cadillac CTS. Should I be concerned about winter driving? I heard that the car is well balanced and should not be that bad in the snow. In the past I had rear wheel drive cars (Crown Victoria, T Birds, Olds 98, 88)
don't remember having to much trouble in the snow. Could it be driving habits? Anyone have any thoughts?

I replaced the Goodyear Eagles on my 04 CTS with the Goodyear Assurance Tripletred; I would advise you to do the same.

[BOB]

Everyone is going to rear or all wheel drive, its superior in every way