can you drift in a fwd automatic car

[Gia]

Yes, you can drift a front-wheel drive (FWD) automatic car, but it's fundamentally different from and more challenging than drifting a rear-wheel drive (RWD) car. Instead of using power to break the rear tires loose, FWD drifting relies on techniques like lift-off oversteer (using weight transfer) and the handbrake (emergency brake) to initiate and maintain a slide. It requires precise car control and is generally considered an advanced driving technique, not something for beginners to attempt on public roads.

The core challenge is that in a FWD car, the front wheels are responsible for both steering and power delivery. To drift, you need to overcome the car's natural tendency to understeer, or plow straight ahead in a corner. The most common method is the Scandinavian Flick or pendulum turn. You turn slightly away from the corner, then quickly turn into it while lifting off the throttle. This sudden weight transfer to the front of the car lightens the rear, causing it to slide out. To sustain the slide, you modulate the steering and use short, sharp applications of the handbrake to keep the rear end loose while using the throttle to pull the car through the corner.

It's significantly harder in an automatic transmission because you have less control over engine braking. In a manual, you can downshift to lock the wheels and help initiate a slide. With an automatic, you're more reliant on the handbrake and weight transfer. This activity puts immense stress on your tires, brakes, and drivetrain.

Aspect	FWD Drifting	RWD Drifting
Primary Method	Weight transfer & handbrake	Throttle oversteer
Control	Steering & handbrake modulation	Throttle & steering
Difficulty	High (especially in automatic)	Moderate to High
Tire Wear	Extreme (especially rear tires)	Extreme (rear tires)
Risk of Damage	High (handbrake system, tires)	High (differential, tires)
Common in Motorsport	Rally, Autocross	Formula Drift, Track

If you want to learn, the only safe place is a large, empty, paved area like a skid pad or a sanctioned drift event. Mastering car control in a controlled environment is essential before even considering any public road application, which is dangerous and illegal.

[LucilleFitz]

As someone who learned in an old Civic, it's totally possible but it's all about the handbrake and weight shift. You jerk the wheel, yank the brake, and then it's a dance of steering and gas to keep it sideways. The automatic transmission is a bit of a bummer because you can't clutch-kick, so it's less smooth. It’s rough on the car and eats tires for breakfast. Do it on a track, not the street.

[DiBrantley]

From a physics standpoint, FWD drifting is about managing inertia. When you lift off the throttle mid-corner, the vehicle's weight shifts forward. This unweights the rear tires, reducing their grip and inducing oversteer. The automatic transmission complicates this by limiting your ability to use engine braking to assist the weight transfer. The technique is less about power and more about finesse with the controls to manipulate the car's balance.

[OHector]

For a practical how-to, here's the basic sequence. First, enter a corner faster than normal. As you turn in, quickly lift off the gas and simultaneously pull the handbrake to lock the rear wheels. The back end will start to slide. Immediately counter-steer (turn the wheel in the direction of the slide) and release the handbrake. Use gentle throttle to pull the car through the rest of the turn. It requires practice to get the timing right, and an automatic transmission makes it trickier to control the car's momentum.