What are the advantages and disadvantages of rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive cars?
2 Answers
Rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive cars are agile but have average straight-line performance. Below is relevant information about the advantages and disadvantages of rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive cars: 1. Advantages of rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive: Due to the small yaw moment, the vehicle is very agile; good starting and climbing performance, almost independent of load conditions; the power transmission path is short because the engine, transmission, and differential are integrated; the front wheels bear less load, making steering light; braking force distribution is reasonable; the front suspension structure is simple; the engine is easy to remove; the floor panel has no or only a small raised channel; small suspension can be used at the front. 2. Disadvantages of rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive: average straight-line performance (the factory value of the caster angle reaches 8°); high sensitivity to crosswinds; due to the small front wheel load, steering is difficult on icy surfaces; obvious oversteer during cornering; the engine mount must withstand a torque equal to the engine torque multiplied by the total transmission ratio; due to the short piping, exhaust system design is challenging; engine noise reduction is difficult to solve; complex gearshift mechanism; when the radiator is front-mounted, long water pipes are needed; due to forced cooling, the radiator requires high power, and electric fans can only be used when the radiator is front-mounted; the warm water pipes or heating ducts of the heating system are long; the fuel tank is difficult to place in a safe area; the trunk space is greatly limited.
As a seasoned driver with years of experience, I think rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive cars are really impressive in terms of power. The rear wheels get better traction during acceleration, making them super strong when hauling heavy loads or climbing steep slopes, with minimal slipping. Without the engine taking up space in the front, the trunk is much larger, allowing for more grocery bags in daily use. However, this design can be a bit tricky to handle, especially when taking sharp turns or accelerating hard—the rear end tends to drift or even spin out. It’s even riskier on wet roads in the rain, where a slight turn could lead to loss of control. Once you get used to it, it’s not a big deal, but beginners should take it easy. Another downside is the maintenance hassle—the engine tucked in the rear has more hard-to-reach spots, making repairs time-consuming and costly. On long winter drives, you also need to watch out for overheating and blockages in the cooling system.
