If you want to travel the fastest and safest on a snow-covered road, you should opt for four-wheel drive. But for those few days a year when the roads here turn white, you don't buy an inefficient off-roader. So what's the best alternative for driving in the snow: front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive?
The YouTube channel Tire Reviews tries to answer that question. To this end, they bring a front-wheel drive Audi A4 40 TDI and a rear-wheel drive BMW 320d to Ivalo, Finland. Both cars have an automatic transmission, 190 hp and weigh about the same. Of course they have the same winter tires.
The test: front or rear wheel drive in the snow?
The first test is a drag race with traction control. The Audi and BMW cross the finish line almost at the same time. So in the Netherlands it doesn't matter that much; It doesn't snow much here anyway and you usually just leave traction control on when you drive from A to B. When the traction aid is off, the 3 Series wins with ease.
The BMW's lead is even greater in the slope test. The 3 Series drives up a hill of 15 percent quite easily while the A4 grinds away. Apparently one side of the test track is smoother than the other and when the two cars switch places, the Audi reaches the top faster, but the BMW does make the climb on the lesser side. 2-0 for rear-wheel drive.
Is front or rear wheel drive faster on a snow circuit?
Finally, of course, there is also testing to be done on the circuit. A course is set out in the snow in which you first see whether you are faster with front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive. The two then ride a time trial on the circuit.
Even then, rear-wheel drive wins over front-wheel drive. The BMW is more than a second faster, which means the researchers can safely conclude: it is better to have rear-wheel drive than front-wheel drive in the snow
#frontwheel #rearwheel #drive #snow #faster
