Just an opinion dump thread:
Generally, what would you guys prefer to drive (if you enjoy driving), a semi-slow rwd manual or a quick fwd manual car?
Im hesitant to be specific due to biases but let’s leave Miatas out of this because I already know that “answer”. I’m thinking more like V6 SN95 Mustang or F-Body with less than 200hp vs say, a mid-2000’s Maxima with closer to 260hp, something along those lines but not specifically those vehicles
IMHO, whichever one is lighter. Fwd and Rwd can both be fun.
I have owned a mildly built big block Ford engined car, and currently own an RX-7 with thoroughly upgraded suspension (in the sense that I altered the pickup points to suit my whims) and, the last time I drove it, it had an engine that made more than twice the power at the wheels than the car came with at the crank.
My favorite car is still the 100hp A2-chassis Golf that I used to have, and miss dearly. Sure, it was a scrody 8v, but it had the GTI bits, and its handling was giggleworthy. Brakes unlike anything I have owned before or since, and my current DD has four-pot Brembos at all four corners. Steering feel that was almost telepathic, despite also feeding what engine power there was through the front wheels. Yes I had to rebuild the shift linkage about as often as the oil was changed, but that is because it was WORTH it. Way better than anything cable-operated.
The only thing I could could complain about besides the rust that eventually made me sell the car was that it didn't have enough power. But, i have driven 1200hp cars and, after the initial shock wore off, thought "Hmm, maybe it needs more..." so wanting more power is a neverending quest and should be ignored as a vehicle consideration.
Depends on the car. I'll take an integra, Civic si, or RSX over most V6 mustang. Put me in a maxima or altima, I'll take the mustang every time. It's more of a car preference than a driving wheel preference.
UGH. A total aside, here. Being able to say things like "my DD has 4-pot Brembos at all four corners" feels really good in a bougie sort of way. But in ACTUALITY, the 9.4 rotors and A1-sized rear drums (because it was a GL) on my Golf performed far, far better. The pedal feel wasn't all that hot, but it was a 2100lb car. 90-10MPH braking felt like my ears were going to fold over my eyes. Bremboez have a lot of cred and all, but I have made them fade to uselessness in under 1 mile of driving straight-and-90deg central Michigan roads, at legal speeds.
I had more fun in my 1988 2wd, 2.0, 5 speed manual Ranger than I had a right to. Crazy adventures, jumped it, almost rolled it and took off ramps faster than the traction limits.
Snow? Forget it. Never got stuck and was sideways most of the trip but it was CONTROLLABLE not to mention fun.
In my Protege5, spinning the tires in snow just led to 
That’s why I’m interested in the rwd/manual combination. (Awd/manual is a very close second if not tied) but not part of this discussion)
bmw88rider said:Depends on the car. I'll take an integra, Civic si, or RSX over most V6 mustang. Put me in a maxima or altima, I'll take the mustang every time. It's more of a car preference than a driving wheel preference.
This.
In reply to ebonyandivory :
AWD is boring. (Maybe half of the cars I have owned were/are AWD) IMO you need at least 500whp to have as much fun as you can have in a 200whp rear driver or 80whp front-driver. That fine if you have money falling all out of your bank account, but if you don't, then it sucks.
And the best winter car I ever had was that same Golf mentioned earlier. Yes, you needed THIRD gear to go 80mph in snow because it didn't have the oomph in 4th (let alone 5th) to move through un-hardpacked snow. On the other hand, it was fun as hell, and a lot more stable than AWD ever could be. Especially if you dragged the brakes just a little bit.
Don't know how many times I came in to work with the rear drums roiling steam 
That was the best car ever. Of course, decent A2s are like $4000-5000 now, mostly because they're worth it.
If Leaving Miatas out of it
I have driven NA SW20 mr2, and it was way more fun than my 2010 Mazdaspeed3. Even my s2000 which isn’t fast, is way more fun than fast fwd . Even my Tacoma is more fun than the mazdasped3
i would take slow rwd any day over fast fed, and mid engine slow rwd twice on Sunday
most boring was AWD 2016 WRX Limited that I owned. Maybe I need to live in snow. Don’t see the hype (long time subaru owner) , and it had no soul and was boring as heck
Rear wheel drive anytime for me. I just don't like the driving dynamics of front wheel drive cars. Plus the one "modified" fwd vehicle I owned snapped axles at a rate of one every 12 hours. So I'm jaded
ebonyandivory said:Just an opinion dump thread:
Generally, what would you guys prefer to drive (if you enjoy driving), a semi-slow rwd manual or a quick fwd manual car?
Im hesitant to be specific due to biases but let’s leave Miatas out of this because I already know that “answer”. I’m thinking more like V6 SN95 Mustang or F-Body with less than 200hp vs say, a mid-2000’s Maxima with closer to 260hp, something along those lines but not specifically those vehicles
My DD is a GTI, which is pretty quick manual FWD. I have a RWD Porsche 924S which is decidedly not very quick.
For fun, I prefer the Porsche. For daily stuff, commuting, etc, I prefer the GTI because it is just much nicer and easier.
If comparing "same year" stuff, I'd prefer RWD for all - just not a lot out there in my price range (new) that I like, so I have FWD.
My 4AGE20V AE92 Rolla (FWD) was a hoot to drive. I put >80K on it and only sold it because I was getting tired of the little things and wanted more cushy for the 40 mile commute. And when Hell freezes over, I mean it snows in Texas again, you'll want the FWD so you can drive around and gawk at all the 4WD vehicles sunk to their axles in every field.
Rear wheel drive all the way for me. I daily an X1/9 and a 245 Volvo. Neither very fast, or stock, but always fun.
Miata or GTI? Miata.
In reply to Dr. Hess :
I had a ae92 for 4 years did the JDM front end conversion and lot of suspension work
my ae86 I drove for 7 years I felt was light years better than the ae92
Rwd for me. I’ve had several fwd cars in the past, but they just don’t do it for me and now I’m all rwd or 4x4.
bmw88rider said:Depends on the car. I'll take an integra, Civic si, or RSX over most V6 mustang. Put me in a maxima or altima, I'll take the mustang every time. It's more of a car preference than a driving wheel preference.
I pretty much agree with everything in this statement.
Cotton said:Rwd for me. I’ve had several fwd cars in the past, but they just don’t do it for me and now I’m all rwd or 4x4.
Spoken like a man who’s never daily-driven a 76 pontiac lemans
In reply to poopshovel again :
I daily drove a 71 Ford Ltd sedan with a 351 and two barrel for a bit. Also a mid 80s Celica GTS and early 90s Plymouth Laser Turbo. Those are pretty opposite ends of the spectrum and I’m not saying I preferred the LTD over those two fwd cars, but that I prefer rwd in general.
I didn’t start out to dislike fwd, but after all these years, and all the cars I currently own, not having any in the fleet that is FWD is telling me something.
edit: and circling back to the original question, I could always be potentially swayed, but it would have to be a REALLY bad RWD car and a REALLY good fwd car. When I was originally thinking about the question I was thinking similar cars with just a performance gap.
I dunno, I'd way rather drive a vq35 Maxima than an early 3.8 SN95, although a 3800/5spd 4th gen F body would probably be tops if i planned to race it. I would say in those cases it's some combination of the motor and the car, not just how slow or fast it is. You could put a 2.3 Duratec in an SN95 and i'd take it over an early 3.8 by a mile even if it wasn't any faster.
Knurled. said:But, i have driven 1200hp cars and, after the initial shock wore off, thought "Hmm, maybe it needs more..." so wanting more power is a neverending quest and should be ignored as a vehicle consideration.
Quoted for Truth. Should go in the magazine.
ebonyandivory said:I had more fun in my 1988 2wd, 2.0, 5 speed manual Ranger than I had a right to.
Same here, but my experience is with a borrowed 1990 2.9 I think maybe that's the best vehicle ever. RWD makes it so much better. With sufficiently bald tires, you can just go everywhere sideways. So easy to control
AWD is capable and is cool to own but boring. Like a FWD with no “holy E36 M3 torque steer” moments. So meh.
The speed3 is a hammer but about as precise as one too. The E36 is much better to drive in anger and when it’s wet out that’s the key I reach for. Sideways at 15mph? Yes please.
But 260hp > 200hp and I like the passing power in LA for merging and general going where I want to stuff.
ProDarwin said:bmw88rider said:Depends on the car. I'll take an integra, Civic si, or RSX over most V6 mustang. Put me in a maxima or altima, I'll take the mustang every time. It's more of a car preference than a driving wheel preference.
This.
Yep, THIS x1000.
FWD is fun when it's properly executed.
There are lots of fun things I can do with FWD that RWD can't get away with.
Cactus said:ebonyandivory said:I had more fun in my 1988 2wd, 2.0, 5 speed manual Ranger than I had a right to.
Same here, but my experience is with a borrowed 1990 2.9 I think maybe that's the best vehicle ever. RWD makes it so much better. With sufficiently bald tires, you can just go everywhere sideways. So easy to control
I have a 90 2.3/auto 2wd with 235/75r15s on the rear and it's slow as E36 M3 but a blast in the snow. Then again I also daily drove a foxbody year round for several years so I enjoy the snow drift life
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