What Is Front-Wheel Drive?

The mechanics, pros, and cons of sending power only to the front axle.

Lindsay Martell | 

Apr 4, 2024 | 4 min read

Toyota

If you drive a sedan from a mainstream automaker such as Toyota, Honda, or Chevrolet, odds are that it sends power exclusively to the front wheels and tires. This layout came to prominence in the 1980s in part due to its inherent fuel-efficiency advantages over rear-wheel drive (RWD), which was once far more common.

Front-Wheel Drive Explained

Modern cars with front-wheel drive (FWD) direct the engine's output to the front wheels via a transaxle. A FWD vehicle has no torque-transferring mechanical connection to the rear wheels.

Though often called a transmission, the technical name for the device that transmits power from the engine to the driveshafts is a transaxle. Its name is derived from its function as both a transmission and an axle in a single, integrated assembly. Transaxles can be manually or automatically shifted.

Front-wheel drive has been around for centuries. A steam-powered three-wheel carriage built by Nicolas Cugnot in France in the 1760s was the first vehicle to use its front wheel for propulsion. The dual rear wheels were just along for the ride. A replica of the self-propelled vehicle is also on display at the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum.

FWD designs didn't enter the mainstream until much later. The grand 1929 Cord L29 was the first FWD car sold in the United States. The layout was more commonly found on small European and Japanese models until the mid-1980s when Detroit transitioned its sedan models from rear-wheel to front-wheel drive.

Advantages and Disadvantages of FWD

A FWD vehicle is inherently lighter than a rear-drive car because all major mechanical pieces are grouped up front. That allows engineers to eliminate several heavy components, like driveshafts. Typically, this also means the engine is mounted transversely, or east-west, to accommodate the transaxle.

A handful of longitudinal, or north-south, FWD cars have existed, such as the Saab 900 of the 1980s and 1990s, but these are the exception rather than the rule. In a RWD car, the transmission and driveshaft that deliver power to the rear wheels are typically mounted behind the engine.

One benefit of front-wheel drive cars is that they typically don't have a center hump in the floor known as a transmission tunnel that can intrude into rear-seat legroom and trunk space. Some FWD cars have a completely flat rear-seat floor area, which translates into a more comfortable experience.

Sending power exclusively to the front wheels can also result in a more fuel-efficient package. With no driveshaft, rear axles, or rear differential, automakers can slice considerable weight and some driveline loss to boot.

FWD Boasts Weight and Fuel Efficiency Advantages

Driveline layouts are inherently so different from one another, it's hard to directly compare the weight of a FWD and RWD vehicle. However, there are modern sedans and crossover SUVs with optional all-wheel drive (AWD) that are heavier thanks to the additional components needed to transmit power to the rear wheels. For example:

• 2024 Nissan Altima: around 148 pounds heavier with AWD
• 2024 Toyota RAV4: around 110 pounds heavier with AWD
• 2024 Acura RDX: around 239 pounds heavier with AWD

Between that weight savings and the inevitable driveline power loss incurred by the driveshaft, FWD models also tend to be more fuel efficient. According to the EPA tests, here's how the city/highway/combined estimates stack up for the above models.

• 2024 Nissan Altima SV: 2 mpg penalty with AWD
• 2024 Toyota RAV4: 1 mpg penalty with AWD
• 2024 Acura RDX: 1 mpg penalty with AWD

For a typical driver not interested in enthusiast-oriented performance, FWD has few disadvantages over RWD. When driven with gusto, FWD cars are more inclined to understeer, which is when a car steers less than the driver anticipates. Models with lots of power can also exhibit something called torque steer, meaning they aggressively veer to the right or left under hard acceleration.

Is a FWD Vehicle Better in Snow?

In comparison with a RWD car, a FWD vehicle is typically better in the snow, assuming both vehicles have the same tires. That's because a FWD car puts considerably more weight over its drive wheels. Its engine and transaxle push down on the drive wheels, which helps improve traction.

Advancements in electronic traction control and winter tires, however, have narrowed that gap considerably.

Lindsay Martell

Lindsay Martell is a Charlotte, NC-based journalist, copywriter, and voiceover artist. She writes about everything from automotive tech to adult ballet to competitive cheerleading. Her work has appeared nationally across various automotive and entertainment outlets. Her skills are turning complex tech terms into simple, palatable pieces of information. She has covered technology since 2000, and thrives on covering innovative tech trends.