AWD vs FWD vs RWD: Focus RS, Civic Type R, M140i Track Battle

We took three of the fastest and coolest hatchbacks to a sprint course to find out which would clock the quickest time between AWD, FWD and RWD. Let battle commence!

----- Follow Car Throttle -----

----- Music by -----

"Oceanside" by 12 Feet Deep

"Kappa" by Klave

"Falcon" by Jim Yosef

"Unreal" by MRVLZ

[StaufferGarage]

Well those results were pretty much expected as soon as I saw that the track was wet...

[Troubleshooter]

Two questions, guys:

1. What tires was each car running on?
2. Do you intend to retest with a DRY track?

[Bestwick]

Why would you try drive the BMW like that in the wet if you're going for lap times?

EDIT: Just to clarify - I'm referring to HOW the BMW was driven under those conditions and not WHY the BMW was driven in those conditions.

[julianmorales]

It's funny to see the BMW and the Ford drifting and the Honda going like... "hahaha, hello!".

[batman]

The Type R for track, the RS for B- roads and M140I for fun, sound, drift and autobahn.

[TheSkyline]

Well...Yeah, AWD win on wet, surprise....

[TuddecBMW]

I wouldn't be able to resist a RWD straight-six. I'd get the M Performance LSD tho

[io]

I passed my driving test today, I can now unleash the mighty 60hp fwd Peugeot xD

[mibars]

As an owner of all drive systems (FWD CRX, AWD WRX & RWD S2000) I have my own opinion:
-FWD in CRX gives you plenty of "safe fun" - You overdo it you simply go straight. It tends to get annoying when you want to push it to the limits or accelerate in turns, but you are more tempted to do it because you won't end up with rear pointing forward.. that easy :)
-AWD in WRX - Grip 24/7: You can accelerate whenever and wherever you want and not lose grip, dry, wet, doesn't matter. It handles like on rails and you really need to push it to the limits in 1st gear, maybe 2nd in wet to slide it A BIT, before that it handles more like an FWD denying physics laws. Very efficient, I definitely drive it fastest but honestly... Bit boring to drive.
-RWD in S2000: Most fun of all, technically the fastest but in traffic i drive it probably slowest of all my cars due to the fact that it constantly wants to slide around and drifting between rows of cars and guardrails is not the best thing to do :) Rear tires for some odd reason wear out extremly fast :) Most fun of all, but definitely not the fastest on the streets out of this 3 drive systems!

[AlastorTheNPDemon]

Front-wheel drive is underrated. They have excellent grip on the driving wheels and are easy to drive at the limit, making them ideal for tracks with wider corners, bumpy conditions, and off-camber turns. Of course, they are also quite nimble thanks to their generally low weight and direct steering - just point and shoot; no drama, no nonsense.

[evoboii]

Short Summary of these Layouts :

FWD -
Good for turning in corners, and has good grip if you don't push it too hard, or if you don't over do it with Power.
Be careful about the front tires, because the front ones are getting utilized the most, because you are accelerating, and braking.
FWD Cars are often quite cheap and very good for people who want to try to drive on a track and to be safe.

RWD -
Probably the most fun layout here. You can do burn-outs, you can drift and so on. But RWD cars often lack traction, especially when it's wet. If you drive one on the track, then be gentle on the throttle. If you go full throttle after a corner exit, you will instantly spin out.

AWD -
This layout is perfect for Traction. It's like the more experienced brother of the RWD layout. You can drive on tarmac, dirt, gravel, snow etc, and you will still have the best traction you can get. But watch out for understeer, since there's more weight at the front, and the front tires wear out much faster.

[thedownshiftchannel]

Each drivetrain has its advantages and disadvantages. In this weather 4wd often comes into its own but RWD with an LSD in summer can be tough to beat for feel and fun!
The RS really needed to be 4wd all along and ford got it right this time!

[JoeAchilles]

Love your videos CT, but the shit UK weather ruined this test for you guys. (edited from when I originally posted this in a very drunken state!)

[ChaosphereIX]

Good to see all 3 can be fast, all three can be tons of fun, and all 3 can be a track car choice. Glad FWD is not being lambasted as "weak" or "poor" as that is just not true. Most touring cars have always been FWD since the early 90s, and they are anything but slow, poor handlers, or not fun. I have driven all 3 drive types, and my current FWD Alfa Romeo 155 is a blast to drive, as was my FWD R53 MINI Cooper S. Just need a good diff and you are set. Great vid.

[cardude]

You mean PREDICTABLY the Focus was the fastest in the wet.

[Paynos]

Would be very interested to see the time difference in the dry lads! Good quality vid as usual though, enjoyed :)

[The_JDM_Dynasty]

I'd go for the AWD just because I'm a GTR fanboy and I love AWD cars.

[AsifLicious]

I'd take the M140 over the other two. The RS would be my second choice

[luchipunchi]

From 00:01 to 00:31 but specially from 00:54 to 01:10 is truly AUDIOVISUAL PORN, seriously, the ct editing crew nailed it on that one.

[WhenYouFlying]

seriously... the BMW seems like the best car of the bunch. it looks the best I think by a lot, has the best engine and also has the best connectivity... and luxury