In Sweden, the debate about whether front-wheel drive is better than rear-wheel drive has been going on for decades.
Traditionally, the debate has been equated to the difference between Saab and Volvo, as Saabs have always driven the front wheels while older Volvo cars were always rear-wheel driven.
The consensus has long been that front-wheel drive is better suited for slippery surfaces as they have more weight over the drive wheels, and are also less prone to dangerous skids.
As fair as possible
Now the YouTube channel Tire Reviews has tried to answer the question once and for all.
The test took place on Good Years’ Nordic test track, and the test cars were a front-wheel-drive Audi A4 and a rear-wheel-drive BMW 3 Series.
Both cars were equipped with diesel engines of 190 horsepower and 400 newton meters, and both were shod with Goodyear UltraGrip Performance 3 tires of the same size.
An even race
During the test, the two cars are compared in a number of different branches with the anti-skid systems both on and off.
First you test acceleration from a standstill and with anti-spin activated the cars perform largely identically. With the system off, the BMW is slightly sharper than the Audi.
In the take-off test on a snowy hill with a 15-degree gradient, the 3 Series unexpectedly performs slightly better than the A4, while the cars are equal in terms of acceleration on slippery curves.
Handling is tested by lap time on a test track, and the cars perform very similarly there as well. The BMW is 1.25 seconds faster with the assist systems off, and the Audi is 1.35 seconds faster with the systems activated.
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Good winter tires are key
The conclusion of the test is that the BMW is slightly better than the Audi on snow and ice thanks to the slightly better performance when reversing.
This also means that, according to the test, rear-wheel drive is better in winter than front-wheel drive.
The tester Jonathan Benson notes, however, that the differences in accessibility and driving safety are small with modern assistance systems.
The important thing, according to Benson, is rather that you have really good winter tires on the car.
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