Comments on: BMW: “That’s why we don’t have front wheel drives.”

By: Roxy

Roxy — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 04:44:39 +0000

What about diameter?

By: JaggedXJ

JaggedXJ — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 05:19:42 +0000

@ Roxy

Well, GM is a wrold leader in **** that don’t make sense.
The 2006 Potiac Grand Prix GXP has WIDER front tires than rear “to get the power down” ON THE WRONG END !!!

By: KAveh

KAveh — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 02:53:27 +0000

Thats funny, but ahh, what about the mini brand, are the new ones going to be rear wheel drive or did they forgot they are front wheel drive?

By: BadHabit

BadHabit — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 20:36:34 +0000

One of ours is a 2.3 high-pressure turbo 5 FWD with 250 hp. Personally, I like all the excitement. Just have to expect it when it comes on. But yeah, BMW.

By: Roxy

Roxy — Sun, 23 Jul 2006 10:38:39 +0000

Show me a car that has larger front wheels and tires than rear wheels and tires. There are none.

By: Roxy

Roxy — Sat, 22 Jul 2006 07:49:54 +0000

Oh yeah…IF THIS IS IN FACT AN ACTUAL AD FROM BMW!

By: Roxy

Roxy — Sat, 22 Jul 2006 07:47:50 +0000

Uncharacteristic of BMW, but you have to remember that this is not the purist BMW of previous years. Chris Bangle and his supporters are making a slam bang mess of what was a very respectable. This crap is coming from the Bangle camp.They don’t make front wheel drive because? What happens when you lose your footing? Do you fall on your face or do your arms and hands go into motion?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 02:33:57 +0000

only if people knew about Gulliver’s Travels

By: MIke

MIke — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 04:45:43 +0000

#16: Grammar is right on. YOUR grammar is weird. “front wheel drives” serves as an abbreviation for “front wheel drive cars”. The word “do” is overused, confusing, and vague to the point of meaningless – and the fact that “We won’t do front wheel drives” looks weird because “front wheel drives” is not an action. Unlike “I don’t do it”, where “do it” can translate to some other verb-object pair.

It’s so sad that “do” is getting used more and more in American English.

By: Harry

Harry — Sun, 11 Jun 2006 16:10:27 +0000

When you people die, they will entitle your memoirs, “Gullibles Travels”.

Apparently you all missed the joke. Duh.

This is NOT an official BMW ad.

By: Beecher

Beecher — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 19:57:28 +0000

actually, front wheel drive is the pits in the snow, if you learn how to drive rwd, it is far better in the winter. MINI is not 100% bmw either, the motor is a chrysler/mitsubishi unit built in brazil. and yes, i own a new mini.

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 20:09:42 +0000

DSC will keep you safe, but there’s no way to cheat physics. Even with DSC and snow tires, I still find driving my M a bit hairy in the snow. Plus watching the DSC light flicker as the car chokes the power from the engine gets a bit dull after a while. I’d rather be in my nose-heavy, FWD-biased Quattro when the roads get slushy.

By: Bob

Bob — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 01:51:40 +0000

oh yeah, snow tires combined w/ DSC will make almost any car fine in snow. DSC will keep u safe in rain too.

By: Bob

Bob — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 01:50:15 +0000

And just so you guys know, RWD is not worse in snow than FWD. Tires make the biggest difference. RWD w/ snow tires will own any car on the road that has all-seasons. But ofcourse, AWD w/ snow tires will still be better.

By: Rey

Rey — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 04:00:20 +0000

Yes, FWD will perform better in snow and rain. That’s why it is used in econoboxes, mini-vans and family cars – for safety. RWD is for performance. That’s what BMW sells – performance cars. Cars that are meant to be driven and driven hard to the limit. Think of the great sports cars manufactured today. RWD. This is the message the ad is trying to convey. A jackrabbit is fast, which is why it’s hind legs are longer and larger. That jackrabbit in the ad reminds me of Acura and Honda “ricers” that have a staggered wheel setup on their vehicles. LOL!

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 31 May 2006 23:51:56 +0000

“There is only one reason car company build FWD it’s cheaper.”

That’s the main reason, but to be fair, FWD also saves space in the cabin — that’s why the back seats in the 4-door BMW 1-series are pure rubbish and why a Chrysler Town&Country can fold all five rear seats into the floor.

Snowy weather used to be a consideration as well, but now most traction/stability programs on RWD cars are good enough to get by (with the proper tires of course).

By: Jon

Jon — Wed, 31 May 2006 18:38:27 +0000

I guess he who can stack pork can’t also handle FWD.

Jon.

By: Leopold Porkstacker

Leopold Porkstacker — Wed, 31 May 2006 18:14:32 +0000

I love front wheel drive… nothing says “I’m in control of my car” like excessive (and danerous) understeer and of course that annoying-ass torque steer. Give me oversteer or give me death (by understeer)!!!

duh!!!

Meanwhile, my respect for Volvo has pretty much diminished since they moved away from rear wheel drive, but I still love my 1987 turbo intercooled stickshift RWD 740 wagon!!!

-he who stacks pork

By: Michael Spadaro

Michael Spadaro — Wed, 31 May 2006 14:22:26 +0000

Yay for BMW!

By: JohnnyBlazE

JohnnyBlazE — Wed, 31 May 2006 11:38:29 +0000

Dynamics in FWD? You’re forgetting even though critics and drivers love the 1 series RWD compact BMW, they still prefer a Focus overall as a package… and that’s FWD In fact it shames some RWDs bar a little understeer, but whenever I look at cars out on a snowy day it’s SO much fun to see the BMWs crying at the top of the hill cos they can’t make it.

By: Seamus McFlaherty

Seamus McFlaherty — Wed, 31 May 2006 10:07:48 +0000

BMW is expensive everywhere. The One series is not cheap With necessary options you are looking at over $30k for a 1.8 116i model. AT least in Europe there is a huge range of available models to chose from across the full product line. Choice in the US is mouch more limited.
The 3 series is in the top 10 sales list in the UK

By: Craig

Craig — Wed, 31 May 2006 08:33:42 +0000

Put a lot of torque (well over 250ft-lbs) and more than 250 horsepower in a FWD vehicle and you get this nice little thing called wheelspin. You get it because as the vehicle attempts to move forward, all the weight gets shifted to the rear wheels– away from the drive wheels up front. This reduces traction and acceleration. In racing, in anything but a lightweight hatchback Civic or similar, you have nothing to keep pushing the car through a turn if the vehicle skids or loses traction, or simply understeers to the outside of the curve.

A few specialty high powered FWD car designs minimize this problem but you never see them sell in M3 or Corvette territory.

I have owned a “sports” front wheel drive Honda for six years. I will only own a FWD car for utility now. I am personally not interested in a front drive “sports” oriented car any more.

BMW’s ad people may be acting snobby, and I agree that many drivers don’t know the difference between drivetrain types, but rear drive is generally preferred among people who are skilled drivers and who do love to exploit the performance of their vehicles.

Of course, it is ridiculously hard to find an inexpensive, powerful RWD car these days…. BMW is not inexpensive in the USA.

By: Seamus McFlaherty

Seamus McFlaherty — Wed, 31 May 2006 07:57:58 +0000

Please qualify the term “better”? And someone explain why this debate is only going on in America. Everywhere else people seem able to accept that you need different tools for different jobs, but that doen’t make one tool better than the other.

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 31 May 2006 07:04:10 +0000

#5 speaks the truth.

However, for an enthusiastic driver, RWD is *GENERALLY* still better than FWD.

By: BAMF

BAMF — Wed, 31 May 2006 03:37:28 +0000

I just read 46 comments, and I have to say the one I liked best was this one:

“Even with the big paws on the back… the hare is still AWD.”

Very true. Thats why I drive an Audi

By: Jon

Jon — Wed, 31 May 2006 03:08:37 +0000

Well, Cartrash, I didn’t post on #18…and if you don’t think it uses BMW components, you have no idea what you are talking about. The car was designed from the ground up by BMW and it uses a lot of BMW parts, including engine parts found in previous 4-cylinder BMW engines. And exactly what would (and I quote) “every major automitive magazine�? disagree with me regarding FWD? That is its better in less than ideal conditions such as rain? Or snow?

Seriously, you can handle FWD just as well as RWD (ok, yes except drifts, which are really useful…um, never, not even in racing: have you seen a lot of drifting during F1 races?), if you know what you are doing. It’s easier to do stupid **** in a RWD, that doesn’t make you a better driver. Suffice to say both FWD and RWD have their pros and cons.

Jon.

By: chewy

chewy — Wed, 31 May 2006 03:00:27 +0000

There is a video review comparing the BMW 1 series against the VW R32, a Top Gear. The 1 series is slower and has less rear room because of the rear wheel drive. The new generation of Audis, starting with the A5, will be based on a new platform with much less front overhang and improved balance. I have to agree, the latest BMW ads, seem just a little desperate to proclaim BMW as much superior to other luxury/sport brands.

By: Car Guy

Car Guy — Wed, 31 May 2006 02:00:17 +0000

So BMW is still trying to convince the average Joe (or Jane) that RWD is better for their daily driving needs when the average BMW owner would not even know how to drift a car through a turn. It is clear that RWD is only better on the track in the hands of capable drivers. C’mon BMW, these ads are the sign of a company feeling threatened by the competition. Nice try though! The Ultimate Marketing Machine.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 31 May 2006 01:52:08 +0000

I don’t think anyone is insulted, although it does sound like you are trying to be insulting. I personally do not care, I’ve had both new BMWs and new Minis as well as other cars, its not about the brand to me its mostly about how it drives, and trust me the Mini surpasses many cars in the fun to drive dept. Before you assume anything you should try it, there are very big and tall guys, as tall and taller then you, who own and fit the car well, the headroom is actually greater then lots of larger vehicles. Of course the little guys and woman will be faster in any car as they are lighter anyway

By: Captain America

Captain America — Wed, 31 May 2006 01:22:36 +0000

sorry i didnt mean to insult all you little guys who like the mini so much…it and all little cars are rubbish to me because i simply cannot drive them…im 6′6″ 230lbs with very wide shoulders…im sure its a fine little car for little guys and women.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 31 May 2006 00:40:34 +0000

BMW outsources transmissions and other parts as well for its branded cars, does that make it less a BMW? I guess, for me, the bottom line with regards to including MINI in the BMW line-up has to do with the fact that it is engineered and designed by BMW and is included in the BMWNA sales reports. Beyond every OEM part I’ve seen being labeled with BMW German part numbers, all of the tech info included with the BMW’s, etc etc, the brand itself is just a subsidiary of BMW – sort of like Toyota is to Lexus, they are really one in the same behind the branding.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 30 May 2006 22:30:28 +0000

Read the GM forums and you’d think that RWD was sent from above to save the corporation. RWD or FWD, it doesn’t matter if the car isn’t well engineered or built right. BMW is a cynical car company after all Mr Quandt was a relative of the infamous Magda Goebbels

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 30 May 2006 22:28:24 +0000

Yeah, and these are all just cars, but we like talking about them

By: kmoney

kmoney — Tue, 30 May 2006 22:23:54 +0000

You know, people, its just an ad…

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 30 May 2006 22:17:48 +0000

Sad to see BMW resorting to what I think is a pretty low-brow ad – a big exaggerated photo with a silly generalizing statement geared at people who don’t really know anything or want to think about it much. All in all a vapid ad just to get attention whose premise is gutted by the fact that they manufacture and pimp FWD MINIs chock full of BMW part numbers as well as AWD vehicles (and they certainly do not all handle well – every drive an X3? yuck). Plus its a pretty obvious dig at VW that I think comes as tacky – just my .02.