Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Sorry if this is an ignorant question but what is wrong with front wheel drive? Is the drive not as smooth. Thanks for the input btw. I too had concerns that the ES is a glorified Camry.
FWD is probably better for the new inexperienced driver. If you experience understeer, all you need to do is keep turning the way you want to go and ease off the throttle (or even brake).
With RWD, if you get into oversteer you need to countersteer and keep on the power, which isn't intuitive for most people.
However, for people with a decent amount of experience or with a good (and in my opinion, neccessary) understanding of oversteer/understeer, a RWD car is more easily controlled. Not to mention more fun.
In a RWD car, the front does the turning and the rear does the driving. This gives balance.
Powerful FWD cars are prone to torque steer, which is annoying and dangerous.
Finally, who can resist the satisfying feeling of mashing the throttle a bit to tuck the tail in around a corner in a RWD car?
Ideally I'd like to see AWD and RWD becoming the norm, and FWD fading away as a distant memory
FWD is probably better for the new inexperienced driver. If you experience understeer, all you need to do is keep turning the way you want to go and ease off the throttle (or even brake).
With RWD, if you get into oversteer you need to countersteer and keep on the power, which isn't intuitive for most people.
However, for people with a decent amount of experience or with a good (and in my opinion, neccessary) understanding of oversteer/understeer, a RWD car is more easily controlled. Not to mention more fun.
In a RWD car, the front does the turning and the rear does the driving. This gives balance.
Powerful FWD cars are prone to torque steer, which is annoying and dangerous.
Finally, who can resist the satisfying feeling of mashing the throttle a bit to tuck the tail in around a corner in a RWD car?
Ideally I'd like to see AWD and RWD becoming the norm, and FWD fading away as a distant memory
As someone who is going to do a lot of intersate driving (200 miles each way), do you think its' safer to go with an LS RWD versus the ES FWD? I live in Arizona so weather won't really be much of an issue but I will be driving in areas that are not as well lit
Rear-wheel drive
Rear-wheel drive engineering sends the power from the engine via the differential to the rear wheels. Years back, both cars and trucks were primarily built with rear-wheel drive. There was an engine up front, a transmission came down the middle and the differential/rear axle assembly was in the back. This usually limited the trunk or passenger floor space. Rear-wheel drive allows the rear tires and suspension to work more efficiently by dividing the workload between the driving wheels in the back and the steering wheels in the front. This creates better cornering and stopping power and a makes for a smoother ride. For these reasons, many of today's performance brands still use this technology.
Bottom line: Rear-wheel drive provides more "performance" driving attributes by "pushing" the vehicle into motion from the rear wheels.
Front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive engineering sends the power from the engine via the differential to the front wheels. With the national emphasis on fuel economy and the auto industry's need to keep production costs low, most cars (especially models under $35,000) are now being built with front-wheel drive. Because the weight of the engine and differential are placed in the front of the vehicle, the front wheels gain better traction. While rear-wheel drive may cause some "spinning out" in bad weather situation, the benefits of front wheel drive are increased traction and safety for the average driver because the car is being "pulled" through the turn. There's also more interior room available since all the engine and drivetrain equipment is up front.
Bottom line: Front-wheel drive provides better gas mileage and traction by "pulling" the vehicle. It also provides more control for lighter vehicles in bad weather driving situations.
As someone who is going to do a lot of intersate driving (200 miles each way), do you think its' safer to go with an LS RWD versus the ES FWD? I live in Arizona so weather won't really be much of an issue but I will be driving in areas that are not as well lit
me personally would go with RWD it is more fun to drive and you being in AZ weather is not much of a factor plus if you do travel to snowy places a good set of all-season tires and some practice driving on ice and snow in an empty parking lot you should be fine once you learn how the car handles in winter conditions.
I have narrowed my search to Lexus. I like the ES and LS, the cheapest rear wheel drive models. If I buy the ES, I will get the luxury package (Blue tooth, navigation screen etc) which is 40K based on the Lexus website 'create your own feature'. I also like the much more expensive LS which is about 67K but I will get the cheapest package with it since many features are standard on it.
Next year, I will be doing a lot of highway driving (over 100 miles each way) so I prefer the smoothest and quietest ride possible and I feel like the Lexus is the best for this ideal. I want something reliable, with a great soft ride. I personally think BMWs and Mercedes are more stylish and have more clout but for the type of car I want, they are out of my price range when you account for the all the options and features.
My only issue with the ES is that it is a smaller car and I wonder how comfortable it will be driving long distance every weekend. Do you think getting the bigger LS will make a difference in comfort and safety?
As said already, the ES is a front wheel drive car. As for being smaller - sure it is smaller than the LS. But the ES is NOT small. It is a very smooth riding car.
FWD is not bad per se. It has good qualities like not having a drive shaft to the rear wheels. That can make for a roomier interior.
But FWD is not a good choice for performance cars because of torque steer. When a FWD car is accelerated hard you can feel the steering wheel tug and try to pull (slightly) to one side. The more the wheel is turned the worse it is. That is why no serious car in the world is FWD.
But for a smooth cruising car it is perfectly acceptable.
As said already, the ES is a front wheel drive car. As for being smaller - sure it is smaller than the LS. But the ES is NOT small. It is a very smooth riding car.
FWD is not bad per se. It has good qualities like not having a drive shaft to the rear wheels. That can make for a roomier interior.
But FWD is not a good choice for performance cars because of torque steer. When a FWD car is accelerated hard you can feel the steering wheel tug and try to pull (slightly) to one side. The more the wheel is turned the worse it is. That is why no serious car in the world is FWD.
But for a smooth cruising car it is perfectly acceptable.
Great answers guys. After reading both, I think I will go with the LS. The reason is I will be driving thru traffic and will need to maneuver and overtake people and I don't want a car that's going to tug when I accelerate and try to pass people. That sounds a little scary and wouldn't want to lose control. We will also have a baby so I want enough room for the car seat in the back and enough room for two people to sit in the back and still be comfortable
Great answers guys. After reading both, I think I will go with the LS. The reason is I will be driving thru traffic and will need to maneuver and overtake people and I don't want a car that's going to tug when I accelerate and try to pass people. That sounds a little scary and wouldn't want to lose control. We will also have a baby so I want enough room for the car seat in the back and enough room for two people to sit in the back and still be comfortable
This is a silly reason to choose the LS. The ES doesn't have enough power to cause a problem with torque steer. Drive it for yourself and see if it is a problem. You want to spend $30K more for the LS for this reason?
Choose the LS because it is a big, luxurious car.
The LS is big - making it a less attractive car for driving in traffic.
This is a silly reason to choose the LS. The ES doesn't have enough power to cause a problem with torque steer. Drive it for yourself and see if it is a problem. You want to spend $30K more for the LS for this reason?
Choose the LS because it is a big, luxurious car.
The LS is big - making it a less attractive car for driving in traffic.
Apparently you didn't read my post well. I included the fact that the LS is a bigger car and would have more room for backseat passengers. I didn't say that was the only reason I was going to choose the LS. I've driven a 2004 ES and it was noticeably smaller than the LS and lacked power but the ride was nice.
And what do you mean by "luxurious" when you say to choose the LS? You can get many of the same luxuries in the ES if you get the right package. To me, getting the LS has a lot to do with it's size and power which makes for a better ride. You are talking about the difference between a 272 hp V6 versus a 380 V8 engine. It will be less fuel efficient but definitely quicker and smoother on the freeway.
OK, extended warranties on these type cars have a gotcha that you might not realize. I will use the example of Mercedes.
Mercedes offers a base warranty with a new purchase. 4 years, 50K miles, whichever comes first.
If you buy their extended warranty it automatically increases to 100K miles, and you pay for additional term 1-4 more years.
So you pay extra for 4 more years and you assume this means that your warranty is now 8 years, 100K. Right?
Wrong......
You paid for an extended warranty that lasts for 4 years or a total of 100K miles. They start the clock when your first warranty expires by either miles or time. This is the important part.
If you hit 48K miles say in 3 years, they start the clock on the extended part.
You end up with 7 years instead of the 8 you think you paid for. So you take your Merc in there to get it fixed at 7.5 years and 85,000 on the vehicle and the dealer tells you. "Oh didn't we tell you, your warranty expired last year".
Generally I am of the opinion these warranties are not worth it. If you buy one, keep in mind that you have a year to decide. You don't have to buy it when you purchase the car. Even better, these warranties are negotiable. You can wheel and deal on them just like anything else. If you know you want one then either treat it like an option on the car include it in the deal before you finalize with the salesman, or wait until later.
The worst time to buy this warranty is after you signed the deal and you are talking to the finance manager and he casually brings it up. You can't negotiate it then unless you are willing to walk away from the deal. This is a huge profit item for a dealer and this is where they will hit you with it when you are the weakest.
The warranties are worth it because these cars typically break down after 4 years. I've owned several German and exotic cars. There is a reason BMW provides a 4 year bumper-to-bumper and maintenance warranty because after those 4 years, you will be paying out the nose as small components start to break down as your car hemorrhages slowly over the life of it. And with European cars, the parts and labor cost considerably more so that something that costs $300 to fix in a Chevy will cost you $1000 in a German car. This is why a lot of people lease these cars (aside from the tax write off if you own a business). If you intend to keep these cars for more than 5 years, you would be dumb not to buy a warranty. Even 7 years/100K miles is pretty good.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
