Why do Mustangs still only have rear wheel drive?!?

Question

I live in Michigan, and I've always wanted a Mustang but I've found out that they only have rear wheel drive. What are they thinking?! I don't get it. Why don't they just change that? How about front wheel drive? Do they have a reason?

Answer 1

Well there are advantages and disadvantages of FWD and RWD.

Yes FWD cars offer better traction in the wet, offer more space in the car to the absence of large centre tunnel and the how the engine is placed horozontally, FWD also reported to provide better fuel economy than RWD.

However FWD cars front tires wear out sooner that its rear tires due to the front pair having to drive and steer at the same time. Most FWD cannot handle excess horsepower, because of wheelspin. Ok when you are accelerating, the cars body will be raised in the front and lowered in the rear due to innertia and gravity. This causes the front wheel to lose grip and causes wheel spin. FWD tend to understeer meaning instead of turning to the direction you want, the car will keep going foward. This is not a characteristic a sport car or a performance car posses. that is why you will rarely see a FWD car that produces more than 300 hp.

RWD cars a great because your tire wear is balanced between the front and rear because the rear wheel is providing the drive while the front wheel steers. Usually the RWD car weight are almost balanced 50:50 between front and rear wheel. FWD are nose heavy. RWD cars are made for acceleration because during acceleration the weight of the car will be pressed on the rear wheel thus providing more traction. This is why most sport and performance cars have RWD.

The bad thing about RWD is that they take up to much space, the engine is place longitudely and the centre tunnel is big and takes up space. The boot is sometimes small due to the mechanism that moves the rear wheel. RWD can easily be oversteered meaning the tail of the car will go straight when the the front is turning it.


Mustang has always been a RWD partly because it can be made into a true performance car by modifications of the engine. Look at the new Shelby Mustang. Tradition can also be part of the reason. RWD cars drive differently than FWD. Have you seen Tokyo Drift? If you havent? than try to watch how all the cars drift and slide. All of the them are RWD or AWD drive cars that can slip and slide like no tomorrow.

In summary,
Mustangs were bred to drive fast, if though the standard V6 engine wont win any races, but try it. You will soon be addicted to rear wheel spin and a drving experienced than only a RWD can offer.

Answer 2

Mustang has been real wheel since the beginning in 1964. The reason is simple: you can't put that much power in a front wheel, it would make the front end hop all over the place. The new Mustangs (2005 and up) have a 51-49% weight distribution between the front and the rear, making it a lot more stable on the road and the best handling Mustang ever. With a good set of winter tires, they are not that bad in the winter anymore, but its still a rear drive and they have to be driven as such.

Answer 3

All cars were at one time rear wheel drive. All the muscle cars were. Dragsters and funny cars - rear wheel drive and still are.
Reasoning ??Big block big bore motors. The transmission had to be big and strong to handle that, so too the driveline, rear axle and big tires for traction. You know stuff you like...a 2000 lb car being pushed by 1000+HP. Besides the complications involved with transmission, driveline and steering hadn't been figured out yet. The technology was not there.

FWD came from Europe where the cost of fuel was dollars per litre while you were paying .30 per gallon(or 4 litres)

FWD requires less horsepower to pull a vehicle than to push it. Try it yourself. Manually push your car out of the garage, then do the same pulling it.

So less horsepower meant less fuel consumption cause you could use a smaller motor.

Economy cars still havn't caught on here. Doubling the gas prices - (without a possible increase in wages) and you will think economy.

Do you enjoy watching dragsters do wheelies? and flaming burnouts? Ever seen a FWD do either?

Your Mustang you like and adore will no longer have the same body or horsepower if they do a rebuild.

Me, I am still trying to get use to FWD...it does have its shortcomings in the snow,lack of traction and(no more donuts),is crappy for towing trailers.

Having any car of old Mustangs,Camaros,Firebirds,"Dodge "big engine" products are all rear wheel drive...so too are the antiques and vintage cars.

Live with it.

Answer 4

Most sports cars and "real" cars use rear wheel drive. Yes, it's true that they are not as great with handling in winter weather because all of the weight from the engine is not on the tires(a few bags of concrete n the trunk can help in the winter) and they do not have as efficient of gas mileage because the power needs to travel further from the engine to get to the back wheels, but it does have it's advantages. More of a pure feel while driving. Front wheel drive cars pull the car, where rear wheel drives push the car. So steering while accelerating is much easier in a rear wheel drive car. Front wheel drive cars will have a mind of their own when you accellarate more quickly and it will try to rip the steering wheel form your hands. Personally I would always prefer rear wheel drive cars but if the car does not have a lot of power front wheel drive is more effecient and does not have a large effect on the handling. Plus you can't do a sweet looking burnout in a front wheel drive car.

Answer 5

Thats what the car has been from day one. Rear wheel drive and most likely will remain the same for ever. Remember the first muscle cars were rear wheel drive and if you look at all the drag cars most are rear drive except for the lower class cars. Have you ever seen a funny car with 2000 + horse power driven by the front wheels NO .

Answer 6

Before the introduction of the 1987 to 1993 model year Mustangs, the FWD Ford Probe WAS the intended replacement for the Mustang. When this was "leaked" out to the public, virtually EVERY Mustang owner/lover/enthusiast SCREAMED "Bloody Murder", and rightfully so!!!! In plain English, if Ford had went ahead and with replacing the RWD V8 Mustang with a FWD four cylinder body style, that would spell the end of the Mustang in terms of customer/enthusiast loyalty to the mark. The fact you even dare to ASK such a question is an INSULT to the Mustang, and its heritage!!!!

Answer 7

If you're towing with the rear wheels on the ground and the Mustang has an automatic you have to disconnect the drive shaft at the rear axle or you WILL destroy the transmission. I would recommend doing the same for a manual transmission considering the distance involved. Saves a lot of wear inside the tranny.

Answer 8

Snow states would benefit from Front Wheel Drive, however.. you'll have to stay without a Mustang if you're looking for FWD on one. They're not going to do that, ever or at least for the foreseeable future.

High performance cars like the mustang benefit more from RWD..

I never would've even thought of that, but then again.. I live in Florida for 35 years and would've never seen snow had I not traveld up north.

Answer 9

Ford has found a forumla that works for their muscle car: big v8 engine with a posi rear end. it's worked for years, and i'm sure they take the "if it ain't broke, dont fix it" way of thinking.

remember what Ford did to the mustang in the late 70's / early 80's? four cylinder in a mustang?

if anything, they might go for an all wheel drive system before they go to just a front wheel drive...they have (or will have) AWD on the new Fusion, but the Fusion and Mustang are worlds apart.

Answer 10

I suspect that you think front wheel drive is better because you live in snow country and FWD does have an advantage over RWD in some adverse weather conditions. But....there is nothing like a RWD big horsepower car to get your blood pumping and put a "perma-smile" on your face. Better control in the curves, great off the line.
Have lived in snow country - with today's traction control (and well placed sand bags in the trunk; along with some salt or kitty litter for real emergencies), I can go anywhere FWD can go.