Is it true real wheel drive vehicles have less power to the wheels than front wheel drive?

Question

for example, a 200 horsepower Acura TSX (FWD) would beat a 200 horsepower Lexus IS250 (RWD) because in the acura, the engine ans drivetrain are all 1 therefore no power is being transfered to the back wheels therefore there is less loss of power and more power to the wheels, where the IS250 has to transfer the power to the back wheels which leads to a greater loss of horsepower to the wheels? Is this true? or are there more factors that affect horsepower to wheels?

Answer 1

There are many factors to take into account
1. Size of tires

2. Type of tires

3. Final drive gear ratio

4. Transmission gear ratios

5. Driver

6. Engine torque vs. horsepower

7. Fuel

8. How the engine is setup

9. Does the rear wheel drive car have traction bars?

10. Condition of the road surface

- - -

Answer 2

Highly unlikely, RWD cars in some cases do spin a little more weight due to the driveshaft and direction change of power, but the traction advantage more than makes up for it in most situations. When you launch a RWD car the weight shifts to the rear over the drive wheels and increases available traction, a FWD is shifting the weight away from the drive wheels. The main difference between the two is just that the FWD doesnt have a drive shaft to spin and doesnt have to turn the power 90 degrees as the rotation of the wheels is on the same axis as the rotation of the motor (in most cases, there are some exceptions like some audis, acura legends, subaru FWDs and a few others)

Answer 3

Nope. Not true at all...... there is no loss going from the engine to the wheels, and horsepower is measured at the wheels as well.

Answer 4

Yes it is true drive shaft cars loose HP having to turn the shaft.

Answer 5

wioll cars shut down if running in an enclosed space

Answer 6

yes it is true that more power is drained through the transfer but it is minimal