this bloke reckons fwd is best
Like I said agree to disagree then 
, I love my rwd drive it every day sideways action in the winter and stacks of grip in the summer …
I’ve got a 528i automatic and a 320d manual. The 3 series is on good winter tyres, the 5 series is on rubbish summer tyres. So far last week, neither has had any issues. Both are on standard 16" wheels. Coldest we’ve seen is -10 degrees. My previous 535i had 255 wide 17" wheels and those were useless in the cold and snow. Put smaller wheels on with winter tyres and it was a different car. Who needs four wheel drive?
kr79:
I’ve owned five rwd in the ukand they have all been pretty useless in the snow.
As for the Lincoln town car that just wallows about whatever the weather but has to be feather footed to get any traction.
To be fair the thing does have a 302 V8 in it with enough torque to pull a house down.So you’re saying that a Taurus would be better than the LTD/Lincoln if it was fitted with the same 302 V8 in it but obviously driving through the front wheels not the rear ones. 
The clue is Ford never fitted the 302 in that piece of junk Taurus because it would have turned a dog of a motor that’s worth nothing into an undriveable one that’s worth even less. 
The days of the yank tank are over the Taurus is basically a mondeo. The focus and fiesta are on sale here.
GM and chryslers mainstream offerings are not to different from Europe now either.
Obviously you still have the mustang and the dodge charger/challenger with the hemi and big pick ups but sadly the mainstream carsare pretty ordainry.
I think most people will acknowledge 200 bhp or so is the limit for fwd cars although the focus rs pushes out almost 300 and has a trick setup to put the power down. But the majority of people don’t drive want or need over 200bhp in there car.
kr79:
The days of the yank tank are over the Taurus is basically a mondeo. The focus and fiesta are on sale here.
GM and chryslers mainstream offerings are not to different from Europe now either.
Obviously you still have the mustang and the dodge charger/challenger with the hemi and big pick ups but sadly the mainstream carsare pretty ordainry.I think most people will acknowledge 200 bhp or so is the limit for fwd cars although the focus rs pushes out almost 300 and has a trick setup to put the power down. But the majority of people don’t drive want or need over 200bhp in there car.
Theoretically, the limit is 400bhp or there abouts. Saab own the patents (or whoever owns Saab these days?) on a FWD setup that sort of works quite well at 350bhp.
It’s been a looong time since anything was designed specifically for the UK market. You would be far more accurate if you said the Mondeo was basically a Taurus !
hitch:
put it in a ditch going to work
and i thought i was being cautious
it will be a write off 52 plate xsara diesel
front bumper bonnet o/s wing
If you get to keep it, stick it on here for parts:
I’m on there as well as I own one and a half of them. (1xHDi, and a half share in a VTS road rally car.)
If not, about £75 in parts plus painting would get it mobile again.
Ken.
waynedl:
Also tyres, thin tyres are better in the snow, as are snow tyres, but sports tyres of 255 width are always going to be crap
Hence the reason the WRC cars use thin studded tyres on Rally Sweden.
Ken.
Chas:
kr79:
The days of the yank tank are over the Taurus is basically a mondeo. The focus and fiesta are on sale here.
GM and chryslers mainstream offerings are not to different from Europe now either.
Obviously you still have the mustang and the dodge charger/challenger with the hemi and big pick ups but sadly the mainstream carsare pretty ordainry.I think most people will acknowledge 200 bhp or so is the limit for fwd cars although the focus rs pushes out almost 300 and has a trick setup to put the power down. But the majority of people don’t drive want or need over 200bhp in there car.
Theoretically, the limit is 400bhp or there abouts. Saab own the patents (or whoever owns Saab these days?) on a FWD setup that sort of works quite well at 350bhp.
It’s been a looong time since anything was designed specifically for the UK market. You would be far more accurate if you said the Mondeo was basically a Taurus !
If we want to get Realy accurate the mondeo is a European ford design and the tarus is based on it.
Same as the dodge charger/Chrysler 300 is based on the Mercedes e class.
The dodge dart is based on an Alfa Romeo the mito I think.
Quinny:
waynedl:
Also tyres, thin tyres are better in the snow, as are snow tyres, but sports tyres of 255 width are always going to be crapHence the reason the WRC cars use thin studded tyres on Rally Sweden.
Ken.
Yep, and the Swedish rally is one of the fastest in the calender 
kr79:
The days of the yank tank are over the Taurus is basically a mondeo. The focus and fiesta are on sale here.
GM and chryslers mainstream offerings are not to different from Europe now either.
Obviously you still have the mustang and the dodge charger/challenger with the hemi and big pick ups but sadly the mainstream carsare pretty ordainry.I think most people will acknowledge 200 bhp or so is the limit for fwd cars although the focus rs pushes out almost 300 and has a trick setup to put the power down. But the majority of people don’t drive want or need over 200bhp in there car.
It’s ironic how the europeans ( Germans ) have always tried to tell their competitors that no one wants a big powerful four door rear wheel drive V8 powered saloon and the days of those cars are over.Often to the benefit of those same German manufacturers when those competitors are stupid enough to believe it all such as in the case of Rover.It’s also no surprise that Jaguar survived but it’s ex Leyland group partner didn’t having luckily kept the idea in it’s arsenal.Also no surprise that Mercedes have made sure that there’s plenty of rear wheel drive bias in it’s 4 matic driveline system for the AMG 63 S.
As for the idea of ‘mainstream cars’ being limited to the front wheel drive Mondeo/Vectra type class,that’s just typical politically driven marketing,to lower expectations,and therefore the real term value of wages,amongst the new generation of the western working classes.Thereby saving money for the employers.While they are continuing to build big V8 powered cars for export to Chinese Communist Party members and anyone else who can afford them in places like the Middle East.No surprise either that as in the case of the Jaguar X Type and Rover many British and American buyers aren’t as easily fooled as the manufacturers think.
motorauthority.com/news/1081 … eo-preview
youtube.com/watch?v=uikKaRPLZN0
Yes but big jags mercs BMW etc have never been the mainstream car in the road. In the 70s the ford cortina vauxhall cavalear Morris marina etc were the mainstream cars on the road. Like mondeos etc are today.
kr79:
Yes but big jags mercs BMW etc have never been the mainstream car in the road. In the 70s the ford cortina vauxhall cavalear Morris marina etc were the mainstream cars on the road. Like mondeos etc are today.
I can only see it as a typical working class buyer over the years given the choice of my idea of ‘mainstream’ which was based on buying a used car which contained as much value for money as possible v budget type newer cars.It’s probably insurance and fuel costs which stop that type of purchase choice so much these days amongst working class buyers although I still think that there’s more buyers for something like a used M5 or an AMG Merc than there are for yet another typical Mondeo or Vectra. 
Not Realy if you are a petrol head maybe. Most people want a car that is cheap ish to run be reliable and size wise good for there needs. If your theroy was right Toyota Nissan Kia hyaundi etc would be long gone. If your looking for a nice stylish motor you don’t buy a Toyota corrola or a Nissan juke.
I had a Nissan note courtesy car once worst thing I’ve ever driven but there quite a few out there.