I think rear wheel drive is more predictable, but that's also what I learned to drive with. I feel more confident controlling oversteer than understeer associated with front wheel drive.
Ditto that!!!
I was brought up on RWD, but have plenty of experience with FWD cars like the Eldorodo and countless Euro-subcompacts. I went through my phase when I thought that FWD was superior, but the truth brought me back.
My high school driving teachers warned us of the dangers of FWD cars. If you get in too deep in one, you're going to crash, plain and simple. In panic stops, the front weight bias literally puts the car's center of gravity
in front of the car. And then there's torque steer etc. etc. etc.
Teach your kids how to drive a RWD car. Let them practice recovery procedures that require nothing more than two hands on the wheel and a smooth throttle foot. (Seriously, teach a teenager to do emergency brake tricks? :fire
Then go ahead and attempt the same things in a
fwd car.
Most of the new crossover ("giant unibody") vehicles with AWD use the Haldex design which is adequate for most brainless suburbanites with ample insurance policies. They can accelerate in fresh snow with gusto, and can't stop without the help of a ditch, tree or other solid object. If you're making a turn, a median, far curb or other vehicle does the steering so you don't have to.
Don't get me wrong. IMHO the more AWD cars out there, the better. I just think that, as cars become as sophisticated as jet planes, maybe we should require commensurate training.
