Editing Front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout (section)

==Usage implications==
{{further|Automobile layout|Front-wheel-drive}}
[[Image:Automotive diagrams 01 En.png|thumb|250px|Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout]]
Historically, this designation was used regardless of whether the entire engine was behind the front axle line. In recent times, the manufacturers of some cars have added to the designation with the term ''[[Front mid-engine, front-wheel-drive layout|front-mid]]'' which describes a car in which the engine is in front of the passenger compartment but behind the front axle. The engine positions of most pre–[[World War II|World-War-II]] cars are ''front-mid'' or on the front [[axle]].

This layout is the most traditional form and remains a popular, practical design. The engine, which takes up a great deal of space, is packaged in a location passengers and luggage typically would not use. The main deficit is [[weight distribution]]—the heaviest component is at one end of the vehicle. [[Car handling]] is not ideal, but usually predictable.

In contrast with the [[front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout]] (RWD), the FWD layout eliminates the need for a central tunnel or a higher chassis clearance to accommodate a [[driveshaft]] providing power to the rear wheels. Like the [[rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout]] (RR) and [[rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout]] (RMR) layouts, it places the engine over the drive wheels, improving traction in many applications. As the steered wheels are also the driven wheels, FWD cars are generally considered superior to RWD cars in conditions in which there is low [[traction (engineering)|traction]] such as snow, mud, gravel or wet tarmac. When hill climbing in low-traction conditions, RR is considered the best two-wheel-drive layout, primarily due to the shift of weight to the rear wheels when climbing. The cornering ability of an FWD vehicle is generally better, because the engine is placed over the steered wheels.<ref name="enginebook">{{cite book|last=Hillier|first=Victor|author2=Peter Coombes|title=Fundamentals of motor vehicle technology|publisher=Nelson Thornes|year=2004|pages=9|isbn=978-0-7487-8082-2}}</ref> However, as the driven wheels have the additional demands of steering, if a vehicle accelerates quickly, less grip is available for cornering, which can result in [[understeer]].<ref name="enginelayouts">{{cite web|url=http://www.drivingfast.net/track/engine-driveline.htm#2|title=Engine & Driveline Layouts|publisher=Drivingfast.net|access-date=6 January 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927103849/http://www.drivingfast.net/track/engine-driveline.htm#2|archive-date=27 September 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[High-performance vehicle]]s rarely use the FWD layout because weight is transferred to the rear wheels under acceleration, while unloading the front wheels and sharply reducing their grip, effectively capping the amount of power which could realistically be utilized; in addition, the high power of high-performance cars can result in [[torque steer]]. Electronic traction control can avoid wheel-spin<!-- agreed --> but largely negates the benefit of extra power.<ref>[http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/112_0506_front_rear_allwheel_drive/index.html www.motortrend.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718171927/http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/112_0506_front_rear_allwheel_drive/index.html |date=2011-07-18 }}  Road Test: Rear Drive vs. Front Drive vs. All-Wheel Driv</ref> This was a reason for the adoption of the all-wheel-drive [[quattro (four wheel drive system)|quattro system]] in the high performance [[Jensen FF]] and [[Audi Quattro]] road cars.