Are Ford Mustangs Rear Wheel Drive?

Car fanatics have differing opinions when it comes to rear-wheel drive. Fans of Ford will have the question, “Are Ford Mustangs Rear Wheel Drive?”

The short answer is Yes. All Ford Mustangs have stayed true to the Rear Wheel Drive. The Electric Ford Mustang Mach – E, the latest car in the series, is the only rear-wheel and all-wheel drive car.

These terms might be raising a lot of eyebrows for the oblivious few. But, keep reading to find out exactly what we are talking about.

What is Rear Wheel Drive?

A rear-wheel drive is an engine system wherein the engine supplies power and energy directly to the car’s rear wheels. The front wheels move as the rear wheels move, due to force and gears.

However, the engine is ironically located at the front of the car for most rear wheel drive vehicles. Rarely, the engine is located in the rear. Rear-wheel drives have been the most common form of cars in this century.

The counterparts to the rear-wheel drive are quite self-explanatory: the front-wheel drive, the all-wheel drive, and the individual wheel drive.

The engine supplies torque only to the front wheels in the front-wheel drive. It is decreasing in popularity. The individual wheel drive is only in concept. Separate engines exist for separate wheels. Moreover, no vehicle is configured under this system.

Rear Wheel Drive vs All Wheel Drive

The all-wheel drive is an engine system where the engine powers all wheels of the car simultaneously. One can install these engines in 4 wheelers, 6 wheelers, etc.

The rear-wheel drive and the all-wheel drive have been competing for the most common engine configuration system title.

Comparison between Rear Wheel Drive and All Wheel Drive

Rear Wheel Drive	All Wheel Drive
The engine powers only the rear wheels of the vehicle	The engine powers all the wheels in the vehicle at the same time
Only 4 wheelers employ rear-wheel drive. This is because a 4 wheeler would have an equal number of powered and unpowered wheels	The all-wheel drive can apply to 4 wheelers, 6 wheelers, and even 8 wheelers.
It is suitable for cars and other SUVs	It is suitable and convenient for both cars and heavy vehicles
The car can run easily with less engine power	The vehicle needs more engine power in all-wheel drive
This system concentrates control to the back of the vehicle in hopes that the front follows suit.	Control is distributed evenly throughout the vehicle. The manufacturer can fit the engine anywhere.
Rear-wheel drive is cheaper and less heavy	All-wheel drive is expensive and heavier
Rear wheel drive cars may have less traction and grip in irregular terrains	All wheel drive cars have the maximum grip and the highest safety

The different systems are intended for different purposes. Therefore, one must consider all these factors before deciding which one to buy.

Apart from this, the front-wheel drive system is also available in a limited range of cars. However, it is not as smooth as the rear and all-wheel drive systems.

Other Aspects of the Ford Mustang

If you are looking to purchase a Ford Mustang, there are certain other features that one must consider.

One can find numeric data such as horsepower, speed, etc. easily through Google or their nearest car dealer. However, there are certain qualitative and performative aspects that you must know before making a decision.

Difficulty in Improper Terrain

Rear-wheel drive has less control and agility compared to all-wheel drives. The Ford Mustang has employed rear-wheel drive in all its cars. This becomes a problem when the engine tries to power against the snow.

A Ford Mustang often faces difficulty in moving across snow-covered terrain. The car can lose control even on roads wet after the rain. The weight is quite low on the rear end of the engine. This makes the car slip on the snow. However, Ford has introduced a snow/wet mode on certain Mustangs for now.

The car can also be difficult to manoeuvre on hard rocky terrains. As a result, Ford is making attempts to improve user experience with its Traction Control System, Anti Lock Brake System, and Emergency Brake Assist.

Drifting with a Mustang

Drifting is the practice of driving a car at high speed while steering it over to the side. This requires a high level of control from the car and a high level of skills from the driver.

Quite surprisingly, the Ford Mustang is suitable for the purposes of drifting. However, the manufacturers recommend that only one line of the Mustang should be used for the same.

Mustangs from the decade 1994 to 2004, also known as the Fourth Generation Mustangs, are best suited for drifting. They have high horsepower, a remarkably low weight, and a streamlined rear-wheel layout that can be angled easily.

These cars also have manual transmission, unlike other Mustangs. The manual system gives the driver more control while drifting. However, the automatic transmission model might not exactly be safe or comfortable.

Front-Wheel Drive Mustangs

Almost all Ford Mustangs are rear-wheel drives. But did you know that Mustang tried to implement a front-wheel drive in 1979? However, both critics and fans of the company opposed the idea vehemently.

At this period, front wheel drive had started fading away as a suitable engine configuration system. Fans of Mustang demanded that the car stay as a rear-wheel drive.

In 2019, the company has finally decided to experiment with its Mustang line. It debuted a new electric hybrid car with both rear-wheel and all-wheel drives. Surprisingly, the car is receiving praise for its build, rather than criticism.

Conclusion

The Ford Mustang is one of the most classic lines of cars in the world, having run for more than 6 decades. However, many have wondered “Are Ford Mustangs rear wheel drive?”. This is because they have heard about its difficulties in hard terrain and about it being suitable for drifting.

The Ford Mustang is indeed a complete rear-wheel drive. It is one of the frontrunners of this engine configuration system.

Ford has not announced any plans to move further into all-wheel drive in the future. However, the next generation of the Mustangs is likely to be rear-wheel drive.