Is AWD better than RWD for drifting in Forza Horizon 5?

For new drifters sliding their way through Mexico, one key question arises – should you use all-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive? Having conquered many drift zones myself, I‘d strongly recommend starting with RWD. It just provides the most authentic, exciting and accessible drifting experience Forza Horizon 5 has to offer. This guide will explain exactly why.

The basics – what is drifting?

Before comparing AWD and RWD, let‘s quickly cover the fundamentals of drifting. It involves taking a turn at speed with a controlled and stylish oversteer slide. This means purposely losing traction at the rear while using steering and throttle to hold a smooth sideways angle through the corner. Executed perfectly, the car will clip apexes while sustaining smoking tire slip angles of 25 degrees or more.

Drifting originated in Japan‘s touge mountain passes, pioneered by legendary figures like Keiichi Tsuchiya. It rapidly developed into a competitive motorsport focused on speed and style. Understanding this background helps explain why RWD dominates professional drifting.

Why RWD just feels right

In my experience RWD presents the most authentic and exciting drifting feel. The rear wheels breaking traction while the front tires retain grip mirrors what you see pro drifters doing. As a result, initiating slides with RWD becomes instinctive. Apply some throttle, turn in and the back end naturally starts to slide out. It‘s an intuitive, predictable experience that‘s deeply satisfying, especially when linking corner after corner in a flowing downhill run.

With AWD I find myself fighting understeer and struggling to break traction, even with handbrake pulls. To me, the excitement of drifting is when it feels like second nature. RWD offers that without effort. While AWD can work, RWD simply delivers the classic drift sensation that I‘m personally chasing.

Lightweight with centralized mass

Beyond feel, RWD also has fundamental mechanical advantages. Firstly, only having drive going to the rear wheels means a much simpler drivetrain layout. There is no need for extra propshafts and differentials to distribute torque. This reduction in components translates to less weight.

Shedding pounds raises power to weight for quicker acceleration out of drifts. Lighter weight over the rear tires also reduces inertia, making it easier to break traction. The centralized weight distribution further balances the car, ideal for transitional drift agility.

Balancing power delivery

With the engine‘s mass sitting centrally in a front-engine RWD layout, it‘s natural for the rear wheels to handle drive duties. This allows tuning the power band to really maximize rear grip and acceleration, essential traits for linking high speed drifts.

AWD systems have to conservatively split torque to maintain control on all surfaces. But with RWD, you can run a short gearing setup and biased differentials to send abundant power to the rear while retaining enough traction to avoid spinning out. This nuanced power delivery tuning is crucial for competitive drift balancing.

Lower driveline power losses

An important advantage RWD has over AWD is lower driveline power losses between engine and wheels. The simplified drivetrain has fewer components causing parasitic friction losses. This means more of the engine‘s power makes it to the rear tires. Maximizing rear wheel power pays dividends for several reasons:

• Higher exit speed off drift corners
• Quicker spool up of turbochargers
• More torque to counteract slide traction loss
• Increased capability to initiate and hold angle

RWD‘s purity and efficiency in transmitting every last horsepower to the driven wheels gives it superior straight line and cornering performance. That matters for linking drifts where momentum through the course is vital.

Iconic drift machines

Now let‘s look at how purpose built drift cars overwhelmingly favor RWD. Leading professional drift series around the world feature iconic RWD models like:

• Nissan 350Z
• Toyota Corolla AE86
• Mazda RX-7 FD3S
• BMW E36 M3
• Nissan Silvia S15

These cars reflect decades of development honing the perfect formula for competitive drifting – lightweight construction, 50/50 weight distribution and powerful inline engines powering the rear wheels.

Even top level rally cars from Mitsubishi, Subaru and Ford typically get converted to RWD when they retire from AWD competition and have a second life drifting.

Initiating drifts – RWD technique

When driving RWD, entering and holding a drift becomes second nature with a bit of practice. Here are some tips:

• Weight transfer – Brake hard to load weight over the front tires for extra grip, then abruptly get back on the power to break rear traction

• Scandinavian flicks – Make sharp steering inputs to swap ends and initiate oversteer

• Left foot braking – Use your left foot to brake slightly and keep weight forward while right foot applies throttle

• Feel the balance – Get to know how throttle, steering, weight transfer and Vision effects respond

Initiating drifts – AWD challenges

In AWD cars, initiating drifts requires more forceful techniques to overcome the inherent traction benefits:

• Handbrake – Aggressive handbrake application can lock the rear wheels and cause them to lose traction

• Lift off oversteer – Lifting off the throttle suddenly shifts weight rearward

• Scandinavian flicks – Much more exaggerated steering inputs are needed

• Left foot braking – Braking has to be more aggressive to stall front wheels

• Power slides – High power levels can force rear slip, but harder to control

While these techniques can work, they disrupt the natural drift rhythm and line. RWD just responds more progressively as you push the limits.

Tuning and modifications

An advantage of RWD‘s mechanical simplicity is that it requires minimal modifications to excel at drifting. Basic upgrades like limited slip differentials, stiffened suspensions and grippy tires are enough transform most RWD cars into drift machines.

AWD needs more complex solutions like:

• Converting to RWD drivetrain
• Fitment of custom transfer cases or modified differentials
• Stiffer suspension and bushing upgrades to reduce understeer
• Custom steering rack modifications
• Hydraulic e-brakes for greater locking power

These let advanced drifters wring out big angles from AWD, but require serious effort compared to RWD.

Data – RWD rules competitive drifting

Looking at the statistics, RWD is unequivocally the favored drivetrain for competitive drifting across every major series worldwide.

RWD‘s dominance isn‘t limited to pros. At amateur drifting events and local track days, you‘ll have a hard time finding anything other than RWD machines sliding around. The numbers speak for themselves.

My take – RWD just feels right

While AWD has merits, I find drifting in RWD cars like a classic Mustang or Fairlady Z the purest representation of the sport. The lively rear wheels breaking traction makes controlling slides intuitive and natural. RWD‘s centralized weight balance, ample rear grip and lower losses also translate to great speed.

More than anything, RWD captures that authentic drifting spirit and connection I‘ve come to love ever since watching Initial D and Wangan Midnight. For anyone looking to master drifting in Forza Horizon 5, I‘d strongly recommend starting out with RWD. Once you get that tail-happy feel, you‘ll be hooked and hungry for your next downhill touge run. Give it a go, you won‘t regret it!