How Car Work

Folks, we know that cars can be complicated and confusing, especially for those of us who are less mechanically inclined or simply do not give a shit about cars. One of the questions I hear most from non-car people (other than why would you bother with a manual transmission) is what the hell is the difference between front-, rear- and all-wheel drive. I'm sure some of you have dealt with similar issues.

Luckily for us, one TikToker decided to lay out the difference between the three drive-wheel configurations in as simple a way as possible. Creator Lucas Elston used the Kevin Malone method of "Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick?" method of speaking to lay out the pros and cons of front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. We thank him for his service (while reminding all of you not to drive distracted, like Elston here.) 

Watch Lucas Elston's TikTok explainer here.

First, Elston explains the merits and drawbacks of front-wheel drive and why it just so happens to be the most common drive type right now — from fuel economy to issues with weight transfer — all while saying as few words as possible. Then, he covers what's good and bad about rear-wheel drive, including stuff like fun factor and what can go wrong if a rear-drive car loses grip at the back completely. Finally, he covers all-wheel drive, walking us through how AWD cars have more grip but are also far more complicated and heavier.

Next time someone you know asks you what the difference between front-, rear- and all-wheel drive is, send them this video. It's going to make everything a whole lot easier for both of you.