These Guys Show That Drifting An AWD Car Is Very Hard

Even with a ton of power, it's not easy to drift AWD cars.

The debate over which drivetrain is superior may never be decided. FWD has its advantages in cost and packaging, AWD has advantages in grip and poor weather, and RWD has long been the choice for sporty applications. In terms of drifting, RWD has always been the best choice. Yet, in recent years we have seen people like Ken Block get enthusiasts interested in AWD cars. New AWD cars like the Ford Focus RS and Mercedes E63 even come with a drift mode that sends more power to the rear wheels. So can AWD really drift as well as RWD?

The guys over at Cars.co.za decided to find out if AWD cars could drift without one of these fancy drift modes. Of course, the test was conducted with two very powerful AWD cars, the Audi RS3 and Mercedes A45, which should theoretically be able to slide.

Even with Nissan GT Academy winner Ashley Oldfield behind the wheel, the attempts at sliding the two cars were pretty woeful. Oldfield eventually gave up on trying to drift either cars. Some people may put it on the skill of the driver, but this was a professional at the wheel. RWD is still much easier for drifting, but drift mode has done a lot to help AWD cars go sideways.