My old 78 Chevy K-5 was AWD. Quite a few owners of them put lock out kits on the front wheels.
Why the hell wouldn’t you want all the weight of your engine/drivetrain directly over your driving wheels for traction, instead of practically nothing?
The more weight you have on any given area the more and faster the wear. Why not distribute weight and stress out? Parts wear out faster because stress of steering, pulling, and weight is all now on the front. If you have deep pockets to pay a mechanic more power to you. People can say what they want to bad about the older vehicles. They were far more owner repairable. A $.50 sensor they charge you $50 plus for didn't leave your vehicle sitting at an intersection unable to start.
Parts wear out faster because stress of steering, pulling, and weight is all now on the front.
I don't think so. We used to work on VW Rabbits, Golfs, Jettas.
Every 100,000 miles, pads, outer CV joints, struts...clutch if needed, all at once. Good for another hundred.
Inner CVs seldom go bad.
If you want to talk about a bogus and problematic component...automatic freaking transmissions. More vehicles are in junkyards for that reason than anything else.
And talk about caveman technology, the old RWDs had a heavy steering box, a pitman arm, an idler arm, a center tie rod, inner tie rod ends, outer tie rod ends...all subject to wear, and even when up to spec, provided sloppy steering...and tire wear. Just too many components.
It took US manufacturers quite a while to get with the program on disc brakes, and even longer to figure out rack and pinion steering....which replaced everything in the preceding paragraph and at half the weight.
I have driven late model FWD Japanese econoboxes recently, compared to a Ford Ranger, they handle like Ferraris. The Ranger was all over the road, rear end bouncing off the road surface half the time and it was worse than worthless in the snow.
Even the stripped down hatchbacks have independent rear suspension, and handle like they are on rails. The Ranger always feels like it wants to swap ends, or go in the ditch.
Other than the occasional Volvo, RWD cars are quite rare here in the sticks. I'm sure if they were such a hot item, people would seek them out as "keepers".