5 Of The Best Rear-Wheel Drive Cars You Can Buy In 2023

For many decades, rear-wheel drive was commonplace, but the fuel shortage of the 1970s created the need for a more efficient alternative. Because most cars already had their engine mounted at the front, it was simple to connect the front wheels to the powerplant. Automakers picked up a few extra miles-per-gallon by implementing front-wheel drive, but there were other benefits as well, including lower manufacturing costs and better traction in slippery conditions like snow (since the engine's weight was directly over the wheels).

If front-wheel drive seems so advantageous to the average driver, why do car enthusiasts prefer rear-wheel drive? The first reason is weight distribution: Because the drivetrain components are more equally divided between front and rear, the weight distribution of a RWD car is typically closer to balanced weight distribution, which improves handling and ride quality.

Also, accelerating hard in a RWD car, like when drag racing, transfers weight to the rear axle, which increases traction on dry surfaces. The front wheels can remain focused solely on steering, eliminating a phenomenon known as torque steer, which can make it difficult to control a high-horsepower FWD car. 

Lastly, skilled drivers can use the throttle in a rear-wheel drive car to control understeer or oversteer tendencies, or in extreme cases, drift or slide a car around corners. Front-wheel drive has become so pervasive that it almost seems like rear-wheel drive only exists in the realm of sporty, performance-oriented cars, of which there are still plenty in 2023.

For 66 years, America's sports car maintained its front engine, rear-wheel drive layout. Until the 2020 model year, that is, when the long anticipated mid-engine Corvette burst onto the scene and was instantly dubbed one of the best Corvettes ever. Starting at $65,895, the 2023 C8 Corvette is truly a supercar for the masses. The base 6.2 liter V8 engine cranks out 490 horsepower that propels from 0-60 mph in under three seconds.

Besides performing like a supercar, it also looks the part and is often mistaken for something more exotic on the road, like a Ferrari or a Lamborghini. If 490 horsepower just isn't enough, Chevrolet has you covered with its flat-plane crankshaft Z06 that revs to 8,600 RPM and makes 670 horsepower — the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 engine in the world.

The only drawback of buying a Corvette may be the difficultly in acquiring it. Chevrolet's pricing is perhaps a little too great of a value proposition, leading to excess demand and long wait times to purchase one. As a result, some unscrupulous dealerships and car flippers are adding thousand-dollar premiums to the 'Vette's MSRP.

The BMW 3-series sedan has always been the Swiss Army Knife of automobiles. Sporty, but still family friendly. Luxurious without being pretentious. Able to carve through your favorite windy mountain road like butter, but still rock solid and quiet on the highway at 80 mph.

Model year 2023 is a particularly fortuitous time to pick up an iconic 3-series. BMW just gave it a mid-cycle refresh that includes updated exterior styling and a stunning new all-digital dashboard similar to its higher priced sibling, the 7-series.

Regrettably, the classic BMW inline six-cylinder has been out of the picture as the base motor for over 10 years now for the sake of fuel economy, but a turbocharged four-cylinder makes a fine replacement and behaves more powerfully than its 255 horsepower would indicate. 

In fact, the base 330i accelerates from 0-60 mph in just 5.6 seconds, and seems quite the bargain at $43,800. That's almost six grand less than the average price for a new car, especially for BMW pedigree.