You've come across it in the past, journalists and reviewers referring to a vehicle's wheelbase. It's a term that is used primarily to refer to the length of a vehicle but it carries with it some importance.
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Let's find out what a wheelbase is and what it means for you and your passengers.
What is a car wheelbase?
The wheelbase of a vehicle is the distance, usually in millimetres, measured from the centre of the front axle (the centre of the front wheels) to the centre of the rear axle (the centre of the rear wheels). A long-wheelbase car has, as the name suggests, a longer wheelbase than that of a short-wheelbase.
How does a wheelbase affect a car?
In regular, passenger vehicles, the wheelbase is responsible for the stability of the vehicle on the road and directly affects the turning circle of a vehicle. Vehicles with a longer wheelbase are more stable at highway speeds but become more difficult to turn in tight turns, especially in parking lots.
Vehicles that have a short wheelbase will be easier to manoeuvre in and out of tight spaces but will start to suffer on the open road or as speed increases. Overall handling prowess is as a result of the wheelbase to track ratio (distance from the front axle to rear axle in relation to the width front the left tyres to the right tyres)
Is a short-wheelbase bad?
Not at all. Vehicles with a short wheelbase are more manoeuvrable and easier to turn. A shorter wheelbase will, however, mean that there's less legroom for your passengers and overall interior space may be compromised. Vehicles that have a shorter wheelbase tend to respond faster and feel more agile on the road.
How wheelbase affects off-road driving
Wheelbase lengths are most important when selecting an offroad vehicle. A vehicle with a longer wheelbase will have a greater break-over angle and this can see the vehicle get caught up on aggressive ridges and plateaus. This is most noticed when completing a climb and the surface levels out. The front wheels will already be on the peak and the rear axle hanging lower as it still has to make its way up the climb. The edge can then make contact with the underbelly of the vehicle and cause damage and the vehicle to become stuck.
A shorter wheelbase results in lower break-over angles and sees the rear wheels follow the front wheel sooner, helping eliminate "bottoming out".
