Everybody missed all the key differences.
Rear drive cars with front engines have separate bodies mounted on top of the frame, thereby making it easier to isolate the driver and passengers from noise and vibration.
Front wheel drive cars have the same advantage rear-engined cars have: the driving wheels have the weight advantage of the engine on them when they need more traction.
“Front wheel drive cars have the same advantage rear-engined cars have: the driving wheels have the weight advantage of the engine on them when they need more traction.”
True, to a certain extent; FWD cars have a decided disadvantage over rear engine RWD when going up a very steep hill; on a very steep hill, the center of mass may drop far enough behind the drive wheels that traction is reduced; more than once I have had to back up a steep, icy hill with my FWD car.
Also, in high performance driving situations, FWD cars tend to understeer. On the other hand, the oversteer characteristics of high-performance rear-engine RWD cars is well-appreciated, especially in trailing-throttle situations. I have seen more than a few new owners of Porsche 911’s pile up rear-end first when taking an expressway off-ramp a bit too fast.
Nice cars, but tricky to drive at the limit.