Center of gravity is a height measurement not fore/ aft. The lower the center of gravity the better a vehicle theoretically handles. Low vehicles like sports cars have low C of G and won"t role over as a truck would [ high center of gravity]. Nothing to do with front /rear weight bias.
Actually the C of G of a vehicle exists somewhere on that vehicle as a single point in 3 - dimensional space. It therefore cannot be defined as a single measurement, but as several measurements on x,y, and z axes. Such as height;
plus a left to right measurement, and a fore and aft measurement.
It's the fore and aft position of that point, relative to the wheels, that defines the weight distribution between the front and rear wheels, their relative grip on the road, and therefore is a major factor in the handling of the vehicle, particularly at the threshold of that grip.
Of course, that is an over simplification, as not just the weight itself, but also the
distribution of that weight along each of those axes is important too.
A very slight bias toward the front wheels is considered optimal for balanced handling in most vehicles. Being in a non-artificially induced four wheel drift, meaning all four wheels are slipping simultaneously and evenly at speed through a curve (with neither the front nor rear wheels breaking loose sending you into a spin, and with lack of under or over steer) and you are still in full control, is the ultimate result. Been there. It's the ultimate.
This is my first SUV. I have previously owned performance coupes and sedans, but needed to tow a larger boat than most sedans could do. So I just want to get a handle on how bad SUV's really are in the handling department. (They've come a long way in recent years). Please, no flames, I'm being pragmatic here.
The Sport so far looks like it is/has been a good compromise, and I'm liking it more and more all the time.
