Which is better, oversteer or understeer?

It depends on what for. On a road car, a little understeer: at the limit an understeering car is stable and follows a wider curve, while an oversteering car becomes unstable and tends to spin. That is why manufacturers set up production cars with some understeer on purpose. In drifting you want the opposite: controlled oversteer.

What are sobreviraje and subviraje in English?

Sobreviraje is oversteer and subviraje is understeer. On track, drivers also say push or plow for a car that runs wide at the front, and loose for one whose tail steps out.

Is drifting oversteer?

Yes: it is oversteer provoked on purpose and held under control through the whole corner, with countersteer and throttle. The slip angle of the rear tyres exceeds that of the fronts, often so much that the front wheels point the opposite way to the turn.

Does stability control correct oversteer and understeer?

It helps, within the limits of physics. It compares where the car is going with where the steering wheel points, cuts power and brakes individual wheels to straighten it. It does not add grip: if you take the corner far too fast, physics still wins.

Does the same happen on a motorcycle?

The basics are the same: each wheel has a grip limit and weight transfer moves it. The Buenos Aires Province driver manual advises against entering a corner while braking: the front wheel can lose grip from the extra effort, and the rear from the weight that moved forward.

What is oversteer in a truck or a bus?

It is the same as in a car: the vehicle turns more than the driver asks because the rear axle loses grip first. The difference is height: with a high centre of gravity, the outward weight transfer is so large that some trucks roll over before they skid. That is why stability systems with rollover protection exist for many trucks, trailers and buses. An articulated truck has its own version, the jackknife: if the tractor skids, for example after bad braking or on ice, the trailer pushes it from behind and the rig folds like a pocket knife.

Oct 3, 20261 min readUpdated: Nov 7, 2026

Oversteer and Understeer: What They Are and How to Fix Them

By Dmitrii McCarthy

Oversteer and understeer: what they are and how to fix them

Understeer is when the car turns less than you ask with the steering wheel: the front tyres lose grip first and the nose runs wide. Oversteer is the opposite: the rear tyres lose grip first, the tail steps out and the car turns more than you wanted. Understeer is corrected by slowing down smoothly and unwinding a little steering; oversteer with countersteer and progressive throttle, with no sudden inputs. Drifting is oversteer provoked and held on purpose.

The full guide, with comparison tables and the physics behind both (slip angle, weight transfer and the friction circle), is in the Spanish version.

Frequently asked questions

Which is better, oversteer or understeer?: It depends on what for. On a road car, a little understeer: at the limit an understeering car is stable and follows a wider curve, while an oversteering car becomes unstable and tends to spin. That is why manufacturers set up production cars with some understeer on purpose. In drifting you want the opposite: controlled oversteer.
What are sobreviraje and subviraje in English?: Sobreviraje is oversteer and subviraje is understeer. On track, drivers also say push or plow for a car that runs wide at the front, and loose for one whose tail steps out.
Is drifting oversteer?: Yes: it is oversteer provoked on purpose and held under control through the whole corner, with countersteer and throttle. The slip angle of the rear tyres exceeds that of the fronts, often so much that the front wheels point the opposite way to the turn.
Does stability control correct oversteer and understeer?: It helps, within the limits of physics. It compares where the car is going with where the steering wheel points, cuts power and brakes individual wheels to straighten it. It does not add grip: if you take the corner far too fast, physics still wins.
Does the same happen on a motorcycle?: The basics are the same: each wheel has a grip limit and weight transfer moves it. The Buenos Aires Province driver manual advises against entering a corner while braking: the front wheel can lose grip from the extra effort, and the rear from the weight that moved forward.
What is oversteer in a truck or a bus?: It is the same as in a car: the vehicle turns more than the driver asks because the rear axle loses grip first. The difference is height: with a high centre of gravity, the outward weight transfer is so large that some trucks roll over before they skid. That is why stability systems with rollover protection exist for many trucks, trailers and buses. An articulated truck has its own version, the jackknife: if the tractor skids, for example after bad braking or on ice, the trailer pushes it from behind and the rig folds like a pocket knife.

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