No, There are, rear engine, mid engine and all wheel drive applications as well
#1, a front wheel drive transverse transmission also contains the differential assembly.
Either a transverse engine for front wheel drive cars (and the occasional rear engine, rear wheel drive car), or a longitudinal engine for front/mid-engine, rear wheel drive cars.
More weight over the drive wheels = better traction with front wheel drive.
It's actually four wheel drive, but uses a transverse engine with a transaxle... it's basically a front wheel drive vehicle plus a transfer case.
A rear wheel drive vehicle transmission has everything in a straight line . A Transverse mounted transmission has the gears made after the torque convertor at a 90 degree angle. (L shaped)
Yes. The Passat has always been a front wheel drive car (though some models had the option of a synchronized four wheel drive) with a transverse engine and transaxle.
An I4 is cheaper because it has one cylinder head instead of two. Also, it takes less fore-aft space in the engine compartment of transverse engine, front drive cars.
No, not feasibly. Front wheel drive cars typically have a transverse engine (as opposed to a longitudinal engine found in rear wheel drive cars) and a transmission with a different output location that that found on a rear wheel drive car... I won't say such a conversion is impossible, but it's highly impractical.
Yes.
Your Neon is front-wheel drive and doesn't have a transmission, it makes use of a transaxle mated to a transverse-mounted (sideways) engine. A Dakota is rear or four wheel drive and uses a conventional transmission mated to a conventionally mounted engine. Totally incompatible.
Not easily. The 940 engine is a 4 cylinder rear wheel drive that is oriented front to back. The 850 engine is a transverse 5 cylinder front wheel drive. The transmission/transaxle in the two are very different.
No, these are likely completely different platforms, though I can't recall when the LeSabre went front wheel drive. If the engine is transverse, there are no compatibilities with a Caprice.