That's where the telemetry comes in handy. There's no need to guess. Maybe you're braking too hard and too late and the weight isn't transferring back quickly enough when you let off the brakes? This game is very picky about how you make that transition from braking force to steering force into the turn and from steering force to acceleration force out. I found, though because of this, that when I got it all right and executed a perfect turn that it was very rewarding. When you're locked in on a car-track combo it is an amazing feeling, especially with the wheel.
Yep, that's the thing I love, and which is why I'm interested in this game - it should in theory be my favorite game on the 360, but because racing has been my most favorite genre for such a long time, I think I'll generally look at racing games more harshly than most people.
So my problem with Forza 2 is very easily illustrated by comparing the Integra Type R FF car, with the Mazda RX-8 or BMW M3 FR car. FR cars obey different physics rules in this game from FF cars, and these rules are descriptive and rather loosely based on physics. They don't take physics as their basis, but instead there's a set of descriptive rules that say that a rear-wheel drive car, no matter how well balanced it is, will lose grip first at the rear tires. This is fine, as long as this is 100% dependent on the accellerative force of these rear tires, as only when used in accelleration should they affect rear-end grip in that way, and even then only if the car has oversteering tendencies rather than understeering (not all FR cars oversteer!). But this is not fully the case in Forza. The parameter for this is still present even if you don't accellerate at all. Hence my conclusion that FF and FR cars obey different laws of physics. If you then take a 4WD car, you can again see how the parameters have been shifted a little. I think it is quite obvious when you notice it. There's also very clearly a variable for going up or down a hill for instance, but while these are good and essential inclusions in the model, the "FR car always breaks out at the rear" rule is exaggerated too much and the parameter doesn't reach zero soon enough. The parameter shouldn't have been necessary in the first place.
That's my initial conclusion, and bear in mind that's only after a few play-sessions and only based on the demo, but I think its a sound conclusion. It also explains why in 3rd gear, at speeds and angles that should not induce oversteer in most of the C class cars, you still lose the rear so often.
If you're interested enough, go ahead and test the Type R FF versus any FR car that has similar specs, and I think you'll see what I mean. But of course, if you disagree and/or I'm really missing something, I'll be happy to learn the error of my ways.
One advantage to the full version is you can swap out those stock tires. First best mod on almost all my rides.
I generally love stock tires, as they give me a good frame of reference vis-a-vis reality, where I only ever really drive stock tires.
Lastly, the wheel doesn't make this game a different experience. It enhances what is already there, but if you find the game to be lacking without it I don't think it will make the difference. Unless you are considering other racers on 360 that you will be using the wheel for, I would wait until you're sold on Forza 2 before dropping the money for it.
I think you underestimate the power of a good wheel. It makes a big difference. Generally, the better the simulation part of the game, the bigger the difference. One of the things you just don't get from a game otherwise is being able to exactly feel when the car has tipped back up and is ready to lean over to the other side without objecting, which is essential feedback in things like chicanes. Also, I can see that the wheel should make a difference in this game in terms of laptimes because it does punish you for steering too hard. And because of that, the kind of precision steering that a wheel affords you, is definitely worth it. True, it probably wont fix all problems, but it should make them easier to cope with, especially for me, as I've found it hard to find a lot of fun in driving games without a wheel in these last 14 years.
). I didn't see what you described (the FR cars having the back end sliding out) unless I either tried to turn and brake hard at the same time or got on the gas too early. 
