The latter is much easier to control. I prefer rear wheel drive over front wheel drive. Mulching mowers are the basic mower for most home lawns today. They burst on the scene about a decade ago, once American communities began to exhaust landfill space. Their capacity to mulch clippings so you can leave them in place is useful if you don't want to collect them.
Some manufacturers create mulching mowers by simply blocking all clipping exit channels.
Mowers designed to be mulchers have a doughnut-saped deck housing with various baffles, and a specially shaped blade, all to ensure clippings are cut several times. Compared with mowers that bag clippings, these save time because you don't have to stop and empty the bag every few rows, and they can shred leaves into near-invisible pieces along with the grass. Also, they are safer because there is no avenue for discharge of a rock from the side or rear of the machine. Mulching mowers save resources. Lawns cut with mulchers need less fertilizer.