AWD vs 4WD - What's the Difference?

AWD vs 4WD - What's the Difference?

There are many considerations to think about when you are shopping for your next car. One factor that plays an important role in determining what type of vehicle you get is the drivetrain. Two drivetrain options that you may want to consider are all-wheel drive (AWD) and four-wheel drive (4WD). All-wheel drive is a drivetrain that commonly comes with a variety of cars ranging from sedans to SUVs and pickup trucks. Smaller SUVs and crossovers may have all-wheel drive as well. Regardless of body style, the all-wheel drive provides a wide range of benefits from fuel efficiency to superior traction and predictable handling when you need it. Four-wheel drive is another kind of drivetrain that you may get for your car. Four-wheel drive is the drivetrain that most people consider when they are looking to get a truck or an SUV. A four-wheel drive provides extra traction to ensure that your truck or SUV plows through just about any condition that comes. Both four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive are available as full-time or part-time drivetrain options.

What is All-Wheel Drive?

All-wheel drive is a drivetrain that delivers power to all four wheels equally on a car. All-wheel drive is a good choice to get for a drivetrain if saving money on fuel is a priority. All-wheel drive is also a good drivetrain to get if you want to be able to get in your car and go no matter what the weather conditions are like. All-wheel drive provides a car with extra traction, which makes it easier to plow through snow and mud or any other conditions that your vehicle may encounter with greater ease. All-wheel drive is a preferred choice for people in the wintertime, as all-wheel drive provides the extra traction and grip that not all cars have. All-wheel drive that is offered on a part-time basis is called AWD on demand, which means you can switch your car into AWD mode when extra grip and traction are needed.

What is Four-Wheel Drive?

Four-wheel drive is another option for your vehicle. While all-wheel drive provides all four wheels with equal power distribution, a four-wheel drive sends power to the wheels as necessary, and only on demand. Like all-wheel drive, you can get a car with either full-time or part-time 4WD. Either way, the car usually stays in high-range gearing, which is the most flexible gearing available. Low-range gearing, which comes with four-wheel drive, provides even more traction when needed.

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