AWD vs 4WD... Which is Best?
čas přidán 21. 02. 2021
Should you buy 4WD or AWD cars? What's the difference between AWD and 4WD? Aren't they the same? No! Watch our guide to the differences between All-Wheel Drive and Four Wheel Drive cars, trucks and SUV.
#awd #4wd #subaru
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#awd #4wd #subaru
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*Like this vid? You'll love our TURBOCHARGER VS. SUPERCHARGER VID - **bit.ly/3xkqh2X*
Of course according to SAE International Standard J1952 the preferred term for all of these systems is AWD and divided into 3 main categories which are Part-Time AWD, Full-Time AWD and On-Demand AWD. These split further into a total of 8 sub-categories of AWD.
Get to the freaking point faster dude.....you could have deleted the 1st 3 minutes of this video
This is also super misleading: 5:50 You make it sound as if simply driving in 4WD locks the rotation of all 4 wheels...it doesn't. It only locks the speed of the 2 front wheels to the 2 rear wheels. For example, your front left wheel can still turn faster than your front right wheel while in 4wd. Only locking the differentials can force the wheels to share rotational speeds
ramble on you still never got to the point...
There's also LSD and eLSD (electronic LSD) for more traction as in my 2017 Corvette C7 with stickshift.
In short, awd can monitor and provide different amounts of power to each wheel to provide the most traction. 4wd is a constant power to all wheels.
This is what I was looking for. Thank you
Thank you
When it works. You get a star for brevity and efficiency.
Actually constant power to both front rear differentials, most vehicles have open differential so the power will go to one side depending on traction on the other tire
Not true 4wd only uses two wheels at once the power switches at the front and back differentials
The thing I love about my AWD system is that it is "on demand". Normally, it is FWD, but if you hit patch of snow or water, it will instantly adjust the power to the front and rear wheels. My car also has trace control which will apply the brakes to certain wheels if you are going too fast into a corner.
What car do you have
name the car please
@Duy - Mr Snuff Nissan Rogue.
Those AWD systems are standard in most vehicles, as well as stability control.
@Dazlidorne Isn't Nissan rouge known for it's transmission problems?
Having spent the last 25 years driving tractor trailers I have some VERY good advice. I have driven over 2,000,000 miles without an accident. I see 4-wheel drives in the ditch every winter. I see two wheel drives(rear too) going right along in 2 feet of snow. I tell you exactly what to do. It’s all about weight on the tires that are engaged. A front wheel drive car goes well in snow because the weight of the engine is right on top of the front wheels that are engaged. A VW Beetle will go well in snow or mud because the engine is in the back right on top of the wheels that are engaged. In other words, if you have a two wheel drive truck spinning in the snow or something then put as much weight as you can get in the bed of it. Same thing with a car. If it’s rear wheel drive and you are stuck or have to drive somewhere then put as much weight as you can in the trunk. Seriously, in a semi if your trailer is empty or you have a light load then you spin and slide. In a semi if you attach to a trailer with 46,500 lbs in it then your truck goes almost like it’s on dry concrete. Ever see 18 wheelers going down the interstate when it’s covered with ice? Those trucks have heavy loads on and know what they’re doing.
Agreed, in every rear wheel car I ever had my dad taught me to throw in a couple 20-30lbs sand/salt bags in the trunk for the winter, spread them out as far out as possible to get the weight over the rears. Living thru CDN winters, rarely ever got stuck, but if I did I had some sand or salt on hand to help get some extra traction to free myself. Cheers & congrats on 2mil+ miles accident free! 👍🍻🇨🇦
Yup, a loaded semi can do better on snow/ice covered road than many AWD SUVs. It's more accurate to say though that it comes down to pounds per square inch. Essentially that we have and need well over 100PSI in our tires. A typical FWD car with some fat sporty tires is going to do worse than a typical front engine RWD car with narrow tires. A modern sporty 4WD pickup with fat 40psi tires, will do worse than an old school narrow tire pickup with 80psi tires. In the semi truck world rigs with super single tires do worse because they have a lower pounds per inch requirement. I kind of drive truck in the snow for a living all winter. The worst offenders I see stuck all the time are doubles with super singles, they've sabotaged themselves that equipment choice.
Exactly
lol as a canadian driver i couldnt have said it better,
I have been amazingly surprised at my 2018 RAV4 AWD and it has gotten me out of two stupid mistakes going where I should not have gone. One sand and one mud. I could literally feel the power dancing between the wheels as needed to pull me through bad stuff. Six to eight inches of loose sand for a quarter mile uphill as once I started down and realized I had no where to turn around until bottom of hill but it pulled up through that will only one quick slip in a turn going back up. Don't think it made one full rotation before adjusting and grabbing. The second time was a dirt path that turned to frame deep mud on me. Got turned around and pulled right out again. I do not recommend these mistakes to anyone, but glad I had a Toyota. Mostly I car camp in desert or in national forests back east and so far so good. Not going to do any rock crawling or mud bogging so I am very happy. Just waiting for some snow but usually hate winter so try to avoid. Give me beach sand over snow any day.
On 4WD the front differential is usually geared slightly faster for extra control off road. This causes the rear to receive an small amount more torque, as the front has slightly more loss due to the faster ratio. This can be proven by locking four wheel drive in and travelling approximately 35-55MPH, a slight vibration can be felt due to micro-traction loss. Other than sating 4WD distributes power 100% equally to all four wheels, great video.
For me, I think that the key takeaway is that constant power to all 4 wheels, instead of varying power makes for better off-road slow-speed conditions as opposed to varying power, which is better for high-speed on-road conditions.
This should be mentioned. While 4wd does send equal power to all wheels when engaged, the front and rear differential do not apply to this (unless they electrically lock with the 4wd engagement). If a rear or a front wheel is off the ground, the opposing wheel on that axle will not move while the one in the air keeps spinning. So even if your 4wd is pushing though some slippery or unbalanced terrain, don’t expect all wheels to move at the same speed
Unless you have limited slips
So what's the difference between 4WD and AWD if not for the locked differential? do 4WD not have the ability to continuously change the power sent to different wheels like AWD? And doesn't ANW send equal power to all wheels when driving on normal road (unless you're turning or going up a hill)?
Lockers can be selectable or automatic. Diffs can also be welded. LSDs and torque-biasing diffs can act similarly to lockers. TCS can also vector torque.
@Fury 4WD locks the center diff. AWD allows for a bit of differentiation between front and rear drivelines. Most 4WDs also offer a low gear. The Suzuki SX4 did not. Some vehicles can lock the axle diffs, for the ultimate in traction. Jeep SelecTrac, and similar systems, provide both 4WD AND AWD. SelecTrac also provides 2High, as well as 4Low.
@RKmndo AND? what's that? Also is a vehicle has both 4WD and AWD doesn't that make it a full-time 4WD?
Another point is that 4WD designs are far older and haven't changed much in decades. AWD hasn't been around as long and has been improved significantly in that time. 4WD is also simpler and would be (probably) less expensive to fix if a differential or your transmission failed compared to AWD. However, based on your video AWD is probably more useful in the vast majority of situations you will be in if you aren't regularly going genuinely off-road. 4WD would be preferable if you are regularly towing or carrying heavy loads, though. The more complex transmission/differential setups have lower limits on how much torque it takes to break them.
Thanks for information
Not at all the only use for 4wd is off road if you have ever seen or even better driven a car with a welded or locked rear diff you would have seen how bad they are on the road they are just bad at everything except going straight a 4wd is kind of the same you have locked the front and rear axles together so going straight on a smooth flat road you would know but anything the car will fight you however off road there is much less traction and the wheels can just slip a bit where needed
I would take a full time 4 wheel drive in the Landcruiser, Lexus LX and GX anyday over any AWD system. It has a real center differential and when shit hits the fan, it’ll get you out of anywhere!
Wrong on just about everything you stated
“If if aint broke, don’t fix it.”
It depends on the terrain. A proper 4WD access only track usually requires a 4WD and 4WD only. Otherwise, unless it is relatively flat, you're stuffed. In a AWD, you can't lift a wheel. What I mean by this is, when you lift a wheel in an AWD, the while in the air usually gets all the power, as most AWD difs are open. Of you vehicle has 4WD on, you may lift as many wheels as you please and all wheels will spin equally. However, 4WDs have different things that you put them in, like high and low range, the ability to lock and unlock difs, so on. This is how I understand it.
Your comment that "most AWD diffs are open" is just false. That's the whole benefit of AWD, if a wheel is in the air on an AWD it stops turning because it has no grip and the torque was re-directed to the wheel with grip. Different AWD manufacturers do this different ways, torque vectoring vs. independent wheel braking, etc.
I think some AWD vehicles will under control of a computer, will detect excessive difference in wheel RPM and apply breaking to the spinning wheel.
Nope
I've driven big/small rear drive cars with posi and without, same for front drive, different 4x4 trucks and AWD and in snow/mud/sand and nothing beats a primary rear AWD setup for control. I do drive a newer ridgeline now but my favourite was still my 02' 6 liter yukon denali. Absolute best setup in any weather. No torque vectoring, No electronic aids. Worked perfectly too for the entire time i owned it with zero maintenence or upgrade to suspension or differentials for over 300k.. Never got stuck anywhere and was a dream to drive.
I remember looking at the stats and finding that a lot of older 4wd vehicles, especially non truck ones, were switchable awd. Take the Subaru brumby as an example, it had a selector handle, but the vehicle was actually awd, even with the selector, how I know this, the “4wd” function could be used while still rolling and moving. Without the clutch, in fact, it prefers you didn’t use the clutch. Most old style rally vehicles sold as 4x4, were just awd and didn’t even have a selector
Most modern 4WDs are "shift-on-the-fly". Even my '78 Jeep CJ7 could be shifted while rolling. Just lock the front hubs before climbing in. Subarus can be 4WD. Some people install switches and heavier diff clutches to be able to clamp the center diff and provide 4WD.
wat? I can toss my jeep into 4wd at anytime.... be it parked or 70mph on a freeway
Love the presentation of this video. It's fairly concise given the subject matter. I do think it does leave out some recent innovations in AWD that do present a worthy mention as for how X-Drive works but great vid good content. 4x4 is generally what you want but AWD is generally what you actually needed given the %s of 4x4s that see real use.
Shifting form 2WD to 4WD is not the same as locking differentials (in fact you can lock the differential on most 2WD trucks). You are simply engaging another axel to the drive train. This second axel still lets your inside and outside wheels turn independantly in 4WD - they will only turn at the same speed when your differentials are locked. This locks the planetary gear in the differential, which normally lets wheels spin at independant speeds, so that if one side loses contact with the ground, or slips, it doesnt rob all the torque/power from the side still in contact.
Great explanation. I wish you would have covered stopping ability in snow or ice. Nothing stops well in either. So if you have either don't suddenly grow some big ones and think that you can go forward with little difficulty and not get into trouble.
ikr...a good sedan with snow tires is better than a 4x4 truck with bad tires
A Jeep XJ was shown to stop faster on ice in 4WD/AWD than when in 2WD.
Try AWD, with traction control, ABS, and snow tires. You'll out brake most "mud trucks". Had both, staying with AWD.
@Chris S mud tires are actually not great for snow. Also.... any 4wd vehicle will also have TCS and ABS.... That is like saying you like your AWD because it has an airbag. That stuff is standard bro.....
@Dave Dunks I have a first gen Touareg with locking center and rear diffs. It's the best of both worlds. I have Blizzaks for winter. The Quattro system in my SUV still outperforms many newer cars and trucks. Most vehicles spend their whole life on the road where AWD really shines. You get more control at speed in a corner, the rain, the snow, and the ice. You have that extra grip ALL the time. Many new, FWD based AWD vehicles disengage the AWD above 25-35mph effectively giving up one the best parts of having AWD in an effort to save fuel. 4WD gives that up ALL of the time unless conditions are slick enough to stay in 4wd. The Touareg is really an AWD/4WD hybrid, all the benefits of both, no real downside except a small hit to fuel usage. Snow, keep going, getting deeper, lock the center diff, really deep lock the rear. Some rare ones also had locking fronts. Really hard to beat the only thing I would add is a 2wd option for long trips on dry roads to save fuel. I've owned everything from V8 muscle cars, a Porsche 911 rwd, lifted and not lifted trucks and Jeeps. None of them compare in all around performance to the Touareg/Cayenne/Q7 platform in my opinion. And my AWD does have airbags, in the suspension! Giving me something like 8 inches of range in ride height. The Touareg didn't take off in the US because at over 50k in 2004 it was more than most would spend on a VW, despite being the same running gear and suspension as the Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7. And you could get this beast with a V10 TDI that will drag a Duramax in a tug of war.
AWD is getting better for lose conditions like snow and ice. It just depends on how much power is available to be moved around. Some AWD systems can only transfer 30% to the front wheels while others can transfer 50% or more. Some AWD only react once a tire starts to slip, while others are AWD full time. As I live in snow, I would have recommended 4wd for most of my adult life. In the past 5 years, AWD with full time AWD is proving it's worth up here in snow country.
There are many AWD cars with perfect power distributions. AWD are usually costiler than 4WD versions
Try Mahindra XUV 700 once 😉 It's really smooth and fun to drive 🚗 Also it has 5 Stars Safety Rating
I've got the best of both worlds, the 4WD system in my truck has an auto mode that brings the front axle in as needed when the rear axle is slipping. I use it in the rain and on plowed roads with patches of snow/ice left on them, it works great.
This. Auto 4wd has been around for over 20 years. Even the 2020+ gmc 2500's are auto 4wd. But no front locker so only 3 spinning. There's way too many variables for a fair comparison. Also I'm always in auto 4wd, even on dry roads.
@gill998 '99 Suburban (OBS) here. I don't see the point of using it on dry roads, I've got decent tires and putting it on auto hurts the fuel economy marginally.
@AbyssalReClass I have AT tires that grab the road well, but when pulling out from a stop it doesn't take much to break them loose. I'd much rather have the ability to put it all on the pavement. I have never noticed a decrease in fuel economy, I have tried to get better economy in 2wd even changing my driving style, but my best milage is still in 4auto.
@gill998 Do you have a pickup truck or an SUV? If its a truck, then you probably have very little weight over the rear axle, which will cause grip issues.
Thank you alot for this complex and detailed explanation now i understand the difference alot better!^^❤️ Also I always wandered what's so big of a difference
Currently, I drive the 2021 Honda CR-V Real Time AWD and no issues in the snow, heavy rain and low to medium volume of mud. It's a great AWD system so far made by Honda.
I have a CRV as well. Does well in snow and on ice, but we must realize that these cars, and most others (like Rav 4), are not true AWD systems. They are slip and grip systems. That is, they are normally FWD vehicles. When the front wheels detect slip the rear wheels will "kick in" temporarily to give you traction. Subaru, on the other hand, is a true AWD car, in that all 4 wheels are under power at all times. So when we are talking about, and comparing AWD to 4WD we almost have to specify slip and grip or true AWD.
@Alan Sach what about acuras SHAWD
I agree. I own a 2016 AWD Honda CRV and have not had a single issue with this year make and model with 80,000 miles on it. Handles like a sports car in turns wet or dry and super dependable.
This is good to know because I want to get a new Honda Ridgeline despite it being an unpopular choice 😅. I'm not made of money so I couldn't get the more pricy options that include 4x4/4wd. The base model only has AWD and I wasn't sure if it was enough to comfortably operate in Colorado. I don't plan to go off road or any crazy stuff, I just don't wanna slip like Honda Civic Si does. I want to feel safe.
Great video Brad. Missed one thing though. Gear ratios. All wheel drive vehicles have same gear ratios front and rear so they don’t destroy themselves driving around in high grip situations while 4 wheel has a slightly higher gearing in the front causing the front end to pull giving the driver the ability to steer better in slick situations. This is also why you need to be able to switch out of 4 wheel drive when the grip is good. Handling between all and 4 wheel is completely different in the slick as well but you could hit that topic in a different video. Thanks again Brad!
So far no one seems to have gotten the definitions correct (not even the video poster). AWD is for cars and some SUVs... and it means there is possibly power to front and rear (depends on center differential type). 4wd, or 4w4 is for SUVs and trucks, and means it has the ability to possibly send power to front and rear (depending on the center differential type), and.... AND it has LOW RANGE. So the 4WD and AWD can be in part time, full time (open diff), full time (limited slip diff), and select-able (both). The only industry standard difference between the two is a Low Range Gear set on the transfer-case. THAT IS IT. Plain and simple. Now traction side to side is a completely different issue. The axle diffs (front or rear) can have open, limited slip, locked, spooled/welded, and select-able. Each brand is different, as are all the aftermarket options. The systems can also be implemented or supplemented by ABS/computer controlled braking systems to create or aid in the limited slip feature of the axles, and/or even the center differential functionality. So to make it short and sweet.... the difference between AWD and 4WD is if it has a Low range unit on the Xcase.... that is literally it.
Most 4WD have the exact same gear ratio front and rear... if they have a different one due to limitations in the manufacturing of specific axles... it's off by a negligible amount, and you can HOPE it's faster speed in the front vs the rear, but not always and not necessarily... So a pair of axles can have a 4.10 and 4.11 combo, or a 3.54 and 3.55 combo... but that is negligible. Tire variation, wear, air-pressure, and weight over each axle (front vs rear) will have a greater affect on the ground speed of the rubber hitting the road. The only time two axles are very different in axle gear ratios are 4wd tractors with two different tire sizes.... and then the ratios are calculated to compensate for the tire diameter difference.
@Music Fan To add to what you've said, most of the time when there is a difference in front vs rear ratios, it is because of a staggered tire size setup. The difference in ratios is to get the same effective road speed delivered from each end with the different circumference of tire. It really has nothing to do with 'pulling' you in a given direction - delivering thrust in loose materials is what does that, if you have the right tires to churn through those loose materials.
@Music Fan 4WD locks the front and rear drivelines together. AWD allows some differentiation. Some 4WDs have no low-range. The Suzuki SX4 with rear driveline could be switched between 2WD, AWD, and 4WD. It had no low-range. Many modern CUVs lack low-range, even if they can clamp/lock the front and rear drivelines together.
@RKmndo Wrong! Landrover Classic Range rover and Defender -> permanent 4x4, lockable central dif.
Thank you so much for this project and comparison. It helps a lot for those who don't really understand the difference between those two methodes.
All-wheel drive, or AWD, refers to a system where all four wheels can gain traction independently of each other. The difference between AWD and 4WD is that AWD is typically always on while you can toggle between having 4WD on and off.
Yeah that's right and it all depends on what vehicle there's so many modern ones utilizing it now that people try to describe their own personal. I like to look back at the original setup like an old Land Rovers with no traction control we're basically there's an open differential in the transfer case allowing front and rear drive shafts to spin at different rates which is great for driving down the street or wet road but without traction control it pretty much becomes pointless pretty quick if you don't lock that transfer case differential into standard four-wheel drive axle lockers
I have driven both on snow and ice covered surfaces. My 2006 Subaru Outback with a 5 speed gives me better traction on take off than any of the 4 wheel drive chevies I have owned. I have not had the Subaru slip on me once while both of my Blazers experienced some slippage on take off even in 4 wheel.
That's because it's a Chevy. Try a non American ute
I drive a symmetrical awd and it’s beautiful, I drive through puddles with speed and notice how the car gives power to the wheel that would usually slip. Never drove 4wd so I can’t compare
Actually 4wd don't lock the front and rear differential unless you have lockers, those can be factory lockers or you can install them in the after market, like ARB lockers or so many different variants, and the lockers you have to active separately from the 4wd system, if you don't have them you won't lock each wheel, the video was great untill I heard that part🤦🏻♂️
YES! You are exactly right. You have saved me from writing it myself! Thank you
So the 2 front and 3 back wheels can go at different speeds?
exactly! AWD is just 4WD with traction control in a nut shell. but 4WD doesnt make 4 wheels rotate at the same speed, its just absurd.
@Inggil Lazuardi Unless you have lockers, 3 wheels slipping means you not going anywhere ( the fourth wont get any power, the others are spinning) Re think... If a front wheel and a back wheel is slipping then you are not going anywhere.
@Alan Hilder correct, thats why in 4wd truck u will find differential lock button when u stuck, in toyotas at least.
I understand the difference the exceptions are seen in the early model Audi Quatro's which has multiple differential locks that allows the axiles to be locked individually with a full lock of both which has a craving effect....I truly miss my 85 4K Quattro
I used to have one of the same! That 5 cylinder had some power and torque.
I wonder which is more effective in 7 inches of snow? I wish they could make a video having almost the same vehicle with winter tires and see which system is most effective to tackle deep snow. Thank you in advance. God Bless you all in this channel.:)
Well one thing I can say is that my AWD 2012 Subaru Legacy has no problems in 7 inches of snow. I was at work and we had a surprise blizzard and they hadn't plowed the streets when I was leaving so I had to drive home and it handled amazing. Best car I've ever driven in snow. Even was fun for a little drifting, too!
7inches of snow is child's play for anyone that is equipped with adequate tires and winter driving knowledge.
tires can make a huge difference, whether you have a 2 or 4 (awd) wheel drive. it just adds to traction and stopping power.
Axles on 4wd don't lock up unless you have lockers in them. 4 stages to that. Open differentials, allow outer wheel to speed up during turns. Positraction units do better at applying traction, but will still slip. Automatic lockers such as Detroit lockers will lock up axles providing total lockup and will still unlock to allow for easier turning in corners. Selectable lockers like ARB, Yukon, and Elockers provide total 4wheel lockup by turning on air, electricity, or pulling a cable to engage. This keeps maximum traction to all 4 wheels until locking device is deactivated.
Im driving a compact Suzuki Vitara Allgrip and it drives very easy through huge sand dunes, according to your explanation it should be a 4WD because it has a Snow and Lock modes
This is a question that I’ve been asked too many times. It is a complicated topic. For example... the many various types of 4WD systems (I think Jeep had 3 types during their Cherokee years - during the same model year) and of course all of different AWD systems. Tricky subject. You handled it well. Great editing. Thanks for the video.
I had a 1981 Ford Bronco and was told if I put the Bronco in 4WD or 4H on pavement, it could bust an axle. Is that true? The 4WD Bronco worked great on dirt or snow, but I never took the chance on putting the Bronco in 4WD on pavement.
@LIONS 67 You mess that up only if you use front or rear diff lock, provided the car has this feature, and take turns. When taking a turn, the wheels on the exterior have to cover more distance than the interior ones, so they rotate faster (this means "open differential"). If you lock the diff (the term is "locked differential"), either on front or rear, you make the wheels from that side rotate together at the same speed, even in turns, and that will mess up the system. If you don't have or don't engage diff lock, then the only downside of going 4wd on pavement is more fuel consumption. You can google open vs. locked differential, even here on YT there are videos with more details on the topic.
Great info. If you get a 4x4- get lockers front & rear! A huge difference than limited slip 4x4. Especially on Jeeps. I put Detroit Lockers on mine with a 6.5" long arm kit on 37's. It's was a beast.. My friend wanted me to look at a 2013 Subaru Outback but it had some kind of loud noise under the rear center where the gear box was located. It had new tires & the salesman told me it "could be" the tires but I know tire noise & that wasn't it. I've always owned 4x4's living here on the beach in SE TX and love them. My current is a beautiful 02' Blazer ZR2. I lucked out & bought it from a 1 owner garage kept & very low miles. Almost show room condition for $3200 in 2022. 🤟
Ideal Cars could also add that most 4X4's only have 3 wheels with power (unless they have a limited-slip differential in the front) which is rare.
Most 4WDs only have TWO wheels with power. A traction-aiding diff, or TCS, is needed to send power to both sides of an axle equally.
I’m stuck between a Sentra or Altima. Bc of the size, price and tech I’m leaning toward the Sentra, but that awd in the Altima would be a huge advantage in the snow
Their CVT transmissions suck. Get an Impreza or Forester instead. Better AWD system too, and in the 30’s on MPG’s.
The AWD STI has a DCCD (driver controlled center diff) that has full lock option, so that is not only a option with 4WD.
I side with AWD, always. If I were ever to run something like the Baja 500, I would want to do it in a lifted Subaru with all terrain tires and AWD. As is, I have a stock Subaru Baja, and with ice/mud tires on it, I have taken it places friends with four wheel drive vehicles could not go. My only concern is ground clearance, and the bottom of my Baja is smooth enough, that is long as I've got tires with traction, I can slide the car over surfaces I can't quite clear, having taken it over logs I couldn't clear more than once.
Baja 100 racers are surprisingly mostly RWD vehicles. I think the reason is they require a lot of suspension travel which is difficult to achieve in the front.
Someone is thinking about trophy cars😅...... while most of us will die without seeing one
Has to do with weight also. Less weight up front means less nose diving. Makes them better for jumping and more so the landing.
And they carry so much momentum when they are blasting across Baja it doesn’t matter if they have 4WD/AWD or not
These all have incredible amounts of horse power too
You can have a differential locking system in the both, on AWD and 4WD, it doesn't matter if is electronic, mechanic or pneumatic
4WD doesn’t lock your front and rear differentials. Those are lockers and if you drive that fancy rubicon you should know. A 4WD vehicle has a transfer case that typically only applies power to the rear wheels. But at a flick of a switch or twist of a knob or pull of a handle. Your transfer case is engaged then applying power to the print wheels. If you have a open diff or limited slip the power will go to the wheels with least resistance hence why lockers are so important in the 4WD community.
He's clearly Jeeple, he doesn't know much at all.
@FatalxWolfsgrin I mean I drive a Jeep but I at least know😂😂.
This video actually did a very good job on explain the difference between AWD and 4WD. 👍
One other deception about 4wd is the limited slip system. This basically allows one wheel to spin faster than the other. This is a concept that most vehicles use and was introduced in 1932 by Ferdinand Porsche. For four-wheel drive vehicles, the front driver side and rear passenger side wheels spin at a higher revolution while the opposing wheels are looking for something to grab on to. This is part of the limited slip system used in the differentials which consists of different gears to control the wheels independently. prior to this, Four-wheel drive meant that all four wheels were spinning at the same time and the same revolution. This was due to most four-wheel drive axles not having the limited slip feature in the drivetrain. The old Willy's Kaiser Jeeps stayed true to their military counterparts in this way until limited-slip drivetrains became the norm. Prior to the electronics, the hubs were locked manually from the outside then you had to engage the front axle with a lever in the cab before switching to high and low. In a way, All Wheel Drive systems are what the Four-Wheel Drive systems used to be before the limited-slip system was utilized. My dad is a baby boomer and told me his experience in an older Willy's Jeep. He said that thing was a real beast in the snow. If you got it stuck, you might as well call a tow truck since you weren't going to get it out. There is a video out there that you can watch about the limited-slip system. It's pretty neat and the demonstration does provide quite a bit of insight on the subject despite it being old.
I've got a lift kit and 32x10.5 M/T tires on my AWD Volvo XC60, and it's been absolutely fantastic on sand.
My 4x4 F-250 with all terrain tires is a beast in mud, snow, and rocks. The added height clearance is crucial as well. I generally have to be quick switching in and out of 4 wheel drive in the mountains because the main roads are generally plowed and good to go. That front wheel hop feels terrible and I don't want to ruin my differentials, transmission and damage the tires but no way would I go with an all wheel drive vehicle in the conditions of 8,000 feet, non paved steep grade roads, with rain and snow.
@ADRIFT SOUL whatever bro
I have a 2001 Subaru Impreza coupe and it’s a blast with the AWD system! Like you said I’m not going to be doing any rock crawls with it but it’s great for the snow and as a little sporty car it’s not what people expect to be getting around easily. One factor to mention that’s nice with AWD is you don’t have to worry about engaging it if conditions get bad. Yeah with a nearly 4WD styrene you can get out of a ditch maybe but I’d rather avoid the ditch all together! Lots of important pros and cons both ways ideally you have one of each and the ability to chose which car you want! That’s always the dream…great video keep it up!
With my experience in driving in adverse conditions... I can say I preferred the Subaru Station Wagon handling more than the 92 Volvo station wagon I had to start with... After all, my last car didn't flip over like the Volvo when I went around a corner too fast... Though it also helped that the steering didn't die halfway around the corner then revive just as I had recovered manual control... Anyways, drove the Subaru Legacy 17 miles over a layer of insta freeze slush, that froze over tires so solidly that you had no traction... Unless, as I discovered you drove above they hydroplaning point, at which point the deformation friction of the tires produced enough heat to stop the freezing from occurring... And that's how I found myself driving one of the twistier interstate routes while maintaining near normal speeds... For a whole 17 miles, because it was actually easier to steer while hydroplaning than it was to drive at the recommended speeds for the conditions... This was also the first car I had that simply aged beyond the parameters of registration requirements without being abruptly retired due to extenuating circumstances of physical abrupt damage to the body. The Volvo flipped, but I didn't have the money for repairs, the Outback met its end the night before the last day of it being road legal, which saved me from paying back a car loan on a vehicle that would have needed to be junked the day after that anyways...a rather serendipitous accident really. Those crunch zones gave me such a soft landing that the airbags didn't even deploy... Probably helped that I also had a choice in what I crashed into as well... A bunch of saplings and so on provided far more cushioning than the other option.
4WD doesn't lock diffs together. This is done by the central differential locking mechanism. The main difference between awd and 4wd or 4x4 is that awd actually controls the ammount of torque that's being delivered to each wheel. 4x4, while engaged, is just two open-diff axles being powered. You can of course lock the axle differentials too, both in 4x4 and awd
THIS is how you explain the differences between AWD and 4WD. Nicely done.
Fun fact, Lexus/Toyota had a special full-time 4WD system in the late 90s / early 2000s. It was definitely pretty cool!
You got this topic right. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 One side note, grip. Tires types for different terrains are key. The other is AWD’s use the front axle/ Transmission to drive over the roads. Unlike 4X4’s, they use the rear wheels to travel over terrains. I found a CS-tv video that shows a Subaru unable to drive up a mountain incline in a forward motion. Then they tried in reverse- successful. I believe that rear vehicle weight is more ideal for off road mountain inclines.
So far no one seems to have gotten the definitions correct (not even the video poster). AWD is for cars and some SUVs... and it means there is possibly power to front and rear (depends on center differential type). 4wd, or 4w4 is for SUVs and trucks, and means it has the ability to possibly send power to front and rear (depending on the center differential type), and.... AND it has LOW RANGE. So the 4WD and AWD can be in part time, full time (open diff), full time (limited slip diff), and select-able (both). The only industry standard difference between the two is a Low Range Gear set on the transfer-case. THAT IS IT. Plain and simple. Now traction side to side is a completely different issue. The axle diffs (front or rear) can have open, limited slip, locked, spooled/welded, and select-able. Each brand is different, as are all the aftermarket options. The systems can also be implemented or supplemented by ABS/computer controlled braking systems to create or aid in the limited slip feature of the axles, and/or even the center differential functionality. So to make it short and sweet.... the difference between AWD and 4WD is if it has a Low range unit on the Xcase.... that is literally it.
AWD systems are NOT all created equal. Most modern Subaru systems are NOT FWD-based.
@Music Fan You don't seem to have gotten the definition quite correct either. AWD allows differentiation between the front and rear drivelines. 4WD does not. Some 4WDs don't offer low gearing. Some vehicles are equipped with both 4WD AND AWD, like the Jeep XJ SelecTrac or the Suzuki SX4.
In winter, I drive my Pajero all the time in 4x4. Totally safe for the drivetrain because of the Super-Select system
I had a 4 wd Ram 1500 bighorn and my wife had an AWD Sub forester. The Forester is a beast in the snow. Much better then my Dodge with the exception of when needing clearance like unplowed roads.
You got most of it right. Mostly missed it on Four Wheel Drive. At the most basic level... Due to differentials All wheel drive is actually 4 wheel drive (all 4 wheels driven.) 4 Wheel drive is actually 2 wheel drive (unless you have locking differentials like on Jeep Rubicon) ...and 2 wheel drive is basically 1 wheel drive.
I got a Jeep wrangler from 01 and it's never failed me on a few feet of snow ever. Honestly it comes down to knowing how to drive and how the car handles in the snow.
I live where we average over 200" of snow per season. I used to have a Grand Cherokee with full time 4wd. It was great on road or off without having to worry. I rarely had to put it low, but it was not the most reliable vehicle. Now I have a Subaru Forester. It does great in the snow and on challenging dirt roads around here. Have done some light off roading in it. Both handled weather conditions around here very well, and the Jeep would go most anywhere.
Full time 4x4 wears tires faster costs fuel economy but its great for people who cannot drive
Subie also had a power center of gravity because of the H motor, which helps too.
@Lorrie Buxton you could just have said 2x2 for driving, and 4x4 for getting unstuck
Awesome video!! I'd like to see a comparison between AWD and your average car with traction control, in regards to driving on icy roads.
in FWD vehicles, you steer into the skid and speed up. in RWD vehicles, you steer into the skid and slow down. in AWD vehicles, you steer into the skid and hope
@Michael Heskett not with either AWD or anything with traction control.
@The Beaten Paths you do realize that its still possible to lose traction with an AWD or TCS equipped vehicle, right?
I would rather have my AWD on icy roads...it makes you be awake all the time and be careful when boost kicks in and the backend wants to go to the front! :D
AWD is permanent traction to all wheels as 4WD is normally RWD with option mechanicaly engaging the front axel too... That's it. Limited slip or locking Divs is a totally different topic. Most AWD SUV's don't have locking or limited slip differentials to save cost, and instead just use the breaks (via ABS) to slow down or stop the spinning wheel and hence transfer power to the other side...
Fun fact: Whenever you replace tires on your FWD, RWD, or 4WD vehicle it is best to get at least two new tires on the same axle so the drive train runs better. But with AWD, if even ONE tire needs to be replaced, it is best advised to replace ALL of the tires...and every tire must be THE SAME EXACT TIRE. Just having one tire a different make, brand, or even the same exact tire at a different tread depth can seriously mess up the drive train in an AWD vehicle.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this because it’s so true my Q5 gave me a solid headache lol.
I honestly wanted the new ford ranger in fx2 trim. It was a 2wd model with a locking diff and off road suspension. The dealer laughed, I guess they didn't really sell any so they weren't available. But honestly it'd make more sense for my usage(southeast PA, 90%on road daily, 10% backwoods campgrounds)
I like heavier weight off road. Because of the type of off-road driving I do. A Subarus lightweight actually has caused it to be almost dangerous in the snow for me but my heavier jeep and heavier for edge is safer. By the way my heavier 2017 Ford edge with regular tires handles just as well as my former 2015 Subaru Forrester did for me with winter tires. Also a four-wheel-drive system powers both front and rear axles at the same speed but not all four front and rear wheels. If you take a standard jeep wrangler without brake lock differential and put it in four-wheel-drive whereas the right hand side of the vehicle is on ice and the left-hand side is on pavement, both the right front and the right rear wheel spin and the Jeep is stuck. It takes lockers to force all four wheels to spin at exactly the same speed.
4wd doesn't lock the differentials unless you have a locker (full time or selectable). A differential is named that because it can distribute power between the wheels on its axle, like when turning (the outside wheel spins faster and the differential allows this). When the differential is locked, 100% power is provided to both wheels. This is great for traction but not so much for everyday driving. When it's in locked mode and you turn the outside wheel is going to hop because it's not allowed to turn faster than the inside wheel.
Hey Dude, thanks for clearing this topic. I’ve been asking myself about the difference of 4WD & AWD. My assumptions was correct, 4WD are for off-roading and AWD are for snow-tight corners driving. Your video is really informative.
That is incorrect. You can go on CS-tv and watch videos of Subarus in Moab. And doing other off Roading things. Especially if you have money to customize, you can make anything do anything. I use Subaru as an example, because not all all wheel drive systems are equal. And I think they have one of the best. Not just for snow and ice, but for dirt, gravel, mud, rain, handling, etc..
My '18 VW Atlas has a selector for normal, snow, and off road modes. Normal is 2 WD front wheels only and normal every day driving. In “Snow” mode, Active Control employs a more aggressive approach to stopping wheelspin, by employing transmission shifts earlier to help optimize traction, and reducing engine power when the Traction Control System detects slippage. The system is designed to be most sensitive when cornering, and traction is of paramount importance. In “Offroad,” Active Control manages the throttle and transmission similar to “Snow” mode but adds manual transmission control with Tiptronic® and relaxes the wheelspin settings and customizes the ABS system to provide better traction and stopping distances on loose dirt.2 Hill Descent Control is automatically activated on gradients more than 10 percent. After years of driving FWD and an occasional RWD, I will never go back, and will only own AWD or 4x4.
I would say all wheel drive takes four-wheel-drive to the next level with advanced technology. Complement all wheel drive with a set of aggressive tires and you are good to in most real road situations.
Your presentation is excellent and makes all the difference. So many creators could learn from your delivery.
There are permanent 4WD vehicles that have 3 diferentials, only when you need to split 50/50 front/rear it will lock the central differential. This is the case with the Land Rover Defender (classic model). It isn't a AWD since it doesn't have any type of control of torque split except for central diff lock. And for extreme off-roading, axle diff locks can be added.
My Ram also has 4WD Auto, on top of High and Low, that basically mimics AWD. It's great for compacted dirt roads and heavy rain.
2:32 is when he gets to the point
Thank you
Thank you
Thank you
Bro..I press this when I wad half way to the video..😂😂
Best choice for daily winter driving - AWD with good ground clearance and snow tires. If not all options are available I would choose front wheel drive with snow tires before AWD without.
You would choose front over 4 wheel drive? I take it you’ve never owned a 4 wheel drive.
@Don’t Fit I live in snow country and farm country. I grew up with 4 wheel drives and have owned several. Read the comment again, paying attention to every word. The best choice for DAILY winter driving is AWD, ground clearance and snow tires. Why? Because roads are not constantly covered in 2 feet of snow - it’s mostly bare or partially drifted or icy spots or track bare. But if you can’t have both AWD and snow tires then get the snow tires before you get the AWD. 4wd is great on the fields and deeper snow, but that’s not daily driving conditions for most. Having your vehicle in constant 4WD on bare pavement is not good for the transmission + it’s an expensive feature not needed for road driving. I can count on 1 hand how often putting my truck in 4wd actually made sense, and the rest of the time is was in RWD which is far less stable than front wheel drive.
@Jay Gee I live in Iowa land of one minute snow and the next an inch of ice covering everything. I’ve lived in northern Minnesota and also Nebraska. Minnesota you had 10’ tall snow piles in the middle of the road in town so you couldn’t even walk across the street without finding a place to cross. Nebraska you had roads that were never plowed. I’ve ran 4wd for roughly 40 years. In the 80’s I even had a couple full time 4wheel drive pickups. If you can count on your hand how many times you’ve used 4wd you either don’t drive much, like living dangerously or don’t get much snow and ice. I’ve driven all winter through spring mud in 4wd. You’re showing your naivety by saying it’s hard on the transmission it has no affect on the transmission if it were to cause problems it would be in the hubs and transfer case. Front wheel drive is an upgrade in snow from a rear wheel drive but doesn’t hold a candle to 4wd. Most AWD’s are crossover’s experimental go karts. They give a false sense of security to the drivers. I pass more AWD in the ditch and give more people rides home that drive those things then any other vehicle on the road including front wheel drive. Yes I’ve also owned front wheel drive and one AWD or I should say my wife has. She has since switched back to a Yukon with 4wd swearing she’ll never go back. These AWD/crossovers get a lot of promotion because it’s a push to a smaller vehicle and a step toward electric crap. They a not even a close replacement for a 4x4
@Don’t Fit ok, I get it.....you’re a boomer. I shouldn’t have bothered responding.
In regards to Baja1000: "Trophy trucks have been traditionally two-wheel drive but recent developments have seen more than one truck builder implementing all-wheel drive equipment. Lately the top teams have been moving toward AWD designs."
Some AWD systems have an option to diff lock anyway though, I'd say these days the main gain in a 4WD vehicle is the lower range gears
I had a 4wd. But now I have a full-time awd with front/rear diff-lock. ..& it's only 2400 lbs. It's amazing
I have observed that Front Wheel Drive is better than RWD in snow when climbing or accelerating but are more difficult to control when going downhill or decelerating.
Actually, here’s a quicker, easier way to demonstrate the differences.. AWD: normally on Transverse mounted engines with a Haldex type system. 100% FWD, but can send 50% to the rear. The switch between front and rear is automatic. 4WD: normally on Longitudinal mounted engines. RWD based. Can send 100% of the power to the rear wheels on some vehicles. Usually an automatic system until Magna introduced a transfer case decoupler/disconnet to switch from 4WD to RWD on the fly used in the M5 and E63S. And recently introduced on AWD systems such as the A45S. 4X4: normally on longitudinal mounted engines, mostly on heavy duty vehicles, off road vehicles, and other. Reason being is for the full control of coupling or decoupling from 2x4 to 4x4, locking and unlocking differentials. Thats why you dont see a rock crawling 4X4 setup on a CRV or A45S. They each have their purpose.
So what is my 2012 Rav4 XTR? As far as I can tell from reading it is driving all 4 wheels all the time but in normal conditions it favours the power to the front, I'm guessing 60-40 split. Then there's the switch on the dash (diff lock) which I understand to use an electrical signal to lock the drive somehow to make the power closer to 50-50, maybe 51-49. Maybe I'm way off but it seems to work.
@SalemikTUBE The RAV4 has a transverse engine with a FWD based AWD system, it can send 40-50% power to the rear if the system senses it needs it. But you probably have modes that can bypass the sensors and have the power sent in the rear in a semi-permanent fashion (40-50% power to the rear, if you have a rear diff then that 40-50% can be split 20-25 per wheel or 40-50 per wheel if needed) until you accelerate to a specific speed or switch modes. Its all in the car’s brain. All the coding. Do this when this happens, do that if this happens, do this and that if this sensor detects this and that. Gibberish to us but computers do these calculations in micro/nano seconds. RAV4 will favor FWD because of its mounting position (transverse) and transmission. That special edition RAV4 you have probably has an E-diff or 2 that bypasses the “traditional system” it has like in the regular RAV4, it doesn’t really “lock” your differential, but its doing its best to keep both sides left right turning at the same pace. the e-diff will make sure you get more torque where needed. Its like a beefier traction control in a way and Toyota’s Marketing made it seems super off road capable. Its all in the ECU and TCU. (Engine+transmission control units) working together. Its not a true diff locker like 4X4 but it’s sufficient if you go camping in a light off-road trail. Dont go rock climbing or hill climbing, not enough power per wheel unless you tune it (may void warranty). If you want that extra “umph” of power without warranty issues, check to see if an OEM style K&N filter exists for your specification, they let the vehicle breathe way better. Also, if its a “direct injection” vehicle, consider an Oil Catch Can to minimize carbon built up. Not sure but some Toyotas have dual injection, ported and direct, if thats what you can, skip the catch can. Hope I answered you question, let me know if you need more info.
@SalemikTUBE but since its a 2012, the XTR can just be extra mods here and there, nothing to do with e-diffs and all that talk.
Very informative and intellectual.. One question.. have a 2017 rav4 awd with an echo option but I don’t know exactly how this system mechanically works .. please some information.. Also please some additional information to minimize fuel consumption.. Cheers..
I have one of the rare full time 4WD Tahoes with 4 Lo option (2005 Tahoe LT with Autoride suspension). It is amazing in the snow. It’s the Borg Warner 4482. It has full time 4WD (60:40 split) and the 4 Lo button that allows the center diff to lock it to 50:50 torque split. But it has no 2WD option. Sometimes I wish I had the standard transfer case. But, it’s a very unique setup for sure. It’s a similar transfer case to the Borg Warner in the Hummers (BW4484) but mine lacks the 4 Hi (locked center diff) option and the Super Low option some Hummers have (3 speed transfer case).
I had a Durango like that and I regret selling it
This guy is so cool! Knows his stuff and makes a good instructor. Well done.
He doesn't, actually. As a number of other people have pointed out, he's getting lockers mixed up with 4WD. That's the problem with the internet - just because someone says something doesn't mean it's correct.
If you're totally confused, here's the simple version - AWD - 4 wheels rotate freely over one/two accel(s), the entire rotational power is divided as per demand - can rotate more = rotates more. So when your car turns or any wheel need more rotation than the other, it can do so. BAD WHEN one wheel is slipping/floating, since ALL the rotation goes into it, and others get none. 4WD - all wheels rotate at the same speed, so even when one wheel is floating, rest move as usual. BAD WHEN different wheels need different rotation, esp. in the turns as some wheels will be slipping, and even if you survive the turn, your tires won't, they'll wear off faster. ⟨⟨ For snowy or slippery roads, there's something as smart/limited differential AWD thingy, basically doesn't hand out 100% rotation to only one, caps off at like 70% (value for illustrative purposes only), so other wheels get at least some rotation to get off that situation⟩⟩
In theory you are correct but what your explaining is called a open differential. Once you put lockers do it acts like a welded diff. Off-road the only difference I see from a awd vs a 4wd is that the 4wd usually can go into 2wd while the awd is stuck being 4wd. But yea it doesn’t matter if your awd or 4wd once you lift a tire off the ground. If you don’t have lockers then all the power goes to the tire with less resistance which is the one in the air
My cousin has a 2014 Acura MDX SH-AWD, the best AWD system I've ever experienced in any condition. Never ending grip, never stuck.
I think my 1996 Land Cruiser with AWD and front, center and rear locking diffs does pretty well off road. My 1995 Range Rover doe well also with its AWD. It’s as good or better than your typical 4wd truck that doesn’t have a front locking diff like my Power Wagon has. Oh and doesn’t the Ford Raptor have AWD?
For those confused modern AWD provides power to the front wheels and rear wheels. AWD works on roads threw the same way your differencial lets your wheels spin at differing speeds. A little slipping gives the vehicle the ability to make turns. As a AWD looses traction on a single tire it has to apply braking to that tire to allow the power from the engine to go to the other tires. It is a fancy drive system better then FWD or RWD but not by much. 4 wheel drive has a locked transmission providing a 50-50 power split to the front and rear axels. If a front tire loses traction it will not harm the traction in The rear dame vice-versa. Now 4 wheel drive will always be supperior because modern 4 wheel drive vehicles have all the best parts of full time awd and part time 4 wheel drive. All the fancy braking and the 4 wheel auto in your f150 silverado or ram trucks are awd. If you want more information i can provide just about anything.
It's only confusing because AWD originally meant "full-time 4 wheel drive", but then "AWD" was later used to describe "on demand 4wd" systems as well. In "theory", full-time AWD with a locking center differential is the best possible off-road setup, per vehicles like the Mercedes G Wagon & Land Rover, but in practice, part-time 4wd systems are simpler, more affordable, more likely robust.
So far no one seems to have gotten the definitions correct (not even the video poster). AWD is for cars and some SUVs... and it means there is possibly power to front and rear (depends on center differential type). 4wd, or 4w4 is for SUVs and trucks, and means it has the ability to possibly send power to front and rear (depending on the center differential type), and.... AND it has LOW RANGE. So the 4WD and AWD can be in part time, full time (open diff), full time (limited slip diff), and select-able (both). The only industry standard difference between the two is a Low Range Gear set on the transfer-case. THAT IS IT. Plain and simple. Now traction side to side is a completely different issue. The axle diffs (front or rear) can have open, limited slip, locked, spooled/welded, and select-able. Each brand is different, as are all the aftermarket options. The systems can also be implemented or supplemented by ABS/computer controlled braking systems to create or aid in the limited slip feature of the axles, and/or even the center differential functionality. So to make it short and sweet.... the difference between AWD and 4WD is if it has a Low range unit on the Xcase.... that is literally it.
@Music Fan Except 4WD doesn't generally have a differential in the transfer case. When 4WD is engaged, it can send 100% of the torque to either axle.
@Excalibur1201 Umm... What??? None of that is correct. Full time Transfercases have a differential unit inside. It can be open, or posi of some type. Part times are all locked by a slide collar and Exclude a differential, and couple only when Locked in 4H and 4L, otherwise transferring only to the rear axle in 2wd mode. They Split the Torque and Speed equally when engaged.
@Music Fan Sometimes... hence my comment not being absolute. Maybe there should be a hybrid category for "Full time 4WD" which do have a differential or a set of viscous couplers in the transfer case, but the vast majority of 4x4s have part time 4WD with a clutch or viscous coupler that engages the front drive shaft when 4WD is selected and a planetary gear set for 4LO. When there is no differential in the transfer case the torque is not split. 100% of the torque is available to go to either the front or rear differential. If only one wheel has traction and you have both axles locked, that wheel will receive all of the torque. That's why 4WD is superior to AWD on rough terrain. That solid connection between the front and rear is also the reason you can't have different sized tires, and why they don't recommend driving in 4WD on dry roads, the drivetrain will bind. Oh, and thankfully, that slide collar isn't in all part time 4WD either. I had an S10 ZR2 that had one and I hated it. If you're turning when you take it out of 4WD it can bind and there will be a loud noise when it disengages.The slide collar was only there to make steering easier when you're in 2WD. The front drive shaft is also disengaged when you're in 2WD, which is why many S10 owners swap in the solid front axle from the AWD Bravada.
The Baja truck you showed in the end of the video looks like Brice Menzies AWD. Which I thought was the way of the future for podiums in Baja and Desert racing. Almost all Baja 1000 trophy trucks are 2WD. :) Cool Video!
The width of your tires also makes a huge difference. When going through mud or snow
Ground clearance is important also... Snow or off road
My full size Bronco is four wheel drive with traction lock in front and rear. As long as one tire has grip, I can go
I never drive off road and I live in an area where we have winter but little to no snowfall. I always buy AWD vehicles for one reason; better traction and less chance of hydroplaning when driving in the rain, which is a lot more common occurence.
I drive a Defender. It is an AWD, but it comes with a sweet central diff locker, which can bring the better of both worlds, in high or low gear. It's a pretty fun car to drive on and off road, if you're not interested in speed of course.
A Defender is an off-road Icon! They are set apart from the rest,,,,except for the Jeep Wrangler,,,Toyota Landrcruiser,,,,I have one too,,,,front and rear differential that can lock,,,,with the ability to crawl over rocks, muds, sand and snow. And totally comfortable. Cheeers
@George Tidd ayyy sweet! Mine has the ARB locker on both diffs for extra fun! 😈
Does AWD modulate the power to each wheel by applying breaking to the wheel that has less load (or more slippage)? If yes, does that technically indicate AWD will have less torque with 4WD (assuming overall torque is the same for both vehicles)? 2nd question - since 4WD rotate all tires at the same RPM is a slippery surface will always break traction, will snow also not handle as well for snow? Lastly - One common benefit tor 4WD is 4WD Low. It is great for steep inclines, traveling really slow for very rough terrain and for pulling a boat up a ramp (except I have to be careful to drive straight).
AWD - Always gives power to all 4 wheels at the same time. 4X4 - Front differential locks onto the back differential therefore giving power to both differentials (and all 4 wheel connectioned to these).
You don’t really need any 4x4 in bad weather snow conditions. All you need is proper tires with studs, and you are all set even with your 2 wheel drive. Front wheel drive preferably and it will pull you even through thick snow. Tested. Oh and ground clearance is kinda important too for rough roads
I want to get a new Honda Ridgeline despite it being an unpopular choice 😅. I'm not made of money so I couldn't get the more pricy options that include 4x4/4wd. The base model only has AWD and I wasn't sure if it was enough to comfortably operate in Colorado. I don't plan to go off road or any crazy stuff, I just don't wanna slip like Honda Civic Si does. I want to feel safe.
The Pilot, Passport, and Ridgeline now uses Acura's tq vectoring full time sh-awd (super handling awd); but, they call it iVTM-4. It can send up to 70% of the engine tq to the rear wheels and 100% of that to either rear wheel as needed. They are mostly fwd bias; but, you can see a range of 70/30 to 50/50 tq split depending on driving conditions. My 11 MDX will switch to 30/70 rwd up steep inclines with sh-awd. The sh-awd/i-VTM-4 works equally as well in dry weather sending power to the rear tires and tq vectoring around corners. The Ridgeline will drive and feel like a smaller lighter vehicle compared to a fwd or rwd only vehicle.
I’ve lived 19 total winter seasons in North Dakota, Colorado, and Vermont. I’ve primarily driven FWD vehicles and have NEVER used winter tires. I’ve never had any issues. You just keep alert and drive to the conditions.
FWD is going retry forgiving in rough conditions, look at rally racing for example FWD is much preferred over RWD. They’re hot as good as 4WD but they still pretty good.
Maybe in a future video, you can describe the difference between symmetrical AWD and conventional AWD. Thanks great video!!
That's actually pretty easy, although there's 2 meanings used for those, because marketing. A true symmetrical AWD system is physically symmetrical, in the sense that the driven axles at each end are the same length. This passively favors an even torque delivery between all the wheels. If you've ever driven a FWD (front wheel drive) with unequal length axles, you'll know what 'torque steer' is. That same passive bias created by the difference in axle lengths can cause one end of an AWD vehicle to accept or resist the application of torque. Most of the 'conventional' systems you see use a transversely mounted FWD vehicle as a basis, which may or may not have unequal length axles up front, and even if the front axles are the same length, they are usually shorter than those in the rear. Another factor in mechanical resistance to torque distribution is the 90 degree turn power has to make to get from the transaxle to the rear of the vehicle, which like the unequal axles, creates a passive torque bias. What that adds up to is that a lot of those 'conventional' AWD systems with the transverse drivetrain up front only deliver ~25% of the torque to the rear. That's enough to help with low traction a great deal, but not enough to seriously help with low traction due to loose surfaces (as opposed to hard surfaces with low friction, like wet or icy roads).
Also, your spare tire is also able to drive, while 4WD is limited to four wheels. That's why it's called ALL... wheel drive.
Love your energy and content.
The only difference is one literally is automatic and the car decides when to engage due to loss of traction on multiple wheels where 4 wheel drive gives you the ability to lock the center and rear differential it also adds as a secondary brake when locked because the braking force is multiplied but that's the reason you see 4H and 4L shifter there's a center transfer case increasing range or torque/ crawling capabilities
I had a close call that saved me driving my SVX. I only had it a month and we got our first icy snowfall of the year. I was going downhill and an oncoming car was losing control. The car in front of me was slowing to avoid them and I didn’t have enough room behind them to slow down with the tires I had. My only option was to rear end them or pass on the shoulder between them and a drop off ravine. I went for it and I felt the rear wheels give me the kick to pull me back on the road. It was a blast and terrifying all at the same time lol. Felt like a video game I was drifting. 90/10 all time and 50/50 when slip is detected in that car if I understand right. Without AWD a sports car is worthless in snow.
Appreciate the education and thank you, I always wondered what the difference was. I just subscribed to your channel, going to check out your videos👍🏼
To be honest this winter is pretty typical for my area maybe a little more extreme and my 2 wheel drive SUV handled it fine slipped and slid a little bit but never lost control
Great video, very informative and entertaining as well , thanks!
My M45X has a F-R 4WD system but it also has alot of the tech that the R35 GTR has. It is probably the best car ive driven in the snow, 0 traction issues