AWD vs 4WD - What's the Difference?
When you are shopping for a car, you may be wondering what type of vehicle to get. There are numerous considerations you'll want to keep in mind, including the drivetrain that you want your car to have. Several different drivetrains are available for a car, and two popular ones are all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive. All-wheel drive (AWD) is a drivetrain that is commonly found on cars of all kinds, ranging from sedans and wagons to trucks and SUVs. Four-wheel drive (4WD) is generally found on larger cars such as trucks and SUVs. AWD and 4WD are both available as full-time and part-time options. Both drivetrains can help your car get through rain and snow more easily, while 4WD is a good choice if you want to do some serious off-road driving.
What is All-Wheel Drive?
All-wheel drive is a versatile drivetrain that provides efficient driving when you are on the road in just about any kind of weather condition. All-wheel drive is a drivetrain that comes in full-time or part-time options. If you get a car with full-time all-wheel drive, the car is simply called an "all-wheel drive" vehicle. If you get a car with part-time all-wheel drive, you are buying a car with AWD on demand. Either way, you will enjoy the same benefits of AWD. An all-wheel drive car gets power delivered evenly to all four wheels. The wheels continually receive the same amount of power, which also helps to improve your car's fuel economy. When needed, power may be distributed to the wheels that need it most, such as if you are trying to get through snow or go around corners.
What is Four-Wheel Drive?
Another option is to get a four-wheel drive. Four-wheel drive is generally reserved for trucks, SUVs, and larger vehicles. Four-wheel drive can be either a full-time drivetrain or you can get it on demand. Four-wheel drive on-demand means that you can manually switch into 4WD driving when necessary, but you can use another type of drivetrain when extra torque and power are not needed so that your car is as fuel-efficient as possible. Four-wheel drive comes in two types of gearing, which are low-range gearing and high-range gearing. Low-range gearing means that your vehicle will get extra traction when needed to help get through challenging conditions with greater ease. Most cars are set to high-range gearing automatically.
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