AWD Vs. 4WD

The dynamics of automobile industry are highlighted precisely by the technological advancement that the sector has been subjected to over the last few decades. Today, we can boast of several engineering marvels which were difficult to imagine a few decades ago. One such marvel was the introduction of 4 wheel drive vehicles on the global platform, which proved to be of great help in off-road escapades. Initially restricted to sports utility vehicles (SUVs), the concept of four wheel drive has also been introduced in the luxury segment now. The problem, however, is the use of technical terms such as four wheel drive (4WD) and all wheel drive (AWD), which tends to leave the layman confused. While a large section of the society believes that AWD cars are same as 4WD cars, going through AWD vs. 4WD reviews gives a slightly different picture. In order to understand what the difference between all wheel drive and 4 wheel drive vehicles actually is you need to take a look at both the concepts individually.

AWD Vs. 4WD: An Overview

All the confusion about all wheel drive and four wheel drive system that prevails in the society today can be attributed to our lack of knowledge about these systems. Those who generally assume that an AWD vehicle is same as a 4WD vehicle are the ones who rely on the fact that all wheels are powered in both of these concepts and ignore the fact that even though all the wheels are powered the working mechanism is totally different in each of them. A bit of research and you will notice that the maximum number of vehicles in the all wheel drive cars list are small SUVs or luxury cars. The 4 wheel drive cars list, on the other hand, will feature more of large SUVs than small cars.

Even though all wheels are powered in all wheel drive vehicles, each of these wheels have the ability of rotating at different speeds. This proves handy when it comes to sharp turns wherein the outer front wheel has to cover more ground than the inner front wheel. In four wheel drive, the mechanics change slightly with the implementation of the part-time system wherein the driver has the option of resorting to rear wheel drive for on-road traveling and lock into four wheel drive for off road traveling. At times, all wheel drive vehicles are also referred to as full-time four wheel drive vehicles, while actual four wheel drive vehicles are referred to part-time four wheel drive vehicles.

AWD Vs. 4WD Comparison

Even though all four wheels are powered in both of these concepts, there does exist some difference between all wheel drive and 4 wheel drive cars. Basically, four wheel drive cars come with the option of switching between the four wheel drive mode and all wheel drive mode, an option which is not available in all wheel drive cars. The transfer box in 4WD facilitates this switching and transfers equal torque to all the wheels.

Yet another point of distinction when it comes to 4WD vs. AWD cars comparison is power sharing between the wheels. In all wheel drive vehicles, 90 percent of the power that is generated is diverted to the front wheels, while the remaining 10 percent is diverted to the rear wheels. In four wheel drive vehicles, the entire power is diverted to rear wheels in the rear wheel drive mode and equally distributed between the four wheels in four wheel drive mode.

This means that a 4WD vehicle will be an ideal bet on normal roads as well as off-road tracks where it is difficult for two wheel drive to give the rider a smooth experience. On the other hand, AWD cars will give the driver a great normal road experience as compared to its 2WD counterpart, but the same can't be said when it comes to off-road tracks. Basically, one has to understand that just because you own an all wheel powered robust SUV, you can't go to some snow clad region without worrying about being stuck in snow.

These points of distinction in AWD vs. 4WD comparison will be of great help for all those people who are confused between these two types of cars. At the end of the day, each of these systems have their own pros and cons. While four wheel drive vehicles are not as fuel efficient as their all wheel counterparts, they do assure that extra bit of security, especially on off-road journeys. That being said, it's very important to take all the factors into consideration when choosing between the AWD cars and 4WD cars.