4x4 vs. AWD
- Thread starter ISUcy08
- Start date
All vehicles sold north of I 70 should be FWD, AWD, or 4x4. Any RWD vehicle is junk on ice or snow. Any vehicle sold with RWD, like a camaro or mustang or corvette or 4x2 pickup, should only be sold with the proof you own another vehicle that that is not RWD. I went through a winter with a Mustang GT conv. as my only car. I might as well have had a bicycle.
Really, drove a firebird in Grand Forks, ND 5 years and never got stuck. I now have a 2WD Silverado that is great on snow. Just put snow tires on the rear and use around 4 sand bags, also get a 2 x 4 cut to your bed's width to hold the bags behind your wheel wells. I wouldn't waste my money on a 4WD with higher maintainence costs and a bumpier ride. I also buy extra rims so I can change them out in about 10 minutes every winter/spring. Seems like 90% of the cars I see in the ditch during blizzards are 4WD. Stopping is far more of a problem than going in inclement weather so I think 4x4 drivers are overconfident in their control.
I have a Jeep that has 4wd with two settings to choose whether you want the diff locked or not. It is nice to be able to drive around without worrying about turning in 4wd while still providing power to all. Then if you get stuck or an especially bad stretch you can still lock the diff.
that is an '03 so I don't know if the new ones are still mechanical or done automatically.
that is an '03 so I don't know if the new ones are still mechanical or done automatically.
Your choice but I had a 2WD chevy that got stuck on wet grass. if you have any hills covered with ice or packed snow you are screwed without 4x4. My opinion. I have seen FWD and RWD vehicles cause a 2 hour traffic jam between Silverthorne, CO and the eisenhower tunnel (10 miles). I could drive right by them, when there was room.
I have a 4 runner which has a High 4 and a low 4. Is the high 4 essential AWD since I can go up to 60 mph when in it?
My experience says you should use 4 low only for things like pulling something really heavy at low speeds, if you get stuk,or rock crawling. By having both high/lo you actually have two sets of gears. The low ones will make you rev higher
there is a good chance you'll never want or have to use low.
btw-great choice on the 4 runner. I've never owned one but their reliability and toughness is legendary.
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Exactly. Only use low when trying to get up and down hills off road. Don't ever use low while driving on the road. Low is just that, it keeps the gearing low, for power, not speed.
As for the OP, if you are only worried about getting around in the snow, AWD is what you are looking for and it will work great. 4WD is more of a truck thing, meant for you to get out of it and save some gas during normal driving conditions.
My G8 with OEM summer tires was exactly as you described. With the right UHP all season's is gets around as well or better than the FWD cars I've owned. Good traction and stability control helps, but tires are EVERYTHING. Anyone who doesn't realize that hasn't had the right tire for their application. My current tires have a lot less grip in the summer, but control in the winter is a fair trade for my needs.
AWD means that all 4 wheels can have power driven to them independently(the two axles and then a differential in between each wheel on each axle).
True 4x4 means that each wheel is driven with an equal amount of power. Most AWD/4WD cars drive in 2WD(or almost 2WD) mode until the computer senses that certain tires need more/less power. Subaru has a great marketing department in this aspect. In reality their automatic AWD cars drive most of the time at around 80/20 (front axle vs real axle) power distribution. Their manual version drive more evenly, sometimes with more power going to the rear axle depending on the model and year of car. When the car detects that certain wheels are slipping it redistributes power appropriately.
I have a newer 4x4 jeep, and it runs in 4WD mode normally with a ~90/10 power distribution, and changes distrubution depending on the conditions. It also has a 4x4 lock mode, which you shouldn't run unless you're getting one to two tires sucking up all of the torque all the time due to having no traction.
True 4x4 means that each wheel is driven with an equal amount of power. Most AWD/4WD cars drive in 2WD(or almost 2WD) mode until the computer senses that certain tires need more/less power. Subaru has a great marketing department in this aspect. In reality their automatic AWD cars drive most of the time at around 80/20 (front axle vs real axle) power distribution. Their manual version drive more evenly, sometimes with more power going to the rear axle depending on the model and year of car. When the car detects that certain wheels are slipping it redistributes power appropriately.
I have a newer 4x4 jeep, and it runs in 4WD mode normally with a ~90/10 power distribution, and changes distrubution depending on the conditions. It also has a 4x4 lock mode, which you shouldn't run unless you're getting one to two tires sucking up all of the torque all the time due to having no traction.
I have an evo 8 with full time AWD, with a nearly 50/50 power distribution. For taking off, getting through the heavy snow, and cornering, it is fantastic. Driving on a slick highway..... above 35 MPH not so much. I would rather have FWD for that. Having the bit of power to the rear and a fairly short wheel base, the car can feel a bit squirly at times. I think this is a big problem with trucks and suvs and that's why you see so many in the ditches. Plowing through snow, and icy slick conditions are not the same. Fwd pulls the car so the rear doesn't want to go off on it's own so much. But AWD and 4 x 4 are so much better at taking off and cornering.
If you want something that goes off road well and do a lot of stop and go driving in the snow go with 4 x 4.... if you want something that is good all around daily driving in the crap that is safe.. go with AWD but go with an AWD with a good traction control system.
And for god's sake, people, stop using cruise control on icy roads.
If you want something that goes off road well and do a lot of stop and go driving in the snow go with 4 x 4.... if you want something that is good all around daily driving in the crap that is safe.. go with AWD but go with an AWD with a good traction control system.
And for god's sake, people, stop using cruise control on icy roads.
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Bought a CX9 for the little lady a month ago. Love it. Never had a Mazda before. Noticed the CX5 on the lot & in the show room and the mileage on the sticker. For what you get, can't believe you don't see more around. Think Mazda will sell a lot of vehicles in the near future.
Honda Ridgelines & Pilots (I believe the latter) can be in true 4-wheel drive up to 20 to 22 miles per hour, then it automatically goes to AWD - fwiw, & both get around awfully well in the wintry weather
We have a Mercury Mountaineer AWD and Ford F-150 4WD. The Mountaineer kicks in when slipping, etc. We have a long steep farm driveway that the Mountaineer has no problem getting up so we tend to drive it unless wanting to crash through big drifts. I always thought that you shouldn't drive in FWD on dry pavement. That's another reason we like the Mountaineer is because if you have dry pavement/snow patches the vehicle takes care of it for you.
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FWD = Front wheel drive
I think you mean 4WD = Four wheel drive. At least I hope you do.
The CX-5 is nice and gets great mpg for an SUV. The only thing I've never liked about Mazda(even the one I had) has been their interiors, very low rent versus the competition.
My wife has a FWD Escape and she had no issues going through some good sided drifts in the Dec storm. If it snows so much you need 4x4 maybe you should just stay home.