When driving in wet or icy conditions, having an AWD car is much safer and you can feel how much traction it has on the road. Cars with AWD configurations have sensors and equipment that distribute energy from the powertrain to different axles as conditions change. One of the biggest benefits of owning an AWD car is the fact that they can adapt to almost any type of weather or road automatically. In some cases, you can even switch between four-wheel-drive and two-wheel-drive if you want your vehicle to be more fuel efficient. The driver can select how the power is distributed using different gear ratios and a transfer case, which makes these systems desirable for people who want to go off-roading and need to be able to adapt to different conditions and have better traction on the fly. However, 4WD systems distribute this power to both axles evenly and will have a differential in the back as well as the front. Four-Wheel-Drive:įour-wheel-drive systems are similar to all-wheel-drive in that they deliver power to both the front and rear axles. RWD vehicles are also incredibly well-balanced and have fairly responsive, precise handling, which is ideal for motorsports and other high-performance driving applications. This type of configuration is generally reserved for cars that need a lot of fine-tuning in the front wheels because the space is freed up and there are no drive components up front. With these drivetrains, the engine’s power is distributed to the back wheels with a driveshaft and a differential. While RWD vehicles are not nearly as popular as they once were, many heavy-duty pickup trucks and high-end luxury cars still use a rear-wheel-drive system. Many hybrid vehicles have an AWD configuration where the front wheels are driven by the internal combustion engine and the back wheels are driven by one or two electric motors. Most AWD vehicles don’t deliver a 50/50 split of the power to the front and rear wheels and many of them will divert power to the axles as needed, which makes all-wheel-drive systems very desirable.Īll-wheel-drive vehicles have excellent traction control and are incredibly responsive in corners and when accelerating. Most base trim levels for new cars come with front-wheel-drive and have AWD as an available option with the higher trims.Īll-wheel-drive cars are generally considered higher-end than front-wheel-drive ones because of their dynamic driveability and adaptability to different road conditions. This will almost always be the most efficient drive configuration as well as the least expensive since it doesn’t require a rear differential or driveshaft. Because of this, the vehicle gets pulled along instead of pushed, which can improve cornering and reduce any oversteer coming from the back wheels. Front-Wheel-Drive:įront-wheel-drive cars get all their power from the front wheels with none of the engine’s energy being distributed to the rear wheels. Understanding your options is the first step toward making a solid purchase. If you are going to make the smart choice, you should know what each of them brings to the table and how they can affect a vehicle’s driveability and practicality. The type of drivetrain that your vehicle has will determine things like whether it has enough traction control for off-road applications, how well it will perform in winter weather and other poor weather conditions, and its fuel economy. Understanding Your Wheel Drive System Options By knowing the difference between AWD and FWD and what each one has to offer, you can make an informed choice at the dealership. The key to making a smart car purchase is to be informed about all your available choices, including the wheel drive system. One of the most important things to look out for, though, is whether a vehicle has a front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive. Everything from interior materials to engine displacement can have a big impact on whether your new sedan, crossover, sports car, or SUV will suit you well. When buying a new or used car, there are a lot of options for you to sift through. However, there are some downsides to it that can make FWD your best bet when it comes to efficiency and performance. It may seem like AWD will be the better option no matter what. Depending on your needs and the kind of driving you do, one of these will be better for you than the other. With front-wheel-drive, the engine only sends power to the front wheels, while all-wheel-drive gets power to all four wheels, depending on the conditions.
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