AWD vs 4WD - What's the Difference?

Whether you decide to buy a sedan, truck, or SUV, you'll want to get some sense of how it performs before you make your purchase. Performance varies widely from one car to the next depending on its drivetrain. Historically, you may have thought that getting a rugged car that could handle off-road driving meant you were limited just to four-wheel drive for a drivetrain system. Now, however, you have the option of getting a car with all-wheel drive, which is a similar drivetrain that gives a car impressive performance capabilities while making it equally suitable for daily driving. All-wheel drive is an on-demand system, which means that the driver doesn't usually need to take any action to turn the system on. Instead, you'll enjoy the benefits of additional traction and handling whenever you need it. For heavier towing and more serious off-road driving, four-wheel drive is a perfect alternative. Four-wheel drive gives your vehicle better grip and power when driving conditions become tougher. Both four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive are available as a part-time or full-time drivetrain system.

What is All-Wheel Drive?

All-wheel drive is a drivetrain that you can get with a vehicle ranging in size from a sedan or crossover to an SUV. All-wheel drive is typically an automatic system that doesn't require the driver to take any action to start. All-wheel drive sends a steady volume of power and torque to all four wheels. Usually, all four wheels get torque at the same time, but all-wheel drive will make adjustments as needed to give either the wheels in the front or the wheels in the back added power as required. All-wheel drive will use a computer-based system to determine when more power should go to the front or back wheels on newer vehicles.