What is All Wheel Drive? What does AWD Vehicle mean?
If you have not thought about driving cars with all wheel drive, it could be because you aren’t familiar with what all wheel drive is. So, what is all wheel drive? All wheel drive is a system in cars that gives torque to every wheel, not just the two in the front or the back. These cars are also referred to as four wheel drive vehicles, and can be especially useful for off-road vehicles to maintain traction or when performance cars want to maximize on torque. Whether your interest in four wheel drive vehicles stems from a need for speed or a need to battle rough terrain, everything you need to know is right here at your fingertips.
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Four wheel drive SUVs: excellent on slippery surfaces
When most people hear “4WD” they immediately think about large trucks and SUVs tumbling across snow or the badlands. Why should they not? Cars with all wheel drive are excellent in maintaining traction on slippery surfaces. An all wheel drive SUV can navigate skilfully over ice, snow, and mud. When one or even two wheels lose contact with a surface, a car with four-wheel drive still has the other two wheels to pull it forward. Only the front or back wheels turn in cars with two-wheel drive; if those two wheels become compromised, you’ll find you and your car stuck in a sticky situation.
Although four-wheel drive is consistently seen in off-road vehicles, there are advantages to having all wheel drive sports cars. Sports cars can increase their acceleration abilities by transferring the engine power to all wheels at once. Where off-road vehicles use full traction to compensate for difficult terrain, four-wheel drive in sports sedans allows for immediate acceleration response. Handling also improves in all wheel drive sports cars. When both sets of wheels are on the move, the front set of tires steer and pull, while the back tires continue to push the car’s force in the direction of steering. In this way, four wheel drive vehicles exhibit precise steering power with enhanced acceleration.
photo credit: Ian Muttoo
Despite the advantages in handling and performance, all wheel drive vehicles do carry some disadvantages. They are heavier, so manufacturing these cars is more costly and transitively more expensive for consumers to buy. All wheel drive cars also less fuel efficient than two-wheel drive cars because they use more power in reaching every wheel. Yet, if you live or work in an environment that necessitates travel over rough terrain, like rocky construction sites or heavy snows for a significant part of the year, a four wheel drive car might be a necessity. For anything else you need to know, or for an all wheel drive cars list, our website will make sure you are well informed. See if an all wheel drive car is right for your lifestyle!
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