Be Smart With Cars

Four wheel and all-wheel drive are terms used to describe how a car's wheels are powered, and are commonly regarded as the same thing. However, they offer very different performances when compared to each other, and it is important when comparing vehicles to understand the differences between the two so that you can ensure that you choose the type of drive system that best fits your needs.

Four Wheel Drive

Four wheel drive is most commonly found on off road vehicles, which are designed to travel over rough terrain or over surfaces not specifically designed for car travel. Four wheel drive provides an equal amount of power to the rear and front wheels, which provides the maximum amount of power to each wheel. Each wheel under four wheel drive will be turning at the same speed, which allows your vehicle to traverse rough terrain much easier. However, four wheel drive is not ideal for travelling on flat surfaces, as it ruins your fuel economy and makes it harder for you to turn, as each tire will be spinning at the same speed. This means the inside tire on a turn will be spinning more than it needs to, losing its grip on the road. While four wheel drive can be turned off as needed, it should be noted that it is really only designed for driving in off road conditions, and serves no other purpose.

All-Wheel Drive

All-wheel drive is different from four wheel drive in that it is always activated. You cannot turn it off as needed. All-wheel drive will provide different amounts of power to each wheel, allowing the car to instantly adjust how quickly each wheel is turning depending on the conditions that you driving in. This monitoring is done by the car's computer, and allows you to maintain control of your vehicle even under poor road conditions. All-wheel drive offers better handling and traction while on the road to four wheel drive. However, all-wheel drive cannot be turned off, which affects the fuel economy of your vehicle, and cannot be used in any sort of off road conditions. All-wheel drive systems will also increase the weight and price of your vehicle, and can be quite expensive to fix if they break. You cannot drive a car with a broken all-wheel drive system, as the car's wheels will not receive the correct amount of power to keep you safely on the road.

Knowing the type of drive system your vehicle has and how each type of system works will make it easier for you to get the right parts from a supplier like Mora Chevrolet Buick when you need to make repairs.