as the title reads.

to me it just seems that non suvs have awd and suvs have 4X4. the only exceptions are shitty SUVs, like the Vue, that have AWD.

im pretty sure this is not some labeling game and that there truly is a difference between awd and 4X4

 

I might be wrong here but I think a 4x4 system lets you chose if you want 4WD or 2WD but AWD is on all the time.

 

http://www.4x4abc.com/4WD101/difference_4WD_awd.html

 

 

huh never knew that. i thought it was all the same. damn car companies and their crazy names for awd systems these days..

quattro (audi), 4matic (benz), 4motion (vw), sh-awd (acura), x (infiniti), xi (bmw)... hmm there's definitly more. but why cant they keep it simple? i always thought the quattro was some engine thing, like 4 cylinder.. and i thought the 4matic had to do something with the transmission. but that wouldve been weird, a benz with a 4 speed auto? and with bmw i thought it was another trim or something.. but it was weird since it looked just like any other 3 series, but it had an xi, instead of the usualy iL or ci (coupe).. took a while to get used to the damn acronyms/symbols

 

In essence, they work based on the same concept, but executions are a bit different from company to company.

Currently, Audi's Quattro is probably one of the best AWD systems available on the market. Acura's SH-AWD is the first to be able to reroute torque from one side to the other, not just front to back.

By the way, AWD isn't just on cheap cars. In fact, a lot of the high-end luxury vehicles come with AWD.

 

Who said AWD is just on cheap cars?

 

subaru's?

i would think they would be really good with the awd systems since theyre whole lineup is awd. i think its great that they did that, plus theyre alot cheaper than most other cars that comes with awd. what else comes with awd besides them?

hmm.. there's the golf gti by vw, ford focus (svt?), and a bunch of other hatchback cars..

but not most high end luxury vehicles come with awd.. its definitly available as an option, but standard?? benz's, bmw's, lexus', infiniti's, jaguar, audi... etc.. most come in only rear wheel drive. sure you can get an option for awd on the audi's, benz's and infiniti G/M models. but bmw doesnt offer awd on their 5/7 series, lexus, jags, and others also dont really have options for allwheel drives either.

acuras only come with the awd system or they dont. the whole acura lineup only comes in one specific drivetrain and thats it..

 

Lambo's, Porsches, Bently, among others, all offer AWD. I guess i just never associated AWD with cheap

 

I'm confused. That article said that 4WD aka AWD only works when traction is low? So it's only using all 4 wheels when the car is slipping/sliding or launching since it's trying to get traction. So Subarus for example drive around FWD and go 4WD when they're launching or have lost traction?

 

Let me revise that sentence for you, then.

In fact, a lot of the high-end luxury vehicles come with AWD, INSTEAD OF 4WD.


I never said anything about AWD coming as a standard feature. I was just saying that AWD is more common than 4WD on a lot of high-end cars.

 

Actually it's just "x" for BMW, the "i" is for "injection" (gasoline) engine, it goes on all their gas-engine cars.

 

From what I have read before, the general use of the term AWD these days is to refer to full-time 4WD (that has a center differential). Whereas 4WD is used to refer to the part-time 4WD systems that has the front and rear differential, but no center differential, which can only be used on slippery surfaces to avoid binding.

 

Better read it again. The "real time" awd is really "part-time" awd. Subies are just like the slogan used to be-"all wheel drive, all the time". They vary the percent to front/back, but it is never zero. The mini-utes like the CRV are a good example of cars that are usually 100% fwd until the front loses traction.

 

There are many flavors of each and I believe there is a difference between AWD and Fulltime 4WD even in the presence of a center differential.

In a mechanical AWD systems with a center differential you could potentially lose all your traction if just one wheel has no traction. This is because the center differential acts just like the differential in the drive axles and all the torque goes to the wheel with least resistance (the spinning one). (Note doesn't apply to computer aided systems) The front and rear drive shafts can spin at different speeds because of the differential, just like the left and right wheels are allowed to spin at different speeds.

A Full time 4WD system should supply constant power to both front and rear drive shafts through the center differential. Basically it will insure that the two drive shafts (front and rear) spin at the same speed. In this system (again not computer aided) two wheels will need to lose all traction to stop the vehicle (one front wheel and one rear wheel). Full time 4WDs have a transfer case for a Low option.

Regular 4WD is basically 2WD until you switch then it acts like a Fulltime 4WD.

Tough part is many vehicles combine the categories. My Landcruiser says it's Fulltime 4WD, but too me it's AWD, but is switchable to Fulltime 4WD. I say this because you need to hit a switch on the dash to get the center differential to "lock" and provide equal amounts of power to both drive shafts.