Why Should You Choose All-Wheel Drive Cars?
Why should you choose All-wheel Drive cars rather than all those other variants available in the market?
This question can only be answered if we know about all other options available today. After knowing the different types of drives available, you will be able to understand whether you really need an All-wheel Drive car or not.
- These days, a number of trucks, SUVs, and cars come with All-wheel Drive options.
- All four wheels get their power from the engine and have remarkably grown since the 1980s.
- Almost one-third of the passenger cars and trucks that were sold in 2015 either have All-wheel drive or four-wheel drive systems.
- This number suggests that more people are opting for All-wheel drives or four-wheel drive cars rather than two-wheel drives.
- The truth is that two-wheel drives are not sufficient for today’s driving needs.
Despite the number stated above, still, most passenger cars that are sold in the US today have a two-wheel drive system in which all of the drive packages – the engine, transmissions, differential, and the wheels that are driven by the engine are present in front of the vehicle. This type of driving system is known as Front-wheel drive. FWD can be seen everywhere since the late 1970s.
Trucks, SUVs, and some cars still work on the Rear-wheel drive systems, in which a long driveshaft supplies power from the engine present in front to the rear tires. The driveshaft is bent to 90 degrees so that it could reach the rear wheels and supply them with the power to run. These types of cars are known as Rear-wheel drive vehicles.
Now the question arises, with all of these choices what is more suitable for you and what should you opt for?
- The answer to this question is: what are your needs, and what do you want from your vehicle in terms of its passenger and cargo capabilities?
- As well as what kind of terrains and weather conditions you have to face on a regular basis.
For instance, a car with low ground clearance with Rear wheel drive system is of no use to you, if you live at the top of a steep hill that is accessible only through a road full of dirt, pebbles that are usually occupied with ice, and snow all winters and with piles of mud in the spring.
On the other hand, a car with high ground clearance with a four-wheel-drive system with huge tires is not suitable for the persons who regularly travel on a nice paved highway from a suburban house to an office in a metropolitan area.
Now let’s differentiate between different systems available in the market.
Rear Wheels Drive V/s. Front Wheel Drives
Front-wheel drives, as compared to rear-wheel drive, reduce the production cost and weight of the vehicle. It also has far better fuel economy and delivers better traction than rear-wheel drives.
- The reason behind these features is that the engine and transmission system in the front-wheel-drive is present just above the driven front wheels.
- Rear-wheel drives offer better acceleration than the four-wheel drive system. This offers a quick start to the vehicle. This is because the weight is transferred to the rear of the car upon accelerating which boosts traction.
- Rear-wheel drives are best suited for racing experts.
- In Rear wheel driving, the weight of the vehicle is equally distributed, which improves the balance and handling of the vehicle.
The rear-wheel driving system is important in trucks because the back of the truck is lighter and if the entire system is front-driven then it is nearly impossible to drive the truck. With the advancement of anti-lock braking and traction control systems, two-wheel-drive system handling has far improved.
Despite the two-wheel drive, four wheels and All-wheel Drive have much more to offer. Four-wheel drives and all-wheel drives offer increased handling capabilities. For the driver that often travels on slick, loose, or slippery surfaces, all-wheel drives are a better option. ALL-WHEEL DRIVE systems can direct power to the wheel that has the most traction.
Now let’s discuss some of the factors of All-Wheel drives or Four-wheel drives:
Good Tires are Critical for Drives
In most cases, a vehicle’s tires are much more important than the driving system equipped with them. For instance, Many All-wheel Drive vehicles boast about the good dry traction but come equipped with tires made for summers that make them horrible to use in winter conditions although they have four wheels working. Therefore, it is necessary to buy the extra set of tires with ALL-WHEEL DRIVE vehicles to make it worth it. On the other hand, there are tires that are specially made for all seasons. You can choose an ALL-WHEEL DRIVE equipped with these types of tires for a better experience.
Never Buy a 10 Percent Car
Sometimes people buy All-wheel Drive four-wheel-drive vehicles for occasional purposes like off-road trips or ski trips, despite the fact that most of the time they are either struck in the metropolitan traffic or using them on well-maintained pavements. We suggest that these types of drivers must have TWD vehicles to be used for daily purposes and rent All-wheel Drive vehicles for these kinds of trips. This will not only save their money on buying the car but also saves a lot more cash spent on the maintenance and fuel.
More about wheel Drives and Four-wheel Drives
A few years back differentiating All-wheel Drive and Four Wheel Drive used to be very much simple. One was for the sporty car to be driven on pavements, and one was for trucks and SUVs to be driven on rugged mountain trails. But now technically there is no clear line of difference between All-wheel Drive and four-wheel drives.
- These days many all-wheel drives and four-wheel drives are sold with almost the same features.
- Four-wheel drive systems are basically found in vehicles with higher ground clearance.
- These vehicles have shielded underbodies, and tow hooks, and have large bulky tires.
- All-wheel drive vehicles are found in almost all sizes of cars from low-slung sports cars to SUVs.
- Mostly SUVs with mild models specially designed for soccer moms, rock stars, and celebrities have an All-wheel Drive system.
- All-wheel drives also come in vehicles with high ground clearance and can have bulky tires.
All-wheel Drive system vehicles come in two styles. There are vehicles that have part-time or automatic All-wheel Drive systems in which the vehicle basically runs in front-wheel-drive mode and can deliver power to all wheels when needed automatically. And then there are full-time all-wheel drives that deliver power to all of the wheels every time.
Some All-wheel Drive system also offers torque vectoring that helps the engine to provide power to that wheel that has the most traction, regardless of the side of the wheel. ALL-WHEEL DRIVE cars are typically designed to work on almost every type of road and terrain.
Now you must be clear about whether to buy All Wheel Drive vehicles or not.
