Buying a 4WD

Early four-wheel-drive vehicles were primarily for off-road travel, but the recognition that the superior traction offered by modern 4WD or AWD systems has led to their application to passenger sedans and high performance sports cars as well. When evaluating the purchase of a new or used 4WD vehicle, there are a number of considerations:

• What is the general purpose of your vehicle?
• What type of driving will you be doing?
• Which type of vehicle is best suited for your needs?

There are several types of four or all-wheel drives on modern vehicles like SUVs, utes, and passenger cars. These being:

1. Manual 4WD – describes a system where a lever or button must be activated to engage the transfer case, facilitating the 4WD function. This system goes back to the very first 4WD units, but with modern electronic controls. Transfer cases are usually two-speed; one for highway and the other a low range for crawling on extreme trails.
2. On-Demand 4WD – is a system that automatically senses the need for 4WD and engages the transfer case when slippage occurs at the regular driving wheels.
3. All-Wheel-Drive – is where the system is engaged all of the time. Usually, the power is divided with the majority being delivered to the rear wheels and some to the front, a 35:65% split or similar. When slippage occurs at the rear the transfer case automatically shifts more power to the wheels with traction. A few of the vehicles offering AWD are equipped with a low-range mode the in transfer case.

If you expect to use your vehicle off-road then the manual system is probably the best choice, but if you will be driving mostly on paved roadways and in the city, a vehicle equipped with an On-Demand or AWD system is probably better. Also, off-road use will limit the type of vehicle selection available to a Sports Utility Vehicle or similar with low-range transfer cases and limited slip differentials.

If your desire for a 4WD vehicle is mostly for better overall traction, particularly in inclement weather, snow or ice, your selection is much broader and includes passenger sedans as well as SUVs, utes and the more common big 4WDs. In a selection between these types of vehicles, you have to consider your usage. Most SUVs are body-on-frame construction making for a sturdy vehicle that will hold up well to towing, hauling and off-road activity. Crossovers, that are built on a passenger car platform, and passenger cars themselves are unit-body construction with an integral frame, thus are not as suitable for rigorous use.

Leave a comment

Name Email Comment Please type the characters you see in the image below