Lon wrote:
> ToddAndMargo wrote:
>> Hi All,
>>
>> Can anyone give me a functional difference between
>> "All Wheel Drive" and "Four Wheel Drive", other than AWD
>> won't ruin your drive train on a smooth road? How will
>> AWD do on a dirt road with a fi****ng hole at its
>> end? (I asked the service dept at my Mitsubi****
>> dealer and got "They are on all the time". In other
>> words, they are not saying.)
>
> There are all types of AWD.
>
> Generally 4WD is used to mean vehicles with part time 4wd where you
> wouldnt want to use it on anything but very slippery surfaces and dirt
> roads don't count. These vehicles with also have a transfer case with
> a low and high range.
>
> There ARE 4wd vehicles that are AWD and come with a transfer case. For
> that you need a limited slip or other means to allow the front and rear
> axles to not quite turn at the same speed without burning out or blowing
> up your drive train. With few exceptions, the true offroaders in this
> class will also have two speed transfer cases. Most will also have at
> least limited slip on the rear axle and limited slip in the transfer
> case... Those tend to be very nice for higher speed highway driving
> where you might also run into really slippery stuff occasionally, as
> they always have at least some drive on all four wheels. Kinda like an
> Audi. Some also have locking transfer cases and/or axles standard, some
> as aftermarket addons. Those tend to be for serious bad trails.
>
> Ground clearance is as im****tant as any of this. An old Citroen jacked
> up can go most places anything but a hardcore 4x4 will.
>
> Oh, and water tightness might be a factor if you fail to stop before you
> hit that fi****ng hole. You can buy snorkel kits if you must do your
> fi****ng in drive thru mode.
>
> Some of the better crossovers can also do much of what you are looking
> for, and may have a better ride quality.
>
> Or you could invest in the lottery and when you win, buy a Range Rover
> Turbo HSE or a Turbo Cayenne or a Mercedes G-Wagen and tour the highways
> in excess of 150 mph, yet still be able to jump sand dunes off road.
Thank you!
-T
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