Bakerboy

Hi all,

quick question; what's the differance between 4WD and AWD?

As my turbo 2000 (97) will have AWD, just wondering what's the differance?

Cheers

StiX

iTrader: (4)

Hello again Bakerboy, seem to be answering loads of your posts at the mo

No difference matey.

Bakerboy

Hehe, thanks StiX...seems that we both got far too much time spare at work!

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

No difference really, I think some people have started to call 4 wheel drive cars as AWD, simply to distinguish them from 4 wheel drive off road vehicles. Anyway, that seems to be the trend.

StiX

iTrader: (4)

You are right there. As an IT lecturer, lots of time and unlimited access. I have loads of work to do, but all work and no play is boring

I also spend far too much time on here at home, beats crap TV

Andy Stevens

AWD = All Wheel Drive.

How many wheels have you got?

I remember a Jag salesman trying to convince me there was a difference until I asked him the above lol.

monkeysan

i always thought AWD was a 50/50 split, whereas 4WD had some RWD bias???

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

I always thought AWD was permenent 4WD where as 4WD can be switched on and off like on landrovers with the locking hubs etc but could be wrong.

joey_turbo

iTrader: (26)

Thats what I thought too.

Bakerboy

Ditto, gf has become a bit of a 'forum widow' hehe

Fart Man

It's not right, its just assumed; and that is also what someone has incorrectly put on wikipedia (not helping things, although just check, it has since been slightly clarified in the "disambiguation").

4 wheel drive, means that 4 wheels are driven
4x4 means the same, 4 wheels, 4 driven
All wheel drive, means all wheels are driven.

It is what it says on the tin. Just manufacturers, marketing men and the public have twisted their meanings with implied branding.

So it is assumed 4x4 is a jeep type off-roader. Basically because 4x4 vehicles were intially used in off-road and military/agricultral environments. So 4x4 has become associated to that type of vehicle.

For example you can get trucks that are quoted as being 4x4 which are permanent four wheel drive and not switchable. Like you can also get 6x2, or 4x2 trucks. Some could have dual range Hi-Lo transmissions or not, some maybe manually switchable to drive more than one axle, or not. Some may have manual diff locks, or not, some may have automatic viscous/LSD diffs, some may not.

The above may not seem clear, but that because the descriptions used to describe the amount of driven wheels has zero relationship to if the vehicle can switch on/off drive to selected axles, and/or if it has Hi-Lo gear ranges and/or locking diffs.

AllyJ

4x4 to me means permanent 25 on every corner all the time.

AWD or more to the point subaru awd is 70-30 front to rear (someone correct me it maybe 60-40 or 65-35 cant remember) which ever, it drives front wheels more than the back unless it detects a wheel losing grip then it tries to compensate by changing power to a particular wheel to help out. Hence the usual subaru drivers story of flooring it when they feel they are losing grip so the car whips you back into line.

If you have an MY05 onwards you get to play with this by using the DCCD controls. where 'lock' setting is 25 a corner permanently which to me is 4x4 mode if you like. I dont like being compared to a land rover

scotthldr

I think you're all wrong 4wd as i was led to believe is that the vehicle well have 2 gear boxes the standard 5/6 speed with an additional high /low ratio & diff lock box allowing for standard rear wheel drive or when diff is selected 4WD. Where as AWD is what it says all wheels are driven all of the time. Thats what I remember from my Landrover and Jeep Cherokee anyway.

I stand to be corrected.

AllyJ

now thats just being plain picky

Dracoro

My A6 is a quattro, better than all this AWD/4WD crap

renny

iTrader: (2)

IIRC it's 59 - 41 split,just to be REALLY picky!!!

I'll get me coat...............

wrx-kris

4wd is 30-40 front and 60-70 rear

AWD is 50 50

bushiwarrior

correct