AWD VS 4X4 in snow/ice

[bisontuba]

http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/whats ... eel-drive/" target="_blank

[Lars Trawen]

Hello,
What's the difference between 4X4 and AWD (all wheel drive)?
I can't see any.
I've driven a Toyota Landcruiser for about 10 years.
It's superb in any weather.
Good luck,
Lars

[bort]

I can't remember exactly, but I think the idea is that AWD gives you better control because the power is constantly redistributed to all of the wheels. So if one wheel slips, that power goes to another wheel that will help you keep control. It's less of a snow/ice thing than it is control in any weather (even dry weather going around corners where the outer wheels don't need as much power).

4WD makes every wheel a drive wheel, so you will always have some amount of traction and power on every wheel. That makes it good for driving through difficult terrain, but not necessarily any better for everyday driving. In fact, I've heard it can make it feel more rigid and harder to corner.

If you're driving roads, AWD should be just fine. If you've got a long steep driveway up the side of a hill, you may want 4WD. In snow and ice, either is probably better than only front-wheel drive, and certainly better than rear-wheel drive.

[Radar]

My information on 4X4s may be a little outdated since I haven't owned one in quite a while, but one of the disadvantages of 4 wheel drive as opposed to AWD is that you need to switch into 4 wheel drive before you need it for it to be effective. This was especially a problem back when I owned a 4X4 because you had to stop the vehicle, and get out and manually lock the hubs in (I don't believe this is currently the case on newer vehicles). People don't typically drive around in 4 wheel drive mode. With an AWD it's always there when you need it no need to switch it on.

I agree with Bloke's assessment regarding driving habits of people in both types of vehicles, I see more 4X4s and AWD vehicles off the road in the winter than in any other type of vehicle. People just get a false sense of security in these vehicles and drive faster than weather conditions dictate they should.

[MartyNeilan]

Got to work today in the Roadmaster wagon. The hardest thing was trying to break the 3/16" of ice off each of the many windows, no matter how long I let it warm up. I was seriously going to try the scooter until I realized it was going to be a lot more ice than snow.

[bearphonium]

If a person drives prudently for the conditions, either 4 wheel drive vehicle NOT a pick-up with nothing in the bed or AWD should work just fine. Many times when I wore the uniform and displayed the badge of a deputy sheriff, I had the opportunity to investigate traffic crashes in inclement weather (working graveyard shift which secured at 0800, I got to deal with all the "commute" traffic...such as it is near a small city just over 100K population). What I noticed was that the AWD "soccer Mom" vehicles driven by either gender were involved in far fewer crashes than the 4x4 pickups that were driven by men, which in turn were in fewer crashes than vehicles with 2WD driven by anyone other than natives of snowier climates than you get at 44 degrees N and 123 degrees W. Biggest mistake by 2WD operators: fail to turn in the direction of the skid and not having either all weather or studded tires. Biggest mistake by 4x4 pickup drivers: 4W drive does not equal 4W stop.

I prefer my wife's Subaru Outback in snow to my Ford Ranger 4x4 pickup. I preferred (in descending order) my Jeep Cherokee Sport, my Jeep Laredo AWD and my Crown Victoria sedan w/ all weather tires for my assigned work vehicles. (My favorite story about work vehicles and snow came in 2008. I was taken out of a jeep and put in a sedan because "we don't need patrol vehicles to have 4 wheel drive, even if all the command staff MUST have 4 wheel drives to get to all the crime scenes in the county" although they didn't have a good answer when I asked who goes to these crime scenes before command staff shakes out of bed, but I digress. That December, we had a "snow event", pretty good for our area, 9" of snow was very well forecast. I put snow and ice tires on the sedan, and went in service earlier than normal, since I had to travel 20 miles to my outpost town. I drove carefully, making the distance in about an hour, staying off the freeway, where a marked patrol unit is just an invitation to stop and investigate crashes for the State Police. I got to listen to the radio chatter of the other 5 or 6 guys coming into service, worrying about "chaining up" and "driving to the shops to get a 4x4". It was the next summer that I got my Jeep Laredo.)

[MartyNeilan]

If a person drives prudently for the conditions, either 4 wheel drive vehicle NOT a pick-up with nothing in the bed or AWD should work just fine. Many times when I wore the uniform and displayed the badge of a deputy sheriff, I had the opportunity to investigate traffic crashes in inclement weather (working graveyard shift which secured at 0800, I got to deal with all the "commute" traffic...such as it is near a small city just over 100K population). What I noticed was that the AWD "soccer Mom" vehicles driven by either gender were involved in far fewer crashes than the 4x4 pickups that were driven by men, which in turn were in fewer crashes than vehicles with 2WD driven by anyone other than natives of snowier climates than you get at 44 degrees N and 123 degrees W. Biggest mistake by 2WD operators: fail to turn in the direction of the skid and not having either all weather or studded tires. Biggest mistake by 4x4 pickup drivers: 4W drive does not equal 4W stop.

I prefer my wife's Subaru Outback in snow to my Ford Ranger 4x4 pickup. I preferred (in descending order) my Jeep Cherokee Sport, my Jeep Laredo AWD and my Crown Victoria sedan w/ all weather tires for my assigned work vehicles. (My favorite story about work vehicles and snow came in 2008. I was taken out of a jeep and put in a sedan because "we don't need patrol vehicles to have 4 wheel drive, even if all the command staff MUST have 4 wheel drives to get to all the crime scenes in the county" although they didn't have a good answer when I asked who goes to these crime scenes before command staff shakes out of bed, but I digress. That December, we had a "snow event", pretty good for our area, 9" of snow was very well forecast. I put snow and ice tires on the sedan, and went in service earlier than normal, since I had to travel 20 miles to my outpost town. I drove carefully, making the distance in about an hour, staying off the freeway, where a marked patrol unit is just an invitation to stop and investigate crashes for the State Police. I got to listen to the radio chatter of the other 5 or 6 guys coming into service, worrying about "chaining up" and "driving to the shops to get a 4x4". It was the next summer that I got my Jeep Laredo.)

Did your P71 have the posi rear? My Roadmaster wagon with a fully boxed frame and tow package (never towed a thing) and heavy duty everything was very similar to the Caprice 9C1 package and includes the posi rear. Plus another 300 pounds over the rear wheels vs. the sedan. A heavy rear wheel drive sedan with at least some torque going to both rear wheels can go a surprising amount of places, limited only by ground clearance.

[bearphonium]

Marty, I always maintained that I had more need to get myself into/out of remote areas of the county than I needed to exceed 120 MPH. That said, I have no idea; it was an 08 Police Package Crown Vic, so I assume so. They were pretty durable...

[bort]

13 inches of snow is a lot of snow to drive through, unplowed, in any place.

[bearphonium]

C540, standing by for the call...

[bearphonium]

C540 secure.