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Hi, Here in Cookeville Tennessee I think it's a big waste of money to have four wheel drive because we don't get enough snow to have it. When I was looking for a new vehicles most of dealers I went to had mainly SUV's and pick-up trucks with four wheel. I know many people that live in the city that own four wheel drive for some reason.
News, Do you really need four-wheel drive?
The added cost of having 4WD varies by vehicle model
A four-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive vehicle is one in which the engine powers all four wheels either part of the time or all of the time. Most cars have two-wheel drive, which means either the front or back wheels are powered by the engine.
I have owned 3 AWD vehicles, and I look forward to owning more. I cannot stand the driving feel and characteristic of FWD cars, but we do get enough snow around here to make RWD impractical unless you own a late-model higher-end marque with a very good stability control system. So the compromise is AWD. AWD also helps quite a bit in rain too, not just snow.
Unless you are frequently dealing with snow/ice/heavy rainfall conditions, AWD and 4x4 vehicles aren't needed, and are expensive to operate for a feature you don't utilize.
In addition to higher tire wear on 4x4 vehicles, there's more weight to carry around, more driveline losses, and higher fuel consumption than a 2 wheel drive vehicle.
Of all the vehicles I've owned in my life, about 40% have had four wheel drive.
Personally, though, unlike many, I use it. I enjoy four wheeling, camping, hiking, and lots of other outdoor activities. I also enjoy doing those things to get away from things, especially crowds. In Southern California, about the only way to do so is to go where others can't. That pretty much necessitates four wheel drive, a horse, or hiking. I don't particularly like leaving my vehicle at one of the trailheads to be vandalized or broken into, which is why I don't do much hiking in the L.A. area. The places I prefer are those which I can drive a ways into, and where I can leave my vehicle without so much risk of it being damaged. That's one of the reasons I like four wheel drive.
It also snows in my area, so I like to have four wheel drive available for those times. My truck has it, but I don't drive it every day. My wife uses it to run errands near home, and to take the kids to school. If it looks like the weather will be bad, so that school would be canceled, then I'll drive the truck to work, and leave her the car. That way, I can get to and from work, and if the weather improves and the roads are clear, she can still get around.
i've got an impreza WRX, and the awd suits me more than just the snow. i like it on the track as well. do i need it? well considering that there's damn near no 4 door sporting cars that aren't fwd or aren't bmtroubleyoo's or aren't as big as my damn house, yeah, i kind of do need it.
Snow and sand is not much of an issue with me, but mud and just plain loose dirt/gravel is. Some folks need all 4 wheels working for reliable transportation. Not to mention all of the first-responders out there such as police, fire, rescue and hospital workers. They need to be able to make it to their work locations promptly regardless of the current conditions.
Last edited by mm34b; 12-02-2007 at 01:04 PM..
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