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Where I live, AWD or 4WD comes in handy often times since it snows almost every day in the winter. And then there's freaking ice. A few streets away from me, the roads turn into gravel. Lots of fun in good weather. They suck in the winter. And winter can start in October and end in May. Rumor has it that this winter is going to brutal in my neck of the woods. We shall see.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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I use my FWD econo-cars & still 'chain-up' on occasion (freezing rain). I keep a 'farm truck' 4x4 dually, but it seldom goes to town.
28 yrs in CO and WY, I got by without a 4wd (for the most part.. I had one but used it very seldom, and only on farm).
Crunchy snow is pretty manageable in 2wd unless you have a wicked driveway.
Spent a couple yrs in Europe (Switzerland and France) and did a lot of chaining (2x Every 'snow' day using FWD).
Hardly anyone needs 4wd or AWD, but it can often be nice to have.
Our Subaru Outback is the easiest vehicle I have ever piloted over snow and ice covered roads, and that experience includes FWD, RWD, 4WD, other AWD, cars with snow tires, cars without, etc.
Is it needed? No. Is it necessary? No. Is it a nice option to be able to get when you live in a snow belt, and having the added safety and security of a vehicle which is easier to control and less likely to get stranded? Yes. (Especially when you have a young child).
So to each there own. Do too many people buy AWD when they don't need it? Sure. Nobody really needs most of the other options and equipment on cars either, but if they like it or find it useful so what?
That's the way I look at it, too. I've owned nothing but Foresters for many years now, and it's a vehicle that suits me perfectly. I very, very rarely need the fulltime AWD, but even when I don't, it's still nice to have. And on those occasions when I do need it, well... nothing else will do.
I thought when I moved from Minnesota to Kentucky, I'd rarely even notice the AWD, because I thought my winter driving days were in the past. But I quickly found that what the Bluegrass lacks in blizzards, it more than makes up for in torrential, monsoon-like downpours - and it turns out the Forester holds the road in heavy rain just as well as it does in heavy snow. I really feel the difference it makes on these winding, hilly roads when it's raining so hard you can't even see the front of your hood, and you may go 10 miles at a stretch without hitting a single piece of road that's both straight and flat for more than a hundred yards at a time. The Forester holds the road like it's on rails; I may not actually need AWD during those monsoons, but I feel a lot more comfortable knowing I have it.
But... having said that... I do tend to agree that the auto industry has overhyped 4WD vehicles in general. There are some big differences between 4WD and AWD, and for most people, 4WD really doesn't solve anything that needs to be solved.
I think it is overhyped now, because a lot of new vehicles are billed as 4x4 when they're really not. Like all of Jeep's lineup except the Wrangler - they're not 4x4, they're 2wd until the sensors notice something then it kicks in.
True 4x4 is actually rare in new vehicles.
If you live in a place with snow, awd is useful. If you live in a place where you want to drive off-road, awd or 4x4 is pretty much necessary.
I live in Oregon and have a RWD sports car. It can run in the winter - but only with weight in the trunk and winter tires that were $400 each (!) Even with that, I would not drive it right after a snow storm since the clearance is fairly low. It's been stuck in its parking spot after a big snow - that's a clearance issue. However, it has never stranded me, gotten stuck, or spun out as long as I stick to paved roads in the winter and drive carefully. The expensive tires made a HUGE difference.
With my 4x4 truck, though, I can go where I want most anytime.
4WD is a big safety advantage. If you have to take evasive action to avoid a crash and end up on a steep wet grassy median strip. You will be able to drive back up to the road with 4WD. There is far less risk of hydroplaning in heavy rain with full time 4WD. You can maneuver in snowy parking lots much better with 4WD. Even if you live in an area with limited annual snow you will be safer with 4WD than without it.
All that said, there is an old saying about 4WD. "With 4WD you can get more stuck." Those of us who live in the back country know that very well. I have never been so stuck that I needed to call for help, but I have a winch that will go in either end of my vehicle. I learned at a young age that you cannot push with a winch. ;-)
I think it is overhyped now, because a lot of new vehicles are billed as 4x4 when they're really not. Like all of Jeep's lineup except the Wrangler - they're not 4x4, they're 2wd until the sensors notice something then it kicks in.
Ah yeah, very true. Most of the people claiming "I have a 4wd that can handle anything". No you don't. It's a light weight part time 4wd system that comes on only when the sensors detect slippage and are not operative at cruising speed (i.e. 25mph and above).
Ah yeah, very true. Most of the people claiming "I have a 4wd that can handle anything". No you don't. It's a light weight part time 4wd system that comes on only when the sensors detect slippage and are not operative at cruising speed (i.e. 25mph and above).
Well, since you only need it when there's slippage and not when cruising on a dry road, then it makes sense to set up the system to do that. That way you get the effectiveness of AWD when you need it, and the lower rolling resistance of 2WD when you don't. So it really can "handle anything" because that's what it's set up to do.
And hell, even most of the old school 4WD systems were really only 2WD (one wheel on each axle) due to not having a limited slip setup or locker in them from the factory...
We have 3 vehicles. 2 cars and one All-Wheel-Drive (or whatever Ford calls it) SUV. The AWD comes in handy here in the Poconos and with our steep driveway, especially last winter!
I too was under the impression that when I switched to 4WD all 4 wheels would be turning regardless of traction. One day I decided to see for myself. What I saw was that only the left front wheel and left rear wheel were turning. That's how it is on Dodge trucks anyway.
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