AWD or 4x4 SUV?? (maintenance, cost, bill)

[GraniteStater]

An AWD Subaru with snow tires is pretty much unstoppable in the snow. These cars do great in the New England "mud season" as well.

[Mike78613]

AWD = Is on at all times! Very safe in all weather conditions.

4wd / 4x4 = True 4wd has to be engaged. It is NOT recommended to be used on dry streets. This is a good way to damage the the drive train system.

If you plan never to go hard core 4x4, get AWD. Real AWD, like Subaru (All time). But you can easily survive in that 2wd Exploder you got! Just get a good set of tires for winter! Also if you want piece of mind, I am sure you can buy rear locking hubs, this will make it like 4wd in many-ways.

Service on 4x4 is less to maintain then AWD. AWD if you have any issues it can be costly.

[Mike78613]

Originally Posted by Plains10

An AWD Subaru with snow tires is pretty much unstoppable in the snow. These cars do great in the New England "mud season" as well.

I owned a wrx, that bugger was fun! Not unstoppable.. eugh.!! If the snow is 2' deep no subie can get out w/o a trail @ it's windshield.



I loved that I can get to 130mph pretty quick though

Subie's are sweet rides. IMHO has the BEST AWD system. If you look at AUDI, they are clone of the Subaru's

[sunsprit]

Mike78613 .... I don't know how you figure that 4x4 truck units are less expensive to maintain or repair than an AWD unit.

Having owned both types concurrently (Audi, Subaru, MB, Dodge, and Ford) for many years, and owned my own shop where we repaired these vehicles, my experience has been that the 4x4 is much more expensive for the consumer.

Basic consumables, like tires ... are more expensive on the 4x4, and wear out much much faster than on a AWD. I've gotten 40,000 on AWD tires, and rarely close to that on the fronts on a 4x4 ... the LT M&S rated truck tires cost me in the vicinity of $130+, the AWD All Season tires cost around $65. Brake pads on the front about the same cost, with much longer life on the AWD cars. U joints on the 4x4 front are $$$ to install, CV jointed new replacement Front Axles on the AWD are inexpensive ($65-100 at retail) and less than an hour to install.

My Subie 2.2 and 2.5 liter motors take an oil change every 5,000 miles with 5 qts of 10-30 multi vis (cheap!), and my diesel 4x4's take an expensive filter and lots more Rotella or Delo 400 at each 5,000 mile oil change. Similar cost advantages went to my Audi 4000CS's with a 5 cylinder 2.2 motor.

And so it goes for almost every item on a direct comparison basis .... the 2.5 liter gas car AWD costs a lot less than the 4x4 truck to operate per mile, if for no other reason than fuel economy alone. My wife gets 32 mpg commuting in our 2.2 liter Subie wagon, and I get 27 in our 2.5 liter Subie Outback. My Dodge 4x4 Cummins TurboDiesel gets 20 mpg (on 10% more expensive fuel) on dry pavement in warm weather at 62 mph; when it's cold outside, the mileage drops. Of course, I can't tow the horse/stock trailers with the Subies ... but you'd be surprised at how much smaller livestock (goats, sheep, chickens) you can put in the back end of a Subie wagon when headed to the sale barn or show.

The timing belt and valve adjustment on the 2.5 4 cam Subie motor are about the only thing I can think of that are more expensive than the 4x4 trucks ... and I've gotten it down to being able to pull the motor out in a little over an hour to be able to get to the valve adjustment (also very quick to replace the clutch when it was needed ....). An afternoon project to R&R the motor, adjust valves, install plugs, and a new timing belt. Can't do that on the bigger vehicle ...

We figure on running most of our vehicles to the 300-400,000 mile mark. So good maintenance is paramount to achieving that, and we stay on top of all the little problems; it definitely costs less to run the AWD cars this distance. The 4x4 Diesels will most likely have to run a lot longer to justify their acquisition costs and ownership.

[breaksraver13]

I had an STI, God I really miss that car!

[hello-world]

i agree the subaru AWD with snows is VERY good in the snow. at least they were in the early 90s (though with some other problems - head gaskets in loyales). i'd think a newer outback with over 7" clearance, some pep, decent mileage, room for dogs...or a forester could be excellent if you're really wanting AWD (though denver doesn't tend to get that much snow, really, to TRULY warrant it - roads are USUALLY plowed well, if snow even lasts, etc.).

[Mike78613]

sunspirit,

Well I think 4x4 is easy to work on and you can easily do own service on them (transfer case). I found it harder to work on my wrx when I needed to change the fluids.

I will say I prefer awd for all around driving, but wanting to tow people out of the ditch or go 4x4 off-roading you need a real 4x4, not some AWD to hope keep up w/ a 4x4 b/c it's not going to happen!!

Used to be a JEEP owner , long time owner of a AWD Exploder and mighty/fasty WRX AWD. If I do it again, I am going to buy my parents MDX. Not true AWD, but in lower range you can engage it to be, but will shut off at certain MPH.

Oh 3ooK-4ooK miles, heck I won't keep anything more then 130K miles That sure is lots of miles, but you seam like the guy that will get your money out of your rigs. That's great for you

None of my 4x4's I ever owned could get better then 19mpg. That is 2002 Frontier 4x4 (crew cab) 2002 & 2003 Jeep Laredo (4.0L) and 2001 Expedition a yuckie 12mpg, 15mpg on highway (worse gas mileage rig I ever owned).
So yea , you corrected me thats for sure. AWD is cheaper if you look at the big picture

[Mike78613]

Originally Posted by breaksraver13

I had an STI, God I really miss that car!

what you rolling these days from that STI?

[breaksraver13]

Originally Posted by Mike78613

what you rolling these days from that STI?

Haha!!!!!!!!! I got's me an Element ...........seriously the upkeep on the STI was a little more than I bargained for!

[Mike78613]

Originally Posted by breaksraver13

Haha!!!!!!!!! I got's me an Element ...........seriously the upkeep on the STI was a little more than I bargained for!

I had to do NADA to my wrx. U had issues w/ it? Or just services , like oil changes that wrote the bill to high? Gas? I got avg 22 in city, that's even not being turbo friendly. I got rid of mine b/c was really small for family of 4, but our Mazda6 is not really any better... lol