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What are good four wheel drive four door cars?

CAR: Four wheel drive, all wheel, front wheel versus rear wheel?

  • What's the difference between all wheel, front wheel, rear wheel, four wheel and 2 wheel drive? Which handles the best in snowy weather? I need to find a safe car which handles well in the snow and does not have huge blind spots. I am a new driver and do not want a huge SUV. I like the volkswagen jetta but it does not have four wheel drive. The rabbit is way too small for me too- I need something very safe.. Any recommendations?

  • Answer:

    There are different versions of both 4x4 and AWD systems but for the purposes of your question, I'll group them together and state that they are best able to handle the winter conditions. The next best set-up would be a FWD vehicle as the engine weight is over the drive wheels and that added weight aids in snow traction. RWD is the worst for winter traction as most vehicles that are rear wheel drive are lighter in the rear and this makes it more difficult for the drive wheels to find traction. The preceding is a very simplified statement and there are always exceptions. Also, modern cars do have some great traction aids like ABS and other electronic anti-spin technologies available which can make driving in the winter easier. Another thing I should add are proper winter tires ( not all-season tires ). They do offer additional grip which can make winter driving even easier. So even if you have a powerful RWD car such as a Chrysler 300C, it comes with ABS and ESP ( an electronic traction and stability program ) and if you put winter tires on it, it becomes a relatively easy car to drive and control even in snow storms.

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All wheel drive is almost the same as 4wheel drive. All wheel normally transfers power to the wheels that aren't slipping, whereas 4wheel uses differentials similar to positraction differentials where clutches try to equalize power between the wheels. Positraction CAN be overpowered. Front wheel drive pulls the vehicle down the road, but remember each tire only has so much traction. If you are using the traction to go then there is less available to steer with. Rear wheel uses the rear wheels to power the vehicle but the front tends to be pushed through the snow or mud or what ever. Usually all wheel puts 40 to 50% of the power to the front. All wheel is the best BUT it also adds weight, make sure the benefits outweigh the cost. Look at Subaru and Suzuki, both offer all wheel drive small vehicles that are very safe to drive and have good crash test ratings

Patrick H

AWD is when power is sent to all 4 wheels at all times. 4WD is when it can be turned off and switched to 2WD. AWD/4WD is the best for wet pavement, snow, sand, gravel, dirt. RWD is best for dry pavement, but bad in everything else. FWD is best for gas and cheapest to maintain and buy and is better than RWD on every surface except dry pavement. For snow, you need AWD or 4WD. Next best choice is FWD. RWD is impossible to drive in snow and slippery in rain. Some small cars are safer than SUV's and Pick up trucks. That is a myth that larger cars are safer. The VW Jetta/Rabbit, Audi A4, Volvo S40, and Subaru Impreza are all small cars that get better safety ratings than SUV's and trucks.

C7S

AWD is when power is sent to all four wheels. RWD is when power is sent to the rear wheels. FWD is when power is sent to the front wheels. AWD is best for any type of off-roading, including snow. RWD is best for dry pavement. They're also the most fun to drive. FWD is the cheapest and most reliable. Are you trying to get a sedan or small SUV? Jetta is front wheel drive, (I think) so it's okay for off-roading. A good small SUV would be Honda CR-V. It's a good all-arounder. Volkswagen Tiguan is also good(notice that it's another Volkswagen?) It drives like a German car.

brandenisno1

Rear wheel drive, handles worst in snow. Front wheel drive, is good cause it pulls itself in snow, so handles better, but gets easily stuck. Four wheel drive isnt good, because normally its only in the rear wheel drive mode, so its not good. And all wheel drive prevents getting stuck, but if its not active all wheel drive, you still may spin out. front wheel is preferible

Troy S

if your looking for a car or suv then your best bet is all wheel drive. btw you wont find a car with 4 wheel drive they always call it all wheel drive.

Scott w

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