It’s difficult for those who aren’t certified, full-time car buffs to understand the intricacies of differentiating All-Wheel Drive (AWD) powertrains and Four-Wheel Drive (4WD) powertrains. To start, the pair is usually abbreviated to, and referred as AWD and 4WD powertrains, sometimes without the "powertrain" at the end. The key objective of these sturdy powertrains is to boost traction, or how well a vehicle’s tires spin, and help propel the vehicle forward or backward.
A vehicle with only a Two-Wheel Drive powertrain (2WD) is exponentially more likely to get stuck, whether they’re driving through an old, worn-out driveway, or purposefully – yet naively – enter a countryside in which dune buggies regularly go all-out on their 4WD and AWD capabilities for fun.
AWD powertrains are generally for those who get into such situations infrequently, or by accident. 4WD powertrains, conversely, are often for people that intend to travel as such on a regular basis. If you’d like a better comparison, contact us, Barnes Crossing Kia in Tupelo, MS, for a free consultation about the new Kia cars we sell at our dealership.
