4x2 vs AWD Vehicle Question

[Mr. Jelly]

I have been looking at vehicles lately and have loved my AWD Honda. It's runs great in Iowa winter snows. But most pick-ups don't have AWD. They have 4x4 and 4x2 drive trucks. My research doesn't find allot of good on 4x2 pick-ups and 4x4 just seems like a waste of gas etc. What do you know about this?

[RP]

Why not just get another AWD Honda? I love my CRV, but truth be told, I can't remember it shifting into AWD in ten years....

[TBman]

I have driven all wheel drive pickups/trucks and you have to throw weight on the back axle so it doesn't fishtail. I've never had that problem with a SUV.

[frazervalley]

I believe it really depends on what you are going to do with the truck. This will dictate what type of drive train best suits your needs. Heavy, or frequent towing, off-roading adventures where you want to be able to engage a low drive gear and maybe lock up your differential, then a four wheel drive would be appropriate. If you just need a city truck for light duty hauling and want to be able to manage the snow, get snow tires and the Honda will be a smoother ride, handle better and likely be a better made vehicle. I do not know what the towing capacity is for the Honda, but you can check that if it is relevant to your needs.
I would encourage you to read several reviews on specific vehicles you are interested in on YouTube. Do some online research and check reliability reports from Consumer Reports online. Do not rely on reviews that consist exclusively of sales oriented information and only list the features of a vehicle. Good luck!

[frazervalley]

The AWD systems used on vehicles built in the past ten or more years use a clutch pack and a computer to send power to some or all of the wheels depending on the traction available. These systems are so smooth and operate in milliseconds so you would not know they are working, except that you have amazing traction that is limited only by the tires you have mounted on your vehicle and the road conditions.

[Dr. Spivey]

The Honda Ridgeline is available with AWD. It's pretty light duty, but may suit your needs.

[jpd]

Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly

I have been looking at vehicles lately and have loved my AWD Honda. It's runs great in Iowa winter snows. But most pick-ups don't have AWD. They have 4x4 and 4x2 drive trucks. My research doesn't find allot of good on 4x2 pick-ups and 4x4 just seems like a waste of gas etc. What do you know about this?

My GMC Canyon is a 4x2, with power traction that gives your rear axle power to both wheels. I've come to like it better that the 4x4's I've had. My wife swears by her honda AWD, but we're not driving in 4 ft snow drifts

[HodgdonExtreme]

Originally Posted by frazervalley

....except that you have amazing traction that is limited only by the tires you have mounted on your vehicle and the road conditions.

Frankly, this is the most important statement in this thread.

Tires.

4x4 and AWD get you going, but they don't help you steer or stop.

A front wheel drive car with quality winter tires will drive circles around a 4x4 or AWD car equipped with all-season tires, when the conditions are snowy and slippery.

[Shoreline Music]

Here in snow and ice country, lots of folks have AWD and 4WD vehicles. Our full-time 4x4 is a champ in muddy off-road situations, but a disaster in the snow—it has done more 360s than I can count. The AWD is flawless.

I've had a number of situations where our AWD vehicle has easily passed 4WD vehicles that were foundering trying to go up an icy hill or whatever. All my friends here locally have the exact same experience, and any that have families and kids in their cars have all switched to AWD. I'd say get another AWD Honda.

[GCWaters]

Originally Posted by Dr. Spivey

The Honda Ridgeline is available with AWD. It's pretty light duty, but may suit your needs.

We have an AWD Ridgeline in Fargo, and it’s great...tows my boat just fine, too...

[The Watchman]

Yes my Ridgeline is a great vehicle. Very comfortable for driver and passengers, and just enough truck. I think all Ridgelines are AWD.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by frazervalley

The AWD systems used on vehicles built in the past ten or more years use a clutch pack and a computer to send power to some or all of the wheels depending on the traction available. These systems are so smooth and operate in milliseconds so you would not know they are working, except that you have amazing traction that is limited only by the tires you have mounted on your vehicle and the road conditions.

That's the theory and 95-99% of the time it works well. But unfortunately having driven a Honda CRV on snow and ice for 4-6 moths out of the year, I ran into some specific situations where there can actually some drawbacks, to at least the Honda system that runs in front wheel drive and auto switches to 4 WD, but does not lock into full time 4WD .

On glaze packed snow or ice they can (and it did a few times) be in front wheel going into the corner, then the rear wheels start to slip to the outside , then it would engage the rear wheels and the sudden rear wheel traction would want bring the rear end around (if you did not also instantly counter steer more )
Then the other situation that was more annoying than dangerous was in heavy wet snow of 6 to 12 inches untracked depth. Where on the long 9 mile uphill grade to my house it would in front wheel loose traction and speed then engage the 4 wheel and then gain traction and and speed then switch back to front wheel then proceed to loose speed and traction and would go back and between the two .

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by Shoreline Music

Here in snow and ice country, lots of folks have AWD and 4WD vehicles. Our full-time 4x4 is a champ in muddy off-road situations, but a disaster in the snow—it has done more 360s than I can count. The AWD is flawless.

I've had a number of situations where our AWD vehicle has easily passed 4WD vehicles that were foundering trying to go up an icy hill or whatever. All my friends here locally have the exact same experience, and any that have families and kids in their cars have all switched to AWD. I'd say get another AWD Honda.

What he said.f

There are differences with AWD. I'm a ski facility director and there are times when it's only a Subaru, PistenBully or 4x4 with chains getting up the service road.

We've also had dedicated snow tires on 2x4 vehicles and that makes far more difference than many think.

I'm so happy driving my AWD wagon vs trucks I've had most of my life that I also advocate renting a pickup truck when you need one. I rent them or a 2 axle trailer when needed and that's really the best if you don't honestly need a pickup often.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by HodgdonExtreme

4x4 and AWD get you going, but they don't help you steer or stop.

A front wheel drive car with quality winter tires will drive circles around a 4x4 or AWD car equipped with all-season tires, when the conditions are snowy and slippery.

Yes and no, as related to very specific situations. Yes the better the tire the better the traction. As blanket statements , No, not in my 30 years of driving 4- 6 months a year on ice and snow.

Yes having deep lug winter tires in the situation of any accumulated snow depth, is better than the less deep lug All season tire no question . As far as "driving circles around " No not really there are many more factors at play. And in fact on hard pack super glaze snow or ice, winter tires are probably no better than All season, depending on the design of the siping , and in these situations studded tires are definitely superior no matter the drive train.

In reality having all 4 wheels powered can in fact help you steer , and is superior to 2 wheel drive (front or rear) in slippery conditions in cornering and maintaining traction in conditions on hard packed snow and ice especially when ruts are present. As well as deep snow

Now it is also true that while in deep snow the higher ground clearance of Trucks and AWD SUVs is superior. However yes on packed snow and ice highway driving that same ground clearance "can" work against in the form of higher center of gravity.

And it should be noted that observationally speaking. That fact that you, as often as not, see just as many sometimes more AWD SUV's and 4X4 PicUps off the road or in wrecks, is due to the drivers having a false sense in invincibility and overdriving their vehicles as opposed to inherent design difference

[chitz]

If Subaru ever builds a pickup truck for the US market... Count me in.