FWD vs RWD vs 4WD vs AWD What's The Difference? Which is Better?

Finally a great explanation for those who could never catch the differences between all those technics. Thank you so much.

My car is left wheel drive

I have AWD and noticed mine doesn’t always use AWD as explained. My AWD kicks in initially when pulling off but then turns into FWD only for the rest of my journey and the AWD kicks in sometimes when the car feels it’s needed.

as a jeep owner i wanted to say one often overlooked disadvantage of a 4wd car is that all 4 wheels have to be the same diameter, that means if you get a nail in the sidewall on a jeep or range rover you have to change all 4 tires, not just an axle, many people dont know this and jeep gets a bad rep for transmission reliability because many people screw this up, if you only change one axles tires while the other axle is half worn it will run fine for about 8-16 months, than your transfer case will leave the chat, (and sadly to properly fix it you will have to throw away those two tires and buy 4 more tires totaling 6 tires since the nail)

The advantage of FWD is that the rear usually does not swerving rear end. In extreme situations, the vehicles tend to understeer, i.e. to push over the front wheels. This is often better compensated for by the driver than a swerving rear end. In addition, FWD saves space. With RWD, when the engine is in the front, there is no load on the drive wheels. When the engine is at the rear, the RWD becomes a swerving rear end. The driver has to switch from turning in to countersteering. With RWD, the tunnel drive runs straight through the passenger compartment.

No matter how wheels drive. It matters what kind of driver your are

I like FWD because it is the best for improving technique and daily use (more economical). It can be beneficial even if you plan on driving RWD or AWD in a performance setting because FWD isn't ideal for putting power down and/or steering. This added difficulty forces you to learn proper driving technique to be fast and efficient rather than using ideal drivetrains as a crutch. Then when you get into a RWD or AWD, you will absolutely haul ass because you are fast, not just the car. It is a lot cheaper to learn to drive well in FWD and put in the seat time than it is to immediately jump into RWD and AWD cars that immediately begin draining your finances. If you've ever played any Gran Turismo game, you know they start you off in FWD cars. They do it because they too understand the FWD handicap makes you better. Just my two cents as a former driving instructor, practicing driving enthusiast. 👍

I've got a Focus C-Max Ghia (2005) which is a FWD. I am sincerely very content of how my vehicle behaves when steering sharply at mid speeds. Of course, given the fact that my car is an MPV I never drive off-road, only in an urban environment or on paved roads.

One of the best mechanical AWD systems of all time is probably the Super Select System from the Mitsubishi Pajero. 2H, 4H, 4HLc and 4LLc, giving RWD, AWD, 4WD centre diff locked and 4WD low range with centre diff locked.

Very good and informative video bro . Keep it up and continue your great work 👍👍

Did you mention that 4WD's with transfer cases usually have a low and a high range for best application to terrain. Also should mention that there are all kinds of optional differential "lockers" that allow torque to be supplied to every wheel, regardless of difference in traction.

Best video of this type. Clearly explain the differences.

Thank you for the great explanations for each :) I recently purchased a new an awd. I really love it! It was nice pulling plastic off of the interior!

Excelent video. Now i think the next video should be " Super Select 4x4 by Mitsubishi Pajero vs normal car 4x4. How it's work, and what's the differention? " . I think this would be a great video.

My first car Audi A4 2006 was AWD. You explained why I love that car.

Superb pics Clear cut explanation for the lay man. Thanks for the video

Remember folks. All cars have 4 wheel braking and uses all 4 wheels to turn. Using appropriate tires is more effective than drivetrain in most situations.

Very informative and useful information. From my understanding 4WD is superior than AWD because the application in 4WD solely depend with the driver engagement while AWD is automatic engagement even when not necessary.

One of the best presentation on DRIVETRAINS.

Very nice video presentation. Thanks 👍