Re: Why should one buy a 4WD (4X4 system)/ AWD as against a 4x2? Adding a little to some of the points made here. This is a nice thread!
4WD is a must have if you intend to go to highly slushy areas or sandy areas or if you need to ascend / descend tracks with steep inclines in the monsoons or even stony tracks in the dry season, because a 2WD will not find enough traction on such loose-ish surfaces.
Or if you have a farm or estate and your vehicle is a proper working/ hauling vehicle it is certainly a must have. You cant, for example, haul a 1.5 ton trailer laden with produce up a reasonable incline unless you have 4WD, else you will fry your clutch!
I would agree with what a lot of the others have posted here. Dont buy it unless you will definitely use it.
I had a 2WD Bolero and a 2WD Scorpio and was able to take them to lots of "off the beaten track places".
But before that in my old Gypsy(s) and in my Dad's MM540/550's, Ive been to some rather strange places that both the Bolero and Scorpio 2WDs would have given up the ghost on!
Even as recently as a year or two ago, my Scorpio simply couldnt take a 45 degree incline on a dirt track in the monsoons - it simply didnt have enough momentum to manage it and its wheels simply didnt find sufficient traction - all I got for my pains was madly spinning rear wheels accompanied by the odour of a lightly saute-ing clutch!
So I gave it up and walked instead.
I do agree however, that the safety aspect afforded by the more modern AWDs and 2WDs are a must have.
AWD/ 4WD is an absolute advantage in rallying for example.
Yesterday early morning I went to a place called Clover Greens for golf. My other senior friend and ex-boss of mine was in his AWD AT Q5 TFSI and I was in my 4x4 Yeti.
There is a 2 km long, curvy, dust laden, gravelly, dirt track to reach the Clover parking lot, from the main road.
I can tell you that both vehicles had a merry time of it with a bit of 4 wheel drift and stuff. The extremely composed handling of these cars , their AWD systems with ESP, ASR and all that stuff kick in so brilliantly that is an absolute delight being a "pretend rallyist".
By contrast, I ve driven my Scorpio up and down that road in the past and believe me it is pretty challenging to drive even a little fast in that vehicle, because the rear swings out and it fish-tails quite madly around those curves. Its lack of ESP and other safety kit is a deterrent to such things as are its overall handling characteristics, height from the ground and general wallowing. With 4x4 it would be marginally better, but I would not attempt higher speeds because of no other serious safety stuff in it and the very real risk of toppling.
You may remember that the earlier 2WD Lancias ruled the roost in rallying along dirt tracks, until they created the 4WD versions. And poor Lancia had to simply step aside when the Audi's landed up with the Quattro systems and all the other gizmos. SAAB used to do a wonderful job in the 1980's in Scandinavia with their 4x4 systems - especially in snow, ice and mushy stuff in the winter season. (I believe the Finns, Swedes and other Scandinavians are arguably the world's best qualified chaps, when it comes to rallying.)
Guna's post about the confidence inspired with a good AWD/4WD mated to all the safety stuff is absolutely right, in my experience too. I have rented and driven a new gen fully loaded AWD Subaru Forester with all possible kit in it, last year in Winter, on some slushy and grassy tracks in the UK and the confidence that it inspires is superb. Driving on wet, long grass is not easy at all and one really has to be very careful indeed.
I get the same level of confidence in my Yeti - in fact the Forester drive was one of the reasons for me to want and get one of these more modern AWD machines for my own use.
Many years ago, in our old Ambys and Fiats, if one needed to ascend a hugely steep incline in the monsoons, one simply had to reverse up because the rear wheels simply would not find traction if one were trying to go up normally. I have seen my dad do this and learned about it from him. Typically we used to go to such places invariably in our 4WD jeep, from then on.
Of course 4WD and AWD are "nice to have" but if you ask me strictly whether they are "must haves", I would simply say that it depends on your usage patterns. Else they can be just so much expensive "dead weight" to lug around.
Last edited by shankar.balan : 15th January 2012 at 07:17.
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