DENVER — Does it seem like most new cars are sold with all-wheel drive? You’re not wrong. More than half of new cars come with it, but drivers beware. Consumer Reports explains the benefits but points out you might not even need it.
Consumer Reports says you should know that not all vehicles with all-wheel drive are alike. For example, Subaru’s AWD system always directs at least some of the engine’s power to the rear and can direct a larger amount if needed. That’s not the case for every AWD.
There are cost-effective or different ways of doing this, where maybe the car is primarily driven as front-wheel drive. The front wheels are getting most of the power all the time, and then only in certain situations will it send power to the rear wheels.
So yes, there are more AWD cars on the road nowadays, thanks to technology. This transfer of power happens with a mechanical driveshaft running the length of the car. Electric vehicles and some hybrids use individual motors at each axle with no physical connection between them.
With a hybrid vehicle like one from Toyota, for example, they take an electric motor and just put it at the rear, and that is what’s giving you all-wheel drive. So they really don’t have to change much from the regular car to enable all-wheel drive.
By the way, all passenger vehicles sold in the U.S. since the 2012 model year come equipped with electronic stability control, which, along with traction control, significantly improves road-holding capabilities, regardless of the drive wheels.
So who really needs AWD? It’s people who live in snowy areas or those who experience a lot of slippery road conditions, including things like a steep driveway that’s often wet, snowy or covered in ice.
Remember, AWD is not a replacement for good tires. In really snowy conditions, that means snow tires. Poor tires on an AWD car will still struggle to provide enough grip on slippery roads.
Read more from our partners at Consumer Reports: How It Works: 2WD vs. AWD vs. 4WD
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