Quote:
Originally Posted by mandh2010
 i am looking into a pickup and i thinki want a car that can switch between 2 and 4 wheel drive. what is this system called? what are good search terms to use to find a car with this. many suggestions please. also,what affect does this have on mpg? i hear conflicting things from time to time. i'm pretty new and help would be very appreciated.
Thanks much,
MandH2010 |
Airjer did a good job of explaining the basics of a four-wheel-drive (4x4) system. As far as MPG, chances are you aren't buying a truck to get good MPG's - they are all relatively poor if you are used to filling up a sedan. That being said, using good driving technique and keeping the vehicle in '2WD' mode will help.
There are several reasons AWD or 4WD vehicles get poorer fuel economy, the simplest of which is added weight - all the driveline components can add as much as 200lbs to a vehicle, which is like carrying a trunk full of crap all the time. The rest is to do with the friction caused by the added drive wheels when engaged and the associated gear ratios, known as drag.