The internet is filled with things. Here is one of them.
What's the difference between AWD and 4WD?2024 Feb 27
My sporty little crossover has "All Wheel Drive". I used to drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee with "4-Wheel Drive". What's the difference? Well, the linked Edmunds article which was the first search result is long and rambling and repeats itself repeatedly, likely in some attempt to maximize word length like some uninspired high school essay. So allow me to summarize: the difference is whatever the manufacturers make it. HOWEVER, generally speaking, 4WD is an off-roading system that puts the driver in control to allow them to navigate rough conditions, whereas AWD is a traction-control system that lets the car's computer put power to any tire at it's little heart's discretion. If that sounds like two ways of writing the same thing, that's because it kind of is, since as technology improves and cars become increasingly computerized, the technical difference between AWD and 4WD erodes with each iteration.
My sporty little crossover has "All Wheel Drive". I used to drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee with "4-Wheel Drive". What's the difference? Well, the linked Edmunds article which was the first search result is long and rambling and repeats itself repeatedly, likely in some attempt to maximize word length like some uninspired high school essay. So allow me to summarize: the difference is whatever the manufacturers make it. HOWEVER, generally speaking, 4WD is an off-roading system that puts the driver in control to allow them to navigate rough conditions, whereas AWD is a traction-control system that lets the car's computer put power to any tire at it's little heart's discretion. If that sounds like two ways of writing the same thing, that's because it kind of is, since as technology improves and cars become increasingly computerized, the technical difference between AWD and 4WD erodes with each iteration.