When we are going to buy a car, there are several characteristics that we have to take into account since it depends on what we buy, it will adapt more to what we need or not. For example, something that could interest us a lot is the type of traction that our car has, whether rear, front or integral. Of course, right now we may not know what all this means. So that you have it clearer, today we will talk about what it is all wheel drive or also known as 4×4 and why it may interest us that our car has this type of traction.
What is traction?
To talk about all-wheel drive, it is important that we first understand what traction is. The traction refers the friction of the wheels when they contact the asphalt. This is achieved thanks to the transmission of power from the engine to the axles of the wheels allowing them to move. This is what makes the car move, without the traction it would not move.
Within the traction we can find the front, the rear and the integral. These types of traction differ in that the engine transmits the force to different wheel axles, which leads us to what is integral traction.
What is all-wheel drive?
All-wheel drive occurs when the power of the motor is transmitted to all two axles, that is, to the four wheels of the car. This type of traction is what SUVs and some SUVs usually carry.
What are the advantages of having a car with all-wheel drive?
As we all know, the good thing about SUVs is that They can go anywhere even if the road is not well paved and that is what makes so many people love these types of cars. This characteristic is thanks to the fact that they have integral traction. It does not matter which wheel has the best contact with the ground since will have the strength to be able to keep moving the car, something that does not happen with cars with rear or front wheel drive. We can say that all-wheel drive cars are indicated for adventurous people.
Obviously it will also be safer in situations where driving can be dangerous, for example when it snows or rains as it has much more grip on the asphalt. We have to keep in mind that even if it is a car that has good grip when it snows, it is not exempt from using chains.
And of course, alsoit will be much safer when we take a curve with the car because we are less likely to suffer from oversteer.
Should you buy a car with all-wheel drive?
To find an answer to what type of traction your car should have, you should take into account what you are going to use the car for:
- If you want a car that has the basics and that it is comfortable, easy to drive and that it does not cost us an arm and a leg, the best thing would be to get a car that has front-wheel drive.
- In case you are a experienced driver and you like a sportier driving style, then a car that has rear wheel drive
- And finally, if what we want is a car with which have adventures and move well on any type of terrain, we should get one with all-wheel drive.
Of course, we must also keep in mind the budget we have since a front-wheel drive car will be cheaper than a rear-wheel drive or an integral one since the drive mechanism is more complex in the case of the latter two.
