The Basics of AWD vs 2WD vs 4WD
Many of us are using our daily drivers to get us to the great outdoors. Whether it is the same daily you have been driving for years or looking to get a new vehicle, knowing and understanding the drive types is a great starting point for understanding what kind of off-road adventures you may get into both voluntarily and involuntarily.
2-Wheel Drive (2WD)
“My favorite example of a Prerunner are the highly altered baja bugs. That being said the majority of Prerunner vehicles are custom-built with a few factory options like the Toyota Tacoma Prerunner.” - Tyler Bales
When talking about 2-Wheel Drive vehicles there are three types that you can find. First off 2-Wheel Drive simply means two wheels have power and propel the vehicle forward or backward. Within 2WD we have Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD, Front-Wheel Drive (FWD), and “Prerunners” which typically are RWD vehicles meant for off-road. My favorite example of a Prerunner is the highly altered Baja Bug. That being said the majority of Prerunner vehicles are custom-built with a few factory options like the Toyota Tacoma Prerunner. 2WD vehicles tend to be lighter, more fuel efficient, and easier to work on due to fewer drive-train components. This is partially why Prerunners were invented. Highly capable off-roader with lower costs to run race courses prior to the 4WD competition counterpart. In general, the 2WD vehicle doesn’t do as well offroad compared to the 4WD and AWD vehicles simply due to fewer wheels providing propulsion. If you’re cautious, it will get the job done for hunting, but don’t push the boundaries too far in deep snow and mud, or else you could be REALLY stuck.
4-Wheel Drive (4WD)
Few 4WD vehicles are as well-known or reliable as the early generations of Toyotas.
4-Wheel Drive (4WD) vehicles have dominated the off-road industry since 4WD was invented. 4WD drivetrains allow for power at all wheels with the ability to select between driving in 4WD or 2WD. The majority of 4WD vehicles are also RWD. Allowing the selectability for RWD allows the front axle to ride idle allowing for better fuel efficiency. 4WD tends to be less efficient than AWD due to the additional components to allow selectability. The selectability also allows for different gear selection and differential configurations that allow a person to alter how the drivetrain reacts to the environment. Since 4WD has been around for so long the majority of 4WD vehicles have a large amount of aftermarket support allowing for a wide range of customization for a wide range of price tags. 4WD vehicles come in many shapes and sizes both completely custom and direct from manufacturers.
All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
All-Wheel Drive vehicles do just exactly that drive with all wheels. Unlike the 2WD vehicles propulsion comes from all four tires on a vehicle. Unlike the 4WD vehicle, AWD vehicle systems think for the driver and are “always on” for added safety in inclement weather.
AWD vehicles shine when driving in inclement weather, such as snow, sleet, and rain, where extra traction increases driver and passenger safety and in general explorings, such as driving on mild off-road conditions such as maintained gravel roads. The AWD tends to be more fuel efficient as they now tend to be smaller and lighter than most 4WD drivetrains.
The most popular example of the AWD off-road explorer is the Subaru Crosstrek as they have been growing in popularity for outdoor exploration.
The most popular example of the AWD off-road explorer is the Subaru Crosstrek as they have been growing in popularity for outdoor exploration. It can work great for most hunting situations where major off-roading is unnecessary. AWD vehicles have the advantage over 2WD due to the four-drive tires but still tend to fall short of 4WD due to personal selectability and the wide range of aftermarket support of 4WD vehicles, but with the growing popularity and new innovation, we may see AWDs become a large contender with 4WD drivetrains in offroad sports. Some of the more extreme AWD off-road vehicles can be found in the world of rally cross, and I highly recommend you take a look. These are a growing, and very capable segment of western hunting vehicles.
