Summary What is the principle of a 4-wheel drive car? Added safety when weather conditions deteriorate 4-wheel drive, an advantage for traction, not necessarily for grip What are the alternatives to 4-wheel drive cars traditional?
What is the principle of a 4-wheel drive car?
Originally, standard cars were generally equipped with two-wheel drive. The principle is simple: the wheels are connected to the transmission which distributes the power delivered by the engine. There are 3 types of transmissions available on the market:
two-wheel drive transmission to the front wheels, called "traction" or "front wheel drive". In France, because of the size, power of cars and their configuration, the majority of cars in circulation are of the front-wheel drive type. It is therefore the front wheels which are driven by the transmission and the engine, the rear wheels are not motorized and just provide support for the chassis, rotation and contact with the road. The front-wheel drive technology comes from an innovation that was made famous by the famous Citroën Traction Avant. This made it possible to democratize this type of transmission, which prevailed in the 1940s on cars with a high circulation like the Citroën 2cv. The two-wheel drive transmission to the rear wheels, called "propulsion". This type of transmission, due to the craze in France and gradually worldwide for front-wheel drive cars, has reduced the number of rear-wheel drive cars on the market, although this transmission has historically been widespread. Today it is aimed a lot at sports cars as well as luxury cars, such as large German, English or Italian sedans. Few or no French cars are equipped with it, apart from the all new Alpine A110. It allows dynamic driving but can also cause loss of traction in difficult conditions with the four-wheel drive, sending the vehicle's power to all four wheels. It is also called "4 × 4" or "all-wheel" transmission. This transmission is more complex than the other two since the transmission of power to the wheels is done on the two axles (front wheels and rear wheels). This allows optimal traction on all terrains and superior vehicle grip, but this heavier system can also reduce the performance and agility of the car. It is available on the majority of SUVs but also on coupes, sedans and station wagons, even on certain compact cars (Volkswagen Golf, Audi S1, A3 / S3,…).
The two types of transmission that are front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive have the advantage of being lighter than all-wheel drives, but they do not allow optimal traction on slippery roads. Rear-wheel drive is known to be tricky on greasy, wet, snow-covered or dirt roads because of the loss of traction that can occur, especially if the vehicle is powerful. This causes the rear of the car to drift, controlled or not, which can be dangerous and in particular cause spinning. Front-wheel drive cars can suffer from the front wheels spinning if the road surface is too loose, making it impossible to move forward, for example when going up a snow-covered road. / p>
The all-wheel drive allows power to be sent equally to all four wheels. Modern 4 × 4 transmission systems also allow power to be varied between the front and rear wheels to match the car's traction and grip to actual driving conditions, in real time. Sending power to all wheels helps maximize traction and keep moving forward in difficult conditions. This also helps to counter certain situations of loss of grip because the four wheels are more firmly connected to the mechanics, which ensures better handling on the ground. On the other hand, on dry roads, some four-wheel drive cars are less efficient than their two-wheel drive counterparts. Their consumption can also be higher.
Buy my 4x4 car with CapCar
Come and see our offers!
More safety when weather conditions deteriorate
When winter comes (as the Stark * say), the mild summer weather changes. The onset of rain, followed by snow in some areas, makes roads and paths less passable and more difficult to navigate. It is under these circumstances that our classic cars begin to stall: less grip, slippage and loss of traction, difficulty moving forward and even a complete stop of the car when it snows. The same is true for dirt or sand tracks, whose sometimes steep slopes can overcome all front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive cars.
It is in difficult situations that 4-wheel drive cars make the difference: they allow you to overcome the difficulties associated with poor grip and not being stopped by snow, sand or mud: with an all-wheel drive car, you can go anywhere, at least in theory (we'll get to that later). The fact remains that the addition of two additional driving wheels allows a car or a 4 × 4 to pass much greater difficulties, even unthinkable with a normal car.
In addition , once on a road in milder conditions, the transmission of power to the 4 wheels helps to promote good handling of the vehicle on the road in all circumstances, as well as to pass all the power of the engine to the ground: on this type car, there is little or no slip when accelerating and cornering. It is therefore a guarantee of safety and serenity in all conditions, and it is not for nothing that this transmission is available from the small miniature 4 × 4 (like the Suzuki Jimny) to the imposing supercar 4 (Ferrari FF and GT4C Lusso), including SUVs, sedans, station wagons, and even compacts!
* Games Of Thrones TV series
A 4x4 transmission car must be fitted good tires an all-wheel drive car will not be able to give its full potential in difficult climatic conditions if it is not equipped with the right tires or equipment! Remember to equip it accordingly according to your needs (summer tires, all-season tires, M & amp; S (mud & amp; snow) or winter tires).
4-wheel drive, an advantage for the traction, not necessarily for grip
A lot of people mistakenly think that buying a 4WD car is buying a car with better grip. However, this is not true! having 4-wheel drive does not affect the grip capacity of your tires or the quality of your car's chassis. On the contrary, some 4 × 4 have a rather execrable road holding ... Which means that your car, if you approach a bend too quickly, will not hold better the pavement than one equipped with two driving wheels, in the absolute… On the other hand, the 4-wheel drive brings a real gain on the overall traction of the car, and this better traction allows better catching up in certain situations.
Thus, when driving, you will not have no torque rise in the steering wheel (problem of powerful front drives), the power being distributed between the wheels. Likewise, you will not experience wheel spinning (a recurring phenomenon on front wheel drive and powerful propulsion). When downshifting, the engine brake is distributed throughout the car, which can reduce mass transfers from the car. This uniformity of power distribution can allow certain turns to be wound better with a greater feeling of grip. It's the superior traction and the grip it provides that gives the car the feeling of a more stable and grippy car. But beware of excessive optimism in the event of sustained driving or in degraded conditions!
Finally, if you want to obtain optimum performance from your car, especially in winter, consider fitting your car with tires suitable as winter tires. These tires have built-in rubber micro-sipes and work well below 7 ° C, to give you optimal traction in low or negative temperatures. They also hold up fairly well on snow and will allow you to grip much better on snow-covered roads. There are many large SUVs fitted with imposing road tires with a sporty profile, which do not manage to reach the snow-covered ski resort despite their 4-wheel drive ... Beware of sporty SUVs whose tires are unsuitable for winter. and prepare your car accordingly.In this topic find your used Audi A1, equipped with four-wheel drive.
What are the alternatives to traditional 4-wheel drive cars?
When you want to benefit from the contributions of a 4-wheel drive transmission on your car, there are unfortunately not many other choices than to go through this technology. However, some cars offer you systems that differ from the traditional mechanical system and allow greater flexibility of use:
4-wheel drive cars that can be engaged
This system is like having a 4-wheel drive car but of which the two wheels of one of the axles (generally the rear axle) can be disconnected from the transmission chain. The engagement of the 4-wheel drive can therefore be done at any time, just like the reverse maneuver. The advantage is that you can drive with two driving wheels when the driving conditions are good, which reduces fuel consumption. This system is generally present on 4 × 4, SUV or Pick-Ups, whose all-wheel drive systems are energy-intensive and whose weight is important, which allows them to consume less once they have switched to two-wheel drive. .
Hybrid and electric 4-wheel drive cars
Electric cars do not have a heat engine, nor do they generally have a transmission shaft that links the front and rear axles! Due to the small size of their engines, they usually carry a large one at the front (or two small ones) which powers the front wheels as well as two small ones at the rear which each independently power one wheel. The drive of the 4 wheels by separate motors makes it possible to make each of the driving wheels, so we still have the same traction as on a standard all-wheel drive car.
Hybrid cars for their part can have the same way of a heat engine which acts on two wheels or on the 4 (traditional hybrid), and whose electric motor makes it possible to support the heat engine. Other hybrids have their combustion engine but also electric motors in their rear wheels. This is particularly the case of Peugeot and Citroëns with Hybrid4 technology. This makes it possible to make a 4-wheel drive car without the drawbacks of mechanical all-wheel drive.
Electronic systems such as “Grip Control” from PSA or “Extended Grip” from Renault
Some manufacturers as the French have gradually given up on providing some of their vehicles with 4-wheel drive transmission, heavy, expensive and a source of overconsumption. As customers of family vehicles such as Peugeot 2008, 3008, Scenic X-Mod or Kangoo have only reduced requirements for off-road performance, manufacturers have developed new generation traction control systems. , with increased performance and improving traction in difficult conditions.
Thus, the Grip Control, for example, allows, via a dial located on the central console of the car, to adjust the level of assistance depending on the conditions and the specific program chosen: road, snow, mud, track, etc. By engaging one of these modes, the electronic system automatically sets itself to a more or less degraded grip mode. And it looks like it's working well based on videos and user feedback. You should also know that PSA, for example, delivers its vehicles equipped with Grip Control with all-season tires for more efficiency. The final performance is not the same as that of a true 4WD but it is a good alternative for anyone who has a real but weak need for a versatile car during difficult seasons!
To buy a used 4x4 car, call on CapCar! At CapCar, we select only the best used cars: after a thorough inspection (over 200 checkpoints) by our mechanic, we validate the car and market it on behalf of its owner and we guarantee it for a minimum of 6 months (and up to 24 months). You are buying a quality car at the best price. You'd like to know why ? Check out the CapCar buying process as well as our used cars for sale!
Estimate my car with CapCar
Free estimate at market price!
