trying to decide on a new (used) vehicle and wondering what‘s the difference between 4 WD and all wheel drive?
4 wheel drive - you can choose when all 4 wheels get power All wheel drive - Always in 4 wheel drive (unable to have 2 wheel drive)
It's only a marketing distinction (assuming 4 wheels is all the wheels you have). Many people will tell you there's a technical difference, but it's really just a marketing difference. In marketing, you tend NOT to put AWD stickers on a vehicle with a low range transfer case. You would also tend NOT to put AWD stickers on a vehicle that could operate in a fully 2WD mode. There are really about 10 different kinds of AWD systems, so the 2 distinctions are not really sufficient technically. Suburu alone makes 3 or 4 kinds of 4WD setups. Jeep makes 3 or 4 too, and they're not the same 3 or 4.
The above answers are incomplete. All wheel drive means all four wheels drive all the time, Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. You have no choice in the matter. Tires ware faster, the vehicle is heavier and it uses much more fuel to operate than a two wheel drive counterpart. All wheel drive cars make absolutely no sense to me and I know snow. Four wheel driven trucks are selectable in so far as IF you want EITHER two wheels driving or four wheels driving by a push of a button on the dash. Four wheel drive is better when and if you need it. I'm a crotchety old man and in my book automotive manufactures are cramming expensive gas guzzling heavy four wheel drive vehicles down the public collective throats. Our Winters don't warrant them at all.
