My parents are buying me a car soon and they say that the car has to be all wheel drive. i live in michigan so during the winters the roads get really bad plus i live on a dirt road which makes it even worse. they feel that the car i get must be an SUV with all wheel drive. is all wheel drive
Yes. Yes. Yes. I have a fairly steep driveway. My Mazda Protege (similar to Mazda 3) could not get up the driveway. I was digging myself out every big snow. Once I couldn't get home at all in it because we live at the top of a hill. I traded it in for a Subaru Impreza AWD and it went right up the hill. If you like sports cars more than SUVs, take a look at the Impreza or Legacy from Subaru. They are great in the snow.
AWD delivers the maximum amount of traction for accelerating. Down falls include more friction, so less economy, more power lost to the drive-line, and more expensive to repair and maintain. Also many people get over confident when in an AWD. Remember, all cars already have all wheel brakes. This results in the ability to accelerate and drive faster than a 2WD car, but no added ability to stop faster.
Each system has it's disadvantages and advantages A little study on your part. It will be necessary to purchase a car you can understand how it works and be able to get the most economy and traction with. 4X4 depending on the manufacture indicates that the truck is 2 wheel drive until you shift in the front axle. All wheel drive sometime means that all four wheels are powered to some extent and cannot be disengaged. Some front wheel drive cross overs SUV accomplish this by electronically controlling the rear axle. There has to be at least 100 designs, patents and kinds of systems that lock in all the wheels for snowy roads. Read all the reviews you can talk to people who have AWD. Most the time a regular front wheel drive car will do well with snow tires and you don't have to lug all the extra weight of all wheel drive around. Something to think about next time the Arabs want to embargo fuel shipments. $2 a gallon is just because the economy is in the dumper.
All-Wheel Drive is okay if you see lots of rain, snow, or dirt roads, but it's not absolutely necessary. For most people, particularly those who live in urban areas, Front-Wheel Drive and Rear-Wheel Drive are a better alternative. They get better gas mileage and have less wear and tear on the drivetrain parts. However, the best choice for you would be a 4-Wheel Drive vehicle. Unlike All-Wheel Drive, 4-Wheel Drive can be disengaged, offers locking or limited-slip differentials, and has both High and Low gear ranges. This gets you better gas mileage when running in 2-Wheel Drive, which is what you'll use 90% of the time in Michigan, more if you're in the southern part of the Lower Peninsula. Then, when it snows, is icy outside, or you decide to go off-roading, you can engage the 4-Wheel Drive for better traction. I live in the northern part of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, near Petoskey, and my family has had all types of vehicles: Rear-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive, and 4-Wheel Drive. After our experiences, all the vehicles we own now (four of them, with one more likely soon now that my brother's driving) are 4-Wheel Drive, and we use them a lot. I can provide a list of the SUVs that offer true 4-Wheel Drive as opposed to All-Wheel Drive. If you like the idea of a pickup truck, only the Honda Ridgeline is All-Wheel Drive. The rest are 4-Wheel Drive. I hope this has answered your question. If you have any more, please feel free to ask.
