Is Four-Wheel Drive Necessary for Family Cars?
1 Answers
Whether a family car needs four-wheel drive (4WD) depends primarily on the budget and the driving environment. If the budget is sufficient, 4WD is a valuable feature—you can never have too many functions, and 4WD is like the icing on the cake. Next, consider the driving conditions. In southern regions with relatively warm climates and rare icy roads, the necessity of 4WD diminishes significantly. Of course, rain can still cause slipping, but driving slowly can mitigate this (there’s a solution). In northeastern areas with low winter temperatures and heavy snowfall, 4WD may be worth considering, though local snow-clearing capabilities should also be factored in. Classic Full-Time 4WD: True full-time 4WD systems designed for racing require mechanical limited-slip differentials on both the front and rear axles, typically paired with a Torsen center differential or proprietary technologies like DCCD. Full-time 4WD maintains a constant four-wheel drive state, leading to high fuel consumption. This is why fewer vehicles today use mechanical center differentials as power-coupling devices for full-time 4WD. The Significance of 4WD for Sedans: Early sedans were often equipped with full-time 4WD, but due to fuel efficiency concerns, many have transitioned to on-demand 4WD. Comparatively, sedans have lower ground clearance and a lower center of gravity than SUVs (though this is relative, as center of gravity is a systemic consideration).
