What is the difference between front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive?
1 Answers
Front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive differ in their driving methods. Front-wheel drive primarily relies on the front wheels for both steering and propulsion, meaning the engine is positioned at the front with front-wheel drive. In contrast, four-wheel drive involves all four wheels working together to propel the vehicle. Front-wheel drive: The characteristic of front-wheel drive is that the engine and transmission are located at the front of the vehicle. Since it eliminates the need for a driveshaft running from the front to the rear, front-wheel-drive vehicles can have a lower body height. A lower body helps improve stability during high-speed driving. Additionally, because the transmission system in front-wheel-drive vehicles is simpler and the path from the engine to the wheels is shorter, there is less power loss. Four-wheel drive: Representative models include the Toyota Prado. The Prado combines perfect handling performance with ultra-high safety performance, and its active traction control system is a technical highlight. The vehicle's computer system applies braking to any spinning wheels and redistributes the driving force to the other wheels, ensuring stability when driving on complex and challenging terrains. Full-time four-wheel drive offers the highest cornering limits on roads, as it optimally distributes driving force to each wheel during high-speed cornering. This technology is widely adopted in high-performance, large-displacement sedans that prioritize handling, with the primary goal of enhancing effective driving force and cornering limits.
