Four-wheel Drive vs All-wheel Drive

Four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive may sound similar, and they do have many things in common. They both involve powering all four of your vehicle’s wheels at the same time, and are increasingly popular choices among Manhasset drivers. However, there are also some significant differences between these systems that you’ll want to know before you shop for a new vehicle. We’ve outlined the most important things to know about each system, along with all the details on Acura’s special SH-AWD system, so read on! Then, check out our online inventory to find a great FWD or AWD Acura today.

Four-Wheel Drive

With a four-wheel drive car, all four wheels are being powered equally at the same time. This makes it ideal for vehicles that do a lot of off-roading or driving on rugged terrain, as opposed to a typical Garden City commute. You’ll usually find four-wheel drive on heavy-duty vehicles like pickup trucks. This system is designed to heavily improve a vehicle’s traction, making it a perfect choice if you’re looking to get out of town on an off-road adventure!

All-Wheel Drive

All-wheel drive tends to be found more in “regular” cars (i.e. not off-roading vehicles) like sedans or crossover SUVs. This system is not quite as robust as four-wheel drive, but it still involves sending power to all four wheels at once. The main difference between FWD and AWD is that all-wheel drive doesn’t power all four wheels equally the way four-wheel drive does – usually, most of the power goes towards the front wheels. The benefit of AWD is that vehicles tend to be easier to manage and operate than their FWD counterparts, which is why you’ll find it more frequently on non-offroad vehicles. 

What is Acura SH-AWD?

Acura does all-wheel drive a bit differently from other car brands. We use a special system called Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, or SH-AWD® for short. This system is available on a number of Acura models, including the RLX sport hybrid, MDX midsize SUV, and TLX sport sedan.

All-wheel drive is designed to improve traction for your vehicle by diverting most power to the front wheels. Acura SH-AWD® takes this one step further by also diverting a portion of your vehicle’s power to the rear wheels as well, which improves traction even further and maximizes your car’s performance. This is called torque vectoring, and it’s designed to improve your car’s handling on just about every type of rugged terrain. SH-AWD® also makes your rides safer if you often find yourself on roads with a lot of rain, ice, or other slippery debris.

Explore Acura Models at Rallye Acura

Ready to check out an Acura for yourself? Contact our office anytime to set up a test drive at our dealership near Glen Cove. You can also browse our new vehicle specials to see if you can save big on your next Acura – these get updated all the time!