Is Your 4WD Vehicle Really 4WD? When a consumer is looking to buy a truck or SUV, he or she may be interested in buying a 4WD vehicle for the purposes of on the road/off road driving: yet, the consumer may not really be getting the 4WD vehicle he or she desires when they make their vehicle purchase.  While there are many 4WD vehicles to choose from, some supposed 4WD vehicles are actually AWD vehicles, and are not actually 4WD vehicles at all.  So, what is the difference between an AWD vehicle and a 4WD vehicle, and how can the consumer know for sure that he or she is getting the 4WD vehicle that he or she originally set out to buy? What is a 4WD Vehicle? So, what precisely is a 4WD vehicle?  A 4WD vehicle is a truck or SUV that relies on a 4WD transmission; the latter is a bit different from AWD vehicles, otherwise known as all wheel drive vehicles, or full time 4WD vehicles, which have an engine that powers a drivetrain continuously.  The term 4WD defines a vehicle that possesses a drivetrain that permits all four wheels on the vehicle to get torque provided by the engine at the same time.  When the engine powers all four wheels in the 4WD vehicle, the driver is given the ability to manage the vehicle in off-road ventures: the vehicle handles better than the average vehicle would since 4WD vehicles are purposely designed for handling on a variety of surfaces and terrain. To determine if a vehicle is a real 4WD vehicle, the consumer has to do more than simply look for the 4X4 marking often found on many vehicles.  The latter marking indicates how many wheels the vehicle has as well as the amount of wheels which are powered.  Thus, in a 4X4 vehicle the truck or SUV has four wheels and all of them can be powered by the engine via torque simultaneously.  This differs from a 4X2 vehicle where only two wheels are receiving torque via the vehicle’s engine.  To complicate matters further, with AWD vehicles, the vehicle has four wheels that are always receiving torque from the vehicle’s engine. AWD Vehicles vs. 4WD Vehicles In 4WD vehicles, the consumer is getting a vehicle that possesses a drive system that transfers power through 2-speed transfer case which offers gear control and shifting abilities, as well as drive axles.  The vehicle can therefore be switched into 4WD whenever the driver desires for better control during off road driving or when driving in rough conditions. In contrast, the AWD vehicle, while having certain advantages like better vehicle handling, does not have a 2 speed transfer case with shifting and gear control abilities. Since the latter feature is lacking, this makes an AWD vehicle one that really is not suitable for off roading or rough terrain.  In addition, AWD vehicles rely more on the front wheel drive than all four wheels since most of the torque that the engine provides is delivered to the front wheels.  This is considerably different when compared to real 4WD vehicles simply because, when the driver opts for 4WD, a significant amount of the torque is delivered to the rear wheels.  The latter fact changes only when the driver shifts into High 2WD or High 4WD.  With 4WD H/L the driver gets a balanced amount of torque to all four wheels.  To simplify the explanation, a 4WD vehicle gives the driver the option of controlling where the torque is delivered whereas AWD vehicles do not.  4WD Features So, how can you tell if your vehicle is 4WD?  Review the vehicle specifications closely if you are buying from a new dealer.  If you are buying an older vehicle, research the vehicle online to ascertain whether the vehicle is a legitimate 4WD vehicle or an AWD vehicle.  In addition, the consumer should take note that many of today’s crossover vehicles, while advertised as having 4WD vehicle handling capabilities, really only offer AWD.  If the consumer is looking for real 4WD handling and off road potential, getting a vehicle with AWD will not fulfill the consumer’s needs. The consumer looking to buy 4WD vehicles also needs to be aware that some 4WD vehicles come with free wheeling hubs.  Free wheeling hubs are what connect the axle to the front wheels of the 4WD vehicle.  The latter hubs have to be locked in order for the vehicle to be put into 4WD; this feature is added in order to minimize the wear and tear on the drive shaft and front differential.  When the free wheeling hubs are not used the 4WD drive vehicle is in 2WD mode and fuel efficiency is optimized.  If the owner of the 4WD vehicle has free wheeling hubs and does not know to lock them or forgets to lock them, the vehicle remains in 2WD mode and does not shift into 4WD. Popular 4WD Vehicles At Edmunds.com® (www.edmunds.com), the 2009 Dodge™ Ram Pickup 1500 has been voted by consumers as one of the top 4WD trucks of the year.  The fuel efficiency of the Dodge™ Ram is just over 15 miles per gallon.  The fuel tank capacity of this truck is 26 gallons, and the truck is offered with regular cab, extended cab, and crew cab variations as well as five different trims.  Starting at prices just under $26,000, the 2009 Dodge™ Ram Pickup 1500 is an affordable, favorite 4WD selection.  Most importantly, the Dodge™ Ram 1500 is a real 4WD truck possessing a V8 engine with 5650 rpm of horsepower delivering 330 ft-lbs of torque and is capable of towing 8900 pounds.  For a full review of the Dodge™ Ram Pickup 1500, visit: http://www.edmunds.com/dodge/rampickup1500/review.html The 2009 Ford™ F-150 is another consumer favorite as indicated at Edmunds.com® (www.edmunds.com).  This truck is offered in a number of trims, but the XL, STX, and XLT are legitimate 4WD vehicles.  Starting prices for the XL are roughly $27,000, while the XLT is right around $29,500.  All three trim levels offer right around the same mpg rate: 15 miles per gallon.  The Ford™ F-150 XL comes with a V8 engine offering 4750 rpm which delivers 294 ft-lbs of torque.  The latter has a maximum tow potential of 11300 lbs.  A full review of the XL, and other Ford™ F-150s is available at: http://www.edmunds.com/Ford/f150/review.html.