Does My Vehicle Have 4WD or AWD?

We hear this question a lot! These terms are often used interchanegably but there is a fundamental difference between the two. Jason from the Engineering Explained YouTube channel has an excellent video breaking down the two drivetrains, so we will let him do the talking on this one:

Cliff Notes: a 4WD vehicle uses mechanical gears to lock the front and rear axles at matching speeds. An AWD vehicle has the ability to delegate power where it's needed to individual axles/wheels.

Cars that have AWD systems: Cars that have 4WD systems:
Audi TT BMW M5
Subaru Forester Jeep Wrangler
Ford Explorer Ford Expedition
Honda Pilot Chevy Tahoe
Lexus IS300 Toyota Land Cruiser
Audi A3 Toyota Tacoma
Infiniti QX60 Nissan Frontier
Audi Q5 Chevy Suburban

Written by John Alligood