This article was translated from CTV News content.
“I wanted safety and peace of mind,” said Karlie Stephenson, who recently purchased a 2018 Mazda CX-5 four-wheel drive for her family.
Since the 1990s, automobile manufacturers have shifted from rear-wheel drive vehicles to all-wheel drive vehicles and later moved away from front-wheel drive vehicles.
However, not all AWD vehicles work the same way.
A Subaru, for example, always directs some of the engine's power to the rear of the car and can send larger amounts if necessary. This is done via a mechanical driveshaft that runs the entire length of the vehicle, whereas electric vehicles and some hybrid vehicles use a separate motor on each axle.
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“There are inexpensive or other ways to do this, such as if the car is primarily front-wheel drive,” said Alex Knizel of Consumer Reports. “The front wheels constantly receive the most power and only in certain situations is the power transferred to the rear wheels.”
People who live in snowy areas where the ground is often wet and slippery would benefit most from four-wheel drive vehicles because they provide drivers with better traction, Knizel said. “Or, you know, [s’ils] live at the end of a sloping driveway that is often wet, snowy or covered in ice.”
In Canada, all cars sold since the 2012 model year are equipped with an electronic stability control system, which, in addition to traction control, significantly improves handling, regardless of whether they are four-wheel, rear-wheel or front-wheel drive.
However, keep in mind that even the best systems will struggle to grip on slippery roads if your tires are in poor condition. Although all-wheel drive offers additional protection, it cannot compensate for a bad set of tires.