Why buy a 2wd suv

And its higher seating position is both easier to get in and out of including for babies and kids with generally better visibility. Note that some heavy-duty offroaders are 2WD onroad, and can only drive all four wheels offroad. Also, many AWDs drive the front wheels with the rears only helping as required. These are called on-demand AWDs.

Now, many are available in both AWD or 2WD, and not just the smaller vehicles oriented towards onroad duties. This leaves us with many models which can now be bought as a 2WD, and sometimes in the same spec but with slightly more expensive AWD.

You pay around 10 percent more for an all-wheel drive SUV and about 15 percent more for a four-wheel drive ute. But the fuel economy — part of the running costs — are hardly any extra, around 5 percent in extra fuel consumption. Fuel consumption is just one part of annual running costs along with insurance, servicing, and registration. However, those differences will be very minor and outweighed by your driving technique. In the case of the SUVs, driving all four wheels at least some of the time would even out tyre wear.

Taking the Australian average of 14,km per year and averaging it across all four vehicles we get litres consumed for the 2WDs, and L for the 4WDs. And there are two reasons 4WDs use more fuel — the first is extra weight and the second is the energy required to turn the second set of shafts and cogs to drive the other set of wheels.

When accelerating and cornering in dry on-road conditions there will be little difference, but in lower-traction conditions such as dirt roads or on wet roads then the better AWDs have a distinct advantage over FWDs, being able to put power to the ground more effectively. And that goes double for offroading. If you only ever want to drive on bitumen roads and occasional dirt roads, they make economic sense.

However, if you ever intend to drive in lower-traction conditions such as snow, offroad, or extensive dirt or rough road driving, then you will find AWD a benefit. Right off the bat, AWD systems are created to make as much traction as possible when slippage of the wheels under power is detected. Thus, they transfer some or all of the power to the other set of wheels via the driveline components.

This cuts back on slippage of the dominant wheels and allows the normally neutral wheels to assist. Newer systems, with smarter electronic control units and Torque distribution hardware, can, in fact, fine-tune handling in certain conditions. They do it by sending power to the wheels with more traction, but usually, with AWD systems available for unibody SUVs, these options are limited.

The most common question seems to be about braking. Under false assumptions, some consider AWD vehicles to be more in control under heavy braking. This is simply not the case, as the AWD system does not have anything to do with braking or slowing down.

As stated before, in normal conditions, cars with AWD systems are actually just 2WD vehicles that have the capability to engage the drive on the other axle if needed. Heavy braking, or any braking for that matter, does not have anything to do with it. So while AWD may increase safety for cars traveling on slippery roads mud, snow, ice, etc. Note: Audi Q8 pictured here. Adding an AWD system to the vehicle does increase weight.

Depending on the system, the car has to gain a transfer case, axle shafts for the second pair of wheels, a new differential, and a plenty of supporting gear. According to research Edmunds made on cars they had tested, the fuel penalty for owning an AWD car instead of a 2WD car is between 1 and 2 mpg and that is for on-demand electronically controlled AWD systems.

Scratching your head now? Thus, covering 1 or 2 miles per gallon more can make up for a big difference in the long run. Note: GMC Terrain pictured here. Adding an AWD system adds yet another complexity to a car. A complexity that one has to maintain. Although modern systems do not need constant maintenance, any damage done to the AWD system can be met with expensive repair bills.

Note: Mazda CX-3 pictured here. Installing high-end tires definitely is the most important step when it comes to improving 2WD SUV traction. Michelin actually tested a 2WD car on winter tires and an AWD car on summer tires traveling over slippery conditions, and it was obvious that the 2WD car with winter tires achieved dramatically better results.

This only proves that 2WD will be more than enough in most cases. Apart from that, the traction control systems on newer vehicles are optimized to use as much traction the two wheels can provide. Heavy braking, or any braking for that matter, does not have anything to do with it. So while AWD may increase safety for cars traveling on slippery roads mud, snow, ice, etc.

Note: Audi Q8 pictured here. Adding an AWD system to the vehicle unequivocally increases its weight. Depending on the system, the car has to gain a transfer case, axles for the second pair of wheels, a new differential, and a plenty of supporting gear. According to a research Edmunds made on cars they had tested, the fuel penalty for owning an AWD car instead of a 2WD car is between 1 and 2 mpg and that is for on-demand electronically controlled AWD systems.

Scratching your head now? Thus, covering 1 or 2 miles per gallon more can make up for a big difference in the long run. Note: GMC Terrain pictured here. Adding an AWD system adds yet another complexity to a car. A complexity that one has to maintain. Although modern systems do not need constant maintenance, any damage done to the AWD system is met with the most expensive repair bill. Furthermore, AWD cars, due to their weight, and consequently more load on the brakes, do tend to wear the tires down a bit faster than 2WD cars.

Note: Mazda CX-3 pictured here. Installing high-end tires definitely is the most important step when it comes to improving 2WD SUV traction. Michelin actually tested a 2WD car on winter tires and an AWD car on summer tires traveling over slippery conditions, and it was obvious that the 2WD car with winter tires achieved dramatically better results. This only proves that 2WD will be more than enough in most cases. Apart from that, the traction control systems on newer vehicles are optimized to use as much traction the two wheels can provide.

Braking one wheel thus transferring the power to the other has become a sort of a norm. As always, choose your car according to your needs. Buying an AWD SUV in areas with light snow, occasional rain, and mostly straight roads does not have any justification. On the opposite scale, AWD is preferable. Read more SUV news.