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4X4-drive question

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by Stevewoods, Mar 26, 2018.

  1. Stevewoods

    Stevewoods Senior Member

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    Wifey is getting older (60 -- yikes) and for some reason all sorts of things she never worried about seem have come to a head.

    Such as:

    1) Home security: We never locked our doors before, but now she insists. I had to search all over and finally found the keys.

    2) Heavy-Duty Generator: We are slightly rural and lose power sometimes for a day or two. Never bothered her before, but now I had to buy a generator.

    3) Snow/Mud-bound: It has happened a couple of times that snow has been severe enough to keep us from getting to town, but never bothered her before.

    So, now she is thinking about a four-wheel-drive rig. I have not driven one since the early 1980s. Back in those days had to jump out and engage the hubs before getting back in the rig and driving on.

    Any primers on how they work nowadays?
     
    #1 Stevewoods, Mar 26, 2018
  2. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Hub-centric locks are long gone (I think the Vitara/Tracker were the last ones back in the late 90s/early 2000s).

    Now it's all electronically controlled (regardless of whether it's a mechanical or electronic lock) from the interior of the car.

    If you're buying used, some part-time 4x4 will require you come to a stop before shifting into 4H or 4L.

    If you're buying new, they can almost all be engaged on the fly (assuming you're not going at highway speed). Some even have locking differentials without having to go hardcore like a Wrangler. For example, the current generation RAV4 4WD has an electronically locking centre differential for low speed crawl. (Under 25mph IIRC).

    Most actual 4x4 systems are full-time 4x4. There's probably only 5 or fewer models with part-time 4WD (Mostly from the Jeep brand). They're controlled via a dial (mostly within the last 5-10 years) or a shifter (some of the older models that haven't been updated like the LX570).
     
    #2 Tideland Prius, Mar 26, 2018
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  3. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    I think most pick ups are still part-time 4WD.

    Most SUVs are actually AWD, and an asymmetrical one at that. So they are just FWD until the rear slips. Then others are as good 4wd for off road. Jeeps can have a selector for what you are driving on(snow/sand/mud) that change how the system reacts. Check out owner's manuals of the cars you are looking at.

    For snow and mud, ground clearance is another thing to look at. Many new SUVs aren't riding as high as they used too, and may have has much clearance as an actual car.

    The difference between full time 4WD and symmetrical AWD is in the mechanics of how they work. Depending on specifics, they could behave the same.
     
    #3 Trollbait, Mar 26, 2018
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  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    my daughter has been looking at subaru's. they had some great deals a few months ago, compared to their past strategy.
     
    #4 bisco, Mar 26, 2018
  5. hkmb

    hkmb Senior Member

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    @Trollbait mentioned ground clearance, and @bisco mentioned Subarus. Both made me think of this....

    How about height? My mother-in-law (who's in her mid 70s, so a fair bit older) really likes the height of her CR-V (and nothing else about it) because it's not too high and not too low, and she can slide in and out easily. She hates lowering herself into and climbing out of my C-class.

    I don't know what sort of state you're both in, but it is worth bearing this in mind. There's no point having an unstoppable monster truck if you can't get into it.

    A Subaru XV (are they called that in the US? Like an Impreza hatchback on stilts) could be a good compromise between a proper car and an unstoppable 4x4. And you get permanent four-wheel drive, I think.
     
    #5 hkmb, Mar 26, 2018
  6. hkmb

    hkmb Senior Member

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    Alternatively, you could take our approach and live somewhere where it never snows.
     
    #6 hkmb, Mar 26, 2018
  7. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    It used to be XV Crosstrek. Now it’s just Crosstrek. (I see where the remaining “XV” emblems went to)
     
    #7 Tideland Prius, Mar 27, 2018
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  8. hkmb

    hkmb Senior Member

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    Ahha. Thank you.

    My mother-in-law called it a "Subaru 15".

    It's like the incident when an Indian newsreader called the Chinese President "President 11".

    Indian TV news anchor sacked after referring to Chinese president Xi Jinping as Eleven Jinping - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

    It was entirely understandable in a country that's obsessed with cricket. Sacking her seemed a bit unfair.
     
    #8 hkmb, Mar 27, 2018
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