Is All-Wheel Drive Adequate?

[Old plug]

I had a all wheel drive SUV at one time. I sis not like it a bit. all those wheels work independently. Sometimes on slick pavement and ypu slow down you get a lot of shaking because one wheel is stopping the other driving. It sure was no answer to getting stuck in the snow either. At least the ford was that way.

AL Maybe you should take a look at the new Dodge trucks. My son in law has a full size 4 door Ram. It is a big truck and the gas mileage he gets out of that thing just floors me. W ith no cover and no load the get 21 to 23. MPG. It has that 8 speed auto transmission and when you hit about 50 MPH the whole truck lowers itself down on the road to provide less resistance. He told me there is a joint program between Flrd and Chrysler going on to develop a 10 speed truck transmission.

[Muddler4]

I'm curious about the newer all wheel drives based on front wheel drive. I've had two GM smart track vehicles based on rear wheel with a rear differential and center transfer case. Absolute snow machines and plenty of approach angle and ground clearance unlike the new ones. The new SUVs have gotten away from ground clearance and some are using the FWD and only engagine the rears when needed. On the surface (so to speak) it doesn't sound like a great off pavement solution but more of a soccer mom snow security feature. I'm not looking for heavy duty off road, just security for getting into and off of some remote locatons with enough ground clearance to get the job done. A lot of the new SUVs couldn't event go up a curb without tearing the front plastic off. Anyone have the Chrysler/Jeep FWD based AWD?

[drew03cmc]

All wheel drive is more than adequate. What you have to understand is that with AWD, all four wheels turn. With your standard unlocked, open 4WD system, the wheels that are spinning get the most power. This is why Subarus are almost unstoppable in most normal situations.

[J-Doc]

Weight of what you're towing is the most critical part. You need to be more than "pretty sure" on what you're getting. Once you know what you're getting and dead set on it, match the vehicle to the weight you're pulling. When a vehicle is rated to pull XXlbs, stick with it. Anything over or close to being over is too dangerous and in my opinion (I'm sure you have as much or way more experience on towing than I), you really want a vehicle that is rated almost double what you're pulling. Double capacity = better mileage economy. Full capacity of towing capability = sluggish, over-reving of engine, and terrible economy.

As for my Tacoma, turning radius is INCREDIBLY better than a Tundra. They gave me a Tundra loaner one day. Felt like I was hauling lumber on a flatbed truck again back in my college days. Monster sized truck and turning radius is terrible. So was the ride. (no offense). My little Tacoma rides nice, easy to jump around town, etc. So a Tacoma or 4Runner is a good option for a heavy rig. For a lighter rig, AWD is a good option but not what I would want for long hauls. I'd rather have the horsepower and towing capacity than the AWD comfort.

My boat supposedly weights 800lbs per what little I can find on manufacturer. I laugh at that. She's every bit of 1,200 I'm guessing and when you add motor and trailer, I'm guessing I'm pulling closer to 2,200+. My Tacoma does pull it just fine around town and to the lake. Pulls it good on the interstate too but once you start towing up to 70mph, your gas gauge hangs a 8lb trolling weight on the needle.

I burned up a full tank easy (maybe 1.2 tanks) towing it up to fishinwrench's place on Lake of the Ozarks. She really hated the interstate driving at 70-75mph max. Probably 12mpg is what I figured. I get 20mpg normally on interstate driving and 20-22 on highway. Towing in town is barely noticable difference on gas mileage.

Pulling a coffee house Scott????? Really??? One thermos classifies as an entire coffee house?? LOL!

[Seth]

My fiancé has an AWD GMC Terrain that is a beast in slick conditions. She drove it in the snow and ice this winter on slick tires that should of been replaced last fall and never skipped a beat.

It doesn't take much power to pull a boat. Stopping is what gets you when you run a smaller vehicle depending on how much of a rig you are towing. My first boat was a 1648 with a 50 hp jet and I towed it 3.5 hours to Tablerock a couple of times with a manual 2wd 2005 Ford Ranger with a 2.3l four cylinder. It had to be shifted down to third gear going up those Ozark hills and never set any speed records but it got the job done and still got around 20 mpg towing the boat.

Now I pull a much heavier rig with a full size Chevy silverado and get 11-14 mpg. If I pull my buddies bigger boat, It drops down to 10-11mpg.

[drew03cmc]

I have an idea, figure out what you want to pull, and check tow ratings on the vehicles you are interested in. For example, with the 3.6 AWD Terrain, the tow capacity is 3500#. The new Jeep Patriot/Compass has a max of 2000#. The new Ford Escape has a max of 3500# with the 2.0 Ecoboost and the tow package. The Subaru Outback 3.6 has a max of 3000#. This information is readily available and it depends upon your use.

[J-Doc]

I have an idea, figure out what you want to pull, and check tow ratings on the vehicles you are interested in. For example, with the 3.6 AWD Terrain, the tow capacity is 3500#. The new Jeep Patriot/Compass has a max of 2000#. The new Ford Escape has a max of 3500# with the 2.0 Ecoboost and the tow package. The Subaru Outback 3.6 has a max of 3000#. This information is readily available and it depends upon your use.

I agree. That's pretty much what I said.

I forgot to mention earlier I pulled an older 96 model 19' Ranger with a 200 Venom (heavy boat) with a newer Tacoma like my current one. It was no race winner by any means and it hated it. It could do it in theory but not practical. A vehicle needs to be able to both pull and stop efficiently. And safely!

Sounds Luke you have your answer on 4wd vs AWD. Both are solid platforms for snow weather and sticky situations.

[kjackson]

Yep, I have the answer: both will work, but 4WD may be better in some circumstances. I was afraid that if I did buy an AWD, I might end up on a ramp somewhere calling for help. That still could happen, but...

I have been doing a ton of online research in off hours, and it is interesting. I looked real hard at the Toyota Highlander, but if I were to pick a 4WD model (older as I don't think that drivetrain is an option in the 2014s), it could tow 2000 pounds--not good. I need one that can handle 3500, or thereabouts for the safety factor. The boats I'm looking at all come in around 2000 fully equipped. But if I were to pick the Highlander with 4WD and tow package, it could pull 5000 pounds, the same as the 4Runner. The mpg would be the same, but the 4Runner fits me better.

A friend has the same boat I'm thinking about--the 17-foot Ranger aluminum--and he tows it with a Ford Escape. He's happy with it.

Anyway, the parameters have been set, and now it's all about finding the right vehicle. And the boat...

[Tim Smith]

If you're interested in economy, keep an eye on Nissan this year. They're supposed to introduce a small diesel truck that is supposed to have 1/3 better gas mileage (high twenties). The four wheel drive models of small diesel trucks made for Latin America by Ford, Toyota and Isuzu are durable, economical and have plenty of power for towing.

I guess they figured out how to solve the emissions issues for the US market.

If these trucks are as good as the Toyota Hi-Lux and the foreign market Ranger, they will be radical game changers in the US small truck market.

[J-Doc]

From personal experience with Nissan (extensive), and as a former moderator for a technical support forum for Nissan, I'd say "avoid" that venture. They've been debating on this release for many years and we all know, the first design release always has kinks to be worked out. Also after taking me two days to change spark plugs on my old Frontier and stringing together 3 extensions with 2 swivel sockets to get to the plugs and having the ceramic break abd fall into my head......

I'd shy from Nissan. Their vehicles have very strange and odd electrical problems that are hard to diagnose and resolve. Radios going out continuously, odd AC electrical problems in Maxims, etc. Not saying all Nissans are bad by any means. But when one goes bad, it stays bad. I loved my truck. Had to let it go and I hated that. Also, I don't trust their engineers. The lack of coordination between engineers was apparant when changing spark plugs which should have been a 30min task. You have to remove the intake just to pull a knock sensor too. Lots of "dumb" design decisions. Just my opinion. Doesn't make it gospel.

No offense to any Nissan owners. I was once a very prowd proponent of Nissan but hafter reading hundreds of threads on electrical problems as a moderator, I changed my opinion.