AWD versus 4WD ... what's the difference?

This post will hopefully shed light on a question I get asked about once per week during the winter months as an auto sales consultant: "What's the difference between All Wheel Drive (AWD) and 4 Wheel Drive (4WD) anyway?"

I'm going to borrow from a post over at consumerguideauto.com here and agree there are really THREE options: Part time 4WD, Full time 4WD, and All Wheel Drive.

Part Time 4WD

This is the most basic 4WD system and is what you will think of when you think of older pickups, Jeeps, and SUVs. There's either a lever on the floor of the vehicle or a push button on the dash allowing drivers to select either "2WD" or "4WD High" or "4WD Low." Everyday driving on dry roads calls for 2WD while driving through snow, mud or rain would call for 4WD High. 4WD Low is reserved for extreme conditions where you first need to stop to engage the system.

Full Time 4WD

Most of the more recent pickups and truck-based SUVs have a version of the Full Time 4WD system. You options are the same as part time but many systems also have the ability to switch into an "Auto" mode that lets your transfer case decide when to lock you into 4WD or leave you in 2WD.


All Wheel Drive

You see All Wheel Drive cropping up all over the Crossover, Car, and even minivan segments. There is typically no selector to tell an AWD system to go to 2WD or to 4WD - the computer senses when you need it and adjusts accordingly. There are some vehicles like the Hyundai Santa Fe and Veracruz that will allow you to lock into AWD. This is a helpful feature if you are towing a boat or know you will need all 4 wheels for another task.




Tradeoffs

Generally a 4WD or AWD system is more expensive than a 2WD option. Since 4WD and AWD add weight to your vehicle it's also usually less fuel efficient but not drastically so. The advantage, of course, is that with 4WD or AWD you can get through the snow, rain, or muck better than with a 2WD system.

As for the new fleet of Crossover Vehicles (think Hyundai Tucson, Santa Fe, and Veracruz or Chevy Equinox or Traverse) 2WD means FRONT wheel drive which is far better than the rear wheel drive options in SUVs of yesteryear.

40 Miles. No Gas.

If you have been living under a rock for the past few years you may not have heard of The General's (a.k.a. GM) revolutionary new Electric Vehicle - the Chevy Volt. There are some undeniable facts about the Volt I'd like to share:
1. The first generation Volt will be able to travel up to 40 miles using no gas, just power from it's battery system.
2. This vehicle is more advanced than any other manufacturer's Plug-In Hybrid. GM may have been late to the game on Gas / Electric vehicles but they lead the pack in plug in technology.
3. The Volt is actually ahead of schedule to be in showrooms before the end of 2010.

But there were some additional announcements around the Volt I also found interesting.
1. The goal of future generations of the Volt is NOT to extend the 40 mile battery only range. Since over 70% of Americans can commute in that distance there is not as much to gain by extending that range. The goal of 2nd and 3rd generation Volts will be to make smaller, lighter, and less expensive batteries that perform as well as the originals.
2. Bose and GM jointly announced that the Bose sound system to be installed in the Volt will be 30 percent smaller, 40 percent lighter, and use 50 percent less energy than conventional Bose sound systems. This might not sound like much but it translates into removing about 50 lbs. of mass from the Volt.
3. The folks over at Goodyear have developed a new tire that is expected to increase the Volt's fuel economy even further.

Any way you slice it GM is betting big on the Volt. I'm proud our dealerships will be among the first to offer this new technology for sale.

Stay tuned for more product updates as they are announced.

Also - if you can't wait for the Volt - remember that GM offers 17 models that will get you over 30 MPG today.

Marketing 101

Today I had one of those "why didn't we think of this sooner" moments. Since we knew the weather would cooperate, the used car department decided to mix up the lot and wash all used cars in the process. Neither move was revolutionary, but a suggestion by our Used Vehicle Manager turned out to be a great idea.

Since we were moving cars anyway, we took the 15 used 'special units' and put them all together in the same row. The special units are generally comprised of cars, trucks, and vans that have been on the lot for a while and therefore receive extra discounts.

There are at least two main benefits:
1. The customer can see all the best deals all in one area of the lot
2. The salesperson knows right where these vehicles are to help the customer get an extra value

The third benefit, arguably, is tying the virtual sales world of our web site specials to the physical layout of our lot. This serves to reinforce that our specials represent great buys.

Let's hope our customers are as excited for the newly cleaned and aligned used car lot as I am!

OnStar has you covered from 22,300 miles away

Most people I run into have heard of GM's OnStar service and know a little bit about what it can do. Some features many are familiar with include:

• Ability to remotely unlock your car doors if you lock your keys inside - from an OnStar satellite orbiting 22,300 miles above earth.
  

• Automatic crash notification to emergency services if you get in an accident.

• Hands free calling

Those who are really 'in the know' about OnStar may even be aware of these features:

• OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics that will send you monthly email 'status reports' on your vehicle letting you know if all systems are go.

• Turn-by-turn navigation provided by telling an advisor where you would like to go, then letting your vehicle direct you with onboard GPS.

Unless you are an OnStar Ninja (or OSN if you are scoring at home) you probably don't know about the following cutting edge OnStar features:

• OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics Dealer Notification. This is a twist on the monthly emails sent to you with status updates on your car. If you decide to opt in on the Dealer Notifications, our dealership (McEleney Autoplex or McEleney Autocenter) will also be notified when your vehicle is due for service.

• MapQuest destination download. This new service allows you to visit MapQuest.com and download a destination directly into your car or truck. Spend 5 minutes online, send the destination to your vehicle, and off you go.

• Advisor to navigation destination download. This feature allows you - while driving - to contact an OnStar advisor, give her a destination, and have that destination downloaded in real time to your navigation system.

• OnStar high speed pursuit preventative technology. For more details see the video below.