Please forgive the ignorance, but what exactly is the difference between 4x4 and all wheel drive? QUID FACIUM TIBI
ANTEQUAM ALIIS

2003 TD6 VOGUE Zambezi Silver
tows 2006 Lunar Delta 540/2

I would hazard a guess at a 4x4 is designed to go offroad and all wheel drive is something Audi keep on about and is used on road cars L322 2008 vogue
R53 Cooper S Works tuned beyond the works SOLD
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The end result is the same -

4x4 means that the vehicle has 4 wheels and all 4 are driven.

All wheel drive means that all wheels are driven.

As Alistair stated, The first 4 in 4x4 means 4 wheels and the second indicates that 4 are driven, so you can have all sorts of permutations, especially on bigger stuff where you can have a 6x4 if it's got 3 axles and only 2 are driven. Or a 6x6 or an 8x8 etc.

I think most of the six wheeled Rangr Rover fire trucks were 6x4....

4x4 seems to now be the general term for an off reader, as already mentioned.... Whereas all wheel drive seems to be used for more road based vehicles, though the terms really state the same thing.

 2011 Range Rover Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8

Previous cars :
2003 Range Rover Vogue TD6
1999 Discovery Td5 ES
1995 BMW M5 3.8 6 speed
1992 Range Rover 3.9 Efi Vogue
1992 BMW M5 3.8
1988 BMW 735i SE
1989 Ford Sierra XR4x4 2.9i
1981 Ford Fiesta Supersport

Another difference is that AWD generally means constant 4WD like all Rangies since 1970 (and all LR since the early Eighties).
However, not all vehicles commonly called a 4WD (4x4 in the UK ) are constant 4WD. Many are really 2WD until 4WD is selected. Ron B. VK2OTC
2003 L322 V8 Auto
2007 Yamaha XJR1300
Previous: 1983, 1986 RRC; 1995, 1996 P38A; 1995 Disco1; 1984 V8 County 110; Series IIA

AWD normally doesn't have a locking centre diff or low range. They would have some kind of torsion bias centre diff.

I would classify a FL2 as a FWD as the TR locks the rear and centre diff as required, but no low range.

I would also classify a NP Pajero as a FWD as has low range but only a torsion biased type centre diff. ______________________________
Vogue tdv8 08MY poverty pack - wow

FWD in the UK means FRONT wheel drive....!!! Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand Sold
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

My previous car, a Frontera had a button to select 'four on the fly' - meant that at low speed you could select between 2 and four wheel drive. Nothing special, but it meant that you could get an immediate feel for the difference as you were driving, flick it into fwd and you literally felt you were driving on rails. QUID FACIUM TIBI
ANTEQUAM ALIIS

2003 TD6 VOGUE Zambezi Silver
tows 2006 Lunar Delta 540/2

The difference describes the action of the differentials. An all wheel drive car has 3 open differentials (save for some that have LSD on rear). A 4WD car can lock the center differential. What that means in practical terms is that an AWD car will "slip" and send all the power to the wheel that has the lowest friction. So if your front end or rear end is on ice or a theoretical mew of 0 then an AWD car will not go anywhere and a 4WD will continue to move.

A so called Permanent 4WD like the Range Rover implies some locking ability of the Center differntial. On the 03-06 this is a torsen limited slip. From 06-2012 the center and optionally rear are electronically locking and send almost 100% of torque below a certain amount to the f/r. A range rover with center and rear electronic lockers can move if just one rear wheel has traction via differential power split through electronically contolled diferentials. Adding locking differential across the rear allows the truck to move if the front is on ice and one rear wheel is on ice but one wheel has normal friction. OffRoadRover.com An American Western Range Rover Off Road Blog

Along similar lines, can someone explain what a 'Crossover' is?

Sometimes called a "Soft-Roader" a crossover aims to cross the boundaries between a traditional 4x4 and a car. Older 4x4 vehicles were sometimes thought of as being cumbersome as a daily drive, especially for those who don't really need 4WD all the time and the assocaited size which tended to come with stuff like Range Rovers, Shoguns, Landcruisers etc.

A Crossover was aimed at good internal space whilst remaining smaller outside than a big 4x4 and having some 4WD capability, usually optional. Think of a Volvo XC60 as an example, sort of small 4x4 in terms of looks but without the huge engine and industrial grade 4WD system you get on a LR product. Most were 2WD and a lot more frugal than a FFRR but with a lot of the practicality and space for an everyday drive.

So I suppose you could say that the Jensen Interceptor FF was an early 'Crossover' car then!

'4x4' meaning for blonde women.

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Some vehicles with part time 4x4 will not have the differentials required for on road driving. You drive in 4x2 mode ON road, then switch into 4x4 mode only on low traction surfaces (off road or snow) when wheel slip can occur.

As others have said, AWD is not for off-roading. Think Audi. It's a great way to get to the ski chalet when there's snow on the road, but not the thing for the Rubicon Trail.

PaulTyrer wrote:

So I suppose you could say that the Jensen Interceptor FF was an early 'Crossover' car then!

Hardly

I had an early Interceptor back in the 80's. I would describe it more like a Gentlemen's Club on wheels. A bijou Gentlemen's Club at that