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Drivetrain Facts
All car buyers and owners have likely come across the word “drivetrain,” but that doesn’t mean they know exactly what it refers to. At the same time, however, they likely know what drivetrain their vehicle has. To help you understand what a drivetrain is and the differences between the different kinds, here’s a short guide.
What Is a Drivetrain?
A drivetrain is the mechanism by which your vehicle channels power from the engine, sending it through the transmission and directing it to the vehicle’s four wheels. In sum, the drivetrain starts at the engine and carries through the transmission, driveshaft, axles, and wheels.
There are four different types of drivetrains: front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, and four-wheel drive. The former two are two-wheel drive configurations, while the latter two employ all four wheels.
Front-Wheel Drive
In a front-wheel drive vehicle, all power generated by the engine is directed to the vehicle’s two front wheels. Front-wheel drive vehicles generate traction, control, and stability in the front-end of the vehicle, with the front wheels propelling the vehicle down the road and pulling the rear wheels along. Front-wheel drive vehicles are very common and provide superior fuel economy.
Rear-Wheel Drive
In contrastt to front-wheel drive vehicles, rear-wheel drive vehicles send all the engine’s power to the two rear wheels. This creates slightly more exciting performance and sporty driving dynamics than front-wheel drive vehicles, but rear-wheel drive vehicles aren’t as efficient and don’t maintain traction quite as well as front-wheel drive vehicles.
All-Wheel Drive
All-wheel drive vehicles direct power to all four wheels of the vehicle, actively monitoring traction to determine how much power to supply to each the front and rear wheels. This drivetrain optimizes your vehicle’s traction in all road and weather conditions, elevating confidence behind the wheel.
Four-Wheel Drive
In four-wheel drive vehicles, engine power is evenly supplied to the four wheels at all times. This means that you can rely on your vehicle to maintain traction — especially while off-roading — but your vehicle will offer less fuel efficiency overall.
One of the best ways to understand the difference between drivetrains is to test-drive Ford vehicles with different systems. Stop by Two Rivers Ford in Mt. Juliet, TN to do just that.
