A vehicle comes in different styles and models along with different configurations. Therefore, before choosing a vehicle every requirement needs to be considered firstly.
A part that differs in each vehicle is drivetrains as a variety of drivelines are available in the vehicles, such as AWD, RWD, FWD, and 4WD. The drivetrain is defined as the group of components that offer power to the wheel.
Key Takeaways
- RWD (Rear-Wheel Drive) vehicles send power to the rear wheels; AWD (All-Wheel Drive) vehicles distribute power to all four wheels.
- AWD offers better traction and stability in various weather conditions than RWD.
- RWD provides better weight distribution, handling, and acceleration for performance driving.
RWD vs AWD
The difference between RWD and AWD is that RWD stands for rear-wheel drive, while AWD stands for all-wheel drive. Secondly, RWD works by using rear wheels to push forward the vehicle. Meanwhile, AWD uses all wheels to push forward. Thirdly, RWD doesn’t have good traction, while AWD has better traction. Fourthly, RWD has average handling in bad weather, while AWD has better handling in bad weather. Fifthly, RWD is not that good in cornering, while AWD is better in cornering. Lastly, RWD is simpler, while AWD is complex.
RWD is an abbreviation that stands for rear-wheel drive. It uses the rear wheels of the vehicle to push forward.
Moreover, it doesn’t have good traction and is not easy to handle in bad weather. Additionally, it is a little average in cornering compared to other drivetrains.
Although, it is simpler than AWD.
AWD is an abbreviation that stands for all-wheel drive. It uses all wheels of the vehicle to push forward.
Moreover, it has a good traction and is very easy to handle in bad weather. Additionally, it is good in cornering compared to other drivetrains.
Although, it is more complex than RWD.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of comparison | RWD | AWD |
|---|---|---|
| Abbreviation | RWD stands for rear-wheel drive. | AWD stands for all-wheel drive. |
| Working | RWD works by using rear wheels to push forward the vehicle. | AWD uses all wheels to push forward. |
| Traction | RWD doesn’t have good traction. | AWD has better traction. |
| Handling | RWD has average handling in bad weather. | AWD has better handling in bad weather. |
| Cornering | RWD is not that good at cornering. | AWD is better in cornering. |
| Setup | RWD is simpler. | AWD is complex. |
What is RWD?
A drivetrain is used to move a vehicle that connects live axile with the transmission of the vehicle. In other words, a drivetrain transfers power from the engine to wheels through transmission.
RWD is the oldest type of drivetrain.
RWD stands for rear-wheel drive. RWD has been in the vehicle for many years since 1885. The system used for RWD is the transfer of torque from the propeller shaft via transmission to the rear wheels.
And then, it distributes between two wheels.
Moreover, the engine and the transmission are placed longitudinally in RWD. The RWD is not spacious as the driveshaft placed below the body results in a transmission runner.
However, RWD cars have always been preferred by driver enthusiasts as they give a sportier experience with sliding to corners and thereby having a lot of fun. Yet, it is not used as much as other drivetrains because practicality precedes sportiness.
Therefore, there are fewer RWD cars.
The RWD has a lesser grip for driving forces, thereby the stability and degree of driver control are not the best in RWD. All these made it has little less significant safety benefit.
Furthermore, it doesn’t have good traction and is not easy to handle in bad weather. Additionally, it is a little average in cornering compared to other drivetrains.
Although, it is simpler than AWD.
What is AWD?
Another new drivetrain is AWD which is used in most cars. AWD stands for All-wheel drive. AWD has been used in most vehicles.
The system used for AWD is the transfer of torque from the propeller shaft via transmission to all wheels. And the AWD is spacious as compared to RWD.
The AWD has a better grip for driving forces, thereby the stability and degree of driver control are the best in AWD in comparison to RWD. All these made it contributes as significant safety benefit.
AWD has more stable and reliable acceleration as the grip of AWD is twice better than RWD.
Moreover, the principle of AWD is similar to as of 4WD as it sends power to the other axle on sensing a loss of traction. Although AWD is not good for off-road, it has better traction and grip.
It is not good off-road, yet it is a good option for handling abilities, thereby getting out of sticky conditions as soon as possible.
Additionally, the AWD has a better impact as it is used in motorsports widely. And many cars changed from RWD setup to AWD.
Furthermore, it has good traction and is very easy to handle in bad weather. Additionally, it is good in cornering compared to other drivetrains.
Although, it is more complex than RWD.
Main Differences between RWD and AWD
A vehicle can have a different drivetrain as there are many types of drivetrain, such as AWD, RWD, FWD, and 4WD. If a drivetrain is defined, it is defined as the group of components that provide power to the wheel. People tend to misunderstand the actual differentiation of the drivetrains.
But, each drive train is very different from the other. Each drivetrain has its specialty as well as pros and cons.
Thus, RWD is very different from AWD.
- RWD stands for rear-wheel drive, while AWD stands for all-wheel drive.
- RWD works by using rear wheels to push forward the vehicle. Meanwhile, AWD uses all wheels to push forward.
- RWD doesn’t have good traction, while AWD has better traction.
- RWD has average handling in bad weather, while AWD has better handling in bad weather.
- RWD is not that good in cornering, while AWD is better in cornering.
- RWD is simpler, while AWD is complex.
References
- https://www.sae.org/publications/technical-papers/content/2007-01-3645/
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/shareview/10.1080/00423114.2018.1546013
Last Updated : 13 July, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
