The Under the Hood Show
Dear Motor Medics, You guys make it easy for us when we need to repair our cars and I’m hoping you can shed a little light on a purchase question too.
I have narrowed down my search to two vehicles that are relatively the same, except that one is a frontwheel drive while the other is all-wheel drive. The AWD drive vehicle has 10,000 more miles but has the extra feature, so it is priced the same.
I don’t see a lot of snowfalls in my area and, until now, have managed to get by every season with nothing more than a FWD car.
If I go with the all-wheel drive system will fuel mileage suffer significantly and will the overall maintenance cost be a lot higher?
David in Manhattan Kansas Dear David, You will have to make your own decision, as you will be the one making the purchase, but we can hopefully help you a bit.
All-wheel drive vehicles get around better in the snow than their front-wheel drive counterparts, but if you are in an area that does not see much snow or ice and they plow it quickly, do you really need it?
The fuel mileage will be a little lower, there will be slightly faster tire wear, and there are more parts to wear out.
While the front-wheel drive is not as nimble in snow, a lot of people give that up for the savings they gain in other areas.
Take care, The Motor Medics
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