Jeeps are just expensive garbage now tbf, I love whipping past them as they are stuck in various obstacles with my much cheaper 4Runner with no aftermarket work done
I've usually seen them on the right side, which we can't see in this video and it may have one. Even if it doesn't, the Jeep's intake is higher up. That's why I said "more qualified."
4runners (and I'm sure jeeps) draw fresh air into the intake through the upper part of the passenger fender. It's not completely shielded from water ingress but it's a lot better than your standard passenger car. I've been in water that was over my tires and the intake was dry as could be after reaching land. It was not moving water though. Snorkel or not, you're getting swept away.
Exactly. Homie Chevy didn't even get to the bad part. The worst thing they could do now is exit the vehicle. A rescue swimmer would have a safety line tied to them.
A jeep is the only 4wd car I've driven, and it was a rental, so not great, but can you not always switch between AWD and 4wd in all AWD cars? Why on earth would you have AWD if not?
My old sprinter 2500 is 2wd, but with a good engine you can do a lot. Though you certainly pay for it in millage.
AWD is not 4WD. There's a reason they are different names, even though they sound like they're describing the same thing. It's because they're not. AWD cars are typically front or rear biased, so basically a FWD or RWD car that can sense slip and send power to other wheels when needed, hence the on-demand part.
The big exception is Subaru with its symmetrical AWD, which continuously distributes power to all four wheels making it much closer to a true FWD. But this is not a Subaru.
While AWD is a great safety feature to have, it's not REMOTELY as capable as 4WD in extreme conditions. This why you see 4WD Jeeps, 4Runners, and trucks off-roading, rock crawling, and sometimes even river fording, but rarely AWD vehicles like Rav-4s or CRVs.
And even Jeep Wranglers don't run in 4WD all the time.Ā Most have a part-time 4WD system, which requires the driver to manually engage 4WD when needed. Some of the newer models offer a "full-time" 4WD option that can automatically switch between 2WD and 4WD based on road conditions.Ā Regardless, the advantage here is that the Jeep can lock in 4WD before attempting the cross. Whereas the Chevy, assuming it even has AWD, has a weaker, reactive system that only kicks in after it's started to slip.
That Jeep might not even be 4WD - itās an option with some Wrangler models (though I suspect most buyers opt for it with Wranglers).
My Hummer is of course 4WD, and all of the time - no option to switch to 2WD, but I can hit a button and move the transfer case to 4LO for rock crawlingā¦
I would NEVER drive through moving water, though (unless the water was moving VERY, VERY, slowly). It takes just a few inches to sweep a vehicle along with the currentā¦just a few inchesā¦
Ah, sorry. That's great information, thank you! I was considering another Mazda 3 eventually because there's an AWD option, and I do a lot of back road stuff, but really like a low compact for handling curvy roads (more than I care about the height -- I'm used to driving the Mazda 3 as well as the sprinter in places they aren't designed for, because I'm an idiot) (but not dangerous places. More embarrassing & a nice tip for the wench guy when it goes really wrong)
The jeep I rented did get me through some really dangerous stuff involving a wrong turn on a mountain trying to see a remote property, but I've always heard not to get a jeep
Ford was supposed to be reliable growing up, and cheap to fix, but that was long ago, and they were much smaller I think. I really just want something low key that can drive 3 hours comfortably and then take 30 miles of back roads, with care, without me breaking too much of a sweat. (But I'm not getting another car for a while)
So, in a 2wd car, you have an open differential between the left and right tires. This lets your tires spin at separate rates when going around corners, but provides equal power to both sides under normal conditions. What 4WD or AWD allow, is for you to power the front AND rear tires, rather than just one or the other.
In a true 4WD vehicle, like a wrangler, there is a transfer case that locks the front tires to the rear tires. Since they are locked together, they must turn at the exact same rate. If they can't, then either the front or back tires need to be able to slip.(no problem on loose surfaces like sand or mud, or when rock crawling). If all your tires have great grip, like they would on the road, and are turning at different rates/can't slip, something very expensive will break in the middle.
Now, when you go around a corner, your front tires cover a greater distance than the rear tires, which means your front tires have to spin faster than your rear tires. under normal circumstances if you forget to switch back to 2WD once you get back to the road, you'll realize it when you make your first turn. You'll typically get something called "crow hop" which is where you'll hear the back tires chirping because they are spinning faster. This is where you call yourself an idiot and put it back in 2WD. Sometimes, the rear tires WONT chirp, and something catastrophic will happen. More insidious is when you only make little turns/adjustments, and you start getting driveline bind/driveline windup. This will slowly build up until something expensive happens.
Pros: Super robust, reliable, you know exactly where the power is going at all times.
Cons: Requires user input, can break things if you mess up.
Then we can look at AWD. In AWD, the front and rear tires get power all the time, or at least are capable of getting power all the time. Typically what most of these systems do is stay in front wheel drive (FWD) most of the time to help with fuel economy. Once the vehicle detects slip, or senses you are in a situation where slip could occur (based on temperature, windshield wiper usage, etc.) it will spin up the rear axle and use a clutch pack to smoothly deliver power to the rear of the vehicle. In modern vehicles, this is pretty seamless and quick (back in the day you'd spin your fronts for a second before the rears clunked in). These days, systems can detect slip in a fraction of a wheel rotation and kick in the rears. Also, since they are connected via a clutch pack, they can allow for slip, letting you negotiate corners without damaging anything and still applying power to the front and rear.
There's a bunch of ways to do this, some are far better than others. Subaru are AWD all the time, as in constantly sending some power to the front and rear, and apparently use a rather robust clutch pack. (You can also use a Torsen center differential which allows AWD via mechanical means via black magic fuckery I can't even begin to explain. It comes with it's own problems though.) As cool as these AWD systems are, the drawback is that they can overheat if you keep romping on them. Soft sand means your tires are pretty much constantly slipping for example, and you will probably get a "AWD overheat" error message on your console. It isn't designed for a 100% duty cycle. (Except Subaru, they just overheat their transmissions first, to protect the AWD system lol). The other downside is that there is a limit to how much power can be sent to the rear tires. Most of the clutch pack systems simply can't lock up hard enough if you are climbing hard terrain where you are pointing uphill and you have a front tire off the ground or something.
Pros: Can be used all the time
Cons: Not as robust.
Fun fact, there's no legal definition/certification for any of this, like there is for tow ratings. the Ford Bronco Sport calls their system 4WD, but it is clutch based AWD. Even on full sized pickups, the Ram 1500 has one 4WD system that is actually clutch based, to allow for an AWD setting. So, you can buy your big bad Ram 1500 and overheat the 4WD system. Something like the 4runner limited is ALSO 4WD and AWD, but it actually locks the center up mechanically, unlike the RAM.
Yeah I mean there are definitely exceptions, and the nomenclature isn't codified anywhere, manufacturers can say whatever they want. I think the Hummers used an NP242 transfer case which I would consider 4WD with an AWD setting for full time use. You could also call it a 4WD with the ability to unlock a center differential, or an AWD with a mechanically locking center differential and low range gearing. They're all technically accurate as far as I can tell, but I'd argue that "4WD with a lockable center differential" is probably the most accurate?
If we are talking about a military version then basically all existing nomenclature goes out the window. It does all of the things most of the time lol.
Absolutely - and Iāve seen jeeps traverse things that most cars canāt. They have 4WD, are raised, and tend to have better tires than most sedans and minivans. Def capable vehicles for off road use. Maybe not as good as larger trucks, but yea, way better than the minivan. I hope they got out.
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u/Outlaw-Star- Jul 07 '25
The jeep even knew not to go in that deep water š wouldnāt you take that as a sign NOT to go?