When does an SUV start getting called a 4WD?

[Jakster1]

Well I know plenty of people who have bought an SUV and think it is a 4WD, until they get stuck trying to drive on the beach or up a damp grassy hill and wonder why their new whiz bang SUV(4WD) with all the electronic traction aids and gadgets gets outdone by and old, low tech 4WD clunker.
IMO most new "4WDs" are closer to an SUV than a 4WD( or is that truck)

[scarps]

I understand that Nissan XTrail is a 4WD. The badge on the back confirms it.

[Ratbag]

When it has a full chassis that extends the entire length/width of the vehicle, that can have a variety of bodies and accessories bolted on to it, mostly separately articulated; and it's primary purpose is the carriage of goods.

Some passenger vehicles have this (a real rarity these days), but they are still designated as passenger vehicles.

[Pog]

[slcs78]

I understand that Nissan XTrail is a 4WD. The badge on the back confirms it.

Actually had the wifes XTRAIL out on Stockton for a day and it was fine (apart from all the plastic guards underneath that got ripped off that I never told her about   ). As for most SUVs these days they are AWD, which means they are FWD until they lose traction which by that time its all too late

[Jakster1]

I understand that Nissan XTrail is a 4WD. The badge on the back confirms it.

Exactly!

NISSAN have a lot to answer for with their old (years ago) X - trail advertising campaign where they were driving it through the sea water and getting air over trail humps.
I rented one once in NT and tried the things that I saw them do on the ads. Lets just say I'm glad It was still in one piece when it got returned.

[Landyline]

As we are saying it is a 4wd as opposed to it has 4wd, I would stipulate that it has to have low range. However this would exclude vehicles such as the automatic Amarok which I think would otherwise be accepted as a 4wd. It would also include many Subarus which many would class as soft roaders.
It would also need to lock the drive front to rear. However this would exclude some Jeeps and I think the early Ford Explorer.

If the vehicle required a chassis that would exclude many current and past vehicles including Pajero, Cherokee, various Subarus and even Land Rover Discovery and Range Rover don't have a traditional chassis anymore.

The line is being blurred further with every model year.

One thing I'd like to do though is shoot the person who brought the term SUV to Australia.  I use soft roader which was a common term once but seems to have been replaced by SUV in the media. Probably so they can pretend a Rav4 is a monster truck and not a Corolla with bigger wheels.

[kylarama]

I once had an XF panel van with a suspension lift and AT tyres (white writing out ).  Would that make it a Shaggin Utility Van...

[whitey1]

I reckon a 4wd must have low range. Preferably engaged by moving a lever! Not fiddling with knobs!

[Aaron Schubert]

Low range, and 50/50 drive to the front and rear when 4WD is engaged. I think the days of mechanical levers to engage 4WD are going!

Aaron

[cm4x4nut]

Do we really need to go here as well, surely the 4WD / Truck thread covers this off without starting another one 

[Malcolm Tugless]

When its got a "southern cross" sticker stuck on the rear window, right next to the "love it or leave it" or "sorry we're full" one.

If its got a "my family" arrangement on the back then it definitely not a 4WD ... unless the dad sticker has a mullet that is.




I think the actual answer may be in the low range.

[mrdenn1s]

Low range =4WD.

[Ratbag]

Sorry J1

When it has a full chassis that extends the entire length/width of the vehicle, that can have a variety of bodies and accessories bolted on to it, mostly separately articulated; and it's primary purpose is the carriage of goods.

When I replied to this last night while mostly brain dead, I mentally substituted the words "4WD" for "SUV" and "truck" for "4WD" ... DOH!

Of course what many have said here is correct. There are many "SUV" (I also prefer the term "soft-roader") vehicles that are 2WD, or only have 4WD/AWD on demand. This is usually about 1/2 second too late, as someone has already mentioned.

Constant AWD vehicles are a whole other kettle of fish - e.g. Audi Quattro diesels, Subaru Foresters (in particular), and a whole swag of vehicles that run free-wheeling front hubs to improve fuel consumption from downright lousy to barely acceptable - had those on my '68 LC ... . With my FWH, I had to stop, get out, manually engage them, then proceed. That didn't make my (light) truck, any less of a 4WD, or any less of a primitive light truck ... 

My Forester (2006) has a theoretical torque split of 50:50 F:R. It probably only does this very occasionally, and then probably only on the way through, on a straight bitumen road ... . It is normally constantly variable between 60:40 and 40:60, but will vary this too if subjected to extreme conditions. It has a viscous LSD in the centre, and a vLSD in the rear.

My Forester has a 5MT box with full synchro HR/LR. The Subaru OM tells me not to exceed 188 kmh in 5th/LR ... .
The car has a theoretical top speed of about 213 kmh (5600 rpm at maximum power, translated into kmh in 5th/HR), but is speed limited by the ECU to 198 kmh.

Some members over at the ORS forum have modified Foresters with a 3.0L H6 engine fitted and engineered, DCCD centre diff, plated rear diff and Torsen helical diff in the front (the front diff is part of the gearbox in Subies). The standard setup works brilliantly for me, but I'm not into doing the ultimate off-road thing. Did all that when I was a lot younger, and have no need or desire to re-live my misspent youth ... ROTFL!

More or less back on topic, a friend has a Suzuki Grand Vitara. While it is very similar on the surface to my Forester, that's where the similarity ends. The Zook is basically a Mack truck that's been washed and left out in the sun to shrink, while mine is basically a high speed rally car that's been tricked up to look like a (relatively) small off-roader (I can't bring myself to think of a car that weighs nearly 1.5 tonnes as "small"!). The Zook has all sorts of truck type features under it's skin, mine hasn't. However I drive my car whenever me and my mate go out photographing together, and he reckons that other than robustness, the Forester beats the crap out of his Zook for everything else, and at least equals it for off-road stuff. He prefers not to drive, these days, and is prepared not to sh!t himself when subjected to my sometimes quite 'spirited' driving ...       .

Get into my SWMBO's 2009 SH Forester and the game changes again. It has the same engine as mine (EJ-253), but uses the Subaru 4EAT transmission. This came in two flavours - standard 4EAT and "Sportshift" 4EAT. The Sportshift uses the ProDrive technology for the TCU under licence and a different kind of clutch pack in the centre diff. It does not use a vLSD in the centre diff. It also has both the rear vLSD and EBD plus VDC. With the ProDrive TCU, one can drive it like a manual without wrecking the transmission ... She doesn't, of course! The VDC can and should be switched off when on dirt or off-road, and Subaru recommends this. It doesn't change lots of what it does, but it does tell the vehicle to forget about stability and concentrate on traction. Apparently this works very well in dirt and off-road situations - something my wife is yet to do, and probably never will ... .

People should also bear in mind that some highly capable 4WD/AWD have auto boxes, so have no need of a LR gear set ...

[achjimmy]

Do we really need to go here as well, surely the 4WD / Truck thread covers this off without starting another one 

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[Jakster1]

Do we really need to go here as well, surely the 4WD / Truck thread covers this off without starting another one 

To me an SUV, a 4WD and a truck are completely different things.
Many people call their 4wds trucks and on the other hand call their SUVs... A 4wd
Really, how many here drive a truck?
I'd say most have an SUV or a 4wd.
I'm interested in seeing the responses from the people that actually own the vehicles and their perception how they see it.

 it's more than just having low range. I have a 2wd drive vehicle that has low range and rear diff lock and it goes everywhere most 4wds can go. Dosent make it a 4wd tho

[oldmate]

Yeah but it's been covered before, and I've seen plenty of real 4wds get stuck on the beach or going up a grassy slippery hill, so why does it matter?

[oldmate]

 it's more than just having low range. I have a 2wd drive vehicle that has low range and rear diff lock and it goes everywhere most 4wds can go. Dosent make it a 4wd tho

You just said it though. It's a 2 wheel drive so why would you refer to it as a 4wd, doesn't make sense. If it has drive to all 4wheels, and low range it a 4wd. Some are soft and some a hard. Unless you drive a patrol you fall into the soft category. There that get the conversation going. Lol

[loanrangie]

I despise the term SUV and will never use it, its either a softroader ( xtrail, RAV, Suby, CX etc ) or 4wd (with low range ).

[Jakster1]

You just said it though. It's a 2 wheel drive so why would you refer to it as a 4wd, doesn't make sense. If it has drive to all 4wheels, and low range it a 4wd. Some are soft and some a hard. Unless you drive a patrol you fall into the soft category. There that get the conversation going. Lol

Some replied "low range" makes a 4wd
It has low range.... but is a 2wd so low range alone cannot make a vehicle a 4wd

Agree with the patrol comment.

All the people getting upset must be SUV drivers

[Ratbag]

Personally, I couldn't care one hair on a bullock's bum what someone wants to call the car I drive      .

It works very well  for my use/s, and that's all that matters to me      .

[oldmate]

Personally, I couldn't care one hair on a bullock's bum what someone wants to call the car I drive      .

It works very well  for my use/s, and that's all that matters to me      .

  And thats all that matters to anyone

[Landyline]

Some replied "low range" makes a 4wd
It has low range.... but is a 2wd so low range alone cannot make a vehicle a 4wd

Agree with the patrol comment.

All the people getting upset must be SUV drivers

I think you will find that given people are talking Four Wheel Drives that driving all four wheels is a given

[Elky]

if the engine is mounted east/west then it is a wussy off roader generally (tho subies are north/south but still soft as well, earlier ones had dual range and were proper offroaders)

the new cherokee is east/west......pretty shocking considering it's forebears were proper offroaders ditto the pathfinder

cheers

[speewa158]

I reckon a 4wd must have low range. Preferably engaged by moving a lever! Not fiddling with knobs!
lf fiddling with knobs is your go then you will fit in well here