I love this 4wd

[galloot633]

probably like a lot of other buyers, I bought my xc because I wanted a 7 seater volvo and the 4wd just came with the package ! we've just come back from a week in cornwall, 4 adults, a baby and a toddler plus luggage , pram etc, the car was suberb on the motorways , but we knew that , anyway we spent a day at heligan and when we arrived in the morning it was dry and we were ushered onto the on field parking at the bottom of a field, well you guessed it, part way through the day the heavens opened and when we got back to the car park cars were slipping and sliding trying to get out , so we loaded up , and never having driven a 4x4 in these conditions i was nerveous , plus the thought of having a 2wd xc kept popping into my head, so i cautiously set off straight up the field, but the car just drove like she was on tarmac , unbeleveable to us 4x4 newbies.
dave

[jtaw45]

I've done the same but with over a ton and a half of caravan on the back,very pleasing indeed.

[Ron_XC90]

Try it in the snow, you'll be very impressed. Last winter with the heavy snow at some point it was only me and a neighbour with a RangeRover that could still get out of our close

[wagga]

Isn't XC90 an AWD instead of a true 4WD?

[galloot633]

interesting, I assumed AWD was just a marketing term ,whats the difference ?
dave

[paul chocks]

Interesting question - when I lived in the good ol' US of A, 4wd meant selectable 4 wheel drive, like Jeeps, where the car is two wheel drive until you SELECT 4 wd. AWD was supposed to refer to permanent 4wd.

I was rather surprised to find my AWD Volvo is actually 2wd under normal circumstances and only goes 4wd when required (electronically sensed)

[wagga]

AWD in the XC90 - that it is basically a front wheel drive but will automatically transfer the power to the rear axle in event of wheel slip.

On the hand, vehicle like the Prado or Pajero are also front wheel drive but have the option of going to full 4WD & low range. XC90 does not have a 4WD lock like those in Rav-4 or Prado.

[Rockhopper]

This is a good link to explain it all....

[owenfackrell]

My other understanding of it is that awd sends power to the wheels with most grip where as 4x4 sends power equally to the front and rear axels via a transfer box.

[bobdabuilda]

so the AWD is only functional when required and the car is 2wd under normal conditions? Explains why my front tyres have worn out so quickly on the outer edges when the rears are fine.