AWD vs AWD-V vs front/ rear wheel drive?

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**OgreChubbs**

Hello good folks

So since the snow storm hit I have been driving around in sloppy stuff all day. Then I noticed my wife's car has three different drives.

I read the difference but I am not sure I am understanding the difference correctly.

Front wheel drive = the two front wheels spin
Rear wheel = the back two
AWD = the front and back both spin
AWD-V = the left side and the right side spin.

Now I am a bit lost here.... I thought awd was making all wheels turn indapendently. Then after reading the book they say awd-v will make sure the left and right side wheels spin indapendently. So awd just makes sure the front and back keep spinning?

Also when it is in awd/ awd-v the light in the... can't think of the name the picture of the car swerving comes on. I thought that was to keep all wheels turning even if one is spinning out.

Anyone who knows cars and some time, can you explain this to me and which is best for deep slippy snow?

**DarkTraveler777**

This forum has the answer: http://www.jukeforums.com/forum/nissan-juke-general-discussion/120537-difference-between-awd-awd-v.html#post1666557

The AWD is a full time all wheel drive. Where the V is a torque transfer all wheel drive that is only AWD when it's needed ie. slipping. The torque transfers independently between each wheel as needed.

To repeat, AWD is a constant 50/50 split front/back. AWD-V is constantly monitoring and changing the loads at all 4 corners, FWD is exactly that, front wheel drive. That sums up the Juke's drive systems

**Kilkrazy**

Snow chains are the best thing for deep slippy snow.

**OgreChubbs**

Hah thank you thank you the books 1 sentence about both was vague at best.

Also snow chains get you a ticket for destroying the road..... Sadly I know this at my fathers expense lol. Think it was like a 400$ ticket.

**AllSeeingSkink**

I had never heard of "AWD-V" until this thread, it seems to be some Nissan specific terminology?

Anyway, upon Googling this came up with the below listed article.

From that it seems both are 50/50 front/rear split, and both have a left/right bias, but AWD-V allows more left/right than AWD does. The idea being AWD-V gives better basic handling while AWD gives better traction on slippery surfaces (because AWD-V might send too much torque to the outside wheel, causing it to spin and engage the stability control system).

https://www.edmunds.com/nissan/juke/2011/long-term-road-test/2011-nissan-juke-sl-awd-the-official-word-on-awd-vs-awd-v.html

Following is the official word straight from Nissan PR.

"AWD-V has full torque vectoring and AWD has minimal torque vectoring.

The AWD system uses two multi-plate electromagnetic couplings to shift torque from left to right on the rear axle, one on the left and one on the right. The drive shaft to the rear axle spins the rear pinion gear whenever the vehicle is moving. The AWD control module uses data from the stability control system (steering angle, wheel speed, yaw rate, etc.) to determine how much torque is distributed to the right or left rear wheel. In AWD-V mode up to 100% of the available rear axle torque (50% of the total torque) can be sent to the outside wheel to help rotate the car through a corner.

In AWD mode the torque vectoring still takes place but with less torque transferred to the outside wheel. The idea being that pushing extra torque to the outside wheel on a slippery surface may cause additional slip in that wheel and may trigger the stability control system to intervene which is not desirable.

Bottom line – AWD-V has full torque vectoring capability and AWD has minimal torque vectoring for slippery surfaces. AWD-V is designed to primarily enhance handling while AWD is designed as a traction aid on slippery surfaces."

**Ensis Ferrae**

So... Nissan came up with a different way of saying 4WD... as my Toyota truck's 4WD system runs on a F/R split in power.

My wife's Subaru on the other hand, operates all 4 wheels independently, which is how I understood nearly all AWD systems (power is driven to the wheels, not an axle)

I'm sure I'm mucking up my own explanations here but...

**Jehan-reznor**

As far as i remember off roaders set it to full AWD and for normal use on the road you use Front or AWD-V