I’ve never owned an AWD before. For those who’ve had both AWD and 4x4, can you feel the AWD working? With 4x4, you can tell the front wheels are pulling when it’s engaged. So how different does AWD actually feel?
AWD is way smoother than a typical 4x4. I almost miss the feedback from a 4x4 when driving in slippery conditions. The Maverick pulls through smoothly as long as it doesn’t bottom out, and it’s so subtle that you barely feel the AWD kicking in.
@Tobin
Honestly, the 2WD feels pretty similar in many cases. AWD doesn’t engage as much as people think on the Maverick. It’s kind of a limited-use feature.
I actually used my Maverick’s AWD to pull my F150 out of some mud a few weeks ago! That’s when you definitely notice it working.
Hal said:
I actually used my Maverick’s AWD to pull my F150 out of some mud a few weeks ago! That’s when you definitely notice it working.
Haha, nice!
I barely notice mine. The only time I can tell it’s active is when I’m accelerating from a stop or when I check the intelligent AWD display and see power going to the rear wheels. It gives a bit more traction starting off, but besides that, it feels like FWD most of the time.
I don’t have a Maverick AWD, but on my other SUV, I’ve tried both AWD and FWD. If I floor it in FWD, I’ll get a wheel spin, but with AWD, I get better traction. It’s probably a combo of AWD and better tires.
With AWD, I can handle situations where a wheel might come off the ground, like driving over a narrow plaza entrance. With FWD, you might lose power if only one wheel has traction. That said, unless you’re going off-road a lot, you probably won’t feel a big difference with a small truck like this. I drive a Sprinter off-road sometimes and only got stuck once, and I rocked myself out gently.
I’m confused by the idea of AWD being ‘active’—isn’t it always active on the EcoBoost models? Or am I missing something?
Gray said:
I’m confused by the idea of AWD being ‘active’—isn’t it always active on the EcoBoost models? Or am I missing something?
It’s always on, but not always engaged.
Gray said:
I’m confused by the idea of AWD being ‘active’—isn’t it always active on the EcoBoost models? Or am I missing something?
Right, the rear power transfer unit (PTU) disconnects when it’s not needed.
The biggest time I notice AWD is when I’m pulling out into traffic quickly. In front or rear-wheel drive, the tires might slip if you punch it, but with AWD, you get instant traction. No slipping tires—it’s a nice safety feature.
When I got mine, I kept the display on the AWD system for a week or so. I usually drive in sport mode, and the rear tires stop getting power when cruising above 45 mph, but as soon as I start accelerating, it sends power back to the rear. In Eco mode, it seems like the rear gets less power during acceleration.
My daily car is an Audi Q7 TDI with a top-tier AWD system, and honestly, the Maverick holds up pretty well. Haven’t tested it in snow yet, but a couple of winters ago, I got an F250 with 4x4 stuck in my neighborhood and had to go get my Audi, which never lost traction. Looking forward to seeing how the Maverick does in winter!
4x4 is always engaged, while AWD turns on as needed and mostly stays FWD when conditions are fine, like when you’re on the highway. The drive modes change when it activates:
- At highway speeds, it mostly uses the front wheels.
- In normal mode, the rear wheels kick in only if something slips.
- In slippery mode, you’ll see all four wheels working from a stop, and the system is more sensitive about reengaging them.
You should take a test drive and set the dash display to show power to the wheels. Try the different drive modes to see how they feel.
AWD uses all four wheels when you’re taking off or when there’s wheel slippage. Above 30 mph, it’s mostly just front-wheel drive.
You don’t really notice AWD until you hit conditions where you’d struggle without it. AWD just quietly handles stuff you’d get stuck in with FWD or RWD.
Wow, didn’t realize that. The dealership told me differently, so this is good to know!
If you put it in sport mode, you’ll feel the rear wheels kick in every time you accelerate, not just from a dead stop. If you have the off-road package without sport mode, I’m not sure how it works.
Big difference from FWD to AWD on the Mavericks! I had a FWD for two years, but after it got wrecked, I switched to an AWD Maverick.
The AWD kicks in at low speeds or whenever traction is low. You feel a push from the back, which helps a lot when parking on hills or sloped driveways.
Downsides? A bit more noise and 2-4 mpg lower fuel economy (used to get around 24-26 mpg, now it’s about 22 combined). Also, less raw power. AWD makes it feel like a rear-wheel-drive truck at low speeds, even though only around 25% of the power goes to the rear wheels.