Five brands, five approaches to all-wheel drive
System names and availability vary by model, model year, and trim, and all-wheel drive is not offered on every version of every crossover listed. Confirm the drivetrain on the individual vehicle listing, or ask us to check a specific vehicle.
| Brand |
System |
What is distinctive about it |
Crossovers to look for |
| Toyota |
AWD, Dynamic Torque Vectoring AWD, and Electronic On-Demand AWD on hybrids |
The hybrid system drives the rear wheels with a separate electric motor instead of a driveshaft, so all-wheel drive arrives instantly and costs very little fuel economy |
RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid, Corolla Cross, Highlander and Grand Highlander |
| Honda |
Real Time AWD with Intelligent Control System, and i-VTM4 on larger models |
Predictive rather than purely reactive: it sends torque rearward before a wheel slips, using throttle, steering, and wiper inputs as cues |
HR-V, CR-V and CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Pilot |
| Hyundai |
HTRAC |
Driver-selectable modes change how aggressively torque moves front to rear, and electric models use a second motor on the rear axle |
Kona, Tucson and Tucson Hybrid, Santa Fe, Palisade, IONIQ 5 |
| Kia |
AWD, with dual-motor all-wheel drive on the EV line |
Broad availability across the range, including on the hybrids, and a locking center differential mode on several models for deep snow |
Seltos, Sportage and Sportage Hybrid, Sorento and Sorento Hybrid, Telluride, EV9 |
| Acura |
SH-AWD on RDX and MDX, plus available all-wheel drive on ADX |
Torque vectoring across the rear axle: it can send more power to the outside rear wheel in a corner, which is a handling feature as much as a traction one |
ADX, RDX, MDX |
What all-wheel drive actually does
All-wheel drive sends engine power to all four wheels instead of two. The practical effect is traction when you start moving: pulling out of a parking spot with slush against the tires, climbing a wet ramp, getting up a hill after a snowfall. On most crossovers the system is front-wheel drive most of the time and engages the rear wheels when sensors detect slip or anticipate it, which is why fuel economy usually falls only slightly.
What it does not do is help you stop or turn. Braking and cornering grip come from tires, not drivetrain. That is the single most useful thing to know when you are comparing an all-wheel-drive crossover on worn all-season tires against a front-wheel-drive one on good winter tires.
AWD and 4WD are not the same thing
Every vehicle on this page is all-wheel drive, not four-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is automatic, works on dry pavement, and is tuned for wet roads and snow. Four-wheel drive, the kind found in a body-on-frame truck or a Toyota 4Runner, adds a transfer case with a low range for crawling over rough ground, and it is generally not meant to be used on dry pavement. For Brooklyn winters and highway rain, all-wheel drive is the right tool. If you are planning serious off-road use, say so and we will point you at the four-wheel-drive inventory instead.
Hybrid all-wheel drive, which is quietly the best version
On many hybrid crossovers, the rear wheels are driven by their own electric motor with no driveshaft running the length of the car. That has three consequences worth caring about. Response is immediate, because an electric motor makes torque the instant it is asked. The fuel-economy penalty for choosing all-wheel drive is very small, sometimes a single mile per gallon. And there is one less mechanical assembly to wear out. If you want all-wheel drive and you drive mostly in the city, a hybrid crossover with electric rear-axle drive is usually the smartest version of this purchase.
The honest part: buy the tires before you buy the drivetrain. All-wheel drive helps you go. It does not help you stop, and it does not help you steer. On the handful of genuinely bad days each winter, a front-wheel-drive crossover on proper winter tires will out-brake and out-corner an all-wheel-drive crossover on worn all-seasons, every time. All-wheel drive is worth paying for if you park on a steep or unplowed block, if you tow, or if you drive upstate in winter. It is worth skipping if your winter driving is Flatbush Avenue and a plowed parkway. If you want the confident-in-any-weather feeling for the least money, the order is: good tires first, then all-wheel drive, then a bigger engine. We would rather tell you that now than sell you a drivetrain you did not need.
Certified, used, or new
Each franchise runs its own manufacturer-backed certified program: Toyota Certified Used Vehicles, HondaTrue Certified, Hyundai Certified Pre-Owned, Kia Certified Pre-Owned, and Acura Certified Pre-Owned. A certified crossover passes the manufacturer's inspection and reconditioning standards and adds extended coverage on top of whatever factory warranty remains. On an all-wheel-drive vehicle there is more driveline hardware to inspect than on a front-wheel-drive one, so that documented inspection carries a little more weight here than it would otherwise.
A used all-wheel-drive crossover without certification is the lowest-cost way in, and every used vehicle across Plaza Auto Mall is inspected before sale and priced up front. One thing specific to all-wheel drive: tires should be replaced as a matched set, because mismatched circumferences put strain on the center coupling. Ask us about tire condition and matching on any all-wheel-drive vehicle you are considering, and check the service records for evidence of differential and transfer case fluid changes.
Five brands, one visit, one trade appraisal
Because Plaza Auto Mall brings five franchises together on Nostrand Avenue, with more than 1,000 vehicles within a seven-minute walk, you can drive Acura's SH-AWD, Honda's i-VTM4, Hyundai's HTRAC, Toyota's electric rear-axle hybrid system, and a Kia dual-motor EV back to back on the same afternoon. They feel different from behind the wheel, and an afternoon of comparison tells you more than any spec sheet. One trade appraisal covers all of them and one finance office handles the paperwork.
Shop AWD crossovers by rooftop
- Plaza Toyota — new, certified, and used Toyota crossovers, plus Toyota service
- Plaza Honda — new, HondaTrue Certified, and used Honda crossovers, plus Honda service
- Plaza Hyundai — new, certified, and used Hyundai crossovers, plus Hyundai service
- Plaza Kia — new, certified, and used Kia crossovers and EVs, plus Kia service
- Acura of Brooklyn — new, certified, and used Acura crossovers, plus Acura service
- Plaza Parts — genuine parts, accessories, and winter tires for every rooftop
Trade, finance, and delivery
Get a firm number on your current vehicle before you shop with the Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer, and we will appraise it whether or not you buy from us. Financing runs through one office regardless of which rooftop the crossover came from. Delivery is free within 25 miles, and service pickup and drop-off covers the NYC metro area.
Languages spoken on our team: English, Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian, Arabic, French, Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, Uzbek, Tajik, Turkish, Haitian Creole, Polish, and beyond. Ask for a salesperson in your language when you arrive on Nostrand Avenue and we will find the right person.
