All-wheel drive gets sold hard in Alberta, and it does genuinely help. It also gets credited with things it cannot do, which is how confident drivers end up in ditches.

Worth understanding what you are actually buying.

What AWD does

All-wheel drive sends power to all four wheels instead of two. That gives you better traction when you are accelerating, which shows up when pulling away from a stop sign on packed snow, climbing an icy hill, or getting out of an unplowed parking spot.

If you have ever spun the front wheels trying to get moving on a slick street, AWD solves that specific problem well.

What AWD does not do

It does not help you stop. Braking distance on ice is a function of your tires and the surface, and every vehicle has four wheels doing the braking regardless of how many are driven.

It does not help you corner on ice either. Grip in a turn comes from the tires.

This is the gap that causes trouble. AWD builds confidence during acceleration, and that confidence carries into corners and stops where it earns you nothing. Studies of winter collisions have consistently found AWD and four-wheel-drive vehicles well represented, and speed on approach is usually the reason.

Tires matter more than drivetrain

If you are choosing between AWD on all-seasons and front-wheel drive on proper winter tires, the winter tires are the better safety buy. It is not close.

Winter tires use a rubber compound that stays soft below about seven degrees Celsius. All-season rubber hardens in the cold and loses grip whether or not the wheel is driven. Winter tires shorten stopping distances and improve cornering, which are the two things AWD does not touch.

AWD on winter tires is better again. That combination is the real answer for Alberta if the budget allows.

AWD and 4WD are different

All-wheel drive is generally always on and managed automatically. It suits highway and city driving in changing conditions.

Four-wheel drive is usually selectable, built heavier, and intended for low-traction and off-road use. It is common on trucks and is what you want for deep snow, gravel and work sites. It is not meant to be left engaged on dry pavement.

What it costs you

• A higher purchase price than the equivalent two-wheel-drive model
• Slightly worse fuel economy from the extra weight and drivetrain drag
• More components that can eventually need service
• Usually better resale value in Alberta, which offsets some of the above

So is it worth it

For most Alberta drivers, yes, with a caveat. AWD is worth having if you deal with unplowed roads, hills, acreage driveways, rural routes or regular winter highway driving.

It is worth less if you drive mainly on plowed city streets and are choosing between AWD and a set of winter tires. In that case buy the tires.

Whichever way you go, work out the budget first. Start your pre-approval and we can help narrow down vehicles that fit both your driving and your payment.