Currently the most fashionable in the automotive market are the SUV. In fact, they have stopped being a fashion due to how common they are. All brands are committed to having one in their catalog. But behind that aspect of off-road hides, in most cases, a minivan. A high, comfortable and spacious car for the whole family. At this point, it is easy to confuse one of these SUVs with a an ATV since many have the ability to go off-road. But what are the advantages and disadvantages of an ATV? Whether you want to buy a modern crossover or classic off-road, let’s find out.
Advantage – Greater traction capacity
Regardless of whether you are driving on or off the road, facing a loss of traction can lead to a dangerous accident. With a vehicle with all-wheel drive, the chances of something like this happening to you are minimized, because if a wheel is not resting on the asphalt or if one of the axles loses traction, you can be sure that the tires in contact with the floor will drive the car. With atv mud tires the same applies for off-road driving.
Disadvantage – Consume more fuel
Any type of ATV even with OEM atv parts will always demand a higher fuel consumption to the vehicle’s propulsion. Whatever the case, compared to a front-drive or rear-drive vehicle, they use a greater number of mechanical components. This means that the engine will have to carry a larger weight, which in the end results in a higher fuel consumption (about 0.5 l / 100km on average). However, the difference is increasingly reduced thanks to the technology and electronics used, as well as the advanced components.
Advantage – Better acceleration
At the moment of greater traction, an ATV will have an acceleration superior to that of a car with a single driving axle. By having four points of support to drive the car, it is easier for it to accelerate in a shorter amount of time. Even if it is a slightly heavier car. There is no exact weight figure, but a car with four-wheel drive can weigh around 100 kg more than non-ATVs. In addition, to have this acceleration and traction, the output during turns will also be faster.
Disadvantage – More expensive and delicate
Vehicles with integral traction are generally more expensive. This difference in its purchase price will be more noticeable in certain models than in others, but normally the increase in its rate is enough to know if it pays to spend those euros or not depending on the use that you’re going to give it. In the same way, when including more mechanical elements, ATVs can be more susceptible to revision and more noises and vibrations may appear with the passage of time. Therefore, its maintenance is also more expensive.
Are you going to make use of the ATV?
Many people buy an ATV with all-wheel drive without taking into account their future needs. They often don’t even consider alternatives or what changing parts costs. We advise to do a bit of research first such as checking atv honda motorcycle parts online before buying the vehicle. When choosing your car you have to take into account if you are really going to use that 4×4 system, or if on the contrary it would be enough with the free height with respect to the typical floor of the SUV or crossover. At the end of the day, will you travel dirt roads of little demand or a slightly moderate difficulty trip through mud or snow?
