What's the difference between 4X4 Auto and All Wheel Drive on a Ford Explorer?

On a Ford Explorer, what is the difference between a 4X4 Auto and AWD? In the brief description they give on the website, they kind of sound the same. I used to have a 97 Ford Explorer with AWD. The description of the 4X4 Auto feature today sounds exactly like the AWD from 97. Why can't they just give us the old fashion 2WD, 4WD High and 4WD Low feature? (that must make too much sense).What's the difference between 4X4 Auto and All Wheel Drive on a Ford Explorer?Auto 4x4 (full time 4WD) and AWD are the same in that they both distribute power to the wheels automatically. However, the Auto 4x4 also allows the user manually switch to 4WD High and 4WD Low, whereas the AWD doesn't offer low-range gearing.What's the difference between 4X4 Auto and All Wheel Drive on a Ford Explorer?The main difference is how the power is split to the front and rear axles. AWD uses a differential that is very similar to what is in the axles, meaning the front axle can turn faster or slower than the rear axle, and vice versa. With 4x4, the front and rear driveshafts are directly linked together, either by a chain or direct gear drives in a couple cases, meaning the front axle and the rear axle are ALWAYS turning the same speed, no matter what. This makes cornering more difficult and can cause excess wear to many things like the transfer case or axles.What's the difference between 4X4 Auto and All Wheel Drive on a Ford Explorer?All Wheel Drive is 4wd all of the time. Old fashion 2WD, 4WD High and 4WD Low, you get to select when you want to be 4wd.



Why awd, maybe it's cheaper to manufacture than part-time 4wd.