Just because you have a 4WD

[Barakka]

It's hard to put into words but my understanding was that grip is the combination of weight, downforce, aerodynamics, and tyre compound to create the friction with the road surface.

Whereas traction is the ability for a vehicle to transfer the power from the engine to the wheels to create forward motion.

[aidanjt]

Nice. Dodge the point completely where you have contradicted yourself, then decide you are right by changing what I have said.
I think you know you've lost this one but are completely incapable of ever admitting to being wrong or changing your mind about anything. I wonder if you are actually capable of seeing the contradiction or if your mind is incapable of seeing you're just plain wrong. I'm sure may others on this board do as well TBH
I also wonder what stupid statement you'll come up with next will be to maintain your position will be.

I cited engineering definitions and sources, you've just repeatability made empty self-asserting statements, while clearly demonstrating ignorance of basic mechanical engineering principles.

If you want to convince me, you'll have to try harder than 'cos I sez so'.

[aidanjt]

It's hard to put into words but my understanding was that grip is the combination of weight, downforce, aerodynamics, and tyre compound to create the friction with the road surface.

Whereas traction is the ability for a vehicle to transfer the power from the engine to the wheels to create forward motion.

Nope, both just mean the availability of friction to perform a driving operation. People overcomplicate the ideas behind driving because they don't understand the engineering principles involved. The force which allows you to accelerate without causing the wheels to spin is the same as the one which allow you to go around a corner and brake. It's all friction.

[Rave]

And all an extremely tedious excercise in semantics TBH. Let it go, all of you.

[Stringent]

In before peterb gets his keys ...

The guy who owns my gym has a Hummer H2. He said that started to slip down a hill and there was a car at the bottom. Man I'd bail if I saw that thing slipping towards me! Thankfully he managed to spin it round and it stopped just in time! Doesn't matter what you have, if there is ice on the road, nothing you can do.

[this_is_gav]

Yeah, but a Hummer sliding down a hill is akin to a plane falling out of the sky. Gravity will win.

[badass]

And all an extremely tedious excercise in semantics TBH. Let it go, all of you.

Fair point.

However what I will say is that before buying by 4WD car, I test drove several 2wd versions of it as well.

It certainly doesn't generate twice as much cornering force, nor twice as much braking force as it's 2WD brethren. In fact braking is the same and it's only got an advantage over the 2WD version in 2 circumstances (unsurprisingly) Acceleration where there is enough power getting to the wheels to break traction on 2 wheels and accelerating out of a corner when there is more power going to 2 wheels than traction.

[twostroke]

Just because you have 4wd doesn't mean it's suitable for the conditions you drive in.