4wd or awd

[junichi]

there seem to be some delicas listed for sale as AWD and some as 4wd. it is my understanding that 4wd is part time and AWD full time. was the delica made as 4wd and as awd or are they the same thing? if not, is one better than the other?

does anyone know if the middle bench seat in the eight seater models folds flat? and i saw one facing backwards in a pic.. does it swivel somehow??

just fine tuning my want list for my new Delica.

[MardyDelica]

Hi, Delica is 4wd, part time only, not AWD, thats why its good, now as the middle seat for 8 pass, it didn't swivel as its a fix seat & did did not fold as the captain chair that swivel & can turn 360" anyway you want. its just depends on your choice.
cheers:

[junichi]

thanks Mardy,
saw a pic of the jumpseat for the middle bench folded almost flat on the tyeeimports website that made me wonder...i think that the captain's chairs may be better... we definitely want to camp in the delica so we need them to fold flat. the other reason we're buying a Delica is that we have a baby and are planning for another in the next couple years. our volvo sedan is feeling small all of a sudden..no overhead clearance! looks like the captain's chairs would put our kids closer to the center of the vehicle where it's safest. plus the swivel is cool.
From reading through some other posts, i guess i'm lucky. i didn't have to convince my wife at all.. she thinks the Delica is as cool as i do!

[jrman]

I personally prefer the captain chair option also. However, pretty much all of them need the fix for the slight "rocking" - as per the following post;
http://www.delica.ca/forum/captain-seat ... tml#p11071
Best of luck

[marsgal42]

there seem to be some delicas listed for sale as AWD and some as 4wd. it is my understanding that 4wd is part time and AWD full time. was the delica made as 4wd and as awd or are they the same thing? if not, is one better than the other?.

AWD means 4 wheel drive, all the time, like a Subaru or a Previa/Estima. This requires a fancier transfer case with a differential in it.

Just to confuse things, later Delicas (L400 and D:5) have fancier transfer cases, and you can run them AWD if you want. The L400s have a switch to do 4WD with the differential locked (L300 mode), or unlocked (Subaru mode). The D:5 uses computers to decide what to do.

I find AWD vehicles have a distinctive sure-footed feel when you drive them. In 4WD, Gumdrop has that same feel. It will take a lot more than a couple of cm of snow to slow me down!

...laura

[junichi]

thanks laura,

i guess some dealers just use the terms interchangeably, without proper knowledge of their meanings...

[monstabishi]

Hi junichi,the middle bench seat does fold flat and the backrest can be used forward or rear facing with seatbelts on both sides.



Mick.

[Erebus]

Be advised that the 8th seat, the jump seat, does NOT have a seatbelt.

[junichi]

does the jumpseat get in the way when loading the carseat in? can the jumpseat be removed? does the bench form a better bed than the very lumpy looking captain's chair bed?

[Erebus]

does the jumpseat get in the way when loading the carseat in? can the jumpseat be removed? does the bench form a better bed than the very lumpy looking captain's chair bed?

Don't know about the carseat issue, since I have the captain's chairs. As for bed, although the captains look lumpy, they really aren't. Slide the 3rd row forward, face the captain's seat towards the back, slide it back to touch 3rd row, recline it flat. Now lay down on it as if you are sitting in the 2nrd row (i.e., with head on headrest).

Pretty comfortable. And with slight adjustments on how reclined the seat is, and adjusting the headrest too, it is amazing for having done no modifications. And with a foamy or Thermorest, it becomes perfectly fine for long trips.

Just my 2 cents worth.