Allwheel drive puts power down , and that ' s it . That advantage is also going to be chiefly limited to standstill launches and corner exits . Meanwhile , there are disadvantages such as weight , which affects the rest of the cornering phase , so you ' re sacrificing entry and midcorner speed in the hopes of making up for it on the exit . Allwheel drive also has drivetrain losses , meaning that less of the power from the engine is getting to the ground because it ' s split between all four wheels and lost in the driveshafts . There is also some ' drag ' in most allwheel drive systems once high speeds are reached . If you are traveling quickly down a straight in normal conditions , you don ' t need the system to be sending power up front . However , many continue to do so , leading to more inefficiency . Some of the more advanced systems can stop sending power to the front wheels in such conditions , but they are in the minority . Rear drive can be more versatile , with less weight , lower drivetrain losses and better overall cornering . Aids such as aero and traction control can help keep things manageable so that a wellengineered rear drive setup can still rival an allwheel drive car .