Slapstick Chevy Dealer Staff Hilariously Explain Drivetrains to Customers
Walk into any dealership and ask the staff what questions they get the most, and I’m sure they’d have a long list. For Tom Gill Chevrolet outside of Cincinnati, it’s apparently, “What are the different drivetrains?” On June 14, the dealership posted a chuckle-inducing explainer that’s totally worth watching. The clip is below.
For those wondering, a vehicle’s drivetrain is a collection of components that move energy from the engine to the wheels to create motion. This includes the transmission, transfer case, differential(s), axles, CV joints, and wheels.
There are several drivetrain setups…
Front-wheel drivetrains: In this setup, power goes from the engine to the front wheels only. The back wheels move not because energy is sent directly there but because the front wheels pull them. This is a common setup in cars and provides decent traction over rear-wheel drive, but it’s still not great in certain conditions, like gravel.
Rear-wheel drivetrains: As you might guess, this is the opposite of front-wheel drive. Power is sent to the rear wheels. This setup is often used in trucks and sports cars because it enhances performance metrics. However, it’s not the best for wet or icy pavement.
Four-wheel drive: Power is sent to all four wheels when “told” to do so. This happens either automatically via a full-time 4WD system or manually via a part-time 4WD setup.
All-wheel drive: In this drivetrain, power goes to all four wheels all the time. Like full-time 4WD, some AWD systems use sensors to toggle between 2WD and AWD. This setup has a center differential on top of the front and rear.
Regarding the Tom Gill Chevrolet explainer, the comments were mostly supportive and appreciative of the humor. One posted, “if i ever go to a dealership and ask the difference between drivetrains the salesman must do exactly this or else i will walk.” Others asked them to demonstrate 4X4 (four-wheel drive) next since they skipped it and went straight to AWD. That would require some impressive acrobatics, indeed.
