When it comes to deciphering the difference between all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive get tricky. These terms are used interchangeably, but according to Digital Trends, they are not the same. Four-wheel drive, often referred to as “Four by Four” is typically used on vehicles designed and built to handle the unpaved wilderness. In a nutshell, it’s a system that sends power to all four wheels equally where each wheel will spin at the same constant rate as all the others.