Quad and ATV are increasingly attracting people, thanks to specific qualities that set them apart from most vehicles in use. However, they are different vehicles, for different uses and people looking for different features. Let's see what these are in this guide on quads and ATVs.

Names and history

To understand the differences between ATVs and quads, we can start with their names, beginning with ATVs: ATV stands for All Terrain Vehicles, a vehicle suitable for all terrains. ATVs are extremely agile and resistant vehicles, suitable even for short distances in water and, in any case, also for particularly rugged and difficult terrains. Their history developed in Canada around the 1960s, with their first application being to transport golf players across golf courses. The boom in North America led, within a few years, to the spread of these early ATVs also in Europe, including Italy, where the model immediately became successful. Weston Anaconda: six wheels, all-wheel drive and a Benelli 350 cc engine.

The main advantage of driving an ATV is the relative ease with which they move on difficult or marshy terrain, even if they certainly do not stand out for speed. ATV with wheels or equipped with tracks, the engine is capable of providing the right thrust to overcome any type of terrain (hence the definition of All Terrain Vehicles).

The evolution of ATVs has been slowing down more and more until the late 1970s, only to resume with renewed vigor in the 2000s, when the idea of a versatile vehicle suitable for any terrain was rethought to take the form of a quad, which combined renewed sporting needs and the market logic of the early millennium.

Some see in the quad a simple variant of an ATV or even a four-wheeled motorcycle, but the mistake - especially in the latter case - is evident. Certainly, the quad stands out for its four wheels (an element that makes it a quadricycle, hence the term "quad"), but saying this is not enough: the first great The difference between ATV and quad is a different orientation of driving and use, decidedly oriented towards motorcycling rather than small amphibious crossings, completely sacrificed in the main models.

The impossibility of navigating on water - even for short distances - is compensated by the fact that the quad has a definitely higher speed compared to older ATV models, while maintaining a very strong resistance and adaptability, similar to that of vehicles from the 1970s.

Use of quads and ATVs

It can be summarized by considering the ATV as a large category of vehicles particularly suitable for rough terrains. The ATV macro-category can therefore include off-road vehicles with three or more wheels, with one or two seats (for driver and passenger): the quad is therefore a subcategory of the ATV - specifically, a four-wheeled variant. Another category of four-wheeled ATV vehicles is the off-road jeep; other six-wheeled vehicles, if suitable for rough and difficult terrains, can be classified as ATVs.

The driving wheels of a quad can be two or four: in the first case, we are dealing with quads often used for motocross races; some racing quads have four-wheel drive. More recent hybrid models are characterized by the possibility to switch from 2×4 traction to 4×4.

The use of quads is very diverse, although quads are often considered vehicles to be used for entertainment, sports events, or special themed excursions. Different is the case of ATVs, seen more generally, used also for work, transportation of goods and people, or in purely agricultural field.

Whether used for work, sports or excursions, quads - as well as the entire category of ATVs - provide intense driving emotions, allowing you to feel the road in every detail and to overcome any predetermined route, thanks to their strong adaptability to different terrains. In any case, a good amount of practice is necessary, as well as a certain level of experience, to master the different types of quads (from those with single gear, where only the gears need to be set, to those with pedal shift, more similar to motorcycles).

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