In 1994, the Japanese automaker gave its all - wheel drive Legacy wagon additional ground clearance and released it into the wild. (digitaltrends.com)
Off - road mode tunes the shift points for off - road use and provides the front wheels with torque faster, and with the optional air suspension raises the vehicle for additional ground clearance — up to 9.06 inches. (cars.com)
I consider the 4WD versus AWD to largely be marketing terms differentiating between vehicles with additional ground clearance and plating underneath to protect sensitive components while going over rough terrain off - road travel (4WD) from systems that are targeted more towards on - road travel (AWD). (mechanics.stackexchange.com)