I recently read your column “Why all tires need to match.” It was an answer to a question from the owner of a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid AWD who needed to replace a bad tire.

You stated that all four tires needed to match because of the AWD’s center differential. You said that having one, newer tire (bigger than the other three tires because of the deeper tread) would cause the center differential to overwork.

While I don’t know anything about a Santa Fe Hybrid AWD, I believe that my 2024 Toyota RAV4 Prime AWD Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t have a center differential and lacks any physical connection between the front and rear wheels.

I’ve been told that, for that reason, only the front two or the rear two tires need to match — not all four tires. Was that advice incorrect? Do all four tires on my RAV4 Prime need to match?

Not on your car, Ron.

We’re starting to see some automakers create all-wheel-drive systems that use a second electric motor to power the “nonpowered” set of wheels. And that’s what your RAV4 Prime does.

Your car has both a gasoline engine and an electric motor up front. Those work together to drive the front axles. And, in fact, most of the time, the RAV4 behaves like a front-wheel-drive vehicle.

But when you need extra traction, your RAV4 Prime has a second electric motor to power the rear axles, which is activated instantly, as needed, by the car’s computer. And because this is all done electronically, there is no mechanical, center differential on your car that can be burned out.

I believe the RAV4 Prime also has a pseudo “locking differential” mode, where you can engage the rear electric motor manually if you’re driving through rough terrain. Like the Lowes parking lot. So the advice you got is correct, Ron. Feel free to mix and match if you need to.