Car Nut

I have not seen or read about a snow mode switch in the New RX. Has anybody else thought about this?

skiracer

I'm also wondering the same thing. When looking at the info monitor while driving i noticed the torque is mostly applied to the front wheels when cruising and it applies some torque to the rear wheels when accelerating. Wondering if there is a way to engage AWD permenently during bad weather conditions.

Macs4RX

Here's some information I found in the owners manual. There's an engage/disengage switch right below the Remote Touch controller.

"All-wheel drive lock mode can be used when a large amount of drive power
needs to be applied to all the wheels, such as when the vehicle gets stuck in
mud and you need to free it."

But note:

1. The locked AWD mode is cancelled if you apply the brakes.
2. The mode is active for speeds up to 25 MPH only.

Dave

skiracer

Isn't this function for locking the differentials?

RXOwner

Lexus does not allow you to lock all the wheels at all times. The 4RX does not a real 4 wheel drive system compared to others. This is no LX570. The power is never split 50-50 between the front and rear wheels from what I understand.

skiracer

So, let's assume you're driving down a snowy road, but road conditions are not bad enough that any of the wheels are slipping, the car will still drive in primarily front wheel drive mode?

RXOwner

Yes it will.

Even when tires do slip the amount of rear drive that can be applied is limited. This is not a 4 wheel drive vehicle and the rear drive on the AWD is . . . well it is "lite duty".

coolsaber

THe difference btween this system (AWD) vs 4wd lx, is basically who controls the driving system.

In the LX, if you feel uncomfortable you can lock the differentials, engage low gear, and be stuck in 4wd where 50% of the power is going to the front vs rear.

In the RX, the system controls which axle and which wheel.


Most people swear by the fact the computer can actually do a better job appropriating power vs a human.

My conclusion:
-No one can appropriate power
-Best remedy is buy snow tires for any vehicle,
-be a cautious drive
-and go.

the RX would be best to be traversing anything besides the local mud and snow hole. LX is the same, with its lack of GC. but with the approiate mods could do the mud and snow holes.

yardie876

If it's similar to the snow mode found in the GS, it locks out first gear and starts in second, to minimize wheel spin. It also dulls the throttle, similarly to Eco mode.

skiracer

I just turned this button on while driving thru a snow covered parking lot at a local ski resort. The throttle sensitivity is dramatically reduced as mentioned above and also while looking at the wheel torque graph on the driver info center, it sends the same amount of power to all four wheels. I didn't get a chance to drive around in this mode much since i was in a parking lot....

barx

Taking the new 4RX up to Tahoe this weekend and it will be stormy. This is my first AWD car (used to have to deal with chains all the time). Don't have snow tires, using the stock all season tires. Any tips for how to drive the safest when going up and down windy mtn roads?

- Should I lock the traction control button?
- Should I use the manual mode for shifting? What is the best gear to use for the 8 speed?

Thanks!

Macs4RX

Just remember that the All-wheel drive lock mode disengages above 25 mph (according to the owners manual). And, of course, the friction between the tire surface and the road is drastically reduced if even a slight layer of ice or snow is present on the road.

Bavancena

Went up to tahoe and had a chance to play around with some unplowed roads. I definitely felt confident driving the car even if i try to push it. I have the 350 fsport. Since this is my first awd vehicle and my first time experiencing it in lesser traction, i really wanted to see how the car behaves.

Things i noticed, if the car notices you're really making a bad decision it will start cutting off the power. I noticed that it also plows through snow easily and can sometimes have the rear swing a little, but you will still feel and have the control of the vehicle. I also remember noticing that there are times i would counter steer to regain control and the car will do its job to do it very smoothly and in control.

https://goo.gl/photos/CFwmXdKyurHodTQG6

Got a few seconds of my car being driving through unplowed snow. I had the video taken because i wanted to get a visual confirmation how the car looks like outside. (i also didn't use the diff lock button in the video)

RXOwner

There is no better "snow mode" that what is between our ears.

barx

Thanks for the video!

I did a day trip to Sierra, but the roads were rainy so I didn't get to experiment on the snow, but your video and post gives me confidence.

Were you using the stock all weather tires? Any issues with chain control? I noticed that my 350 doesn't have an AWD badge on the back.