Hi all,

I recently purchased a 2017 AWD model and on first accent of my steep uneven sealed driveway (that has seen me tow 7 vehicles out of it in 6 years), my new car struggled for traction. As one of the rear wheels started to slip, it sounds like the AWD system is applying a little bit of torque to the front wheels one at a time and the effect is a slip on each wheel as it tries to find grip. I can make it out of the driveway but it doesn't sound or feel great at all. Now admittedly, the rear tyres were P0's with 3mm tread but the front tyres were brand new so I was hopeful of a more positive experience.

Reading through the forums, I see the car is mostly rear biassed but I was hoping the AWD would do a better job of figuring out where traction is needed as my wife's 2007 Honda CR-V which is also AWD does a much better job without 'slipping' at all. I've since replaced all four tyres with MPS4S and put the car in Ice/Snow mode for a 50/50 split to assist with the climb out of the drive but to get to my question, is this normal behaviour for this car?

It's only done 19,000 kms (11,800 miles) and the engine oil has been replaced every year but other than that, no other fluids. So I was wondering if the oil in the transfer box could just be old if indeed this car has separate oil for the transfer box.

Other than the above quirk and the fact the the windscreen wiper squirter does not work, super happy with my new purchase. Very happy to receive any and all feedback in regards the AWD traction of this car.

 

Normal AWD mode is basically a torque-vectoring system to allow maximum traction under hard cornering and acceleration. It's not a system optimized for off-road by any means. Snow/ice mode will help (as you discovered). If that - plus your all-season tires - are working for you, great. We love our 2017 Type R AWD. Fantastic car.

 

Thanks, was just hoping it was normal behaviour and that a $$ service wasn't needed. I think it might be working as intended then.

 

Er, it's entirely rear biased until the car determines that a bit of power at the front would be advantageous. It's a sports car, not an off-roader!

 

It's not just rear biased, it's a rear wheel drive car that can send power to the front wheels when the rears start to slip. You can't think of it like an Audi.




When I had the OEM P-Zeros, I had traction problems and the tractions control would kick in before the AWD system did. Since switching tires, I have not had traction issues.