I am not trying to show anyone up, nor am I saying that the car is not awd. I personally call it awd first before 4wd. I don't want to take over the thread with a 4wd vs awd debate. Yes there is no switch for 2wd mode and there is no low range selector or locking front and rear differential, but it's basical functions are that of a full-time 4wd system and a part time 4wd system and automatic assymetric awd depending on the center differential and when it locks.

My entire point is that saying the car is not 4wd really depends on how you interpret the basic principles of 4wd and awd. I wouldn't consider calling it 4wd to be incorrect, but I realize it's not the same system as an f350 with 4wd low, and a locking front diff and LSD and I def would not take a g35 off road. I think the biggest differentiating point between awd and 4wd is the availability if a low range gear selector for more torque. So if you want to get very technical, then you can say the g35 is not 4wd because of that. However, compared to a low of the fwd biased awd system out the, the car is much more closer to 4wd especially with the snow selector switch on and the diff locked 50:50. When this happens, the manufacturer recommends not driving on dry pavement...just like true part time 4wd systems. Again...all depends on how you want to interpret the differences. To me, there are way too many systems to really differentiate. They are all just different types of 4wd to me...some better than others.

Call it whatever you like, as I don't think it's a topic worth arguing about. All I know is it is a very capable system in the snow and that is all that matters to me.

 

g35X is not a 4wd vehicle, yes you can force it into a 25% split on the wheels with the snow button. But that isn't a true 4X4.

 

^ He's correct. Any vehicle that can provide power to all 4 wheels is 4WD, no matter how it does it. After that, you can break it down into Part-time 4WD, Full-time 4WD, and Automatic 4WD. Part-time doesn't mean it's only active part of the time while driving, it means it only can be active in 4WD part of the time (not on dry pavement or you'll wreck the system). Full-time means it can be run in 4WD all the time, including dry pavement. Part-time will almost always have a Low option, and Full-time usually will, but may not (my sister's old Grand Vitara 4WD did not). But both will have a way to manually switch into 4WD from 2WD.

Automatic 4WD, also called AWD, is basically Full-time 4WD that does not have a Low option and can not be manually switched out of 4WD. It will however switch itself back into 2WD mode when conditions call for it, reverting either to FWD (most) or RWD (best). There are many different implementations of the AWD system out there, but this basic description fits all of them. One of the most advanced is Acura's SH-AWD.

SUV's will have Automatic 4WD and cars will have AWD, mostly because of perception, not actual performance. No self-respecting SUV driver wants the same system a Honda CRV has, and car drivers don't want a truck transmission. But, people are basically ignorant about vehicles, so the marketers give them what they want.

 

The G35 is both a 4x4 and a 4WD, since all 4x4's are by definition 4WD, and AWD is a form of 4WD. It has 4 wheels and can provide power to all 4. Whether it's a "true 4x4" will have to wait for a definition of what "true 4x4" actually means.

And you can't force a 25% split, you can only force a 50/50 front to rear split. We don't have fully locking diffs, so the torque will go to the front and rear wheel with the least traction. At least until the VDC kicks in and starts shifting that torque left to right, which will be pretty much right away.

 

25% per wheel (4x4)

But the first part is all I'm saying. I'm not trying to say you're wrong I'm right. I'm just saying, if you work on something that is legitly a 4x4 and then work on a G35x, it really isn't a 4x4.

this is what I've been working on the past few days.

 

Have you seen how high the X's come factory!

 

^ have you seen how high the RWD comes from that factory? lol

 

Wasn't trying to say a g35 is equal to a truck. Just different types of systems that is all